The Gates Experiment

Writing Mandarin

2012-01-26T19:53:00.001-05:00

Our cruise is fast approaching, and with that comes Grandma Laura's trip here to stay with the kids, as well as Great Grandparents Mullen coming midweek to see everyone, too. Jenn and I are looking forward to this vacation, and we're incredibly grateful to our family for helping us out so much.

Lincoln has been showing more of an interest in learning to read. He's starting to recognize some words that he hears commonly in our stories, and he let's me "quiz" him about spelling. Interestingly, he's much more willing to do this with me than with Jenn. We're not sure why, and it'll be interesting to see how Lydia and Henry are in this area.

Lincoln has also been showing an interest in drawing some of the Mandarin characters he sees. Jenn was painting a few things for our Chinese Take-Out and he liked watching her work. The block that you see in this photo is part of a larger set that has some of the common words, and a guide to show how to write each character. He's actually been doing a pretty good job at it. His proportions are off, but he's doing all of the correct strokes in the correct places. He says, "I'm learning lots of Mandarin!" (Would you believe that this block set was made in America?)

Henry has been on the front of our minds for a long time, but even more so recently with receiving the photos. It's clear that he's growing up fast, and that he's going to be a present part of our family very soon.

Chinese Tea House Take-Out

2012-01-22T20:48:00.004-05:00

There were some sniffles following Lydia around, and combined with getting another tooth, she was sleep deprived, until Sunday afternoon when she crashed and took a long nap. That she let me get the camera set up and didn't stir through a couple of takes ought to say something about her depth of sleep.

Last evening was our Community Group's Murder Mystery Dinner. You may recall that a year and a half ago we had Murder in Margaritaland.

We went with a Chinese theme this year, and the setting was Madame Wong's Tea House in Hong Kong, circa 1906. Decorating the house got to be a fun thing for me and Jenn, from suspending Chinese lanterns by fishing line over our family room to lighting the rooms with lots of candles (how much electricity was there in early-20th-Century China?). Everyone came in character, though I've got to say that finding a costume was quite the challenge for the men. Jenn found a great dress and even a wig. She was one hot wannabe Asian!

Each couple brought a Chinese dessert and Jenn and I went shopping at the Asian Market for dumplings (that were a major hit!) and we got takeout from Sunrise Kitchen, a local Chinese restaurant. For a long time I've wanted to have a party with Chinese take-out so everyone could sample a varity of things. So we had Pepper Steak, Kung Po Chicken, Lo Mein, Sweet & Sour Chicken, fried & white rice, and did I mention the dumplings?

Dong Wong, son of Madame Wong, is shocked, having just been accused of murdering his mother. Ah Si Now, purveyor of wisdom, has a laugh at Dong's expense.

Madame Hu Woo was hard of hearing... or was she?

Though she embarassed him, Chin Lo loved Madame Wong.

Sai Chee & Madame Sung-Lo	Inspector Shun Sin & Soo Yu
Boo Kim & Madame Hu Woo	Madame Wong & Doo Wong (both deceased)

Chou Chyou & Wan Ting

Lie-Low & Chin Lo

Logged In!

2012-01-18T22:11:00.003-05:00

For starters, our dossier was logged in today in China! This is great news, and evidence that things are moving along on the Chinese end.

Lincoln really enjoyed his Cookie Trifle

I got to use the little tripod that Jenn gave me for Christmas at Edge this evening. I was monkeying around with exposure times ranging from 6 to 13 seconds. Here are some of the good ones...

Todd is a first-class youth minister, and a very easy leader under whom to serve.

Henry's Growing!

2012-01-17T21:38:00.003-05:00

Lest anyone get the vibe from the last blog post that nobody was there (I had to leave before the festivities began), here are some pics from the actual event.

I don't want to be accused of overstating a fact, but I'm thinking that Em's shower might become the standard by which all other showers are measured in the circles of ladies that were present.

On a completely different note, and one that hits closer to home for Jenn and me, we got some new photos of Henry! He's growing, they tell us 75cm, and you can tell by the photos that he's filling out quite nicely. Also notice how bundled up he is. Poor little cold guy!

We pray for Henry constantly. Many times throughout the day Jenn, Lincoln and I lift him up to God in prayer. At night, Lincoln asks God "to give Henry the clothes that he needs and the food that he needs." His life now is nothing like our own, as he has the basics to grow, and that's about it. It's powerful to see the LORD providing his needs.

We're still waiting for our log-in date. Chinese New Year is fast approaching, so this date may get pushed back. It's in God's hands. We're happy to see that he's healthy and doing well.

English Tea

2012-01-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

What has two thumbs and the most amazing wife? This guy! Jenn has been working full bore on Auntie Em's baby shower and today was the day. It was a full-fledged Beatrix Potter/British Tea Party. The food, games, and presentation were 5-Star all the way, and the reviews from the guests were nothing short of spectacular. It was a lot of prep work, and a lot of clean-up, but wow! What a party!

GI Bug

2012-01-08T14:39:00.001-05:00

The GI-Bug has come to the Gates house. V/D X 4 is never pleasant. Things are improving, though, which is nice.

This story happened yesterday, and let there be no mistake, I am not making any of this up.

After Lincoln woke up from his nap, he and I went to the basement where he was going to pay with Play-Doh while I watched the Buckeyes. After we were downstairs for about a minute, he said, "Dad, I want a snack."

I answered, "Well, you had a big lunch, and you just woke up from your nap. Maybe we'll have a snack a little later."

Lincoln replied, "When a kid just wakes up from his nap and says he's hungry, you should give him a snack right away."

Here are some photos from the last couple of days.

Next on the Gates Agenda: Auntie Em's baby shower. You know how when Jenn starts planning something, it turns into a big deal and ends up first-class. Expect it.

Kickin' Off The New Year... a lot like last year...

2012-01-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

This was our most uneventful New Year's Eve and that was just fine with us. We got the Christmas decorations torn down yesterday, and the only snowman to speak of is inside our house, not outside. This was the rainy-est, crummy-est December I can remember. Blah.

Brandon, one of my Edge small groupers, was baptized at church this morning. What a cool way to kick of 2012!

Anticipating Disney

2011-12-26T15:04:00.002-05:00

It started a couple of months back when I was watching a television program on my iPad (that's about the only way I watch non-sports these days) and the commercial was for Disney Parks and Resorts and it was played over and over. It's rare that I really and knowingly get drawn in by ads and commercials, but this really, really, really makes me want to pack up the Gates Family (post-Henry) and head south.I don't know who wrote the song, or who put the video together, or who the narrator is, but this is one good, effective commercial.

Christmas 2011, pt. 4, the Wrap-Up

2011-12-26T11:00:00.002-05:00

Another Chirstmas has come and gone. Saturday we drove Grandma Laura, Grandpa Dave and Auntie Haley down to the Parkinson's in Columbus. It was a nice couple of hours of stuffing ourselves with cookies, exchanging some gifts, eating some more cookies, and then driving home in the evening.

We wrapped things up on Sunday with a slow-paced Christmas morning at our house, followed by a slow-paced lunch at Grandpa Doug & Grandma Paulette's house and then the final gift exchange with my parents, Grandma Gates and our family. When we returned home, Jenn and I started the laundary and began picking up the pieces. Lincoln watched Cars, Lydia played with her tea set, and we all cruised into bedtime.

This Christmas was a new mix of emotions for Jenn and for me. I feel like whenever someone expresses anything other than joy and excitement for Christmas that they're labeled as a humbug or there are suspicions that the true meaning of Christmas has been missed. We didn't miss the meaning of Christmas at our house, and in fact we were reminded with story books, Bible passages and prayers every day. And we certainly enjoyed seeing family that we don't often get to see. And hosting out-of-town family as house-guests and Christmas-time-guests

is exactly why we bought the house we did. And we loved seeing reactions like Lincoln's, when he opened his Cars movie: "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! YEA!! I WANTED THIS!!! MOM! MOM! THIS IS JUST WHAT I WANTED!!!!" And we thoroughly enjoyed giving gifts to our family members (such as the antique sterling ladel with the monogramed "D" on the handel for Grandma Paulette). We can't exclude any of this and we don't want an ounce of it to be discounted.

But this was our most tiring Christmas season. Why? Because Jenn and I are getting older and because we've got kids. That's the big-picture answer. The smaller-picture answers are... Because of the sequence of events at the end of November and the beginning of December, we were feeling rushed to get our tree up in mid-December. Squeezing in gift exchanges before bedtimes, squeezing in cleaning and prepping between work schedules, nap schedules and other parties & get-togethers... and

then my getting what seemed to be the flu during the week leading up to Christmas... it was a new era for the Gates Family. None of these are complaints, just observations.

What would we change about it? It's hard to say. Do we need to change anything about it? Probably not. At the end of the day, Lincoln and Lydia had a great memory-forming Christmas season, everybody got caught up with everyone else, and, because Lincoln is standing right here, I'll ask him this question: "Lincoln, why do we celebrate Christmas?" "Because it's Jesus birthday!" he said. Sounds like another good, and successful Christmas to me.

Our prayers continue to be with Henry, who did not have a fantastic Christmas this year. His next Christmas, though, will be very Merry!

Christmas 2011, pt. 4

2011-12-25T12:43:00.003-05:00

This post is specifically for Grandma Laura, Grandpa Dave & Auntie Haley.

Christmas 2011, pt. 3

2011-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

Mullen Christmas came and went and it was a fun evening at our house. The Cincy Mullens came in to join the Pheonix Mullens (Parkinsons) and Great Grandparents Mullen. We had the usual Mullen Christmas dinner: 7 layer jello, cocktail meatballs, roast beef, relish trays, loads of cookies, and eventually Daffin's chocolates.

Santa Shouldn't Smoke

2011-12-22T20:24:00.001-05:00

So I was reading Twas The Night Before Christmas to Lincoln tonight before bed, and we got to the part:

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

Lincoln cut in and said, "Did Santa breathe in the smoke?"

"Yes," I said.

"That's not very good for Santa," Lincoln replied in a solemn voice. It prompted a small chuckle, but he was dead serious.

Christmas 2011, pt. 2

2011-12-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday was Donati Christmas. Once again, good food and company!

Then on Tuesday evening we had Christmas w/ the Hopwoods (photos to come), and that's right about the time I started getting sick. I hope it's the flu, because Lincoln, Lydia and Jenn got their flu shots a while back.

Grandpa Dave, Grandma Laura & Auntie Haley arrived yesterday, and Lincoln has been enjoying his time with them. We'll be having Mullen Christmas on Friday, then Parkinson Christmas on Saturday. Jenn has to work on Saturday and Monday (dislike). This is one crazy Christmas season for us. I'll wait for it all to pass before I form and share my opinions this year.

We also found out that the DMV took the wrong sized photos for us. One more reason why I am completely unimpressed with government. So we're going to have to get those retaken and submitted to our agency. This shouldn't set us back in the long run, mostly because FedEx's delays (the ones that we paid good money to them to avoid) are looking like they're going to set us back by about 6 to 8 weeks. We'll see how quickly things go in January, but it's looking more like we'll be going to China around July or August. Time will tell, though.

Christmas 2011, pt. 1

2011-12-15T21:12:00.003-05:00

The time between my last blog post and this one make me think of the Mark Twain quote, "The report of my death was an exaggeration." We all are, in fact, here and doing quite well. December has been jam packed with events and activities, and the rest of the month is going to finish up like the first half.

Where to begin?

Jenn and I spent an evening with friends at our ABF Christmas Party. Jenn was one foxy lady. When I got home from work and saw her looking really good in a new, very nice dress, I knew I'd have to pull out my best suit pants and tie. I think we look pretty darn good together!

The adoption paperwork is now in the hands of our agency, Chinese Children Adoption International, and it will soon be on its way to the Chinese government. This past couple of weeks has been quite the ordeal with finally getting our U.S. Immigration

papers back and then getting things to New York and back, and I can't say I'm real thrilled with FedEx on this front. But it's out of our hands now. Jenn was on task from day one of compiling our paperwork, and it's hard to imagine anyone getting to this point in a more timely fashion. Now we're up against Christmas in this country and against Chinese New Year in China. We know it's all in God's timing, but since we don't know what his specific month-and-day plan is, we're praying that things moving along quickly with the agency and the government. All in all, Henry is getting closer and closer to coming home!

We got a late start on Christmas decorating at our house this year.

You may recall that we got the ball rolling in November last year. With work schedules and nap schedules and getting her at this time and there at that time, we didn't get around to finding a Christmas tree until last weekend. All of the blue spruces had been cut down, so after some hiking around and not finding anything over 8 feet, we headed back to the barn to get a pre-cut tree. We ended up with an 11 foot blue spruce that turned out to be quite nice. Getting it to stand safely was another story. This took about a day, and we lost 2 ornaments in the process. I'm going to refrain from giving too many details here, and instead we'll leave this story to the lore and imagination of our immediate Gates family.

Lincoln finished a third round of swimming lessons and he has made great progress. He can swim 5 feet toward the edge with ease, and he's close to being able to float on his back without assistance. He is absolutely unafraid to jump in the water. Funny story: Mr. Tyler, the swimming teacher, likes to pepper the kids with questions to keep them interested and on their toes. Yesterday, he asked Lincoln what his favorite Christmas carol was. Lincoln replied, "Angels We Have Heard On High."

Mr. Tyler then turned to Autumn and asked her the same question. She replied, "What's a Christmas carol." That's right, folks. My kid's the one that rocks out to the old-school Christmas carols!

Lydia continues to grow. She's been battling a runny nose for some time now, and Jenn and I are ready for this to end. She was so congested last weekend that she woke us up every 1.5 to 2 hours on average. Not cool. She's walking with ease now and getting more comfortable with changing directions. She's also eating nearly everything in sight, though in the last 48 hours she seems to have been on a vegetable strike. I think we may have broken this, though, because when she inadvertently put a piece of broccoli in her mouth we all through a big party of clapping and cheering for her, which she thought was simply fabulous. She then ate the rest of her broccoli.

Lincoln has been coming up with some lines lately that have us scratching our head in amazement. For instance, the other day Lydia was in the bathtub and she tipped over her toy boat. Lincoln said, "Oh, look. Lydia capsized her boat." Jenn and I looked at each other and exchanged, "Did he learn that from you?" Unbelievable.

Oodles, the Elf On The Shelf, has been quite the hit this Christmas season. While we certainly have a disobedient boy on our hands from time to time, he knows that he needs to give Oodles a good reason to take a good report to Santa. Each morning he goes looking for Oodles, and when he saw him on the mantle sitting next to one of our Santas, he said, "Oh, now that's funny!"

The other day I put some Christmas lights around the railing of his top bunk, and when he found his room lit up he said, "Hey, Dad! I was really surprised when I walked in my room, and I made this face!" And he proceeded to show me his surprised face. It was really cute.

Jenn and I are looking forward to hosting the Mullen Family Christmas for the first time. It definitely a change in tradition, where Christmas was at Great Grandpa & Grandma Mullen's house for decades, but if anyone is up to the task of putting on a good Christmas and receiving the torch from a prior generation, it is Jenn.

Last evening I took two of my small group middle schoolers to Urban Vision to do some small, odd jobs in preparation for their Christmas Store. This isn't the space to get into all of the details of Urban Vision or their Christmas Store, but suffice it to say that this is one very neat, special mission organization and event. They've got things figured out and are doing a good thing for the North Hill area of Akron. Brandon and Zac, the two that went with me, had been on the Chicago Mission Trip with Edge, so they know what serving others is all about, and it was a good evening to share with them. Afterward, we went to dinner together and had lots of fun.

Christmas is in 10 days. Yikes! We wish you a Merry Christmas...

Polar Express 2011

2011-12-03T14:42:00.003-05:00

Lincoln went with Grandma Paulette & Grandpa Doug on the Polar Express last evening.

This is the story of the evening:

Santa asked what Lincoln wanted for Christmas.
Lincoln quickly answered, "Socks."
Santa smiled and said said, "That's a new one for me! Would you like a toy car or truck for Christmas?"
Lincoln replied, "No, socks."

On another note, we received the documents from Immigration that we needed! This is a big step. Now Jenn gets to go to Columbus and finalize our documents so they can be submitted to the Chinese Embassy. Henry's one step closer to Ohio!

Thanksgiving, Take 2

2011-11-26T11:21:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving came and went. We had a very low-key dinner at Grandma Paulette & Grandpa Doug's house with Grandma Gates and Aunt MarySue. After dinner we played Scattergories and Lincoln was in charge of the timer and letter ball.

Last evening we had a second Thanksgiving Dinner with our good friends, Josh & Maria Tollefson. They drove in from Johnstown, PA, for the weekend and we had a great evening, especially after the kids went to bed!

Jenn is off at work this morning and Lincoln, Lydia and I are playing with things around the kitchen while I finish straightening up from lots of cooking and food prep.

It's also been wall-to-wall Christmas music. While we'll never be as Christmas-Crazed as our friends Zach & Kristen (this is two mentions in one week!), we're doing our best to build anticipation with Lincoln. Wait until he sees his Advent calendar next week!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T08:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much for which to be thankful. Particularly, when Jenn and I think about what Henry is doing today, it's awfully humbling to think about our circumstances. This is the first Thanksgiving where Lincoln can start to understand just what Thanksgiving means. This has been a neat series of conversations with him.

Certainly a portion of our thoughts are with Auntie Em & Uncle Jeremy. They went to New York City for their anniversary trip to take in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Hopefully they'll see more balloons than OWS-Loonies.

Yesterday was an odd Wednesday in that Jenn worked (she was off on Monday). Also, Kristen worked at CFVC, which is unusual. The reason why I lead with this is because the Myers have been into Christmas 2011 for some time now, and she had it set to Christmas music in the treatment room. I've been purposely avoiding all the Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving because I don't want to be sick of it all by the time mid-December rolls around. But I started getting into the songs, and along the same lines, I was really getting into the Christmas spirit. This, combined with Lincoln's coming excitement about the season, is going to make for a fun Christmas.

And now Jenn's preparing some Thanksgiving Dinner food in the kitchen and listening to Christmas music. I glad I didn't hear Christmas music in the treatment room in October!

Last evening I met up with my high school buddies at Fischer's. In attendance was Speas, Flaker, Jeff, Lyle, Bob & Bish. Blasts from the past, I tell you. It was good to catch up a little bit. Life has definitely pulled us in different directions, but our friendship is still there. We recalled some funny memories, and that made for a good time.

Chili Cook-Off 2011

2011-11-20T13:20:00.000-05:00

This was a big weekend. Jenn and I had our Community Group on Friday evening, so the kids went to Grandpa and Grandma Gates' house. And with our 4th Annual Gates-Wingader Chili Cook-Off, the kids were going to be at their grandparents' house on Saturday evening, so Lincoln just stayed the night on Friday and woke up early with Grandpa for a Leesville Lake Day.

Grandma Gates said that in the morning, she wasn't sure who was more excited about the day, Grandpa Doug or Lincoln! After breakfast on Saturday, they went to Bierce's Hardware to get some gravel for the driveway. Lincoln got to watch the frontloader dump the gravel in Grandpa's truck! Then they went to the cabin, did odd jobs, spread the gravel, putzed, etc., etc. He came back pretty tired.

The Chili Cook-Off was another fun evening. Most of the folks who came this year were friends of the Wingaders, which was kind of cool, because while Jenn and I are friends with Patrick and Joy, our circles of friends don't cross much. This party is always a fun mix of people, and this year was no different. There were eight chili entries, along with some great corn bread and fantastic deserts. This year was also no different because Jenn won the Cook-Off for a second straight year. The choice this year was a White Chicken Chili, and it won with several points to spare. Patrick's chili, though it didn't place in the top three, was in my personal top 2, as it was with Jenn's. Sometime we'll have to have a chili party just between the two of us families because we each make some awesome chili!

I haven't posted a swimming update in a while. Lincoln is doing well. Mr. Tyler is still his teacher, and he's becoming more comfortable in the water. Though he's not ready to swim on his own yet, we're very pleased with how he's doing with his lessons.

Lydia has been putting more and more steps together. She still prefers to crawl when she needs to get from here to there, but the steps are coming better.

We're still waiting on U.S. Immigration for the next step in Henry's adoption. As we're butting up against Thanksgiving and Christmas in America and Chinese New Year in China, we'd really like to get this document so we can ship our information out to China. This is part of the waiting game.

Sous Chef

2011-11-14T06:50:00.002-05:00

Lydia put six steps together last evening. Wow.

Lincoln helped Mommy make dinner yesterday, and he was quite the good sous chef. They made a new lasagna recipe, and Lincoln mixed up the sauce, laid out the noodles and spread the cheese. Lydia searched for containers to hold the leftovers.

Henry's Birthday

2011-11-13T16:12:00.001-05:00

It's been a period of busy-ness with lots of little things. Not lost in the mix, though, was our remembrance of Henry's birthday on the 9th. Between his birthday, and the upcoming holidays, it's a very different feeling that Jenn and I have. We certainly want to enjoy these times, but it's a bit hard knowing he's living one day to the next in his orphanage.

Lincoln watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD a couple of days ago. The following scene, Little Birdie, makes Lincoln laugh out loud.Lydia's been taking one step lately. She hasn't put two together, but when she's motivated enough, she'll take that step. She's been standing confidently for about a week now. It's only a matter of time.

Trick-Or-Treat

2011-10-30T10:48:00.000-04:00

I'm going to lead off this post with the Buckeyes, because I haven't had the opportunity to do so this season. I'm ready to put the past behind, and that includes Tressel-ball. So it's been painful to see Tressel-ball played with young, not-so-good talent. Watching them collapse against Nebraska was crushing, and I wasn't looking forward to the Wisconsin game. But it was clear last night that the Buckeyes are improving. And that gives me good thoughts for next year. Further, this Miller guy looks like the real deal... like who we all wanted TP to be. Go Buckeyes!

Last evening was Trick-Or-Treat in our neighborhood, and Lincoln had a great time being a Green Crayon walking from house to house. I ran into many clients, some of whom I remembered. About halfway into the walk, Lincoln didn't want to carry his bag any more because it was too heavy. That's right, we've got weeks and months worth of sugar.

Lydia stayed back home with Jenn to pass out the candy.

After Lincoln was tired of walking, we went home and he helped to pass out candy. It was around this time that a group of Woodridge high school girls came to the door all dressed as... crayons! And they didn't have a green crayon! They made a big fuss over Lincoln, and he liked seeing their costumes.

After all was said and done, Lincoln surveyed his haul. Twelve Reese's cups, and more, and more...

We're still dealing with some nagging sickness. That's been an ongoing bummer, but it's not anything serious, so things ought to pass.

For those that hit this blog but don't follow my sister, Emily's blog, the Hopwoods are having a baby girl! It's going to be an exciting 2012! Lydia will have a little lady-playmate on the way!

Henry Photos!

2011-10-25T21:53:00.000-04:00

The paperwork has been completed to the extent that we can now share photos and more details of Henry!

Henry @ 6 mos old
Henry @ 11 mos old

They've estimated his birthday as November 9, 2010, so he's about three weeks younger than Lydia. His birthday is approaching!

We were also given the address for his orphanage so we can send him care packages. This is exciting for us as we'll get to send him some warm clothes, some toys to play with, photos of our family so he can get to know us in the coming months, and a camera so the nannies can take photos of him for us.

Where is Henan, China? Here's a map.
What's the weather in Henan, China? Glad you asked.

We've got our appointment with the federal government to get fingerprinted tomorrow, so we're lugging the kids up to Cleveland for a while. Our plan is to stop by West Side Market while we're up there.

Worship with Huey

2011-10-23T20:30:00.002-04:00

The Cafe Worship Band at Christ Community Chapel (formerly known as Hudson Community Chapel) is really good. Jim Bossler leads it, and the musicians rotate a bit, but they're all fantastic at what they do. The particular grouping of guys this morning had been rehearsing all week to play in Docs Who Rock, an annual concert at E.J. Thomas Hall. The stipulation is that each band has to have at least one doctor. No problem for the CCC band, as one of the guitarists is a Doc.

Jim opened the morning by prefacing the first song, saying that after practicing all week, they didn't want to just play their songs once, and that they were going to be a little unconventional this morning. And then I heard the opening chord to my favorite Rock 'n' Roll song by my favorite Rock 'n' Roll band, I whipped out my iPad, and I recorded this...Lincoln and I were jammin' and rockin' out in a big way. As we were leaving church, Lincoln said to Jenn, "Mr. Bossler's band played a Huey Lewis song!" Of course Jenn didn't believe him, but when I told her it was true, she said, "Well, I guess they couldn't play 'My Other Woman's Got Another Man.'"

I want to go on record saying that we're really blessed at the CCC Cafe with Jim and his crew. They're simply great worship leaders, and no one in our family takes him/them for granted.

One of Lincoln's prayer items that has become a daily habit over the past 4 months or so is to pray for "Mr. Bossler and Pastor Joe as they get ready for this Sunday." Since he's been praying for them, I 've been able to draw a point of connection when we're sitting in our seats on Sunday by saying, "Lincoln, here's Mr. Bossler/Pastor Joe. You prayed for him this week!" Lincoln's face lights up. His familiarity with them on his prayer level has made his transition to paying attention during the worship/teaching time much better.

Who knows how many pretty days we'll get in northeast Ohio before the year is up? We sure don't, and that's why we decided to make today another hiking day. Unfortunately, we didn't get too see as much color on the trees this year as last year because of a huge wind storm we had last week, but it was still a very pleasant day to be outside. Lincoln did a bunch of running, Lydia did a bunch of bouncing, Gretel ran around like a nut, Betty... well, she's still a lazy Pug... and we all came home a little more tired than when we left, which was a good thing.

Another trip past The Mossy Log.

The Kendall Lake Bum Pincher was on the loose!

Boo At The Zoo

2011-10-22T19:57:00.001-04:00

So we went to Boo at the Zoo today, and it was total craziness. It was completely packed, but we still got to have fun dressing up and shuffling around getting glimpses of animals here and there and getting good candy and treats.

Earlier in the day Lydia had a really cute moment with Gretel. She's been interested in Gretel's toys, and Gretel has been interested in shoving her toys right in front of Lydia. It's a pretty good relationship they've got going, and Gretel couldn't be more gentle with Lydia.

Carving the Jack-O-Lanterns

2011-10-22T14:09:00.002-04:00

There's nothing new on the Henry front, other than we still have paperwork to complete... it seems never-ending. We're still praying for him many times during the day, and we continue to welcome and appreciate your prayers for him.

As October marches on, we're getting into the Halloween mood around here. Lincoln vaguely remembers Trick-Or-Treating, though the memory of that day is something we'd all like to forget. Our plan is to visit Boo At The Zoo this afternoon, and then we'll have fun with our neighborhood Trick-Or-Treating next Saturday. Pictures will be posted, for sure.

With Halloween comes pumpkin carving! Lincoln didn't want to touch the pumpkin guts at all (nothing new). One of the funny things he said during our carving was, right after we poked the first eye out, "This is like a Jack-O-Lantern!" I said, "It is a Jack-O-Lantern!" And he just laughed and laughed.

Here are some videos from the recent past. The first one is Lydia's first bounce on her new trampoline.Lincoln's loving the trampoline, too.This last video was from about a week and a half ago. Lincoln is "reading" his Franklin books from the library and jamming to Huey Lewis & the News.

Lydia's First Birthday

2011-10-16T08:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the big party. Lydia's 1 Year Celebration was a big, fun success, with lots of good family time, really good food, and a bigger pile of little girls clothes than you've ever seen! The distances that family drove to be a part of the festivities was humbling to Jenn and me, and we're thankful that we have extended family that takes such great interest in each other.

above: my apologies for the lighting and focus

Lydia woke up from her nap a while before things began, and because she's usually so tired in the late afternoon, we didn't know what to expect from her. Lincoln was a wild card, too. With this being the first big party that was all about Lydia and not at all about him, we were wondering how he would behave himself. Both kids were all stars. Lydia actually sat in one place (right next to me) for most of the gift-giving time, which is extremely unusual for her busy self. Lincoln was given little jobs throughout the party, and he was such a good boy that he was receiving compliments throught the evening. Lincoln "helped Lydia open her presents" and he did a great job at showing the observers what was just opened. Sure, he got distracted with some toys here and there, but he was obedient throughout.

Lincoln stuffed himself with most of the dinner options. We made our award-winning chili, Grandma Paulette brought apples & a Heath dip (wow) & grapes (Lincoln's favorite), Aunt Kas brought fruit salsa & cinnamon chips, Grandma Gates brought her cornbread, and Great Grandma Mullen brought her meatballs. We all ate pretty well.

Jenn's cake was unbelievable. First of all, it tasted really good. But what was so impressive was the presentation. Check it out...

Lydia seemed to enjoy her cake, but the whole smashcake thing is anticlimactic, in my opinion. For both kids I had visions of them doing to their cake what John Belushi did to the cafeteria in Animal House, but it never really happened. Her face got as messy as it usually does, but the fun part was watching her realize that what she was eating was really sweet, and the rate at which she grabbed finger-fulls of cake and icing sped up with each bite.

Finally, this one's for Auntie Haley:

It's hard to believe it's been a year with the cutest little girl in the world, and we can't wait to see what's in store for Lydia as she continues to grow up in our family.

A Son is Identified

2011-10-11T15:00:00.003-04:00

The big news over the past week is that we have received a referral, specifically, we have chosen a boy to join our family. There isn't much we can say now online, as we're limited by the relationship between government and adoption agencies. But what we can say is this:

Our son comes from Henan province and we'll be bringing him home sometime around April through June of 2012. His first and middle name will become his two middle names. His new first name will be Henry.
We ask for your prayers for Henry. Our LORD is a great provider, and we trust that He will give Henry all that he'll need.

Jenn and I have entered a new phase of the adoption process: now that we know who our son is, we get to spend the next 6 to 8 months knowing that he's sitting in an orphanage. Please pray as well for our family for patience, and as we prepare for Henry's addition, and all that that means.

Pounding the Cold Stone

2011-10-11T14:59:00.002-04:00

I don't think we've spent an October Saturday walking around in shorts and short-sleeve shirts and eating ice cream outside. But that's what we did last weekend. Lincoln enjoyed Cotton Candy ice cream (it was neon blue) with chocolate chips from Cold Stone Creamery.

Good friends of ours who now live in Johnstown, PA, visited a couple of weekends ago. Their son is a couple of months younger than Lydia. He's a riot, and here's some of his fun at our place for a couple of hours.

Here's what Lincoln does when he wakes up in the morning before everyone else.

Lincoln & Lydia Play Together

2011-10-05T15:44:00.002-04:00

Clam Bake #2

2011-10-01T22:03:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday we hiked the Boston Run trail for the first time. Lincoln has been getting more adventurous and he didn't mind hiking off ahead of us on his own!

This evening we went to Chris and Val's Second Annual Clam Bake, and Lincoln had a GREAT time. Friends of Chris&Val's have a daughter that enjoys taking care of younger kids and she and Lincoln were perfect for each other. Grace is her name (Lincoln has a good history with Graces!) and she even accompanied him on a hay ride!

The food was awesome, the company was fun, and we left just as the cop was arriving to investigate the fireworks. It was a good evening.

Apples, 2011

2011-09-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

Lydia's been getting more and more into playing little games like Hide-N-Seek and Peek-A-Boo. In this photo, she kept peeking out from behind the bannister while Jenn was working in the office.

We've been experiencing our first wave of real, genuine tantrums. The kind that involve screaming, thrashing, hitting and the like. There have been three over the last three days, and while there are points during the events where we want to actually laugh, when viewed in total, they're kind of scary. It's unbelievable to think that a 3-and-a-half year-old boy could have so much disturbing behavior wrapped up in him. For those who want to argue that we're not sinners, than man is not a fallen creature, I point to the toddler tantrum-thrower to show that all humans have a dark, dark side to them. Jenn and I are in the process of learning how to manage and curb these episodes. Hopefully they're just a phase.

Today was our annual apple picking day. It turned out to be a great weather day, and Lincoln had a blast picking apples and he even got to eat one right off the tree! Our plan for the after-nap portion of the day is to make applesauce and an apple pie. This combined with the Apple Pie Donut he had at the orchard ought to cap a good day of treats for Lincoln.

Monarch

2011-09-20T13:58:00.001-04:00

The butterfly emerged! Metamorphosis is amazing.

Swimming with Noodle

2011-09-15T09:16:00.001-04:00

We crammed a lot into our Wednesday yesterday. Lincoln had his second swimming lesson of this round, and he was awesome. In fact, he was the only one in his class that showed up, so he effectively had a private swimming lesson. This meant that he had to stay on task the whole time, and it meant the he was pretty darn tired by the end.

Then we went to the Akron Zoo! The kids took good naps during the afternoon.

Last weekend was a fun time. Grandpa Doug, Lincoln and I went down to Leesville Lake to do a few odds and ends, but it turns out it was just a way to get me out of the house so a bunch of friends could come over and give me a big surprise when I got home. It was a very neat time, and Jenn put a lot of thought and love into the event. BBQ Pulled Pork and two cheesecakes were on hand and we all had a great time.

On Sunday we hiked the Cross Country Trail at Kendall Lake. It's amazing how green everything is in mid-September. In the bottom right photo, Lincoln is standing in front of the Mossy Log. It's almost completely overgrown!

Let The Games Begin

2011-09-09T12:54:00.001-04:00

Chrysalis Forms

2011-09-05T20:04:00.001-04:00

We were certainly given the caterpiller in the nick of time. Sometime between 9:00am and 11:30am he shrunk down, dropped something from his head and formed his chrysalis. Metamorphosis is amazing. It's a good thing he evolved that way. (/sarc)

Lincoln was a good helper for me as we cleaned up the basement today. He put all of his toys away without any complaining, and he even wanted to help with the sweeping.

Then tonight he had a bubble bath. Lydia was fascinated with seeing Lincoln emerge from the bubbles completely covered by them and she hasn't stayed in one spot like that since she started crawling.

Lincoln Goes to Blossom to see Bugs Bunny!

2011-09-04T20:50:00.001-04:00

Lydia is saying words. That's right. I mentioned "bye-bye" in a previous post, and she's added "dog," an occasional "da-da," and this evening after Jenn always finishes her Goodnight Moon story time with, "Night-night, Moon," Lydia pointed to the book and let out a "nie moo." Jenn and I were independently thinking that she knows many words in her mind, the limiting factor is just getting them out. Once she figures out how to form the words, we're anticipating a verbal explosion. Time will tell.

Last night was Lincoln's latest night ever as Jenn and I took him to Bugs Bunny Goes To The Symphony at Blossom Music Center. Jenn and I have been to this show a couple of times now, and after showing Lincoln some old Looney Tunes over the past couple of weeks, we felt he was ready for the big time. He had a blast! We stayed for the whole thing, even the fireworks at the end, and he got to bed around 11:30pm. Yikes! The orchesray played the score for "The Rabbit of Seville," "What's Opera, Doc!" and many others. This is the second show we've seen at Blossom where the orchestra played the score for a motion picture, and Jenn and I decided that we'd go to see just about any movie if the orchestra played along with it. They're simply fantastic.

Today I put the ladder on Lincoln's bunk bed. We decided that he's a careful enough kid that he could handle it. He's gained a ton of confidence even today on the ladder. Honestly, it's Lydia that we'll have to worry about... she's a crazy climber already! Anyway, he looks like such a big boy climbing the ladder. It was one of those, "Our son is growing up!" moments for Jenn and me.

Katie Ruhl, a friend of my parents and a member of their church and small group, had a Monarch Butterfly caterpiller that she wanted to give to us so we could see it form its chrysalis and emerge into a butterfly. My first response had little to do with the butterfly. It was, "My goodness, my parents have such good friends that they think of the grandkids of their friends. How cool is that?" Then I thought about the caterpiller and the fact that I hope we don't kill it, and how cool will it be for Lincoln to see what will come, and I hope I can get some good photos of it. So here he is now...

I'm not sure if I mentioned it in a previous post, but our home study was approved, and now we're in the immigration-phase. This takes a while, so we're in a holding pattern. No big deal, it's just the way it is. We continually pray for "our baby in China" and that "God will prepare our home for the day the baby comes to live with us." Feel free to join us in this prayer.

Rainbow

2011-09-02T21:18:00.002-04:00

We payed a visit to Szalay's today to pick up some fruit and corn. We can measure Lincoln against the John Deeres!

Flashback 2010:

I didn't think Lydia would turn out to be as good of an eater as Lincoln was at this stage, especially with the way she started out, but she's been very, very impressive with both her wide array of tastes and with the way that she picks up bites individually and chews them (usually) one at a time.

Catching Up

2011-08-31T14:32:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe September is tomorrow. Yikes!

Yesterday was our 8th Anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been eight years, and so much has happened in that time. I'm so thankful for Jenn and the wife and mother that she is in our home.

Lately, Lincoln and Lydia have been having a big time at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Lydia is officially all over the place now. She's a very busy girl, and sometimes she has a lot on her mind that she wants you to know. The stairs officially became a thing yesterday, and she's figuring it out pretty quickly.

Lincoln, especially, has been enjoying the outside time. He's a riot in his sunglasses.

Lydia has also said her first word.
It helps that her "B" sounds have been getting lots of practice lately, but she's consistently saying "bye" at the appropriate times. In fact, the first time she said "bye," Jenn and I were completely caught by surprise. We looked at each other and said, "Holy cow! Did she just say that?"

Grandma Gates fed Lydia for the first time this past week. Grandma was in charge of giving Lincoln his dinner for a long time, but since he does his own meals now, it's been a long time since Grandma's had a meal-job to do. She's re-enlisted.

Lincoln is a Leesville Lake with Grandpa Doug right now. Who knows how much sleep he'll get at nap-time, but he loves being Grandpa's Helper.

Jenn has been investigating some home-school preschool lessons to begin with Lincoln, and he had his first lesson today. He was so excited when I got home from work to tell me about his story, song, craft and memory verse. He's got the mind for these type of lessons and Jenn is really interested in keeping him busy with good, mind-building exercises.

I've been getting a little bit more involved at CVCA after many years away. Last January we took on a student at the clinic for their J-Term, and another student has contacted me about this upcoming J-Term. Not long after our J-Termer is through, we'll be taking on a Purdue veterinary student for a 6 week externship, much like Jenn did at CFVC during our fourth year.

Also, CVCA recently added to their Schools of Distinction model. In the past, the SOD has consisted of the School of Engineering, the School of Ministry, and the School of Business & Entrepreneurship. This year they've added the School of Medical Professions, and they've enrolled 20 Juniors in the program and arranged for 20 professionals from the community to serve as mentors, of which I am one. I met my student, Zach, at the parent meeting this past Monday, and he seems promising. He says he wants to be an orthopedic surgeon. Big goals! So I'll be his mentor over the next two years, and one of my roles is to impress upon him the importance of good study habits, perseverance, good peers, etc. And combining J-Term with the SOD, I'll be giving a presentation to the 20 Juniors at the clinic. Too bad volunteering in the veterinary realm doesn't count for CE!

Edge starts up again very soon. You'll recall that Edge is the middle school ministry at Christ Community Chapel (formerly Hudson Community Chapel). This will be my third year, and the sixth graders I took on in my small group are now eighth graders. Wow. They've grown up a bunch, and a number of them have taken on leadership roles within Edge, which is really neat to see. I'm also excited because my assistant last year, Tyler, who was a senior at Stow High School, is going to school locally and is going to stick with my small group! One of the questions I've been getting from folks at CCC is about what I plan to do after this year. Tha Porch (high school ministry) team would like for me to follow my small group after this year, and the Edge team would like for me to recycle and take on a new sixth grade group. But with all of the changes that will be coming in our home over the next year, the Gates team is pulling me to at least take a year off while things get settled at home.

Our home study was approved by Chinese Children Adoption International, and Jenn just had the last of our things notarized today. The next step involves the US Government and Immigration. Yes, it involves paying an outrageous amount of money and waiting for a long period of time. But I wouldn't want to say anything disparaging about the government.

So that was a bit of catch-up. Thanks for reading through to the end!

Wild Canary

2011-08-21T14:06:00.001-04:00

The wildlife seems to be enjoying our new landscaping. This American Goldfinch, a.k.a. Wild Canary, (Carduelis tristis) has been buzzing around the surrounding yards over the past few months, but finally settled in our yard for a time to get some seeds.

If you've been over at our Home and heard us refer to "the protest lay," this is what we're talking about. Bridget used to do this, and Gretel also does it to perfection. It occurs when we tell Gretel to lay down when she clearly doesn't want to. She goes through the motions, and technically lays down, but she's ready to spring up at a moment's notice.

Landscape Makeover

2011-08-20T14:17:00.000-04:00

The landscapers blew in and blew out in one day, and gave the front of our house an extreme home makeover. Maybe it wasn't extreme, but getting rid of those oversized, half-dieing plants was a big step. The new landscaping will look better and better as time goes by and the trees mature.

Last evening was the second annual small group movie under the stars. We watched Cool Runnings and had somewhat of a Jamaica-themed evening. At least the Red Stripe was on sale.

And a fruit fly landed in my water the other day.

Kendall Lake in the Evening

2011-08-17T21:11:00.008-04:00

Jenn and I don't usually go to Kendall Lake in the evening, so we decided to make that our hike, seeing as I didn't have Edge tonight. We had a great walk. Lincoln did a lot of running, Lydia was more engaged in the walk than usual, the dogs completely wore themselves out, and we saw some cool wildlife.

This is a Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia). It looked disgusting, and almost made Jenn vomit, but we found out when we got home that she's completely harmless!

The Mossy Log has become a point of reference on our hikes, particularly with Lincoln. We compare the plant and animal life we see around it to what we've seen previously. It's a cool way to mark the seasons and the passage of time. Here's today's photo of The Mossy Log.

And this is what Lincoln will do not long after we get home from this hike.

Heavy Equipment

2011-08-17T09:18:00.005-04:00

I mentioned in the last blog post that Lincoln had had a lot to watch in the way of heavy equipment. These are some of the shots, one from CVCA's big project and the rest from Grandpa & Grandma's driveway. Note the seat Lincoln had for the whole event.

Lincoln's been helping around the house a bit more...

Most of the good stuff happening outside our house is in the front yard, but there are some cool things in the back yard.

Trees Coming Down

2011-08-13T12:45:00.003-04:00

Those with coughs in the Gates Home have been getting over them, and things have been going pretty well. We had our last visit with our social worker on Wednesday, and with the exception of just a few more documents, we'll have everything in place to allow our dossier to be completed in about 4.5 months. This is phenomenally fast, and it's all because Jenn is so good at identifying what needs to be done and when, and then following through.

On July 29 I mentioned that Lydia was almost to the point of crawling forward. She's officially there now.

She's motoring around the room, and she's looking like she's going to me more of a handfull-of-a-toddler than Lincoln was. He never showed much interest in doing anything that might be dangerous, but Lydia has already been spotted trying to pull and outlet cover out of the wall. Yikes! Keep your eye on that little lady! She's also trying to pull herself up on things. She hasn't quite done this successfully yet downstairs, but Jenn did find her standing in her crib a couple of days ago. We'll be dropping her mattress this weekend.

And have we mentioned that she's getting a number of teeth? At last count, there are four. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by their emergence, and she's had them come in 2 by 2, which is also nice. They're mostly on left side of her mouth. As I write this, she's using them to chew on Lincoln's tools. She's also attacking the crib with her teeth... much more than Lincoln ever did.

A funny Lincoln story... when we were on our way home from our walk at the Beaver Pond yesterday, he was playing with his phone in the back seat of the Envoy and said to Jenn, "Mommy, be quiet."

After a short conversation about how it's important to ask nicely, we found out that he was pretending that he was on the phone with someone. He said, "They have a sick dog." It became clear that he was imitating what he sees Jenn do when she's on call. "What's wrong with the dog?" we asked. "It's very sick... he broke his leg," Lincoln replied. "I told them they should go to the clinic," he said. "Which clinic?" I asked. "Daddy's clinic," Lincoln answered. It was all Jenn and I could do to keep from laughing out loud... it was really cute to watch.

Another funny Lincoln story... yesterday for dinner I mixed up some Canada Dry Ginger Ale with orange juice and Lincoln said he wanted a taste. So I let him have a drink (risking backwash on the full end of the glass, I might add) and he took a taste and said, "It's kind of salty. But I like it!" I'm not sure what "salty" means in his mind, but it cracked me up.

I've also mentioned in the past that Lincoln has been taking photos himself. He's just learned to use the little view-finder, which has decreased the frustration level a ton (his and mine!), and now it's more of a fun thing than a chore. Here are some of his recent takes:

And while he didn't take this photo, he did spot these spiders on our walk, one under a branch and the other on the trail.

And while he and I meandered slowly watching for things to photograph, Jenn and Lydia kept a brisk pace, nearly making it to Szlay's from the Ira Road Trailhead.

I'm getting backlogged with some photos that are not yet in my possession. Lincoln got to watch the demolition of Grandpa Doug's driveway on Tuesday and then he got to watch four cement trucks come and pour the driveway on Friday. Grandma Paulette set up a lawn chair and a TV-tray for his meals, and he sat out in the garage for hours watching the workers do their thing? How many 3-year-old boys get to take all that in in just a couple of days? And there's even more to watch this week!

Today the guys from Sarlouis Tree Service came to take down our near-dead trees, the split pear tree, and other ugly brush from the front of our house. Lincoln has had quite an eye-full this week. It was chainsaws and chippers today!

The folks from Suncrest Gardens will be here on Wednesday to begin putting in our new landscaping.

Would you believe that the kids let us sleep until 7:15 today? This is unheard of in our house these days.

In fact, Lydia was chatting around 6:00 am, but fell back asleep even with a poopy diaper, we found out. It helps that she's been sleeping with her little bum up in the air lately. After we got things rolling then we hit the road for another morning walk, this time to the Pine Grove Trail. It has been a long time since we visited this trail, but it's great for the dogs and for Lincoln: mostly flat, very pretty, and a loop with a couple of places to turn around should the need arise. Gretel was worn out after the hike, and not because it was so hot. In fact, this was the most pleasant walk we've had in terms of the climate. Lydia rides really well in the pack, and today she chattered for a decent portion of the walk. Lincoln's at a stage of life now where he wants to hold one of our hands on the walk for most of the walk.

When I was at Edge on Wednesday evening, Jenn saw this in the sky.

Grandma Gates' 90th

2011-08-06T20:43:00.002-04:00

Things have been ticking along at the Gates home. I've been busy with work: big surgeries last week, some big surgeries lined up this week, and lots of business things swirling around in my head.

Lincoln and Lydia have been on and off with sickness this week. Lydia especially has had a runny nose and hasn't been napping. Jenn's been off her game, too, and that makes for a worn-out house.

The Hopwoods came to stay with us for the weekend as the entire Gates family celebrated Grandma Gates' 90th Birthday! We had a great dinner, good catch-up time with out-of-town family, and a special time of honoring my Grandma Gates. (I say, "my Grandma," because she's also a fantastic mom and Great Grandma, too, for so many!) Here's a sampling of photos from our lovely evening at Papa Joe's:

Lydia Eats

2011-07-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

We had a full Saturday yesterday. In the early morning we went to The Ledges to hike, and it was a foggy, buggy morning. Two hours and a shower after we got home, I found a tick crawling on my ankle. Ticks are in NE Ohio, and it's a no-doubter.

2010

2011

Last evening we went to the livestock auction at the Summit County Fair. I was completely ignorant of what to expect, but now that I've seen the process, we're planning on buying a pig next year. Nick, one of my middle schoolers, finished 4th in the hog division, 3rd in showmanship, and his hog fetched $2.40 per pound. This trailed only the Grand Champion ($6.00/lb.) and the Reserve Champion ($6.10/lb.)! It's clear that the champions fetch big money because the buyers get recognition over the next year, so it's good advertising. For instance, the Marhoffers of the Ron Marhoffer Auto Family bought the Grand Champion Hog.

I'm quite impressed with the 4-H kids and their families. Having seen both ends of the 4-H spectrum, the young kids with the chickens and lambs to the veterinary students who got their start as the young kids with the chickens and the lambs, it's a pretty cool organization.

I'll have some fair photos to post in a few days. Until then, feast on these...

Art (or mess?)

2011-07-29T20:15:00.002-04:00

I had to go back and read the last entry to see where I'd left off. Lots has gone on over the past week. Our AC is back and running very well. Between the furnace, the roof update, and the AC, hopefully we're done with BIG home improvements for a while.

Lydia is on the cusp of learning to crawl forward, and she's got a couple of more teeth breaking through. She's at the stage now where as soon as she wakes up from her nap, instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like she used to do, she sits straight up and starts talking to herself or crying. Today was the first day she actually laid back down and went back to sleep. Hopefully the trend of short, unproductive naps from the front of the week was just a short one.

Lincoln's swimming lesson this past week was good from the learning standpoint, but he's still doing lots of crying when we arrive. He's so good about Sunday School and Ladies Class and other social things, and he loves the water, be it the kiddie pool in the front yard, Grandma Laura & Grandpa Dave's pool or West Branch, that I'm not sure what the problem is with swimming lessons? He even likes his teacher. Oh, well...

We've got a big weekend on tap. Tomorrow morning we're taking Gretel for a hike. She's been somewhat naughty lately and is need of big-time exercise. In the evening we're going to the Summit County Fair for the Livestock Auction. One of my middle schoolers has been raising a pig in his 4-H club and it's "going to market" tomorrow. I'd kind of like to get a pig and stock our freezer with bacon, ham, sausage, ham hocks, roasts, etc. We'll see how the auction goes.

Lincoln has been showing an interest in looking at my old photo albums and at my high school yearbooks. It's fun to take the trip down Memory Lane and to see him get excited to see me in old photos.

Lydia has been really, really chatty lately. Today, Jenn could hardly hear herself talk on the phone because Lydia was making such a racket.

Recently we signed on with a landscaper and the word is that we're going to get a front yard makeover in the next couple of weeks. We've got to take it in stages. As much as we'd like to get the front, back and side yards taken care of in one big project, the bank says we've got to spread things out.

Jenn picked up some funny looking balls at the store yesterday to use in a craft with Lincoln today. They got out his paints, laid a drape down on the deck, and went crazy with the artwork, dipping the balls and some of his blocks in the paint and making all sorts of stencils.

No Air Conditioning

2011-07-22T08:16:00.000-04:00

We'll lead off this post with a photo from our evening at Pirates @ Blossom. We'll be submitting this photo to the Chinese government to prove that we are real and that we socialize in public with friends and family. The photos have to be relatively recent, so our photos from vet school and early marriage won't suffice. This is one of several photos that we'll be submitting, as there is a specific number that we must compile. I say all of this quite roboticly and half-jokingly because it's an example of all of the details that we (mostly Jenn) have been keeping track of over the past number of weeks as we compile our documentation.

Our air conditioning needs replaced. That's right, on the hottest stretch of days northeast Ohio has seen in several years, we have no air conditioning. Thankfully, my parents have opened their home to the four of us to stay, and it's much more comfortable there than here. The first two nights weren't too bad, but the house doesn't have enough time to cool at night before it gets up into the 90's outside again. In fact, it's in the 90's upstairs during the day. Yikes! All of this will be fixed today.

Lincoln's swimming lesson on Wednesday was a bit of progress and a bit of a setback. He was doing great, not crying, following Miss Hannah from the start, and then half-way into the lesson he got water up in his nose and he cried the rest of the way. Kudos to Miss Hannah for keeping him engaged in the lesson even when he was upset. Afterward, Lincoln and I talked about how all swimmers get water in their nose at least once, and that it happens to Daddy lots during water skiing.

In the Stage of Life department, Lincoln is definitely showing more of a 3 year old attitude. We're working on talking in a pleasant tone of voice and remembering our manners. Also, we've been stressing the importance of always at least trying and not giving up without a try. This has been especially relevant to swimming lessons and learning to dress himself. Lydia has been laughing more and is rolling all over the place. She desperately wants to pull herself up on tables and chairs, but has not yet been able to do so. She's also crawling backward, which suggests that crawling forward is not far off.

Our second visit with the social worker went well. It was very routine, though quite hot being the third day without air conditioning. Our house checked out well from a safety standpoint. I suppose moving the paint-thinner and rusty nails from the middle of the family room floor was a good thing to do at some point in time. Our next visit is in two weeks and at that time we'll talk about our childhood years, our parenting philosophy and influences, and our history as a family.

I'm off to work... Stay cool out there!

Pirates of the Caribbean w/ Live Score!

2011-07-17T09:24:00.002-04:00

A couple of things I left out of the last post due to the busy-ness of the week were:
A photo from Lincoln's swimming lesson...

...and our first visit with our social worker on Wednesday. We found out that we (because of Jenn) are over-prepared in a big way. Most of the first hour, we've come to know, consists of the social worker reviewing all of the documents that need to be collected and the copies that need to be made. When we arrived, Jenn set a big folder down on the table that contained about 85% of what we'll ultimately need by the end, and the rest of the visit was just a formality. We have three more visits, all at our home, over the next month. I also recently came to realize that I do not, in fact, need to submit an autobiography. This knowledge came after I'd finished my 23^rd page. But most of the interviews over the next three visits will touch on things that showed up in my manuscript, so I ought to be prepared!

Jenn and I began using Rosetta Stone to learn Mandarin. Our foreign language skills are pretty horrible, but Rosetta Stone's method of teaching is pretty fantastic. I've made it through Lesson 1 of the first Level, Jenn's into Lesson 2, and we're both picking it up better than I thought we would. I stunk really bad at Spanish in high school, and avoided foreign languages like the plague in college. We'll see as time goes by how well we can speak and understand Mandarin. In the end, we want to be able to get by in China with at least learning how to ask for the appropriate restroom.

Lydia is getting closer and closer to crawling. She's also showing interest in pulling herself up on things, and she recently started clapping on command/encouragment!

Last evening Emily and Jeremy joined us at Blossom for a screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. I never cease to be amazed at the orchestral performances by the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom. The timing was perfect! There was even a choir to do the vocal portions of the score. I must say, I now prefer to watch a movie with a live score. It was incredible.

Swimming Lesson Progress

2011-07-15T20:09:00.001-04:00

Swimming lessons were another adventure this week. Lincoln saw the door to the pool and began crying, nay sobbing uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down his face, he was drooling like a leaky faucet, and then Miss Hannah walked over and picked him up and then in a nanosecond, he stopped crying, looked at her and said, "Whatch this!" and made a funny face. From that point on he was completely outgoing, wanting to be the first to do each new thing in the pool. I'm not sure how much closer he is to swimming, but the crying isn't lasting as long!

Did you see Emily's Independence Day cookies?!

Lincoln and I went on a walk at the Beaver Pond this evening and he and I got some good photos.

This has been another typical one-doctor week at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic. Grandpa Doug and the family went up to Stony Lake, and things were extremely busy at the clinic. No complaints, though!

Thing 1 & Thing 2

2011-07-09T20:06:00.001-04:00

Have you noticed a theme with the posts recently? It's been so hot and sunny lately, and we're increasingly learning that Lincoln is best behaved when he's in the process of getting tired, not bored, that we've been spending lots of time outside.

The adoption process is rolling along. The amount of information gathering and paperwork is phenomenal. Jenn's keeping track of most of it and doing a great job. We just recently gave thought, and we'll likely volley it back and forth for months, to taking Lincoln with us when we go to China. Lydia will be too young to process and remember any of it, but we're coming up with some pretty compelling reasons to take Lincoln along. We'll be giving this prayerful consideration along the way.

The Grandparents and the Hopwoods are at Stony Lake this week. Look for fun photos over at Emily's blog soon. I'll be flying solo at the Clinic.

In one week we'll be at Blossom for the Pirates of the Caribbean show. They're playing Curse of the Black Pearl at Blossom with the Cleveland Orchestra playing the score live! Jenn and I are really looking forward to it.

Sprinkler Fun

2011-07-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

First, a Lincoln snapshot of Lydia.

I surprised Lincoln with some playtime in the sprinkler before dinner.

Lydia's First Tooth

2011-07-07T07:47:00.004-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks now since our big Father's Day Dinner. Since that time, Lincoln's bedtime prayers have included all of our extended family, the boy or girl in China that will be part of our family, Pastor Joe and Mr. Bossler, the little boy that got our Christmas shoebox, and Great Grandma Mullen's strawberry jello. Apparently that jello made quite an impression on Lincoln.

When I placed this shirt on Lincoln and grabbed my tie, he put it together instantly what I was planning. He said, "I can be a doctor!" Yes, Lincoln, you can.

Monday evening was Lincoln's first time using fireworks. He watched me shoot bottle rockets, fire off Wolfpacks (he was not fond of these), smoke bombs and smoke candles. His hands-on experience was limited to whiper-snappers (a.k.a. snap 'n' pops). He loved them! He stayed up much later than usual, and was very cooperative with bed time, which leads me to wonder if we should make fireworks part of the bedtime routine...

Lydia finally gave me an opportunity to get a photo of her first tooth!

Yesterday was Swimming Lesson #2 for Lincoln, and after much weeping and gnashing of teeth upon entry into the large pool room, Miss Hannah took him by the hand, pulled him in the water and told him to blow bubbles, which he immediately did very well, and the crying stopped. He did very well for the rest of the lesson and seemed to enjoy himself.

And to close this post out, here's some more of Lincoln's photography...

More Summer Spalshin'

2011-07-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

It was another day of watersports!

Summer Splashin'

2011-07-02T20:55:00.001-04:00

It was hot and humid today, so we turned on the air conditioning inside, and sent Lincoln to play in his pool outside.

This morning Lincoln wanted to play with the camera, so this is what we came up with.

We enjoyed a fun evening with the Grigsbys tonight. They live way up in Cleveland and we don't get to see each other too often with our collective busy schedules, but we always have so much fun together when we do find the time. Their little boy is a few months older than Lydia, and he's all over the place, so between our two and their one, the kids had a fun time watching each other.

And Lydia's eyes aren't getting any less blue.

Swimming Lesson #1

2011-06-30T14:11:00.001-04:00

Jenn and I are officially the parents of "that kid." Yesterday was Lincoln's first swimming lesson. He marched down to his end of the pool behind his teacher, Miss Hannah, and then informed her that when he gets in the water he does a big cannon ball. And then he showed her. Then when it was time for the actual lesson, and he learned he'd have to listen and do things in the water that weren't completely comfortable, he proceded to cry for 40 minutes. The photo included here is pre-meltdown. I've got to give it to Miss Hannah, she followed through with the teaching very well and didn't let his crying discourage her. Afterward, Lincoln and I had a talk, and he thanked Miss Hannah for teaching him that day. We'll work on the attitude thing and see how next week goes.

We've been dealing with various degrees of sickness here, too. Lincoln got it first, and most mildly. Then Lydia, who's been congested and less interested in eating (though she's still got reserve on board, if you know what I mean). I dealt with some congestion for a couple of days, and Jenn seems to be the least affected. But the kids have been letting us sleep through the night better than they did over the weekend, so we're happy about that.

Lincoln's been very into Church in the Falls' Vacation Bible School and he's actually retaining some of the things he's learned. "I'm going to draw a picture for Mommy, because that's the kind thing to do." What?

Also, on the adoption front, after writing 23 pages of my autobiography we were informed that we don't actually have to write an autobiography. Oh. That's nice. At least I've got a manuscript started so I can shop it around to the major publishers one of these years. Some of the hoops that we have to jump through have been a bit more time-consuming that we originally thought while others haven't been as tough as advertised. I have to give it to the Social Security office. I was in and out of there in less than 20 minutes!

BTW (that's a little texting lingo for "by the way," for our younger readers out there), we passed the 400-post mark on The Gates Experiment and this post is #402. Never did I think we'd make it this long.

Daddy Day - Little Sleep

2011-06-25T14:12:00.000-04:00

Today is kind of a disaster of a Saturday. Jenn has a long work day and I've got Lincoln and Lydia. My first clue that it was going to be a long day was when Lincoln told me at 9:45 that he was tired. I think he's still recovering from VBC, where according to his teacher, all of the kids were just a little on edge at the end of the week. He also woke all of us up multiple times last night having to go potty. I'll be glad when the Size 6 diapers are exclusive to Lydia's room.

Lydia has been pretty good, though a bit touchy. We made it to 12:50 and they both went down for a nap. Lydia started crying at 1:40 and then Lincoln came up from the basement a total wreck saying he had a bad dream. Now when he says he has had a bad dream, we're not sure he knows what this means and we're pretty suspicious that he says this whenever he wakes up for a reason that is not known to him. So I'm going to tilt at a windmill and see if I can get him to go to sleep twice in one afternoon. Lydia has been making noises off and on for the last 25 minutes now.

We did manage to squeeze in some photos this morning during our happy phase. And I menteioned previously that Lincoln has shown an interest in getting behind the camera. This is the photo he wanted to take...

Grandpa's Boat

2011-06-22T18:25:00.000-04:00

Lincoln finally got to go for a ride on Grandpa's boat. He'd been on the 9.9 a number of times at Leesville Lake, but this was a completely different ride. Chris and I took a trun behind the boat, then we headed over to the swimming area. The ride concluded with... wait for it... Lincoln driving the boat!

This all came on the heels of VBC earlier today and the boat ride occurred during nap time. Lincoln's going to be a pathetic wreck by the end of the week, but he's having a fun time along the way!

VBC Starts

2011-06-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Lincoln started Vacation Bible Camp at church yesterday. I heard from a number of reliable sources that he was an all-star, and I know from personal experience that he was a live wire when it was through. He's pumped about going back today! This combined with Vacation Bible School with Grandma Paulette next week and we'll be poundin' him with religion!

Sunday was our Father's Day dinner, and Great Grandma & Grandpa Mullen came along with Grandma Paulette, Grandpa Doug and Great Grandma Gates. Auntie Haley and Chris rounded out our guests and we had a full table with good summer food.

Aeros Game

2011-06-19T09:32:00.004-04:00

We all (minus Lydia) took a trip to Canal Park last evening to catch an Aeros game. The game was pretty good.

The Aeros had one bad inning where they gave up 4 runs, but they chipped away in the bottom half of the inning with a run, and then a single run in the next two innings, as well. One was even balked in... bummer! Paolo Espino (left, and look at his elbow!) came on after that bad inning and really held the Portland Seadogs in check for the rest of the game. Then after stretch-time and singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and "YMCA!" they stepped on the gas for a 6 run inning and the score would hold, with a 9 to 4 win! Go Aeros!

I've commented on the food at Canal Park before, and Chris did not disappoint. He downed a Nice 2 Meat You Burger, and they he split a Three Dog Night with Haley. Lincoln put away a hot dog, 1/3 of a pretzel, some ice cream, and a bottle of water that had an amount of floaties in it by the end that even the FDA would have to question its safety. He stayed up way past his bedtime, but I've got to say, he was pretty good throughout.

During the game, Lincoln wanted to play with my camera. Most of his photos were cocked to one side or another, and many were of the back of the seat in front of us. But this one turned out great!

Earlier in the day, Auntie Haley & Chris showed Lincoln how to play with his new "blimp" toy. It's really more like a rocket, but he calls it a blimp. Anyway, it was good for lots of fun in the backyard. And aside from the blimp/rocket, our two houseguests have been great at playing with Lincoln. The three of them were playing in the basement yesterday and Lincoln started spinning around really fast on his bum on the floor. Chris said, "Be careful, if you keep doing that your pants will catch on fire." Without missing a beat, Lincoln replied, "Chris, I wasn't born yesterday." Great timing!

Magazine Destroyed

2011-06-18T13:31:00.004-04:00

Play time today consisted of starting with the usual toys and then progressed to destroying a magazine. After I uploaded the photos, I recalled Lincoln doing the same thing at Grandma Paulette's house. Check this out, and pay attention to the dates and their ages.

Chef To The Stars? No, Better Than That!

2011-06-17T20:13:00.000-04:00

Auntie Haley and Chris are visiting from Scottsdale. I feel as though I've hardly seen them, mostly because they watched movies and slept most of the evening after they arrived and then today they went to Cedar Point on a perfect weather day. We'll find out probably tomorrow how their day went.

Jenn has become a Chef to the Three Year Olds! What other three year old boy gets a Spice-Rubbed Catfish and Slaw Open Faced Sandwich on Toasted Sourdough Bread w/ Japanese Bread Crumb Encrusted Zucchini Sticks... and then have it served on a car plate? Lincoln is one fortunate boy!

Invasion of the Chipmunks!

2011-06-16T14:42:00.003-04:00

Lincoln shucked his first ear of corn yesterday!

And now it's time for a Yard Update. Some of you know that we have a neighbor with many (many) cats. These are apparently the laziest cats in the world because we are being overrun with chipmunks this year, and they're taunting Gretel.

There's one that hangs out around the front yard. He sits right out on our walk the front door, just out of reach, and nibbles on seeds, knowing that every moment that passes there is a Boxer just inside the door that wants to chase him.

When he emerges from the tree, it is with the most relaxed stretch.

Then he ducks back to his little hideaway when it's convenient for him.

You've never heard a more pathetic whine from a Boxer in all your life.

The A-word

2011-06-13T21:21:00.006-04:00

First of all, a little catch-up. Lincoln's birthday was over a month ago, but because I forgot my camera during the trip over to Grandma & Grandpa's, I used their camera, and it's been a while since I got the photos transfered back to my computer. So here are some photos from a month ago.

What I'm about to share may come as a surprise to some of you. We've spoken with our parents about this and with some of our friends in the area, but we haven't yet gone public her on the blog about our intentions of adopting.

You read that correctly. After the long and very difficult delivery process with Lincoln, Jenn and I started talking about adoption. I recall our walks around downtown Hudson when we spoke about wanting more children but not being real excited about more pregnancies. But because adoption is such a big thing, we let it pass for some time. Besides, adoption is for other people, right?

Then came Lydia's delivery. The delivery process went well, but things have been pretty rough for Jenn in the months since the delivery. We haven't had much to say about it here, and I'm not going to say any more than I have so far. After the two experiences, while we're not completely ruling out having more biological children, we've arrived at the point of wanting to adopt.

Jenn reached this conclusion first, and then I was right behind her. Perhaps she will tell her story here sometime, but until then, I can tell you that the LORD has clearly placed adoption on her heart. The hard part initially was knowing if it was, in fact, the LORD speaking or was it just a temporary desire or quest? Followers of Christ know of what I'm speaking.

Sometimes it can be hard to determine. So we prayed. And we prayed. And adopting a special needs child from China kept rising to the top of Jenn's mind. As she shared her thoughts with me, it became clear that we are in the right position. We've come to the conclusion that (a) we want more children, (b) we don't want more pregnancies, (c) we have a home (both our house and our "home) that can accomodate more children, & (d) we don't want to take a healthy infant from a family that truly wants a baby but cannot have one themselves. That led us to settling on searching for a special needs baby, and China has a great program in which the kids actually do get very good medical care, their kids come with reliable medical histories (as reliable as can be with adoption), and the waiting period and requirements to bring the child home are not terribly onerous. The waiting period is usually between 12 & 18 months. Because we want to preserve our birth order, we will likely be toward the shorter end of that scale, but nothing is for certain at this point.

What is so interesting to consider is that our child is probably already born, and is in an orphanage somewhere in China. Please join us in prayer for this little one, that the LORD will provide the best protection and care, and that all of the preparation that comes with adoption will proceed with ease.

One of the big things about adoption is considering the financial aspect of it. Jenn called our accountant, Dave Kearns, to ask a number of questions, and he wanted to put us in touch with a couple from his Bible study group, Joe and Diane, that is very similar to us in many ways that had adopted not that long ago from China. Jenn called Diane and she told Jenn that she and her husband would like to take us out to dinner and talk with us about their story. Further, she wanted to invite their friends who have adopted seven children, four from China. Jenn was thrilled, and we went out to dinner last evening. There are many more details than I can even begin to share here, but it was an evening that can only be explained by saying that it was directed by the hand of God. The friends that Diane invited, John and MC, were the very couple that Jenn had seen in passing at HCC and wanted to get to know! Be sure to ask Jenn about it the next time you see her.

It's been very encouraging to talk with friends like Joe and Diane, John & MC, and read blogs like what my college buddy, JT, and his wife have put together. Jenn has talked with other moms from church and friends of those friends about their experiences, and they all seem to confirm that we are following the path that the LORD has laid out for us. The need is great, and we believe we can be a part of meeting the need.

Back to Lincoln and Lydia:

On a separate note, Lincoln and Lydia have made many trips with Grandma Paulette over to CVCA to watch the diggers and dump trucks work. Lincoln loves it and Lydia enjoys being outside.

Lincoln "read" his first word yesterday. We were reading a Curious George story together and he identified the letters "u" and "p," sounded them out, then pronounced, "UP!" It was pretty neat!

Ledges on a Wednesday

2011-06-08T10:15:00.000-04:00

This weekend is the annual Canada fishing trip, so I'm covering Saturday at the clinic. This allowed us all to go on a hike this morning! Lincoln's getting better about going at a good pace so we can all get good exercise. The dogs are wiped out, we had a fun morning outside, Lydia was a trooper, and we even saw something new on the trail: little frogs!

When we got to the Ledges, I let Gretel off her leash and we told Lincoln that she needed to "get the wiggles out." Then Jenn said, "I know a boy who needs to get the wiggles out!" Lincoln knew exactly who she was talking about, so he started running around in the field. After a while, when we were back on the trail in the woods, he said, "I got the wiggles out. They're in the forest now."

Container Gardening & Car Wash

2011-06-04T20:32:00.003-04:00

It was a beautiful weekend, and after Jenn and I caught up on our rest, we enjoyed the outdoors and got some planting done. I haven't done much planting, and absolutely no gardening, since we moved from Hudson. The Norton Road house had a great spot for a garden, and I miss that aspect of the place. So Jenn and I decided to dress up the front of the house with some planters (full scale landscaping is coming soon!) and we also planted some herbs, peppers and tomotoes in containers on the deck. I'm not optimistic we'll get a big crop, but we'll keep you posted.

Lincoln wanted to help with the planting, so I gave him a shot at getting dirty. He wasn't short-changed. He was also a crack-up with the hose, even getting a bit curious to see where the water came from. Yes, he shot himself in the face once.

He's becoming obsessive about playing with the hose. Today I gave him an outlet by getting in our swim trunks and washing Jenn's car. It needed done: both water play time for Lincoln and Jenn's car wash.

It's been a warm day outside, but it's been breezy inside, and the dogs have enjoyed a lazy day.

We'll close off this post with some more photos of the kids.

Edge Small Group Sleepover II

2011-06-04T15:43:00.002-04:00

For our out-of-town family, this portion of posting will be less interesting to you. For the first time, a portion of this blog will be directed toward the families of my Edge Small Group. I've refered in the past to the Edge Games and to the sleepover I hosted last year, but this will be even more Edge-specific.

This past Friday was the second sleepover, and we had a blast.

Tyler (left), a senior at Stow high school, has been my student helper this past school year and he's been an awesome addition to the group. The guys really, really like him, and he's a solid role model fo them. He and I drove 5 guys down to Akron for the game. The guys in our group aren't necessarily real big baseball fans, but with minor league baseball, there's always extra stuff going on around the game that's entertaining. We had a great view!

At Aeros' games, the food is entertainment.

There's something called the Three Dog Night.

And another something called the Nice 2 Meat You Burger.

They're big, and tasty!

Early in the game, the right fielder for the Mets tossed a foul ball into the bleachers where we were sitting and Nick got it. Toward the end of the game, he found a pen from a nice lady sitting near us, dropped the ball and the pen into the Aeros' bullpen and picked up four autographs!

Zach and Eviyon took a swing with the big hammer.

We were all over the stadium during the evening. We spent some time in left field...

We spent some time in right field...

When we finally made it back to the bleachers, the guy who told us in the beginning not to stand right next to the edge of the fence didn't seem to care any more. That's Micah, Tyler and Nick right above the Puppie in Slush Puppie.

After the autographs were signed, the guys still chatted with the relief pitchers.

The game concluded with fireworks!

After we got back home, we had a good time of Bible Study and discussion about the time Jacob wrestled with God. It was one of the better discussion times of the year. Afterward, the guys talked about wanting to get up early in the morning while it was still dark so they could play Ghosts In The Graveyard. I think Brandon even set his alarm for 5:30. But this was the scene at 8:30.

We finished with a big breakfast and some time playing Rapala Pro Bass Fishing. A fun end to year #2!

Memorial Day Weekend @ Leesville Lake

2011-05-31T14:12:00.004-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend was a Gates Family Reunion. The Hopwoods joined us at Leesville Lake for a whole lot of nothing. Sure we shot, swam, bubbled, hiked, cooked, gamed and relaxed, but it was low-key and no pressure. Here's a photo-sampling of the weekend...

On a separate subject, I was sad to learn of Jim Tressel's resignation. Nobody is bigger than Ohio State football, and I expect the product on the field to remain good. Call me crazy, but I just don't have a problem with a college kid selling a trophy and making a buck. This is certainly not an offense that ought to lead to the firing of a coach. I'm not surprised, but I'm saddened. I'll remember Jim Tressel's tenure as one where he was competitive nearly every game, where he kicked the crap out of Michigan, where he ran a more conservative brand of football than I would have liked but where he won... a ton, and where he eventually was brought down by some kids who broke rules that the NCAA say are important. There are worse offenses he could have committed, and ESPN's holier-than-thou approach to reporting (notably Pat Forde) has been added to the list of reasons I'm not a big ESPN news fan. I'm officially a Luke Fickell fan now. Go Buckeyes!

Green Hike

2011-05-21T17:15:00.001-04:00

Lydia decided to sleep in today. That this occurred on a day that Jenn and I did not have to go to work is nothing short of a gift from God.

Jenn and Lydia went hiking with Diane, a friend from Community Group, this morning, so I took Lincoln and Gretel and we went on a hike, too. It's definitely getting greener with the non-stop rain we've had for the last month-plus. This first set of photos is of the "Mossy Log." It's a very distinctive log that we pass on our favorite place to hike, and we noticed last year how things around this log really change as the seasons change. It's like a microcosm of the whole park. The first photo was taken on April 10, the second photo is from today.

Lincoln hiked very well today. We went well over a mile, and he didn't complain at all about the length or the pace.

Gretel finally got some good exercise, and she's been very low-key today since we got back.

Funny story from this afternoon when I was working in the yard. I had just finished filling the bird feeders, and then I finished the weed whacking. When I was done and walkinga across the patio, I saw Lincoln dumping bird seed on the pavers. I said, "Lincoln, what are you doing?!!" Without missing a beat, he said, "I'm putting out bird dessert." Well, that was simple enough...

Finally, the kid's got some good mechanics...

Spring Video

2011-05-18T22:00:00.001-04:00

When I leave for the weekend it's hard to keep the blog updated. Jenn does a fabulous job keeping up with the home and kids, and when I get back, she's spent, and then it's catch up for the two of us. So I haven't had the camera out much lately. But here's some stuff from the past month.

Mother's Day, B's & Catch-Up

2011-05-07T14:11:00.005-04:00

Lydia has making her "B" sounds like it's going out of style. It started on Thursday, and she's barely taken a break. Recall that when Lincoln started articulating new sounds, it was the beginning of a booming vocabulary, so we'll see how much Lydia gets into. (Or how much Lincoln lets her get into!)

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Lincoln, Lydia and I will share our thoughts with Mommy/Jenn as a family, but it must be said pubicly that Lincoln and Lydia have a wonderful Mommy and it's so neat to witness the role that Jenn has played as they've grown, and will play as they continue to grow. Lincoln and Lydia are quite fortunate little kiddos.

Playing a little catch-up, here are some neat photos from our trip out west that didn't make it in the last post.

First, this bunny made a bee-line for the thicket. Can you spot him?

And this lizard did the same thing. It's amazing how many of these little critters are running around the sand.

And while Lincoln and I were out for a walk, we stumbled upon these two coyotes. They don't want much to do with people, so they didn't bother with us.

Lincoln is getting more and more comfortable trying new, tough things. He's really becoming "all boy."

And finally, a self-portrait...

Back from Scottsdale

2011-05-04T15:17:00.004-04:00

This past week was our visit to Scottsdale, AZ, to visit Grandma Laura, Grandpa Dave and Auntie Haley. Given that the weather has been total CRAP in NE Ohio this "spring" (there is no global warming), a visit with family in a warm climate was very, very appealing to us.

The kids travelled pretty well. We thought Lydia would be a good sleeper on the plane, but alas, she was not. Lincoln took a decent nap on the flight from Chicago to Phoenix, and that allowed him to stay up later and get adjusted to the time change. Lydia, on the other hand, vomited such a volume as we landed in Phoenix that it dripped through the bottom of the car seat. She was sick and unhappy for the next 18 to 24 hours. It took her a while to get on AZ time, but she was still a good girl for her grandparents.

Lincoln was highly stimulated during the entire trip. There was very active play time and someone to occupy him at all times. As a result, he took naps of between 2 and 3 hours every day.

The hiking was great. We went to the Dixie Mine Trail, as that's one that Grandma Laura and Grandpa Dave thought would be a good one for Lincoln. He did very well. He even got to use his new CamelBak that he received for his birthday. Lydia was a pleasant rider.

The plant life in the desert never ceases to impress me. The cacti weren't flowering as much on this visit as our last visit, but what we did see was still beautiful.

On Friday, the grandparents took the day off and we spent the morning at the Phoenix Children's Museum. There was a large school field trip with kids who were quite comfortable with pushing Lincoln out of the way, and with parents/chaperones that were equally rude. Lincoln, though, showed good manners and patience beyond his years, and we all had a good time. After patronizing the Chattanooga Children's Museum and the Phoenix Children's Museum, I must say I'm becoming a fan of children's museums!

Of course we took in the Phoenix Zoo. The Bighorn Sheep exhibit is still in my top-ten exhibits that I've seen at any zoo. (Akron's jellyfish, Pittsburgh's aquarium, Nashville's gibbons, and Phoenix's giraffes [the best place for an up-close look], and Columbus' otters come to our minds quickly.)

One of the really neat things we got to see was one of the rattlesnakes shedding its skin, pictured above. I'm not sure Lincoln could really appreciate it, but Jenn and I were amazed.

This was the Trip Of The Pool. Lincoln couldn't get enough of the pool, and he's becoming quite confident in the water. Swimming lessons will be just around the corner. He loved splashing, shooting the water canons, floating around in his boat (while shooting the water canons), and jumping into the water to have me or Grandpa Dave catch him. After a while I started letting him go all the way under the water, and he did a great job of holding his breath for an instant.

Lydia had her first pool experience, too.

Flashback 2010:

2011:

Saturday was Lincoln's birthday, and Grandma Laura & Auntie Haley put together a Pirate Birthday Party for him!

There was a Pirate Ship Cake, eye-patches for Grandpa Dave and Auntie Haley, a treasure hunt, "sea-themed" Jell-O with Nemo gummies, lots of gold doubloons... it was just a fun time for all of us!

We were sad to come home. Lincoln cried at the air port when it really sunk in that he had just said good-bye to Grandma Laura.

On an unrelated note, the Indians just keep winning and winning and winning. You may recall my analysis of the Indians under Manager Eric Wedge.

Indians closer Chris Perez didn't look too sharp at the end of Spring Training 2010, but he's been hot lately for the league-leading Indians at the start of 2011.

While I'm still not a fan of their current owner, it's fun to watch these young guys win. Of course it'll all come crashing down when it comes time to pay them, but we can enjoy it while it lasts, right? As of today, the Indians have a 4.5 game lead on the Royals (who are perennial faders), a 8 game lead on Detroit (who knows if they'll fold or not, but as long as they're relying on Johnny Peralta, I'll take the Indians), a 10 game lead on Minnesota (when they get their guys back from injuries, look out) and a 10.5 game lead on the White Sox (bury 'em while we can!). Who knows where they'll finish, but a hot start beats a cold one any season.

Staying on this tangent, I have to say I'm pleased with the Browns' draft. Atlanta offered themselves up for highway robbery, why wouldn't the Browns pounce on it? Julio Jones will need to be as good as Jerry Rice to justify trading so many picks away, especially to a proven drafter like Holmgren and his team.

Resurrection Sunday!

2011-04-24T20:16:00.001-04:00

This was a good Easter Sunday, and it was fun to spend it with family. Lincoln had an Easter Egg Hunt this morning, and he ate more candy today than he has over the past 4 weeks combined. He also received a very nice coloring book from good clients of mine from work.

Then we went over to Grandpa Doug and Grandma Paulette's house for a great meal and some good photos.

Lincoln got a head-start on his birthday presents when Great Grandpa & Grandma Mullen spent Easter Sunday with us.

It shouldn't be left unsaid that Lincoln did a great job entertaining Lydia last night while Jenn was out and I was straigtening up the kitchen. He was a big help and Lydia has such fun watching him be a silly boy.

Bubble Bath!

2011-04-23T13:14:00.002-04:00

It's Easter weekend! Lincoln colored eggs for the first time today, and he did very well doing most of the things himself.

He's also been into crafts and drawing...

...and Legos. Today he wanted to take his own pictures of his Lego steps that he built. I've been pretty impressed at his budding creativity. It's also neat to see him show an interest in taking photos. It's a slow process, but he's got to start somewhere!

Jenn and I were quite motivated to put something up on our big, plain walls after spending the weekend in Franklin with Auntie Em and Uncle Jeremy. Their house is decorated so nicely that it made Jenn and me want to get off of our fannies and get decorating. So we've been going through our photos and deciding what to print, and Jenn's beend finding some neat art for various places around the house. Lincoln's been helping...

Next time you're over for a visit, you'll see our work in progress. The next real big project is painting the dining room! I'm actually looking forward to that.

Happy Easter! Remember Jesus.

Manicotti

2011-04-18T13:57:00.002-04:00

Jenn and Lincoln made a great manicotti dinner yesterday!

It's been a sick week at the Gates Home. Lincoln started coughing about 10 days ago, then his nose started running, and he wasn't sleeping very well at night. That meant that we weren't sleeping well, either. Then Lydia started getting it, and she was looking better Friday morning. Then something went wrong and she cried and screamed for hours on Friday afternoon. After some wrangling on the phone with the doctors' office, she was seen and they suppose that she's got an ear issue. Since starting Tylenol and Amoxi she's been much better. Today she's her pleasant little (?) self!

On Friday Jenn was talking with Lincoln about Mickey Mouse. She said, "When we go to Disney World, you'll be able to meet Mickey, Minnie & Goofy, plus go swimming and ride rides. Doesn't that sound like so much fun?!"

Lincoln replied, "I don't want to go and give Mickey my germs." A budding public health advocate, he is.

Lincoln has also been really into Big Rock Candy Mountain.He and Auntie Haley will have lots to talk about when we are in Scottsdale in a few weeks. (And thank goodness they're getting this sickness out of the way before we get on the plane!)

On Saturday evening we spent a great evening with friends. Two of these friends are moving to Johnstown, PA, soon and Jenn and I are very sad to see them go. We had a bunch of laughs and told a bunch of good stories. It was one of our more fun evenings out in a long time.

Gretel has really been filling out. She's starting to take on a more Bridget-like build, and she's been improving a bit in the "naughty dog" department. She's also been making us laugh lately, like when she takes any lap that she can find, even when there's a baby on it.

Update on the robin's nest: Let's just say they didn't get out of Robin Engineering School. The wind (and we've had a lot of it lately) kept blowing down any progress they'd make, and right now there's not a shred of a nest up there. Oh, well.

First Hike of 2011

2011-04-10T19:49:00.001-04:00

Today was the first actual spring-like day in northeast Ohio and we didn't waste any time getting out on the trails!

Lydia isn't getting any less cute.

Funny story about Lincoln last night. I mentioned in the last post that he and Lydia have been a bit sick. Last night he came into our room and asked to sleep in our bed. This is a slippery slope that neither Jenn nor I were interested in starting. So we said, "Lincoln, your bed is for you to sleep in. Would you like for daddy to get a drink for you."

"Yes," he said. So I went to his room with him carrying a glass of water and Vick's Vapo Rub.

Then I said to him, "Lincoln, I'm going to rub some of this medicine on your chest and it will help you to feel better."

Without missing a beat, and with his tired, middle-of-the-night voice, he said, "I understand." Too cute.

Lincoln's Fort

2011-04-09T13:51:00.001-04:00

There are a few interesting things that have happened in and around the Gates home over the past couple of days. All of this has been happening in the midst of coughs, sneezes & runny noses, but Lincoln and Lydia have not been letting their symptoms stop them.

First of all, Lincoln and Mommy built a fort in his room! He's napped and spent the night in his fort, and he's really into it! The details are in the video below.

This morning Lincoln made a finger-paint piece for his fort, and that was a lot of fun.

There are a couple of robins that have made our back yard their home, and one of the females is trying to build a nest on our deck. She's not having much luck right now, but she's persistent, so we're waiting to see if we'll have a finished product along with eggs then nestlings.

As far as Lydia's solids go, there are some times when she's interested and other times where she's not. Today was a "not."

Her coordination is getting better, though, and she's been taking her pacifier in and out of her mouth with better skill.

Also, she's been experimenting big-time with her voice. She's funniest after she wakes up, and we'd laugh in the morning if she didn't wake us up 1 hour earlier than any of us really need to wake up.

Also, Atlas Shrugged pt.1 comes out in less than a week. Here's another scene from the movie:

Men's Retreat 2.0: FOOD

2011-04-05T14:23:00.001-04:00

We had a BIG, GOOD breakfast.
The theme, after all, was FOOD.

Another Men's Retreat has come and gone. In the moment, I felt as though each componet of the retreat went very well. At the end, I was pretty mentally exhausted from weeks of preparing for the event in my mind, then a week of planning the food and arrangements, then a day of keeping up with cleaning, cooking, etc. But the feedback I've received so far has been nothing short of great. And really, it's not about me. This was the LORD's event.

Auntie Haley had a full day with Lincoln last week, and Grandma Laura made it back to Scottsdale safely yesterday. It's hard to believe that we'll be out there in 3.5 weeks. We've got to go somewhere warm!!! The weather here has been downright depressing. But getting back to Auntie Haley, if she chooses to go to Bowling Green, she'll only be 2.5 hours away from us, and we'll be able to make it to some of her games there, and certainly when she comes to play Akron & Kent State. Should we start saying, "Go Falcons!"? We'll find out soon enough.

Progress w/ Cereal

2011-03-29T22:00:00.001-04:00

Grandma Laura and Auntie Haley are here for their visit and the grandkids are getting their Grandma time in. Auntie Haley was an all-star at keeping Lincoln busy on Tuesday... or was Lincoln keeping Auntie Haley busy... it was hard to tell.

Lydia began holding her own bottle this week!

She also showed some progress eating her rice cereal. The video would be easier to watch if Auntie Haley wasn't laughing so hard while she was filming!

Now that's service!

2011-03-27T08:36:00.000-04:00

Grandma Laura & Auntie Haley will be here later on today! Yea!
Jenn's birthday came and went and she received some very nice gifts from our parents. I was in Indianapolis two days before her birthday and brought back some Oliver wine as a surprise. Then last night we had a babysitter all lined up so we could go out with friends, but plans changed at the last minute, so we decided to go to the Melting Pot for a Big Night Out. It was fabulous.

Lincoln continues to amaze us. He's really been into Big Bird Discovers The Orchestra, and he even found a paper towel roll and an old Saran Wrap roll and put one inside the other so he could slide them and said, "Look! I'm playing the trombone!" He's also been brancing out from his John Deere movies to include the Life series. This started when we began calling them "Zoo Movies." So now he gets to learn about animals during lunch time. He loves it, and the stuff he remembers is crazy!

Lydia's a bit sick now. She's been running a fever off and on for the last several days, and been a bit more clingy than normal. She's sleeping well and eating well, so that's a good thing. She'll get past it soon.

We started her on rice cereal earlier in the week. She hasn't yet figured out how to move the cereal from the front of her mouth to the back... it mostly runs out the front. Once she starts getting it, I'll post some before-and-after video.

Did you see the story about the Super Moon about a week ago? I read about it after the moon had risen off the horizon, so I couldn't do much with taking pictures, but this is what I got. Looks like typical moon shots to me, but I wasn't on a beach like the author of the story linked above.

I mentioned going to Indianapolis earlier this week. I received an invitation from a practice manager (the one who recently wrote the book on using social media in veterinary medicine) at a very progressive veterinary clinic to attend a workshop of the Veterinary Management Association of Indiana, and because I needed some extra CE, I made the drive over. It was really neat to talk business with clinics outside of the northeast Ohio area, and it was really cool to tour Broad Ripple Animal Clinic. They're doing some very cool things there, and they've given me some good ideas for Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic. The medicine and surgery that we practice is exactly the same, but the logistical things that they have in place are pretty clever.

We're looking forward to hosting our guests from the west!

Flying Leap

2011-03-16T20:38:00.002-04:00

Lincoln's prayer, 3/16/11
Dear God,
Thank you for this day, forgive us for our sins. Thank you for my warm, comfy bed. Thank you for my toys in the basement, for my blankets, and for my buddies. Thank you for Grandma, Lydia, Mommy and Daddy. In Jesus name, A.....men.

Lincoln has been much less hostile to Gretel since we got back from Tennessee. Not sure what the change was, but we're happy about it.

Over the last week, he's been coming up with some crazy lines and thoughts. He's using words that I'm not sure we taught him, but he's using them properly and with good grammar. Some of the synapses that his thoughts reveal make us laugh. For instance, "When I grow taller, I won't be a kid anymore, I'll be an adult." Grandma Paulette wrote down a number of funny things that he said on Monday and Tuesday, so I'll have to get them from her.

Lydia's been feeling a bit under the weather: some diarrhea and not sleeping past 40 minutes this afternoon. Not sure what that's all about. She's also been taking a while to go to sleep at night, complete with irrational freaking out. It seems we're in a phase.

Jenn's leading the devo tonight at Ladies Night. This is a first for her. Also, Men's Retreat is approaching, and I just heard from one of the newer guys to our ABF that he's coming. Last year we had 8, and this year there are 9 committed, with a couple on the fence. It ought to be a good time. I'm heading up the Friday evening discussion-time and I feel over-prepared at this point, but I guess that's better than feeling under-prepared. I guess I feel over-prepared because I've got pages of notes for my lesson, but I know that the best part of the evening will come from our group discussion time, so I don't want to limit that with my talking. It's all up to God, though, and I'm counting on Him to make it a great weekend.

Tennessee Trip

2011-03-14T14:46:00.002-04:00

There's a lot of catching up to do since we last spoke.

Lincoln's prayer on Sunday night was as follows:
Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Forgive us for our sins. Thank you for my warm, comfy bed, for my buddies, for my room, for my bunk beds, and for my warm house. In Jesus name, Amen.

We all had a fun, full weekend with the Hopwoods in Tennessee. Lincoln and Lydia travelled quite well. What used to take me 8 hours now takes us 10, but that's cool. Lincoln and I got to visit Lipscomb and spend a few minutes with my college advisor, Dr. Lowrance. Lipscomb is becoming a full-fledged research institution these days as far as the biology department is concerned. As far as the campus is concerned, it's expanding rapidly and there are some fantastic buildings that have gone up in the 10 years since I left.

We took a swing by the Nashville Zoo on Friday while the Hopwoods were at work and school.

(l) A cardinal landed in the tree right above me.
(r) The gibbons were only active for a short period of time, but when they were, they could be heard all over the zoo. Notice their swollen necks. That's how they make their loud noises.

We got to climb up in the tree house that Uncle Jeremy built. Holy cow! He did a great job and after Lincoln got past the initial scary part of climbing a ladder in a tunnel, he had fun haging out a few stories up in the tree with his cousins.

Because Lydia is much more easy-going about sleeping than Lincoln was at 5 months, we decided to take a trip to Chattanooga to see the Tennessee Aquarium and Children's Discovery Museum and we left on Friday evening at bedtime so we could maximize our time on Saturday. We're crazy! But it worked out great! Neither Lincoln nor Lydia have had a day in their life with more stimulation than they did on Saturday. Thankfully Lincoln was able to get a nap in at the hotel between all the fun stuff.

Even Lydia enjoyed what she saw.

The Tennessee Aquarium is really neat. They've done a great job putting exhibits together that are appealing to almost-three-year-olds as well as their parents. Lincoln really enjoyed Grace & Cole's company throughout the day, and the weekend. They each are very good with him and he likes the feeling of being a big boy playing with the big kids. They had a very neat butterfly exhibit, too.

The Children's Museum is a place where parents can sit off to the side and let the kids explore on their own.

We ate lunch at a place called The Mellow Mushroom. Looking at the kitchen staff, the place is appropriately named. They make a good pizza, though, and Lincoln enjoyed watching the pizza dough flipping and spinning through the air.

An interesting thing that happened on the way down illustrated to Jenn and me that kids absolutely do listen to the lyrics of the songs that are played around them and they internalize them.

These kids that say, "I don't listen to the lyrics, I just like the music!" are full of baloney! One of the songs on my iPod is Toby Mac's Lose My Soul, in which he and Kirk Franklin elaborate on the chorus, "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul." About 20 minutes after that song had played and we were into other songs, Lincoln said from the back seat, "Excuse me. How do I lose my soul?" Jenn and I looked at each other. I started to say something like, "We lose our soul when we do bad things." But then Jenn pointed out that his little mind would conclude something like, "Oh, no! I just lost my soul three time today!" Wow! He asks some pointed questions!

As you may or may not know, I am observing Lent by fasting from sweets. Jenn was going to observe Lent by following the South Beach Diet. But after she felt quite crummy after 24 hours with any carbs, and then after she vomitted a couple of times in the morning of the second day, she decided to forgo the sickness and join me in abstaining from sweets. It was nice knowing you, SBD!

In the midst of all of the running around from here to there, we got to spend some slower moments with Jeremy and Emily. They certainly have a lot on their plate, and we were so thankful for their hospitality during the weekend. For more on what's going on with them, check out their blog. Em will have some neat photos up there that you won't find here. And I can't say it enough, Grace and Cole were fantastic cousins to Lincoln and Lydia over the weekend.

Lydia has showing great progress in the past week with her balance. She's still not able to sit up for very long by herself, but I suspect that we're not far off. There has been no interest on her part in rolling over (we're 0 for 2 with kids that like to roll over on time) but she does show interest in using her tummy muscles to sit up and stay up. She's not showing any interest in her feet, is just now becoming aware of her hands (more so than just as instruments to shove her bib in her mouth), and she's laughed a couple of times.

Lydia's First Photo Booth

2011-03-02T18:50:00.001-05:00

Morning Moon

Lydia's photo booth:

Lydia is getting more and more into grabbing things. She doesn't have the best coordination yet, but it's on the way. She's also pretty reliable about "chatting" back with you if you talk to her directly.

Lincoln is getting even more into "organizing" his things: putting his coins in separate piles, lining up his cars, stacking his Lincoln Logs in matching piles, etc.

Finally, it's not often that I'm in front of the camera, but I've been experimenting with the self-portrait.

Atlas Shrugged Movie Trailer and Previews

2011-02-23T18:09:00.000-05:00

While the sources of the two books couldn't be more different, the release of Atlas Shrugged, pt. 1 is my most anticipated movie release since Passion of the Christ. Here's the trailer, a scene sample and a behind the scenes feature. The movie is due on April 15. (Interesting choice of days, huh?)

Can't. Wait.