Does life ever go as planned?

You know, as kids and as teenagers, we always have a plan for our lives. We want to have a specific job (I wanted to be an oncologist until I realized how insanely hard it would be to become one), get married, have this many kids, live in a certain place, travel the world, have lots of money, etc... We have all been there. And then, over and over again, we realize that life doesn't go exactly according to our plans. Some of us never find that special someone, some have trouble having children, some can never get that perfect job, some get an illness that prevents them from living life how they always dreamed, and so many more outcomes in life that seem "unfair" to us, and we don't understand why life isn't going how we always dreamed.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I have had a great life so far. I have been blessed beyond words. I have a wonderful husband (who definitely wasn't in my "plan" since it took us three years to even have a decent conversation :), I love working with deaf children (even though I studied for a year to become a doctor of audiology before changing my plans...), I have a wonderful family and same for my husband, I've been able to travel to several countries the past year and a half, and I am 16 weeks pregnant without any medical intervention (which seemed improbable after being diagnosed with PCOS). I could go on an on, but in all, I am blessed.

So, why this topic? Well, two years ago, my husband and I had this plan, this BIG plan, to live overseas and work for however long we were supposed to. We were really thinking "long-term". We sold almost everything we had, got on a plane, and started living in China. This was my calling -- what I was born to do. Fast forward to now... After a year and a half of living overseas, we are back in TX. We have dealt with medical problems since the second month overseas. And now we are back, for who knows how long. We have to make some big decisions -- the main one being going back after all is well or making a life here. We had lots of struggles over there, lots of trying times, but we never thought of returning back home until the doctor told us to. Now, with the unknown cause of N's weight loss and my pregnancy, we have to make some huge decisions on where we are supposed to be in a few months. It would be a much easier decision if it was either TX or California, but it is TX and a world away from home -- China. Isn't life supposed to be easy? Isn't it supposed to go according to our plans? No, I guess it never does. But, I guess if it did, we would not have married who Father would have us marry (we would have married that hunk/supermodel instead of marrying the most perfect person in the world for us), we would not have adopted those precious children from all over the world or dedicated our lives to serving others, we would have way too many doctors instead of all those other jobs that need to be filled, we wouldn't learn how to appreciate life and the time that is given us, we wouldn't learn how to rely completely on Father and know that His plan is so much better than our own.

It's hard to understand sometimes, but there is always a reason for everything, whether we see it now or not. All we have to do is trust. There is a reason our life didn't go according to our BIG plan, and I know I will see the reason someday, sooner or later.

Peaceful Retreat

So, this week or so, N and I have been living at our old homesite -- Brookhaven Retreat. Our former bosses have been letting us stay in their apartment, which we have enjoyed immensely. We have been taking walks around the lake every night, seeing former co-workers, enjoying time with our former bosses (which the husband just told me that they painted the foyer a "bloody olive" color -- not sure what color that would be...). Anyways, just some pictures of where we have been living. Not the best pictures but it will give you an idea :)


On the road going around the lake. It's been rainy since we have been home, so no beautiful sunny pictures -- sorry!



Looking uphill at the motels that guests stay in. I like coming here and sitting on the porch swings outside and reading.


One of my favorite things to do when I used to work here...and before I realized that I could hurt myself trying to learn how to do a front-flip off the trapeze (although the back-flip was a cinch!).


Here is one of our former camp bosses and her beautiful adopted granddaughter from China (actually, right from the city that we were living -- small world, isn't it?!).

We just love the country!

Babies!

Babies galore! Or at least about to be! On July 31 (I think -- sorry, I'm not one of those people that keeps dates of every event in their life), when we found out we were expecting, I was the sole person pregnant (or with people I knew -- I know...the world doesn't revolve around me!). Then, let's see...a friend that moved into our city (overseas, right before we had to leave) found out 3 weeks after me. Then, my sister informs me she is expecting her 3rd just four weeks after me. Then, one of my best friends emails and says she is expecting about 6 weeks after me. THEN, I find out that my cousin's wife is just expecting and is about 7 weeks along (so that would be...7 weeks after me)! My mother will double her grandkids to four, my grandmother in TX will double her great-grandkids to four, and my grandmother in Kansas will double her great-grandkids to 6 just this year(until my other cousins are able to finish all the adoption processes as well as rumors about two of my other cousins having baby fever, then who knows!)! I guess when baby fever starts, it really starts...and spreads!

So, I went to my first "American" baby doctor's appointment this past Wednesday. She said I was 13 weeks 5 days (but I think I was 14 weeks that day :). We saw the baby but never could get a really good picture because we have a wiggle worm in there! Hopefully he/she will settle down once born -- I don't think my mom can handle another super-active grandchild! Both "Mom" (I) and "Dad" (Nate) love reading, so we are hoping that is passed down to child. While checking everything out, even though it is still really early, the doctor thought she saw something between the legs :) Even though I'm not a betting girl, I'm placing my bets that doc is right -- I've always thought it would be a boy! We already have a "probably" boy's name, but we are holding on the girl names as well, just in case. October 15 is the day of the big ultrasound, so we will find out for sure then (hopefully, if he/she behaves!). Yeah for ultrasounds! I feel guilty that our parents didn't have such wonderful technology when they were pregnant with us! But our children will probably say the same thing about us someday.

Sighting of the Day

After a while, nothing that you see really sticks out in your mind. You just get used to seeing strange, "why?" things. But of course, you don't ask "why?" because you will never find a good answer. We see ladies in pajamas and fancy high heels all the time outside -- why? "Because they just want to run out and get vegetables..."...but why the high heels??? We see mothers with their young child/toddler squatting on the sidewalk going to the restroom. Isn't there a bathroom just around the corner? Why? "That is how they train their children to use the bathroom." Hmmm... We see people throwing their trash on the ground, just steps (literally) from a trashcan. Why? Never got an answer there. Anyways, you get the idea. Well, yesterday, Nate said to me "You will never believe what I saw just a while ago!". Of course, my initial thought is "try me". He continues, "I saw a man walking down the street in his boxer underwear and holding his pants out to his side with his hand -- just walking casually down the street. I should have had my camera with me!" Yes, he should have, because that is definitely something I have never seen here (but not sure I want to), and probably won't see while in America (fingers crossed!). Will I miss seeing these unusual sightings while back in America? I'll take the risk :)

N's Quote of the Day

N was recently telling me everything he was excited to experience once we got back to the states, such as sleeping in a bed in an air conditioned house, seeing country scenery again, walking around the lake at camp...then one statement that I laughed so hard, I had to blog about it:

"I can't wait to listen to the radio and get an English song stuck in my head instead of a half-chinese half-english song coming from the cell phone of a chinese man in the squatty potty next to me."

Now, you may not understand why I thought that was so funny, but trust me, after you have lived here and experienced squatty potties with no doors and seeing people squat while texting or talking on their phone, reading the newspaper, or whatever else they may decide to do during that precious time, you have to find humor in situations like that :)

Oh, how cultures differ...