January

Well it once again has been a while and about time I posted.
The family is doing amazing. I can honestly say the transition has been miraculous. Everyone has adjusted without difficulty. I have found it trying sometimes when my name is being called repetitively for an extended period of time at a loud volume. If that is the only issue we extremely fortunate.

Lolah is understanding almost everything we say now. She is speaking in 4 - 6 word english phrases. The chinese is still alive and well. At least we think it is well but how do we know? Summing it up her language is increasing at a rapid rate. She answered the phone the other day and it was my mom. She answered "Lolah speaking" "how are you" I'm good" both Jordon and I were amazed. Jordon was midway downstairs and came back up to listen to the rest of the conversation. The conversation usually ends after the basic salutations. She just cannot carry on the conversation. She usually just shrugs her shoulders says " onea moment pleasa" and hands me the phone. I am happy someone else in the house is answering the phone as the boys just don't seem interested.

The boys and Lolah are getting along just as all your children get along. Some days and moments are great and some days and moments not so much. But for the most part it is amazing. Simon actually leaned over at lunch time today and kissed her out of the blue, 5 minutes later he was telling her not to follow him and shortly there after he was playing hide and seek with her. Normal, very normal! Leevi seems to take the big brother/protector role very seriously when she is at school visiting.

The school has been co-incidently studying China. I had gone in a couple of times and spoke at chapel about China's country and their life style. They invited Lolah and I back the third week for a Lunar New Year and welcome to Canada party. They truly surprised us with many uniquely Canadian gifts. I was so impressed by the creativity and generosity of the families. She received maple syrup, Canada pin, photo of Niagara Falls, frozen pork chops and home made applesauce (Canadian grown), olympc scarf, stuffed moose and racoon, a hand made native bracelet, a Remembrance Day pin, a pre- measured cookie mix done up in a mason jar ( red and white), Canada sweatshirt, small flags, and a package containing an item for every season in Canada and some great books and stories Canadian camping. Last but not least a huge Welcome to Canada cake with 2 huge lady bugs on it.

Aren't they a clever bunch. We thank them very very much for making Lolah feel so welcome.
We have been taking Lolah swimming twice a week and she is doing fantastic. Out goal is to have her swimming independently by summer so she can enjoy the Klassen's and Quemby's pool. Not to mention take some worry of us as parents who must watch her. Her skating is coming along slowly but we are not nearly as well as her swimming but then again we are not very consistent with taking her out. She was out recently on her boots on the Klassen's rink and had her first scrape after a minor collision with Lilah. After a few tears and some polysporin she was off again and in the hot tub. She loves to go the the Klassen's for many reasons. Girls, skating, toys and hot tub. Party central.

We have taken a few hikes in the woods recently and I brought along my camera to take pictures of my favorite subjects, kids and nature. On our property on Division Street there was a little pond and they all scraped off the snow and made hockey sticks out of dead trees and started a hockey game. I enjoy watching them when they are being creative. The hike was relaxing and a fun family activity. I am totally enjoying the time off. It has allowed me some more time to do the things I like to do.

We had our first dentist trip with Lolah this week. All three had appointments on the same day. The first thing Lolah told the dentist (in chinese) was "no extractions." Dr. Loung who is chinese found this extremely funny. We have no idea how she knows about extractions.

Leevi came up clean, Simon who has struggles with teeth issues since we adopted him had an abses and Lolah as far as the dentist could see has 6 cavities. We are off to Sick Kid's with Lolah on the 13th of February to find out what we can about her heart disease. The dentist suggested we have Sick Kids look after her teeth because of her congenital heart disease. So we are anxiously awaiting the appointment so we can finally find out what her issue are and become informed.

Some times I find myself worrying when I see a slightly green ooze coming from her nose. I have read and heard basic information about her disease and it says to be careful with infections as they can go directly to her heart and cause major problems. I am counting on the doctor giving me the info I need that pertains to her specifically. Information is crucial to me being an effective and confident parent in regards to her health.

On a side note we have all three properties for sale and are waiting to see which one sells first so we can make some decisions. With the economy the way it is we want to be wise in our financial decisions. This time always causes huge stress and anxiety for me. So bear with me if the claws come out.

Enjoy the snow
Janet

Lolah's List of Firsts

Happy New Year everyone.

Today marks the first day of routine 2009. I am thankful we are back into a routine or shall I say trying. I liked the boys being home but routine is bliss. With the boys off to school I am trying to set up a routine for Lolah and I so she can get a grip on the fact that her first three weeks in Canada is "not" dare I say reality. One has to wonder what she thinks of all these gifts, parties with her friends, endless food and chocolate...so yes she is a happy girl who wouldn't be. With all the partying aside I believe she will still be a very happy girl. Yesterday I bought her a little cabinet to organizer her toys. When I brought it home and explained it was for her she started vibrating and dancing. She ran back and forth between Darryn and I kissing us. She was doing the happy dance until Darryn started to put it together with her. She stuck with him for almost 2 hours helping him put it together. Once one drawer was done you would hear the infamous da da danna! nice and loud with arms extended (like one Bob Barker's beauties)to show off the new addition of a drawer. Darryn just loves to hear her do this and basked in each da da danna! Oh the joy she brings with her excitement of each new possession. I am thinking she is one who never has had anything that was her very own. Considering this she is doing very well at sharing providing we explain at the outset which items are for sharing.




What is life with out a few good friends. Lolah is just embarking on this journey and she has found a few treasures so far. Karen, came by for a visit shortly after we arrived home to allow our girls to have a play date. Check out the pictures. They say it all especially when Lolah leaned over and spontaneously kissed Naomi. The play date ended with Lolah in tears. She was devastated when they left. She
went to get her coat thinking she was going with them. Karen and I both ached for her. They have had many play dates since and many more to come. Ahh friendship don't we all wish the fun times together never had to end. With a New Year's Eve family sleepover at the Klassen's, Darryn and I have had a few extended visits that we sort of wished did not have to end either.








Another first has been swimming. We thought she was an old pro by the way she ventured into the water with such confidence. We soon figured out after a little solo underwater excursion that she was not. Her swimming confidence lacked some zest after that but thank goodness to my tecky friend Karen whom she affectionately calls AYI(auntie) Karen she is gaining fast. Today Karen had her dunking her head underwater to grab a toy. Considering Lolah would not let go of me at first, Karen's help was greatly appreciated. Way to go Lolah and Karen.

We may have another hockey player also. She tried skating on the weekend when our adoption group rented the ice. She laced on a pair of boys skates and loved it. Later, on The Klassen's home rink she was out slapping the puck around wearing boots. She has a wicked shot but the wind up may have a certain goalie intimidated. Look out Poppa a potential decline in your GPA .

Lolah attended her first birthday party on December 29th. Her new (another first) friend Naomi was turning 6. And what a party it was. There were 12 interesting and entertaining critters to look at, touch and sometimes hold. Lolah is not a reptile fan. Seriously what must this little girl be thinking as she gazes upon a reticulated python around her brothers neck and has a chinchilla on her head?





I hope she continues to take all new adventures in stride as she appears to be doing. What a great attitude to carry through life.

Going for a GT ride in the back yard is always a favorite for any child that comes to our house and Lolah was no exception. She was quite reluctant at first but quickly decided it was too much fun to pass up. The Ben, Caleb and Katie Q. were over for a visit and Darryn always up for an opportunity to operate something with a motor, fired up the old Toyota 4Runner and pulled the crew around the yard. This has been a family tradition since Jordon was 8 years old. I think he would probably still like to go for a ride. You have to love family tradition they create such amazing memories and we now have a little pink treasure to enjoy them with.







Her language is coming along slowly but steadily. She has been with us for 43 days, 32 of them in Canada. I am keeping a log of the words and phrases she is using. She probably has 10 phrases but the one that brings about amazement is when she says, "Hi, How are you?". She says it without an accent and truly appears to wants to know how you are. One is tempted to engage in a conversation with her and some do, until I tell them she only speaks mandarin. Social settings still bring about some anxiety and she does not really like to say hello when we ask her to respond to someone who has said hi. She often hides her face and ignores the conversation. I am sure it is difficult to be asked questions and not be able to answer. I have complete confidence she will be quite the chatter box once she gets going. So all of you who she has slighted, hang in there your time is coming. I may be glad for the break.

The boys have been incredible in tolerating her habits that need some taming. I have to say they are special little boys who show her so much grace. They understand so well for their age that she has not been taught many social skills. They have been scolded, hit, grabbed from and not shared with numerous times and not once retaliated. Leevi and Simon you make our hearts very happy and we are proud of you. Both of you are little gentlemen and one day Lolah will understand what a gold mine she hit when she became your sister.


As for Jordon the love runs deep already. On the way home from church I was calling her my bow bae(sweetheart in mandarin) she shook her head no in her little I want conflict way with a grin.

"No poppa bow bae."

So I engaged and said ok, Leevi, Simon and Jordon are momma's bow bae."

She said " no, ga ga Jordon wa bow bae" (No big brother Jordon my
sweetheart)

How cute:) Any opportunity to be with Jordon and Allie is always optimized to the max. Jordon we are also very proud of you and thankful she has a special spot in your heart like she has in ours.

Well that is it for now. As always I could go on forever. I will continue to post and they may not be very interesting for you but the posts are for Lolah in the future. So enjoy and thanks for joining us.

Janet

December Update

Well it is about time I got back to this blog post now that Christmas is over. Here it is dated December 21st/08.


Good Evening

Isn't it beautiful outside. I know it is stormy but so perfect for Christmas. It truly puts your spirit in the mood for the season. I am feeling quite mushy and emotional. I become overwhelmed so many times when I live my daily life with my family. Why were we chosen to be the parents of such amazing children? I am sure all of you feel the same. This time of year always seems to squeeze our hearts a little tighter with love and thankfulness for family.

Our "big" gift this year is doing incredible. Anyone who has been around us in the last week can attest to this. After meeting Lolah and watching her blend into her new environment one would think she has been part of our family for much longer than 1 month. She is not a fan of in your face greetings and conversation but loves to just blend in. And blend in she does. On occasion she will shine a little brighter but that is because we are looking for the bright light. Many people have said they could not take their eyes off her. I believe it is because she is adapting into her new country, community and family so well it catches you off guard. Not to mention her contagious smile and lively spirit. Her spirit begs for a playful encounter yet everyone has been so gracious in allowing her to make the first move. We are so thankful that all have been so respectful of this as we are then able to get together with friends and family without concern for her being overwhelmed.

How is it going at home is a question we are fielding on a regular basis. How are the boys doing? The boys are doing great. They have been well prepared to welcome a new sister who is not perfect. They have been told there will be disagreements just like before but we are family and we forgive and move on. They have risen to the occasion and have worked through the minor rough spots with such grace. Leevi our deep little boy struggles a little more than Simon as he is the communicator and wants to talk through his questions and because of the language barrier has not cemented the relationship as much as Simon has. Simon and Lolah are sometimes just like two little puppies rolling and playing with few words just activity. I have a feeling when the language comes through she and Leevi will make up for lost time as she loves to talk.

Funny that I mentioned "cemented" the relationship as Darryn has so many times said he believe Lolah will be the glue for our family. She has such a mothering, nurturing spirit she will have her brothers lined up and functioning at an efficient level to achieve her goals for our family. Being the oldest most capable in the orphanage she is just doing what she has been told and taught. These three shy boys have no idea what just landed in our family. Go Lolah Go!

How are you communicating with each other is probably the next most frequently asked question. She only speaks mandarin and we only speak english. But body language is such a huge part of communication so most is not an issue. Lolah has a few english words like good, your welcome, all gone, more, chocolate and let's go. Most communication is understood with a few gestures and I am sure you could make yourself understood in any language if you wanted to eat, drink or use the washroom. If all else fails she takes our hand and leads us to what she wants and 90% of the time we know what she wants. She sometimes tells us a wonderful story with wide eyes and such enthusiasm and we smile and show excitement along with her. Playing WII bowling is a favorite and you should see the excitement when she gets a strike. Leevi and Simon have taken the lose again like gentlemen. The girl can bowl.

I have to say she has the bedtime thing figured out. She does not like bedtime if she has not had a nap. If she is overtired bedtime is usually a sad time. Really her life is one big party here compared China, especially before Christmas. So many social events and FUN, FUN FUN going to bed mean the party is over. She was particularly sad the other day when she had two little friends over(who are Asian) and it was time for them to go home. She was going to get her coat on to go with them. Her sad little face and silent tears moved me to tears also. She just did not know when they will be back. Who knows what she is thinking and we cannot communicate to her that these play dates will happen again and again and again.

She is eating well. She does not eat a vast selection of foods but is gradually throwing some new things over her taste buds and expanding the menu.

Home

I have to say we may be money poor but we are friend and family rich. Filty Rich. We have the best support group surrounding us. Words are so inadequate to thank all of you. We know this journey to Lolah would never have run so smoothly without your prayers and encouragement and help.

Trudi and Jake for keeping the fort running smoothly with the precious boys we left at home. Cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, driving to school, emotional support just to name a few of the chores they took on with zest. They cleaned the house cleaner than I have seen it in a quite a while. I cannot even begin to tell you the extras they did for us. Oh ya the homemade soup waiting in our fridge when we arrived home. Had some of that soup before we went to bed. We thank you deeply.

Rachel, Adam, Caleb, Ben and Kate the weekend team. They kept the boys pumped all week with the vision of a sleepover weekend that was never long enough. Leevi and Simon are so comfortable in your home and that is a reflection of your acceptance and love for them. Thanks Rachel for living this dream with me for what seems like an eternity and not passing judgement just encouagement. Again words are inadequate.

Karen the tech support girl. She was the one who made the blog look pretty and posted it for us. She has some great computer expertise that I certainly do not have. If you could have read the emails that went back and forth between us just to get the blog rolling you also would be amazed by her ability and patience. The girl knows her stuff and if she doesn't, she knows where to find it. You know girl how I feel about you. She also was our Canadian guide, before we left. She gave us packing lists, travel tips, calming and reassuring peptalks that we could do this every time I called and post it notes in our file folder telling us to relax and focus on the most important goal, "to meet our daughter and bring her home". Everything else was to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously. I think we did that.
Cheers to you Karen. I appreciate you very much.

Those of who who I will not mention by name but have mentioned many times in prayers, we thank you for your financial support. Thanks for being still long enough to hear God and then act upon what you believed needed to be done. Many time we questioned if this dream was just a little to BIG for us. You have all renewed our faith in a God who can and still does BIG miracles. Lolah is a Canadian citizen and a Shutt because you dared to dream with us. You gives me "warm fuzzies" :)

The staff and students at Northumberland Christian School we are proud to be a part of your family. We knew someone was praying daily and we should have know it was ALL of you. To the staff who took the time to have Simon sit on their lap and show him the blog, the teacher who took the extra time to make sure Leevi was put together to go home because he just needed it, we are so grateful. These boys are special not only to us but to you. Another gift we do not take for granted.

For those I have not mentioned know we have not overlooked you. I have to stop at some point and get to how we are doing.

Sleeping is back on track for Lolah but D as always has sleep issues. The poor guy was going on 2 hours or less a night. Sunday night out of shear exhaution he slept 6hours. I decided to skip jet lag. It did not seem to bother me which is a good thing as someone had to keep the show going. I was back doing paperwork Monday morning and I think all is complete.

About Little Miss Lolah. Well, she is amazing. She has been stellar in all ways. The communication does not appear to be an issue for her but sometimes I just smile, give eye contact and offer my hand so she will show me what she wants. She is learning very quickly to use Shutt family sign language. Hey , it works, I cannot say she has learned an english word she uses regulary but I am sure it will be coming soon. She counts to 10 in english all the time now. The copy cat game is played often as a joke but she really does say the words she repeats very well. She is loving all the boys. Jordon seems to be the favorite and she has him wrapped. Arms stretched upward is her most common stance when she sees him. They are quite a pair. He is in awe of her incredibly happy spirit and huge smile. Ge Ge is the Mandarin word for older brother and she has a few of those, so the phrase is often heard throuhgout the day in a loving and caring manner. I guess the best way to tell you how she is doing is by posting some pictures.

I will keep posting so you can follow along as she begins to communicate with us in english. Thanks for your comments they are read and appreciated.

Janet, Darryn, and 6

They are home

Karen here! Janet has asked me to post to the blog as her computer has been down since arriving home. I think that when they were trying to get her internet access up and running from China, they may have changed some of the email properties. Regardless, she will post again when able. In the meantime, she asked me to tell you all the following:

The flight home was uneventful. Lolah and Janet both managed to catch 3-4 hours of sleep, while Darryn was a little less fortunate only shutting his eyes for about an hour.

Their passage through Customs and Immigration took about 75 minutes. Darryn and Janet were overjoyed to see the boys as they stepped through the baggage doors. Poor Lolah was overwhelmed and began to sob uncontrollably. On top of her exhaustion, I think her perception of "brothers" was a bit tainted and inaccurate, so she was not looking forward to meeting them. Thank goodness for our dear friend Hannah, who began reassuring her in Mandarin. After a few minutes, the sobbing was reduced to crying. Several minutes later, Hannah discovered that she liked chocolate ice cream and so the boys were off on a mission with Hannah to find an ice cream cone in the Toronto airport.

They returned to find Lolah in a much more relaxed state and the ice cream ended up being the ice breaker (pardon the pun). Within minutes, Lolah was doing cheers with her cone to Simon and Leevi's cones. It became a family party right there in the airport!

The drive home was again uneventful and they all crawled into bed at 12:30am. The sleep thing has been going well - Janet is probably closest to being on Canada time, with Darryn and Lolah lagging behind slightly.

The relationship between Lolah and her brothers has been very positive. She and Simon are getting along famously and enjoying playing together. This morning Simon said, "I really like having a sister". Leevi has taken his role as a big brother very seriously and is always making sure that she has what she needs. Jordan is in love with her and enjoys her VERY sweet and snuggly disposition.

All in all, things are going better than expected. Janet said to say thanks to all for their prayers and well wishes! She will post when able (hopefully by end of the day Monday.

The Blue Zoo

Well our last full day in Beijing. We are very happy to have only one more sleep until we leave. Don't get us wrong we have had a great time , but like everything there is nothing like home. I just want some homemade food.

The Blue Zoo was on the agenda for this morning. It was a great call for the kids, and hey the adults really enjoyed it also. We started off and a rough note when Darryn was fooling around with Lolah outside the Zoo(aquarium). He was pretending to throw her in the mouth of this big model shark. She is always such a card and D thought she would laugh. The poor thing was frightened and started to cry. D felt so terrible.

She stopped fairly quickly and was laughing in no time. Once inside we saw all kinds of cool fish, sharks, turtles and mermaids. The mermaids were the highlight for Lolah. There was a huge fish tank with a tunnel underneath. The mermaids jumped in and swam around. The tunnel underneath had a moving sidewalk and well as a walk path. The glass was approximately 2 inches thick. It was also magnifying. So all the fish appeared larger although the mermaids did not look bigger. Oh well it was just really cool. It was here while looking at a large tank of goldfish that Lily told us that was the fish we ate yesterday. I was grossed out because I actually tried a piece of fish yesterday. D said not to worry it is just like carp. Oh, that really helped.

We had a free afternoon to rest up for our "Last Supper". The guide agency took us out for a nice dinner. It was the best Chinese food I have had. I ate more in one meal than I think I ate the entire time in Xi'an.

Lolah was struggling to stay awake after a huge meal. She ate lots of Peking Duck and dumplings. We had walked to the restaurant so we had to walk back and D was going to have to carry her. It was a fair distance so we decided to take a rickshaw. For 10 yuan, $2.50 CAD we hopped in ready to have our first rickshaw ride. You have to picture two large North American people hopping into a cab. It looked funny and I felt bad for the driver. Well I did not feel bad for long because he started up his gas powered 3 wheeled moped.

We were off and 20 seconds later the motor stopped and he started pedalling. We had no idea why as we could not see out of the cab. I just figured it was so he could weave through traffic easily at a slower speed. A few seconds later after trying to pedal us he stopped. The door was opened and we were directed to another rickshaw by a smiling lady. Turns out he ran out of gas. I don't blame him for not wanting to pedal two large people who had just ate a huge dinner. The lady took over and we were off again. We all really enjoyed it.

Now it's off to bed for a good night sleep for the big day ahead of us. Not at all worried about the flight. I think Lolah will be fine as she will have her own tv with childrens channels. We are really hoping she sleep a good portion of the trip only because this may help with the transition. We asked Lily to prep her a bit for tomorrow. The mention of the boys only brought about a solemn, non expressive look. This could very well be because she was tired. Time will tell. We decided not to mention it again. She knows. Everthing will be as it should be. Thank goodness Hannah Sun-Reid will be there. For those who do not know her she is our chinese speaking child development worker. We appreciate you Hannah.

See you tomorrow.
D,J and L

Tiannamen Square and Forbidden City

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Had a good time today at T Square and Forbidden City. Not so interesting for Lolah but she was a good. Beautiful architecture.

We are stared at quite a bit when we are in a group. Especially the little girl who came with her parents to adopt her brother. She is so tired of being asked if they can have their picture taken with her that she just pulls her hat down. Rachel, I cannot imagine what they would do with Katie! Her blond hair and fair skin would make you some money - all she would have to do is get her picture taken.

This couple also decided to buy a book at the Forbidden City from a vendor. They were handed back some change and decided to give a 20 yuan to a beggar. The man would not take it. They could not understand why until our guide told them it was counterfeit. Smart beggar knows his stuff.

Darryn as always loves to engage with the guys and gals selling things on the streets. If they do not listen to his no thank you, he puts his arm over their shoulder and has them walk with us for a while before they figure it out. I guess that is one way to get them off your back. By the way it is illegal to sell stuff on the street, this yet it is done so much I am guessing they cannot control it. D did get a hat though, check it out.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was off to lunch and Lily had arranged for us to go to this traditional restaurant from a minority group. I did not catch where she said they lived in China but they sure have beautiful girls. We had entertainment of singing, dancing and musical instuments during our meal. Lolah loved it. Check out the concentration she had while watching them. I enjoyed a snuggle with her also during the show as you can see.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We decided to eat food we had in our room instead of going with our group to McDonalds for dinner. Loalh had a long bath and quite enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we are off to Sea World. I do not know anything about it but I think the kids will love it. Then we have dinner our our guide, actually the business that she works for. We are having a traditional chinese dinner.

Oh by the way on our way this morning Lily pointed out a food market along the street that sells dog meat. No mystery meat for me while I am here. If I cannot be 100% sure of what it is I have not eaten it.

Good night from Beijing.
D,J and L

D already has 2 suitcases packed. I think he is having a good time but is also eager to see those special boys.