Daddy's Birthday and Thanksgiving

Sorry it's been awhile since we have blogged. Daddy's been traveling and we went to the North Carolina coast with our cousins, the Lauffer's, for Thanksgiving. Attached is the birthday party that mommy, Connor and Shen had for daddy. It was perfect, especially given that daddy doesn't like counting birthdays a whole lot anymore....
Thanksgiving was truly wonderful. Shen got to meet his cousins for the first time, and he especially got to connect with Lily, their daughter, aged 7, who they adopted from China, several years ago. We played on the beach, swam in the ocean (although it was pretty chilly), toured a small town, toured the USS North Carolina Battleship (Shen and Connor REALLY loved that), and generally had some incredible fellowship on an incredible holiday. We are all so thankful for everything that God has bestowed upon us. And, we are especially thankful for all of you.
Just an FYI....we will be updating this more sporadically as time goes on. However, we have begun a Facebook account under daddy's name, so please visit us there and stay in touch.
May God Bless you and Keep you!!
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

This Past Halloween

Although we are a week late in getting this on the blog, it is still worth telling! Last week's Halloween weekend was an incredible amount of fun for our entire family. It started out with Friday night, when Connor and Shen carved their own pumpkin for the holiday festivities the next night. You can the photo of the boys in the garage and big brother showing little brother how to carve a pumpkin.
Halloween began in Algonquin on Saturday at 3:00pm. Shen was VERY excited to be Optimus Prime from Transformers. In fact, he couldn't wait to get his costume on. You can see Shen and Mommy posing on the front porch before he and daddy went trick or treating. Mommy stayed behind and had a fire pit in our driveway, handing out candy to all the halloweeners, while Connor walked with daddy and Shen a little, and then joined his buddy Armin for teeenage trick or treats :).
The boys made one serious haul of candy. In fact, we have already thrown it out, explaining to Shen that it just won't keep that long :)
Sunday, while it is supposed to be a day of rest, especially AFTER Halloween, was not for Shen. He was still so excited to be Optimus Prime that he wore it to Wal Mart so he could show off to people. Note the picture in the middle of Wal Mart! People loved seeing him dressed up and several said, Hi Optimus, or Look, there's Optimus Prime!! It was a great weekend and wonderful family time!!
We hope all of you are well!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Shen's 5th Birthday!!

What a great day! Our little man turned 5 years old today and we think he had one seriously great day! He awoke this morning, and immediately was asked, How old are you? With a huge smile, he held up all five fingers of one hand and said, "FIVE!"
We had a low-keyed party with our good friends, the Wards, and Shen shared his birthday cake with everyone. The birthday boy made out with some great presents too. He got a "Henry" and "James", for his Thomas train set, as well as the Sotor bridge. He also got a big coloring book from Grandma and Grandpa, as well as a Kindergarten learning book, a race car kit from big brother (Connor), some new clothes, and a Holloween costume of "Optimus Prime" from the Transformers. But, the real treat for Shen was Mommy's idea of a Smart Cycle. It hooks up to the TV and he can bicycle away, while learning words, coordination, etc. It's pretty cool!! In fact, he rode it for an hour-and-a-half this afternoon after receiving it.
We took Connor to his rehearsal for his big Chorus Concert tomorrow night!
All in all, a pretty incredible day, and we are just incredibly for God's unbelievable favor on us by giving us Shen. This past 13 months has been life-changing for all of us.
All our love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen (all 5 years of him)

A Great Fall Weekend

This past week has been a full one! But, over the weekend, Shen has been able to get some great playtime in during the aweseom fall activities held in our community. He got to experience two differenct activities, one a Fall Harvest Festival in Alonguin and the other a fall celebration held at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Lake. At the Church, Shen played all kinds of games but he LOVED sitting in a real fire engine. You can see how much fun he had in the pictures.
Then, we went to the Algonquin Fall Festival and, again, he played games and made a "haul" in prizes. But, the most fun that Shen had at the Fall Festival was playing on the big bounce game where he raced people, large and small, from start to finish. He didn't want to stop and, by the end of the afternoon, he was exhausted.
Summer sure went fast but Shen is now asking how long before it snows....Needless to say, mommy, daddy and Connor are not in a big rush for snow!!!!
We hope all of you are well!
God Bless,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Richardson Farm - Year 2

Recently, Connor, Shen and daddy, along with our neighbor, Colin Ward, went to the world's largest corn maze, at Richarson Farms. It is over 11 1/2 miles of corn maze. You can go back to October, 2008, to see our pictures from last year. This year was a beautiful day, with the exception that it had rained for several consecutive days. Thus, the corn field was VERY muddy. Connor even slipped once and fell, but we all had great laughs!!
We had a great time as you can see from the pictures. We spent about an hour in the muddy maze, then in the petting zoo, the slides and go carts. You can see Shen hanging on to one of the gliders and Colin is pushing Shen in the go-cart.
We hope you enjoy the pictures and we pray that all of you are well.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Final Social Worker Visit & Johnny Appleseed

We have certainly had a lot going on the last few days!! Today was a big, big day for the Groppel household. Our social worker, Amy Trotter, whom we love, did her final review of our home and Shen's progress. She gave us the great news that we are done with the adoption "process." Can I hear a big 'YIPPPEEE!" through the land??!! As we were going through this last interview, mommy and daddy actually broke down a couple of times because we were able to reflect on the past year and what it has been like with this little man in our home. It was a great experience and we are so thankful that we had Amy, our first social worker Pam Gaston (who retired during the process - it was that long - just kidding...), for Sunnyridge Family Center in Illinois and for Harrah's International Mission. Harrah's was our adoption service and they actually went out of business this past summer.
This past weekend we went to the Johnny Appleseed Festival (which we went to one year ago - you can see pictures back in the blog). I have included some pictures. Shen went pumpking bowling and got a strike, then received a little pumpkin for his achievement. He petted some animals; you can see him with the sheep. He rode the tractor barrel train and he also rode his first horse. I'm not sure there is a future cowboy but he did seem pretty comfortable for his first time in the saddle.
We hope and pray that all of you are well.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Mommy, Connor and Shen - One Year Anniversary

Hello Friends! Today is a big day for our household! It was one year ago today at 5:30 in the afternoon that Shan and daddy pulled into the driveway on their trip from China. It was at that moment when Shen met his FOREVER mommy and big brother.
The past year has gone really fast; so fast in fact that it's hard to imagine Shen has been with us for a whole year. He is just such a big part of our family and it feels like he has always been with us. Without doubt, God created this relationship within our family. Wa feel truly blessed and are honored to share this moment with all of you!
God Bless You!
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Gotcha Day - ONE YEAR ANNIVEERSARY

None of us will EVER forget September 8, 2008!! That was the day that God Blessed our family with Shen! If you have an inkling, go back to those two weeks. Start with September 5, the day that Jack left Jodie and Connor at 5:30 AM, and went to Guanzhou, China, via Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Gotcha Day was the afternoon of September 8, a day that Jack will NEVER forget. The next 10 days were almost a blur; they went so fast. The next VERY important day was September 18, when about 5:30 in the afternoon in Algonquin, Illinois, that Shen met his forever family in total. Daddy and his new little 3-year-old had flown from Guanzhou to Tokyo on a 5 hour flight, had a 5 hour layover in Tokyo, and then a 12-hour flight from Tokyo to Chicago. Customs could have been a nightmare, but American Airlines came to the rescue and helped expedite his Vias processing. In any case, Shen had Mommy, Daddy and Connor all together. He had spoken to them twice each day, but this was REAL contact!
I think the best words come in pictures so I am attaching two pictures that sort of speak for themselves of Shen's growth (and LOVE of life) over the past year. The first is one of Shen and his big brother Connor on our vacation, laying on the bed, just sort of connecting. The other is of the "big ham" himself, with daddy's sunglasses on. Enjoy!!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Labor Day Weekend

This was an absolutley beautiful weekend here in the Chicago area. Shen enjoyed Labor Day weekend but our goal was to take care of mom. Jodie had surgery on Friday and came home from the hospital on Sunday, so Shen and dad got to take care of mom the past few days. Mommy is recovering well and Shen got to have some great fun with some of his friends. On Friday, Danya Dirks took care of Shen with pre-school and took him to their house for the rest of the day where he played all day long with various relatives and friends of the Dirks'. Then, on Saturday, our neighbors, the Wards, took Shen to a farm not too far away and they all picked apples, raspberries, and got to spend time in the animal farm and the Merry-Go-Round. Mommy is still on the mend so we plan to continue taking care of her over the next few weeks.
We hope and pray that all of you had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

First Day of School

It is REALLY hard to imagine that almost one year ago, we left to get Shen. He knew not a word of English, hated the moment he was put into Jack's arms, and was literally foreign to anything about American culture. And, here it is, he starts his first day of school.
There is great news to share. Because his is a special needs child, Shen was tested for special education. Not surprising to his very proud parents, Shen passed all five areas of special education testing. So, he does not require any true special education classes. He does, however, qualify for "at risk" education to get him started in a classroom. This means that, since he has only been in the U.S. for less that a year, the teachers want to slowly introduce him to the structure of classess, how learning will take place, as well as the socialization required to work with other students. In other words, it's ALL good!
I am attaching some pictures to show his first day. You can see him waving good-bye. He was so excited to get on the school bus and wear his 'Thomas the Train' backpack. We think it made him feel like his big brother, Connor, because when he got home from school, he laid his backpack right next to Connor's at the front door. You can see the school bus taking off and then him arriving back at our house. His bus driver, Roxanne (Joseph picks him up) is helping off the bus.
He truly loves school and seems to be a really happy little boy!! We are so proud of him.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Weekend in Downtown Chicago

Last weekend, we had a visit from our first cousins, Tim and Heather Ryan, and their two little children, Henry and Gracie. We had a wonderful weekend, and Shen really enjoyed meeting his little cousins.
We picked them up at the airport on Friday and went to the Shedd Aquarium for the afternoon. Then, on Saturday, we went to the Lego Store (Connor and Shen LOVED the Lego store) and got some fun lego "stuff." And, then it was off to Navy Pier for lunch and short afternoon on the Ferris Wheel and watching some of the entertainment. Combine all that with a little swimming at the hotel, dinner Saturday night at the Cheesecake Factory, and watching the Navy Pier Fireworks from our hotel room, it was an INCREDIBLE weekend. In fact, Shen has said many times this past week, "I miss Chicago!"
Here are some pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Some Vacation Pictures

Well, the family is still in recovery mode from our vacation. You know the routine...we have to recover from all the fun we had on vacation. However, it's all good. Jodie's sunburn is totally healed, Connor is on vacation this week with his dad in Wisconsin, Jack is back to traveling quite a bit, and Shen is having fun playing with Armin next door and has gotten very attached to the television show, Transformers. It is so funny to hear him mimic the TV characters.
I am attaching some pictures of Shen (and some of his new friends) from our vacation at Beaches. You will see Shen learning from GROVER at Camp Sesame, then helping ERNIE find all his rubber duckies, and finally getting a hug from ELMO. It was an awesome trip and we have already discussed that it would be go back again sometime soon. I'll send more pictures from the vacation on the next blog.
Enjoy the photos!!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Returning from Vacation

We arrived yesterday from our week vacation at Beaches! It was truly incredible. Jodie felt it was the best vacation she had ever had, Connor loved the snorkeling and parasailing, Shen was amazed by all the Sesame Street characters, and Jack had a wonderful time just being with family!!
We will post some pictures from the vacation over the next few weeks (as we get them downloaded from the new camera). In the meantime, we thought you would like to see the two boys leading the two adults through the Miami airport on our layover. You will note that they are oblivious to anyone behind them; they are just on the move!
The other picture we just loved....where Shen "seems" to be reading the emergency information from the seat pocket in front of him.
We will blog soon with more of the vacation and more pictures!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

A U.S. Passport

Well, this has been one COOL week. As our family prepares for a much-needed vacation, we just received notice that Shen now has a U.S. Passport!!! Woo-hoo!!!
This has truly been a process that we have found incredible...From all the paperwork in getting the adoption process started (begun in late 2005), to getting our log-in date in September, 2006, to painting the room pink (thinking God had planned a girl for us), to deciding in April/May, 2008, to look at children identified as special needs (we should have been the ones with special needs), to writing a letter of intent on May 20, 2008 that we wanted Shen, to getting a call on our vacation in San Antonio during the last week of July that we had our travel authorization, to getting him on September 8, 2008, and then going through all the paperwork for the Re-Adopt process in the state judicial system, to now having a U.S. Passport. WOW!!
It has been a labor of love the entire time, and it is a privilege to share our journey with Shen, with you!
Here is a picture of little man trying to use chopsticks at our favorite sushi restaurant. Enjoy!!
We will blog again sometime late next week!
Love to you all,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Mid July

Hello everyone,
All continues to move forward in Shen's life and our life with Shen. Jodie has been actively involved with his future school and teachers to ensure a good and positive transition from being at home all the time with us, to a life of school and learning. Jodie and I believe he will transition well but she is doing a great job of communicating with the educators and experts in special needs children.
Connor got back from scout camp last week and has been connecting with his buddies and with Shen. In Jodie's words, the boys are doing great.
Jack is in a pretty tough season of travel right now; 19,000 miles in 2 weeks and not leaving the U.S.
Everyone is VERY excited about vacation this year and we will continue to blog as we continue through the summer.
Love to you all,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Fourth of July

What a week this has been! Connor is off to scout camp, Shen saw his first fireworks in America, he went on his first bike ride (sort of), and stayed with someone else other than mommy or daddy for the first time (without getting upset)! Whew!!
Sunday school has become a real pleasure for the little man. Whereas a few months ago, he would cry like crazy when we left him in class to go to the main service, now he doesn't want to leave when we come to get him. Thank you God!! The second picture shows him playing in the sunday school classroom and he had just said to daddy that he was OK and didn't want to leave.
And, then the fourth of July, fireworks. Coming from China, we were warned in writing that he did not like loud noises, especially firworks and thunder. Well, last night, he was all over looking at the fireworks and the spectacle all around us in our neighborhood. He really seemed to enjoy the sounds and the light display.
And, then we went on our first bike ride. We got a little trailer (Note the Picture) to follow our bike and we went to Jamba Juice a couple of times over the fourth holiday. Shen really likes the Wild Strawberries at Jamba Juice.
It has been a great July 4th holiday and we just ask that God blesses all of you on this holiday weekend to celebrate our freedom!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Shen's First Babysitter

The last week of June saw Shen have his first babysitter....his big brother! Connor was awesome in how he handled Shen and Shen was great in how he listened and behaved with Connor. The event was the mommy and daddy were going to an appointment and children wouldn't have been appropriate, focus and all.
The first picture you see is when Jodie and I returned from the appointment, and you can see how happy the two of them were. It was as if we didn't leave and it seemed that Shen didn't miss us at all....Praise God on that!!
The second picture is just before we left for the appointment. It's obvious that Shen is really happy to be with his big brother and isn't too worried about mommy and daddy being gone. Remember, this was the FIRST time that Shen had not been with one of us (other than Sunday School) since September 8 of last year!!!
The third picture is the two boys sharing a couple of slices of pizza..isn't that what boys do?
All in all, a very exciting time for Shen and Connor, AND for Jodie and I to feel that Shen is developing so that he can be comfortable with Connor (and hopefully other trusted people).
We hope all of you are well! God Bless!
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Father's Day

This past Sunday was our family's first Father's Day with Shen. We have had wonderful Father's Day celebrations in the past with Connor but this was obviously our first with Shen. The weekend started out very bumpy with Shen being very sick all night Thursday and all night Friday, with mommy catching the bug all day on Saturday. By Saturday afternoon, Shen was feeling better, so he and daddy went to the pool for a little while to get outside. On the way home, he wanted ice cream so we got a small cone and, you can see from the picture, that he wore a little of it as we stood outside. On Sunday, Shen and daddy went to a movie, Night at the Museum 2which Shen really enjoyed. Even though he couldn't understand the historical nature of the humor, he loved the animation and the special effects.
On Monday eveing, Connor was with us and we had a little Father's Day celebration. Mom and the boys got dad a Wii-Fit playstation and a gift set of massages. Hmmmm..I wonder if there is a message being sent??? You can see the picture of dad and the two boys with this post.
We have a great week with Connor being home from school. In fact, today, Jodie and Shen watched a DVD together (Madagascar) and Connor went to see the movie UP with his buddies from next door.
We pray that all of you are well.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Mid-June and Summer Approaching

With late Spring on its way out and summer approaching, Shen wants to be outside more and more. He LOVES our neighbor's sport court and playing in the yard. His favorite activity is riding his tricycle on the sport court while all is little friends try to roll balls at the tricycle (softly of course). He LOVES trying to outrun the balls as they approach. And, he's pretty good at it!
Last night, Shen and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant (Kaminari) for take-out. He had Janpanese soda and received a sliced apple that he "attacked" with chopsticks. You can see from the photo that he definitely has a knack for eating that way.
All is well on our end! We pray that all is well for you and that you are enjoying this wonderful time of year with outside activities and friends.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Near the End of Spring

Hi Everyone,
Sorry we haven't blogged in awhile, but it has been a difficult season for the Groppel household. I don't really want to bore you with details but, for the record, travel has been pretty hectic over the past couple of months. My partner, Jim, has had to have some urgent (but not life threatening) surgery. So, it's been very busy at our company with a lot of training which puts me on the road a lot. Jodie, Connor and Shen are hanging in there but it will be nice when we get a breather again.
Shen seems to be enjoying the late Spring weather, with the exception of a lot of rain. He doesn't like it when he can't go outside and play on the swingset or on our neighbor's sport court. However, he has been a trooper to go watch his big brother play Little League Baseball. Attached with this post is a photo of the little man with big brother at one of his games. Connor was preparing to bat and came out of the dugout to say HI to Shen. Shen asked, "What's that?" as he pointed to Connor's helmet. Connor put the helmet on Shen and I HAD to take the attached photo.
We hope you are enjoying the end of Spring as we approach Summer. I'll try to post a little sooner next time.
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

First Memorial Day

Today Shen got to experience his first Memorial Day holiday. We began in great form by going to the Memorial Day Parade in Algonquin where he got to see big brother, Connor, march in the Parade with his Boy Scout troop!
You can see the little man in the first picture as he is watching the police car go by with all the lights on. In the background you can see some of the military veterans approaching him and one of them walked right over to him and gave him a small American flag. This was really touching for me, watching this little boy who hasn't even been in the country for a year, but who will one day in the next year or so be a U.S. Citizen. Amazing to see him holding an American flag in the next picture as he 'Poses' (yes is he is quite the actor with his expressions, etc.) with Connor. Connor is in full uniform and you can see his First Class Rank just shining at you.
The rest of the day was pretty low-keyed but it was an awesome day as we truly commemorate the brave men and women who have defended our freedom!!
May God continue to watch over all of you!
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

1st Anniversary of LETTER OF INTENT DAY

It was May 20, 2008, when we saw a picture of a little boy (3 years old), who was living in China and looking for a permanent family and home. It was one year ago today that Jodie and I wrote a Letter of Intent to the country of China requesting to adopt this little guy. And, thus, we were introduced to Shen!!!
This year has gone so fast and there will be many more "anniversaries" to mark this journey! I am in Winnipeg, Cannada, today and just called Jodie to congratulate her on our "LOA" anniversary day.
To commemorate our day, I am attaching some picutures that have happened over the last week. The first picture is typical of how Shen has adapted over the past several months. He is in our yard, playing on our swingset but playing with neighbor children from two families near us. He is sitting on Peg's lap as they swing together. The next is of Shen trying on some sporting equipment at a local sporting goods store. He has really gotten into watching Connor play baseball and loves to throw and catch.
The third picture is more for Shen to know about as he gets older. Last week, I visited Guatemala for a speaking engagement and, as many of you know, I lived there for several months in 1969 as a Summer exchange student. On this last trip I was able to visit my Guatemalan mother and brother in the picture (the person on the right is Miguel Fernandez, a friend and the sponsor of my recent trip).
What an incredible year and we thank God for His Grace, His Love, and His Compassion!!
We wish you all well!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Shen's First Mother's Day

First, know that mom (Jodie) had a great Mother's Day!! Her boys got her roses, and a few other little items as they really showed their love to their mom! Since it was Shen's first Mother's Day with Jodie, it was interesting to see him throughout the day. He really seemed to understand that this was mommy's day and that we wanted her to feel special (knowing that we always want mommy to feel special!).
The boys went out for a little while on Saturday with Shen's new t-ball set. It's just a little plastic contraption that breaks every time you hit it. But, Shen loves baseball after seeing big brother play organized little league in a real uniform. He yells for Connor every time he goes up to bat!! So, in one picture with this blog, you can see Connor teaching Shen how to swing the baseball bat to hit the ball off the tee. Shen really did pretty well with it!
The second picture is mom with her two boys in front of the cards, little presents and the roses. Don't they look FANTASTIC!! (Sorry, proud husband and dad!).
It was a beautiful day in Algonquin and it was a special Mother's Day!!!
Our love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen

Warm Spring Days

Well, we think the absolute worst of Winter is over. Now that it has started getting warmer, Shen will often say that he likes the cold weather more. However, when we go outside, he sure likes playing outside with no extra coat, etc. He really likes playing catch and riding his little tricycle.
Just to give you an idea of some "new" activities and things he is getting introduced to, you can see the two pictures with this post. In one picture, he is having an ice cream cone, but since he doesn't eat too quickly the melting of ice cream waits for no one, mommy fixed it with a paper plate surrounding it so he could eat in pleasure and comfort without worrying about making a mess. Of course, he is eating the ice cream cone outside in the case that he "does" get a little messy.
The other picture could have some great captions with it. We went to one of Connor's little league baseball games. Connor plays for the Algonquin Cubs and, on this day, they were playing the Algonquin Yankees. Once when Connor went up to bat, Shen was at the fence watching and we took this picture. So, you can see Connor in his batting stance while little brother watches through the fence. The possible caption that I like is "This is what I want to do when I get a little older!"
We hope all of you are well!
Love,
Jack, Jodie, Connor and Shen