Dragon Boats, Southern BarBQ, and an Update on Lia's Site

A dragon boat (traditional Chinese: 龍舟or 龍船; simplified Chinese: 龙舟 or 龙船; pinyin: lóngzhōu, lóngchuán) is a very long and narrow human-powered boat used in the team paddling sport or dragon boat racing which originated in China. For racing events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes. Dragon boat races are traditionally on the day of the Duanwu Festival, also known in English as the Dragon Boat Festival, making dragonboating the only sport to be celebrated as a national holiday. The Chinese calendar date is the fifth day of the fifth month, which usually corresponds to a date in June. Source: Wikipedia

Saturday, June 21st, the Athens Chapter of Families with Children from China held it's Third Annual Dragon Boat Races! And so far, I'm three for three. No, I didn't win the race all three years, but I did make it to the celebration all three years. Hmm ... racing, now that's a good idea. I think we should start making boats and letting the girls and boys race them, just like Pinewood Derby races!!! Alright dads, get out the skill saws, tool sets, and paint brushes - and no cheatin'!

God has blessed us with a wonderful group of friends who have also adopted children from China or are waiting their turn to experience the riches of His plan of adoption. Some have adopted children domestically as well. Each of these families represents, in its own way, a significant piece of God's plan for the salvation of His children and it is such an honor to fellowship with them and watch the children grow and mature. Through various celebrations throughout the year, we are able to share stories of accomplishments and minister to each other in our times of need. Not to mention getting to spend time with the children. Oh, and eat. Too much of that I'm afraid!

OK, so maybe our little girls and boys won't be all that interested in racing boats, but I'm guessing it would be great fun for the parents. Pushing, shoving, elbows, you know, all that competitive stuff we parents are good at! Of course, our boats would be small. We wouldn't ride in them, just push them. Oh wait, we could get one of those little wind up toys and yank out the motor and attach a propeller. Wow, this is gonna be fun! Maybe we could go online and find some kits for building these things. Wouldn't that be cool? We could have prizes for the fastest, slowest, coolest, etc... Oh boy, I'm startin' on mine right away. Austin could paint it up real neat for me. But it'll be Lily and Lia's boat, Austin and I will just 'help' out making it. We won't have any silly weight limits or rules either, just that it fits in the stream with enough room for a few others to race. Our little Chinese dragon boat racers were more interested in the ducks and turtles than the oars and propellers. They would rather wade in the stream (boy that water is really cold) than race each other.

Of course, the highlight of our version of the Dragon Boat races is the annual splashfest in the Dragon Boat stream. The first year we participated, many of the children were dressed nicely for the Dragon Boat festival, unsuspecting mothers having put them in their cutest little outfits for the anticipated flashfest of cameras. When the boat races deteriorated into a splashing, muddy, mess, all the moms realized that nice, pretty dresses were not the best choice of attire for this day. And the flashfest turned into a splashfest. Now, just to set the record straight, I was not responsible for the muddy mess. ... Only partially so. Yes, I was in the middle of it, but Marcy and Katie made me do it. I think Marcy was first to experience the muddy bank of the small stream that year. And since I was close by, she decided that I too needed to be soaked (probably to draw attention away from her own circumstance). And from there, as they say "It's was on!"



The first year, they went easy on me. But the second year, well, let's just say that I was easily the wettest dog in the park that day. Splashing seems to be an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon, especially if it means getting someone wet who doesn't look dressed for getting wet. And when one starts, they are like a school of pirhana - vicious and splashy. And now, we have boys (Paul William and Noah) who get into the fray. Paul William kept saying "I want you in the water!" He and Austin really had a great time together. It's really heartwarming to see Austin and Paul William hanging out together and just generally enjoying each other's company. Now, the moms dress their children in old clothes and flip flops suitable for a day in the stream and by the end of the day everyone is soaking wet and exhausted from the laughter. Paul William and Lily Grace filled the downtown air with constant, unfettered laughter, each trying their best to outlaugh the other. Moms and dads watched eagerly from the bluff (a safe distance away) while little splash makers attempted to see who could get the wettest. This year, several girls added head dunking to the festivities to make sure they were wet "from head" to toe! Thanks to everyone at Athens FCC for making the day such a memorable occasion - I think the kids enjoyed it too, but you'll have to ask them to be sure. Check out the pictures from our day at the park.

Noah just decided to take a long nap in the swing - how cool is that! Gracie May and Emma enjoyed the boats, while Lily Mei, Hannah, and Brooklyn enjoyed the bubble maker toys - I guess that's what you call them. Marcy and Katie thought the park ranger, otherwise known as a box turtle, was the neatest part of the day. Tonya liked getting her picture taken. Oh, wait a minute that was Rebecca, or was that Vivian? I forget, better check the photo log. Mary Beth won the prize for being the wettest (I was not eligible). Lily Grace just liked splashing and splashing and splashing. Me, I enjoyed the kids, the stream, and , er, the food! Connie ... the conversation with other moms - they're probably talking about us dads, you just know it!





We absolutely love our Athens FCC families. Knowing each of them is a great joy and spending time with them is one of our greatest blessings. Having so much in common and knowing the joy and the trials that each of us experience in travel and raising children with a common heritage (a beautiful heritage I might add) makes it easy to love these families. BTW, Athens FCC, see you Saturday for Citizenship Day!

Just a brief update on the new web site (I can't bring myself to say "blog," it sounds funny and odd): We were very excited and humbled by the number of people who wanted to follow Lia's story. And we have been working hard to get all the email addresses into the permissions file. This is taking more time than I thought it would. Partly because when a reader's comment didn't include an email address, we went looking for it - usually at the reader's own personal web site (can't say blog) and really enjoyed the stories we found there. Somebody should put all this together into a book - it's very fascinating to read. And it is obvious that God is at work in a mighty way. One of these children will one day return to China to lead an amazing story of salvation for China's people! How cool will that be!

We need email addresses for Diane and Debra. I am sorry to single you out, but we don't have any other way of reaching you and we need your email address. We should be finished with the new web site and its permissions early next week.

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace & Lia Faith
Green, Party of 5ive