HANGING OUT AT HOME

We have been keeping busy the past couple of days.  Yesterday we planted paperwhite and amaryllis bulbs in some red pots and put them in a sunny spot in Miduk's room.  These flowers grow so quickly you can almost watch them grow before your very eyes!  It will be fun to watch their growth over the next month.  We took a long walk yesterday morning. I asked Miduk if he wanted to go on a short walk or a long walk.  He spread his arms out wide and said a LONG walk!  Sugar and I walked with Miduk for about an hour until we were just plain walked out.  He loves to drive his scooter over all the fallen acorns and hear them crunch.  We made a chocolate cake that my mother used to make when I was growing up, called a "crazy cake".  Yep, that's the name of it!  Miduk thought that was pretty crazy!  I still had some cocoa powder that I had bought the last time we were in Bali so it was fun to make the cake using Indonesian cocoa!  YUM!  Over lunch I attempted to bring up the subject of future plans for Miduk, and told him that whether his hip was healed or not, that I think God has some special plans for his life.  We don't know what they are right now, but I am just sure God will use this experience for something good for Miduk.  He became very quiet and once again had tears in his eyes so I had to quit because I was getting a huge lump in my throat!  I just don't want him to feel like he failed his family if he comes back home in the same physical condition as when he left.  No doubt he will not be the same child as he was when he left!  He has seen so much and experienced so much already, and life will not be the same for him.  It's important that we build his confidence and work on his self-esteem in the meantime.  And give him hope for his future.

Took Miduk to the library for the first time.  He didn't know what a library was.  We picked a few Dr. Suess books to start with (Green Eggs and Ham), and he actually did pretty well sounding out the words and reading them!  I was impressed!  He ended up checking out a few beginning reader books about soccer.  Then we stopped at a Christmas tree lot so he could smell a live Christmas tree since ours is artificial.  :)

Miduk ate some microwave popcorn tonight and pronounced it good!

Today was trash pick-up day in our neighborhood.  A neighbor had set a television out on the curb(one of those big old ones) and as we walked past it, he kept turning and staring at it.  Can't you just imagine what he was thinking?  That we put TV sets out with the trash?  I felt compelled to tell him that it was probably broken.  I bet he thinks Americans are so spoiled...

Kept up the weekly ritual of stopping at the donut shop before bible study-sausage rolls for Miduk, and donuts for me!  I sent out an email to my bible study group last night asking if anyone had any DVD's we could borrow for Miduk to watch while he is here.  After we got to church and sat down in our classroom, the DVD's began to pile up!  My friends brought so many movies and sat the bags down right at his feet.  He was so happy and smiling, and then the movies kept coming and I think he was overwhelmed because he held his head in his hands again and looked like he might cry!  Happy tears!  We brought home almost 50 DVD's, no kidding!  That will help to keep him entertained when it's cold outside and he has to stay indoors!!!  Thank you to all my wonderful friends!  I must say, he spent a lot of time in front of the TV today!  :)  In bible study we talked about hope, and I used the translator on my phone to ask Miduk "what do you hope for?" and his reply:  "I wish I could squat".  I wish he could too.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Okay so I sure didn't mean to be such a "Debbie Downer" in reporting on our day at Scottish Rite.  While the outcome wasn't what we were hoping for, that doesn't mean we are giving up hope!  It just might be that helping Miduk will mean helping him in other ways.  Maybe not healing his hip in the way that we had hoped, but helping him in his transition back to Indonesia by providing some other opportunities for him.  I have to admit, I have been dreaming about him returning home to his family, WALKING into his village and into his home without crutches and a completely healed hip.  Linley and I spoke last night and she has some ideas for apprenticeships for Miduk so that he can work and earn some money and help his family.  That is what is expected in his culture.  If you do not work then you are a burden to the family.  And it looks like farming won't be a good possibility for Miduk, whether he has the hip fusion surgery or not.  Linley has some contacts who might be willing to teach Miduk a trade such as being a tailor.  Another idea is for him to become an apprentice at the shop where leg braces and other prosthetics are made.  That might be a good option for him!  Linley keeps up with all the children she helps, and continues to look after them long after the physical healing takes place. :)

MIDUK FAMILY PHOTOS

Uncle, Uncle, Paternal Grandmother, Maternal Grandmother, Miduk, Aunt, Mom, sister Loisa

Brother Mondo, Brother Elendra, dad Sindon, Miduk, Mom Elisabeth, Sister Loisa, brother Besli

Paternal Grandmother

Linley visiting the school in Medan

These photos were all taken when Linley and Bryan went to Miduk's village (Aek Popo) to pick up Miduk and have the parents sign the guardianship papers.  The extended family were all present as Linley explained the documents page by page and explained Miduk's living situation with us.  I just got these photos today.  Miduk has another brother Janwar who is not in the picture, as he lives away from home.  The brothers are age 25, 23, 22, 21 and Miduk is 16 and Loisa is 10.  Miduk tells me he doesn't know how old is parents are.
I believe the paternal grandmother lives with them but not the maternal grandmother.  Miduk spends his days with his maternal grandmother selling crackers and drinks while sister goes to school, Besli works in a "coffee shop", and his parents and other brothers are farmhands.  At least that's my understanding.....

FOUND SOME MORE THANKSGIVING PHOTOS

Miduk with Shelby's parents, Handy and Marlene

GOOD LIFE BY ONE REPUBLIC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45wJ

This is the song that Miduk and I like.  Great whistling song!  :)

A VERY LONG DAY AT SCOTTISH RITE

Taking an impression to make Miduk a body cast

Miduk with Kartika

Well let's start at the beginning of a very long day!  Our day started with Miduk singing "Hakuna Matata" from Lion King as we walked Sugar this morning.  We purchased a pirated copy of Lion King in Bali while we were living overseas. (shame on us!) Unfortunately, the problem with pirated DVD's is that sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  Our copy cuts out about halfway thru, but not until after Miduk heard the Hakuna Matata song and became obsessed. Hakuna Matata! No worries!  (Of all the Disney movies I watched with my kids when they were young, Lion King was definitely mine and Shelby's favorite!) It was freezing outside this morning (29 degrees!) but the sun was shining and we had a great walk.  Miduk got off his scooter and touched the frost on the grass of a neighbors yard and said, "What this, Mom?" So I got to try to explain "frost" to him, something he will never have to deal with in Indonesia!  :)  We saw a ton of ducks on the pond and he liked that.  Then we saw a bunch of those crabapples on the ground, at least that's what I call them.  Those bumpy-looking bright lime green things about the size of a huge softball?  He picked one up, smelled it, and then proceeded to smash it onto the ground and smelled it again.  Have you ever smelled a crabapple?  Well now I can say that I have.  And they smell pretty good too!  When we got home I showed him a kaleidoscope toy that I had stuck away in a drawer.  Remember those from your childhood?  You look into one end and rotate the other end and all the colorful crystals make different patterns?  Miduk thought that was pretty neat.   Talk about sensory overload!  New sights, smells, sounds, tastes - even touching the frost - I couldn't help but thinking about my first few months living in Singapore when I would just get completely overwhelmed by everything-the noise of the city, the unfamiliar (and unpleasant) smells, the different languages being spoken all around me and just wanting something familiar (like barbecue!).  It's culture shock alright.  I think Miduk has handled it all very very well.  Rather than retreating to his room (which is what I sometimes did for some peace and quiet), he is eager to experience things and seems to take it all in stride.  He has added Frosted Flakes to his list of likes and candy canes made the dislike list.  He's not too crazy about peppermint.  Maybe I will get some of the fruity flavored ones...

We went out for a quick lunch at Culver's before heading to Scottish Rite for our follow-up appointment.  He chose a cheeseburger and fries (he is eating cheese!).  We talked about McDonalds and he said he has only been twice with Linley in Medan and Jakarta, but no one else in his family has ever been to a McDonalds restaurant.  (I don't think they are missing much do you?)  I asked Miduk what is his favorite food in America so far and he said waffles! haha  followed by sausage and then ice cream.  I then asked what is his favorite food in Indonesia and he said "rice and pig".  :)

Today the purpose of our visit at Scottish Rite was to meet with two of the orthopedic doctors and discuss their proposed treatment plans for Miduk.  Usually the hospital provides interpreters but unfortunately they weren't able to secure one for today's visit. We knew this ahead of time so I was able to call Ronny, one of the local Indonesian men who called us right after Miduk arrived.  Ronny was able to put us in touch with a friend of his who agreed to meet us at the hospital today to translate for Miduk.  Her name is Kartika and she was absolutely wonderful.  I could sense that Miduk liked her and so did I.  Kartika and her husband moved to the Dallas area in 1999 from Surabaya on the island of Java in Indonesia so that he could get his MBA at UTA.  Kartika studied theology at University of Dallas.  They have a ten year old son so how perfect was that!  She communicated easily with Miduk and it was really neat to sit back and watch Miduk talk with her.  We had a long (ok really very long) wait today so we had plenty of time to ask Kartika to ask Miduk some questions.  She told us that he is very happy here and I was happy to hear that!  Miduk weighed in today at 80 pounds and I was just beaming!  Why is it that we mothers love it so much when our kids eat?  Our first appointment today was with Dr. Sucato, followed by an appointment with Dr. Birch.  And a handful of other doctors as well.  The exam room was full!  It is a teaching hospital after all.  With Kartika explaining everything to Miduk, Dr. Sucato explained that based on the results of the x-rays and ct scans done last time, that Miduk's bone age is roughly that of a 14 year old, and his growth plates are still open.  That's good news.  We were told that he could expect maybe two more years of growth.  Miduk's family are all small people so it is doubtful that he will grow a whole lot. The not so good news is that there are very few options to repair Miduk's hip.  We were told that the doctors there were in agreement that the only option for Miduk at this time is a surgery called hip fusion.  Basically they take the ball and put it back in the hip socket and then it is held in place with screws. The other option is to do nothing.  There are pros and cons to hip fusion surgery.  Because the hip is held in place permanently with the screws, he would have no hip rotation on that side. They would determine the angle at which to permanently attach the ball to the socket. This means he would be comfortable standing or lying down, but not sitting.  He would not be able to sit down in a chair (or anywhere) comfortably.He would be able to walk, but not "normally".  It is possible that he could run.  He would not have to use a crutch. The downside is that he would not be able to squat.  This could possibly prevent him from working as a farmer like the rest of his family.  It would also mean he could not squat to go to the bathroom.  In the U.S., we would use a special raised toilet in that situation.  But in his particular situation, toilets are not used and it is necessary that he be able to squat.  There are so very many things to consider!  Ultimately we want Miduk's hip to be healed, but in the process of trying to repair his hip we don't want to cause him more problems down the road.  At the present time he is not in very much pain, and he can get around pretty easily with the crutch.  Our concern is that after the hip fusion surgery, it is expected that over time he will experience pain in his knees and lower back.  The doctors said that most of the patients who elect to have hip fusion surgery are patients who cannot walk at all and are in so much pain they are on narcotics and this is their only chance to relieve the pain.  They also said that these same patients usually return in a few years and ask the doctors to do a hip replacement so that they have some hip mobility instead of a fused hip.  A hip replacement only lasts a certain amount of years (maybe 10 if I remember correctly) and then needs to be repeated.  Unfortunately this is not an option for Miduk.  This is his only chance for surgery. One chance.  So if hip fusion surgery leaves him with chronic pain in the future, we haven't helped him.  It might be great for a few years, but we have to look at it long-term.  He is only 16 years old and would outlive a hip replacement.  Then what?  So the question becomes, is the trade off worth it?  Shelby and I went into this telling ourselves that we would make the best decision for Miduk just like we would for our children. We are his legal guardians and will ultimately decide which route to take.  But the reality is, Miduk will return to Indonesia and to a future that is far different from what it would be in the U.S.  If it were Wes or Kasey, we could take a chance on surgery and then do it again later if necessary.  Unfortunately Miduk does not have that opportunity.  It was really heartbreaking to watch Miduk as he processed all this information. To realize that if he had been treated immediately after the injury occured, that it most likely could have been fixed.  The doctors asked if he had any questions, and he wanted to know if he had the surgery, would he be able to kick a soccer ball with that leg?  He would be able to bend the knee and kick , but not swing his leg from the hip and not swing it side to side. Bummer!  He wanted to know if he could still ride a bike after hip fusion surgery?  He says he loves to ride his bike at home (except that it is currently broken).  The answer was no bike riding and I don't think I will ever forget the look on his face.  At that point he buried his head in his hands and I lost it.  Seriously. This is a lot for a young boy to handle.  The doctors were extremely patient and gentle with Miduk, they told him there is a lot to think about and they want him to give it some thought.  They even offered to make him a "body cast" of sorts, something that would simulate how it would feel if he had the hip fusion done.  It would be custom made and fit around his torso and extend below his hip, and another piece to go from his hip to just above his knee.  This way he could feel just how limiting it would be.  At least he wouldn't return to his village with regrets over not having tried it out.  So, going on 5:00pm at this point, we headed to the guy who makes the casts.  He put a thin "sleeve" over Miduk's torso and hip/leg, and proceeded to wrap it and then cut it off.  It will take him about 3 weeks to make it, and he also is going to make an orthotic for his shoe just to further simulate how it might be after the surgery.  The plan is that Miduk will wear these casts all day long and see how it goes.  At this point we were all starving and Miduk was exhausted and slap happy, flexing his muscles and laughing at himself in the mirror.  :) 

  I asked Kartika to explain to Miduk that even if he does not have the surgery, that we are not going to put him on the next plane back home! I assured him that we want him to stay and have Christmas with us, and hopefully see some snow and enjoy the U.S. a little longer. I almost think he would say yes to the surgery just so he could stay here longer.  I also fear that he might be inclined to do the surgery because he said his parents told him to "come here and get well".  Miduk is a smart kid, and I think he understands everything.  It was most definitely helpful to have Kartika there translating everything for him in Bahasa.  She was amazing, and we couldn't have done it without her! I am so grateful that she was willing to spend her day at Scottish Rite!  Even though her mother is in town visiting from Indonesia!!!   We agreed to stay in touch.  :)

Stopped at IHOP on the way home to try and lift his spirits(waffles and sausage!).  He watched "Elf" again with Kasey and Zach and was laughing his head off!  We talked a little more when I went in to tell him goodnight, and agreed to pray about it and not worry and let God take care of everything.  Hakuna Matata!  No  worries!

And let me just apologize to all of you who called today to get an update and I wasn't able to take your call.  I just want to thank you all for your support and for your prayers for Miduk.  I really do appreciate it!

BUSY WEEKEND!

Snuggling with Sugar on the sofa



This weekend was pretty much spent putting up more Christmas decorations.  Miduk helped me set up my snowmen collection and enjoyed making it "snow" over the tops of the snowmen!  He especially liked a snowglobe that plays "Let it Snow" so I let him put it in his room and now he is whistling that tune. Constantly! :)  haha  We also got a stocking for him and hung it on the mantel.  I just wonder what he is thinking about the way in which we celebrate Christmas in America with all the decorating and food and shopping, etc.  I'm sure it's overwhelming to him.  Okay and we did NOT take him shopping on Black Friday!!! As a matter of fact I haven't taken him shopping at all, I almost hate to expose him to all the materialistic western ways.  But I do want him to know the joy of GIVING, and have decided that soon I will take him to shop for small gifts for Dad, Wes, and Kasey.  And his best buddy Sugar!  Today Shelby and Miduk took Sugar to Petsmart just to walk around.  Miduk thought it was funny when Sugar sniffed all the dog snacks and also when she pounced on the gerbil cages.  Then they took her to a field and just let her run.  It was cold outside!  You would think that Miduk would find the temperatures to be especially cold, but he seems to enjoy the cold weather!  I have to make him put on socks and shoes, otherwise he likes to go barefoot all the time.  :)  We rented a Transformer movie for him this weekend, and he loves Transformers!!!  This morning he went to church (it was the first day of Advent) and he also went to Sunday School with Kasey.  Had his first corndog from Sonic (make that two corndogs and tater tots) and also chowed down on pot roast and vegies tonight.  He is always very interested in what's cooking, and asks me "Mom, WHAT IS?"  He has also memorized my cell phone number for the most part.  And his crutch was finally delivered to our house this weekend!  He was happy to see it, but set it aside and prefers to use only one crutch.  I feel like I am constantly asking him if he is in any pain or if his hip hurts, and he always tells me no.  He gets around quite easily with the crutch!  I am told that he pretty much laid in bed for 4 years after his injury, then carved himself a stick and hopped around using his stick.  Last February Linley took him his first pair of crutches and that made a huge difference for him, being able to get around so much easier and his parents were thrilled.  A pair of crutches!  Wow, how many other kids might be in a similar position, needing a pair of crutches to walk?  Linley sees so so so many children in Indonesia who have a wide variety of medical problems.  Some are easy to treat and some are not.  But don't all children deserve a chance?  Whether they are from Texas, or Oklahoma, or Indonesia, or Africa - it really doesn't matter because each of them is a child of God. We need to remember that. Why help a child from Indonesia when there are plenty of people in the U.S. needing help also?  My answer would have to be, WHY NOT? 

HOME SWEET HOME!

This morning Kasey had us all up by 6:30am to head back to Flower Mound, as she was eager to get back and see her friend Christian who is home from USC for a few days.  She even had Miduk up and packed and ready to go!  Kinda funny since we have been dragging her out of bed at noon the past few days...  On the way home today, Kasey let Miduk listen to her Ipod and he was thrilled beyond words. He sang out loud and was really jamming in the backseat and giving Kasey high fives.  He also gasped when we passed a longhorn in a field! Time flies when you're having fun :)  After we got home and unpacked, I taught Miduk how to shuffle cards and we tried to build a card house.  Yesterday in Tulsa we taught him how to play UNO.  He went to the grocery store with Shelby and pointed out all the produce that they have in Indonesia.  Shelby said he was pretty wide-eyed just looking at everything.  This was his first trip to a grocery store, other than when we went to Sam's Club.  Later on I began dragging all the Christmas boxes out of the attic, and he helped me set up our nativity scene and decorate a small tree.  We also have a collection of "Santas around the World" from places we have traveled to, and he was pretty interested in looking at all of them.   Tonight Shelby grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce, asparagus, and steamed rice.  I am getting used to having the rice cooker on my kitchen counter on a daily basis :)  Miduk easily ate twice as much as I did for dinner tonight, and still had room for ice cream!  Can't wait for his next weigh-in!

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

I took this photo at the zoo to show Miduk what a turkey is and what we would be eating on Thanksgiving Day.  When he sees it he says "Gobble Gobble!"

Playing at Aunt Sue's while Shelby and Uncle Brent fry turkeys

(Shelby is taking the photo).  We enjoyed being together with family today and counting our blessings. Aunt Katy and Colton joined us for lunch.  My side of the family joined us later on for dessert, and Miduk met Grandma and Grandad, Aunt Teresa and Julie, and cousin Alex.

Fat and Happy after lunch :)  And the Dallas Cowboys won tonight! Another reason to be grateful!

In the backyard with Meme and Papaw

Waychoff Family Thanksgiving

Miduk's favorite dessert was the french silk pie.  He liked the turkey and noodles too!  I asked Miduk what his favorite part of Thanksgiving was and he said "the food and playing with Ben and Jake"!  :)

We are so thankful for our friends and our family, and the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving Day with them.  This year we are especially thankful for the blessing of Miduk in our lives.  He has brought us together, brought us much joy and laughter, and we are blessed to be able to share things with him and experience new things through his eyes.  It sure has made me realize how much we take for granted in our privileged lives.  I enjoyed a hot shower this morning, drove my car across town to my sister's house, had warm clothes to wear, didn't worry about where my next meal was coming from, had the luxury of a stove/oven/microwave and didn't have to cook over a wood fire, my family and I are all healthy, I am writing on a laptop computer and used my cell phone and camera today, and in a moment I will probably eat another slice of pie and crawl into a warm bed.  How lucky am I?  Rather, how BLESSED am I!  I didn't do a thing to deserve any of this.  It's only by the grace of God that I am so fortunate while so many others are not.  And I want Miduk to experience that feeling too, and to be able to share it with his family someday. 

DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING

Miduk and Kasey got the job of grinding the cranberries and apples and oranges for cranberry salad while Wes and cousin Tanner cleaned out the gutters and raked leaves at Meme and Papaw's.  It was a beautiful day!

Miduk making his Indomei noodles for lunch today (I guess he's tired of coneys!  Is that even possible?)

Playing with a 6-week old dachsund puppy at the nursing home where Aunt Betty lives.  Miduk really loves animals!

Aunt Betty is Meme's sister.  Meme decorated her room with Christmas decorations today!

Strolling the halls of the nursing home looking for some excitement

Back to Aunt Susan's house this afternoon for more trampoline fun

Ben, Miduk and Jake

At the nursing home with Aunt Betty (that's cousin Tanner on the left!)

Tonight Shelby's dad took all the kids to the TU womens basketball game.

Miduk's interest lasted about 5 minutes.  He wanted to get home and play with his Legos!

He also went to coffee this morning with Shelby and Papaw and met some of Papaw's friends

Today Miduk had some honeybaked ham and loved it.  He simply calls it "pig".  He also had an Arby's roast beef sandwich this afternoon and that was a hit also. Actually there's not too many things he doesn't like, and he is willing to try just about anything.  If he doesn't like something he spits it out in the sink, gets a drink of water, and says "Sorry Mom!"  He has been humming "Joy to the World" but sings "Joyful the Lord".  We need to work on those Christmas lyrics, haha! 

FUN IN TULSA OKLAHOMA!!!

On Tuesday we headed to LaFortune Park in an attempt to take some family photos for our Christmas Card. Sugar was clearly more interested in the squirrels! Let me just say that we took lots of photos, but unfortunately I can only post the horizontal ones, as I am still having trouble turning the vertical ones!  Even Shelby's sister Kelly, who is the smartest person I know, is stumped by not being able to turn the photos!  And it only seems to happen with my Nikon camera!  Guess I need to use my little point-and-shoot camera from now on.  Not that you really care, but I feel the need to explain.  I am not only computer challenged, but blog and camera challenged as well.  :)

Miduk says he has never been on a swing before!  But he seemed to know exactly what to do :)

We went to my sister Susan's house and Miduk had a lot of fun playing with my nephews Ben (9) and Jake (5).  Ben and Jake are big Lego fans, and Miduk went to work on building Legos.

 Ben and Miduk

Fishing on the pond behind Susan's house

Ben and Miduk jumping on the trampoline!  He LOVED it!

Miduk and Kasey

(wish I could turn the photo!)

At Coney Islander.  Miduk ate 3 chili cheese dogs on Monday and 3 chili dogs on Tuesday!  We're thinking he likes cheese now :)  Thinking maybe the lack of refrigeration in his house in Indonesia may be why he didn't like cheese before?

Trampoline, Legos, Coneys, watching Transformer movies, swinging at the park - LIFE IS GOOD!!!  Last night driving in the car (it was freezing outside), Miduk breathed on the inside of the car windows then drew a heart on the window and said I LOVE you Mom!  I LOVE you Dad!  I LOVE smile Kasey!!!  He loves Kasey's smile (she has dimples).  In fact, for the past two mornings in a row, he likes to watch her dry her hair and put on her makeup.  He just stands in the doorway and watches her.  When she is finished, he says, BEAUTIFUL!!!  He hugs Shelby's parents and tells them Thank You after dinner(and clears his plate). Our kids call them "Meme and Papaw".  Miduk calls them "Meme and Peepee", hahaha

MORE ZOO PHOTOS

Miduk liked the pink flamingos

At the shooting gallery in the Texas section of the Ft. Worth Zoo

Miduk covers his nose with his shirt all the time when he doesn't like the smell of something!  Naturally this happened a lot at the zoo!  :)  But he also does it when we enter a store, or someone's home with potpourri or candles burning, or a restaurant whose smell doesn't agree with him.  We've decided he is very sensitive to smells!

This was my favorite photo at the zoo today.  This kangaroo was really getting into eating his pumpkin!

I liked the baby mountain goat nuzzling with his momma

OK so after spending almost two hours on these photos I cannot figure out how to turn them horizontally.  I give up!  Just turn your head sideways :)



OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Sunday morning we loaded the car (and let me stress the word LOADED) and headed to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving.  Miduk told me he had woken up at 4:00am (still not completely on our time zone yet) so I was sure he would sleep in the car.  But no!  He just stared out the window at everything and was just taking it all in - the cars, the farms, the horse trailers, everything.  It reminded me of my grandmother Lola who didn't leave her small town very often, but when she did it was a big deal for her to look at everything like she was seeing it for the very first time. :)  We stopped for sausage rolls on the way (Miduk loves 'em) and I brought a Christmas word search book for him to do on the way.  And I hate to admit it, but about twenty minutes into the trip I had to ask him to quit whistling.  I know, I know, I sound like such a Scrooge but we're talking a four hour plus car ride and that whistling just kinda disturbs a peaceful car trip.  Not to mention, Shelby doesn't even like for me to clap in the car (I like to clap to songs sometimes) so I know the whistling wasn't going to go over well.  Luckily Miduk was not bothered by my request and I promised  he could whistle all he wants when we are out of the car!!! We stopped in Edmond at my friend Joan's house (see photo in previous post), and then on to Tulsa, arriving at Shelby's parents house around 5:00pm.  Meme and Papaw are big huggers too, so Miduk is probably getting hugged to death this week.  Not a bad way to go,huh?  I will try to get some photos tomorrow.

FT. WORTH ZOO

PISTOLS FIRING!  FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL with Uncle Jeff and Shelby

(not a good night for Oklahoma State!)

Miduk couldn't take any more Cowboy football (Neither could we! OUCH!) so he went upstairs and Shelby put the movie "Transformers" on for him which he LOVED! :)

Miduk took this photo of the sloth bear at the zoo. My friend Stacey in my bible study group gave us tickets to the Ft. Worth Zoo (which is an awesome zoo!)  The weather was perfect, the animals were frisky, and we had a great time.  When we saw the tigers, Miduk yelled "Sumatran Tigers!!!  According to the sign, these tigers are found in northern Sumatra which is not too far from the area where Miduk is from. 

Visiting our friends Joan, Evan and Kendall Page in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Joan is a big hugger and hugs like she means it! Because she does!  By the time we left, Miduk had been on the receiving end of many hugs and even had red lipstick marks on his cheeks (Joan's signature)  :) He took his shirt off in the car and wiped off his cheek, saying "I no like kisses!" hahaha