Well, things in the Jones household have been very busy to say the least. Since my last update on Olivia's gymnastics, we have since started gymnastics at Tressie's here in McMinnville and she really likes it. We were on Tressie's waiting list and ended up getting in quicker than originally anticipated. She liked it in Cookeville, but she gets A LOT more one on one here in McMinnville, and that's just what Olivia likes :-) Teehee. It is easier and better for us too. It is $10 cheaper, we don't have to drive to Cookeville every Monday and I can sit in the car and study for an hour while Olivia is in gymnastics. So,,, better for us all around. The only thing I don't like is that Tressie doesn't let the parents stay and watch so I don't really know if Olivia is progressing or even enjoying it, but I do understand why she does it. I'm sure if Livie doesn't like it, she will tell me eventually! :-)
The next thing I want to talk about is kinda personal, but I want to put it in here because I feel like it needs to be shared to show just how God works in our lives, and I also want it to be in Olivia's book when I have her blog printed out into a book. So, here goes........
A couple of weeks ago Olivia & I had a momma/daughter day and she and I went to Murfreesboro to do a little shopping. We were in Target and had been laughing and trying on flip-flops and different shoes and then she jumped on the end of the buggy and said "Mom, are you my mommy?" Well, I wasn't sure she was actually asking me what she said, because sometimes it comes out different for kids, so I said, "Do what honey?" She said "Are you my mommy?" This time to give ME time to get my thoughts together I say, "Now what sweetheart?" This time with a tad bit of anger in her voice she says "I SAID, are YOU my mommy?" Then I answer "Of course I am your mommy Olivia, let's go talk about this in the car." So, I then grab my cellphone (hyperventilating), and call her daddy, who is across the street at work. I was panicking, this was totally unexpected at 3 years of age. I called Jason crying (or whimpering because I didn't want her to see me upset), and he told me to come and get him and we went to Fazoli's for lunch and talked to Olivia. To make a long story short, we explained to her that we would ALWAYS be her mommy & daddy but that she was from China and we adopted her when she was a little baby. She really didn't want any details, (too young)she just needed to know if we were her mom and dad. And what is soooo weird about all this, she seems soooo much closer to us now, than she ever was before. It's like she has had this doubt or wall up the whole time and now that she asked us what she wanted or needed to know, her walls are down and she is so much closer to us and is bonding to us sooo close. You can just FEEL her love. Really weird.. The part of this story too that is really special, is that any other day, Olivia and I would have been home somewhere in McMinnville. I think God knew we all needed to be together for that talk and how weird that we were in Murfreesboro , ACROSS THE STREET from where her daddy works when it all came about. You can not tell me God does not play a major part in our lives. This is not coincidence. Again, like I always say and live by, "everything happens for a reason". I have to admit, I did not know that it would hurt sooooo bad to admit this all to her, (because I feel like we ARE her biological parents, I really do), but it has brought us all even closer.I should have seen it coming though because like yesterday, we were all at Cato's shopping, and some little boy (5 years) comes up to Jason, Olivia and I and says "Your little girl is different than you isn't she?" I know this little boy doesn't know any better, but I just wanna take her and run... What is SHE thinking & what is going through HER little mind ya know??? She never said anything, she just looked at him. Also, a couple of weeks before she asked if I was her mommy, she was asking if babies grow in your belly. I should have started preparing then, but I just thought she was seeing friends and family who are pregnant and trying to understand how babies got into the picture. Anyway, we knew all this would happen, I guess I just thought I was tougher than what I am and that I would not let it bother me, but it does. I am not as tough as originally thought though! :o)
On another note, (whew, it's been a long time since I have updated :-), I had to withdraw from the nursing program last fall due to Olivia's medical issues (seizures). She didn't get any worse, they still mainly happen at bedtime, but my mind was soooo occupied with her and trying to see that she got well, that nursing was the last thing from my mind. I just couldn't keep the grades, nor was it important for me to. She was all I could focus on. It was (and still is) a bit depressing, but I am back up and ready to go.. I have applied again for next fall and I am praying that I get in. I did finish one nursing class and got an A in it, so I will not have to take that class next fall. I thought that was really nice of them to let me do that. So,,,, I will let ya know in April if I made it.
I guess I will stop for now with the Jones updates... I have LOTS more I could discuss, but I will save them for the next post... Toodles.
I will leave you with some pics of our silly Olivia I took the other day. I just LOVE her!!! I could squeeze her guts out!!! Teeheee! Have a great weekend!!
Silly, silly girl..... Love her!!!!! 
Beijing Time
