Monday, January 31, 2011

Three Years Ago

Arriving home for the first time!
(and, if you're counting, as of 7pm tonight, she's officially been HOME with her FAMILY longer than she lived in China without one)


The brothers and sister were anxiously waiting.




THEN:


NOW:


What a difference a family makes...
and what a difference she's made in our family!

I know, I know...it was three years ago. But, it was such a fun and exciting day around here, I couldn't NOT post a "then" and "now" picture.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Another Chapter in our lives begins...



It's 1:09 am (Saturday morning), my family is sleeping and I'm very sleepy.
But, hard as I tried to snuggle with my man, I couldn't. I had to blog.
And tomorrow morning I will gladly suffer the exhausting consequences.

It's official...I'm headed to Africa for what I hope will be the first of many trips.
Here is a link to what's going to be happening in the very near future...

http://lovingtheorphans.blogspot.com/

Monday, January 10, 2011

2010 Fun and 2011 New Beginnings

MJ looses her first tooth! Well, two actually. Apparently her teeth like like her too much and refuse to leave when a new one tries to take its place. So, her first two lost teeth were "lost" as a result of a nice dentist having to pull them for her. This Christmas she could actually say "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."
Update: MJ had another tooth refuse to cooperate and again, she had to have two teeth pulled.
And here would be our 2nd grader in her attractive, stylish new glasses.

Dad recently celebrated a birthday...

And though it certainly wasn't a white Christmas here, we have had enough snow to get out a play in it once in a while...
Jared and Kyle and friends playing football...

While some play football in the snow, Corey refuses. He'd rather watch.
But the girls are always good for a snow angel or two and Corey does know how to shovel...when he puts his back into it!




Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, the kids were making cookies for Santa, the reindeer and elves.


And here is Jared practicing a recipe he learned in Home Economics.
Yummy, too!

Christmas morning (with electricity this year!)






So pretty in their Christmas dresses...




MJ gets a surprise visitor from the big guy at school.