8 Years Ago!

June 19th marks a very special day for our family! It is the day that our "firecracker", "spicy girl" joined our family! Our lives were changed forever! We had been blessed with two amazing sons and God chose to bless our family with one more gift! We are thankful for the impact that this beautiful young lady has had on our life! We have seen her grow in amazing ways! She is the youngest of the group that was adopted that day! We have seen her caring heart from the very first day! When other babies would cry, she would want to go see why and help them if she could. We have seen her accomplish great goals in her education and also her athletics! We have seen her passion grow in her heart for Jesus and her relationship with Him. We have seen her love for China grow each and every day! We have seen her love for her brothers grow greatly! Yes, they have their days, just like any other siblings! But there are the days that you see them laughing together, reading together or watching movies and playing games together! God has done a wonderful thing with those three! We are blessed to be her parents, but our hearts still think about the decisions of another person that is still very important to our lives! We don't have any information on this person and don't know a thing about her...but truly are thankful for the decision that she made 9 years ago! We don't remember what life was like before Hope came on the scene! We think of this sweet baby that was placed in our arms 8 years ago and the thoughts that must have been going on in her head...and compare that now to the amazing young lady that you ALWAYS know the thoughts that are going on in her head! She has become quite the chatter box (most of the time)! Life continues to get exciting as we watched the sweet baby that couldn't walk when she first was placed in our arms to now doing toe loops on the ice as she trains to compete in different ice skating competitions! Our hope is to be able to take her on trip back to "her" China soon as her questions and her thoughts are needing some processing that I feel will only be answered by taking such a trip! She is truly a treasure to all those that meet her! Love ya Baby of Mine!

5 Years Later!!!

5 years later she got the chance to meet some of her most favorite people in the world!!! We are truly blessed to have her in our lives!!!

Where has all the time gone?

As I looked at the calendar today, I noticed that 5 years ago, we were getting the last few things squeezed into suitcases getting ready to head to China!

We would never fully know how that trip would change our lives FOREVER! It would be hard to leave our boys, but knew we had to!

I still find myself thinking about a mother that probably struggled with a decision for 9 days about a precious little girl before she made a most difficult decision. A decision that would change her life, the life of her little girl and our family! My heart still hopes and prays that she has a peace about her daughter and somehow knows that she is doing well!

Our hearts were full of excitement about such a journey! But once we arrived there in China, we were walking bundles of nerves and excitement. Walking through a country that holds so much history and wonder, riding through to different spots along to way until the day we would take a 2 hour bus ride to a city that held our precious gift! To see the beautiful farm land was simply breath taking! To see the people so very friendly, but cautious. I did leave a part of my heart there in China! A love for the people there! A love for a mother there! A love for a heritage that has become part of our family heritage! Rich in culture!

We have come a long way with our little girl in this journey of life! We have watched her learn to walk, talk, play, write, color, read, and become a very confident beautiful girl! She went from not wanting to talk to anyone to a non stop talker (sometimes!) She never ceases to amaze me at her zeal for life! She totally enjoyed going to school for the first time this year! A school that she was very comfortable with...the same school that both of her brothers attended...so she was very knowledgeable of her surroundings and the people!

So to the mother in China..may you know in your heart of hearts that your daughter is a beautiful young girl that reflects the sunshine in her smile, makes the angels in heaven smile when she laughs. She is a reflection of you! Although we don't know a thing about you, we know that you are a beautiful lady because your little girl is a reflection of you!

Happy Fall and Thanksgiving!

Well I am truly sorry that it has been this long since I have written on the blog!

Life is moving very quickly!!!
School has started and having 3 children in 3 different schools has been a little crazy but fun!

Kindergarten is a blast! We just recently had our parent teacher conference and needless to say it was full of giggles!!! We have now had it said that she is a little teacher! We already knew that she was a "little mother" taking care of everyone, but now she is "helping" her teacher by keeping the students quiet and helping them with problems! She absolutely LOVES school! She really enjoys riding the bus to school! Since I'm working there in the afternoons, she comes home with me!

Last night we were reading a book that she checked out from the library and she was READING for herself some of the words!!! It almost made me cry! My sweet little baby is growing up!!! A funny happened in the care the other day! We had picked up big brother from school and I was letting him know that I was working later on Wednesday because I was working the S-H-O-T clinic at school. This is what we heard from the back seat..."Am I getting a shot at school tomorrow?" We just looked at one another and shrugged our shoulders and Phillip said...Mom you have now entered the part of life you don't like...you can no longer spell to try to not let us know what you are talking about!!!!

We pray that each of you are having a wonderful fall and in a few short days have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!

4 Years ago TODAY!!!!

4 Years ago today, we were in the heat of Fuling, China! We didn't seem to mind the heat at all. We were about to become a family of 5!!! We made our way the 2 hours on the bus to the Fuling SWI. When we got there, we waited and looked around. They had just fed the girls lunch and were getting them bathed and ready! Then the time came and they brought the girls out! What a beautiful sight to see...7 little girls in matching outfits!!! They were simply precious!!!

A lot has happend in four years! She went from only being able to sit by herself to she skips everywhere she goes!! She chatters non stop! She laughs and giggles! She is such a girly girl who loves to spend time doing her hair...painting her fingernails, looking for new purses, shoes...the WORKS!!!

She is no longer a little baby, but a big girl getting ready to head to Kindergarten in the fall!! She is so excited about heading to school! It will be sad to see her head off to school, but to see the things that she has learned to do and accomplish in the last 4 years!

We are very proud to be her family!!! And we know that God is the one that placed this precious little girl into our lives!!!

The picture that we used today is one that one of our travel familes happen to catch! What a precious treasure to have for her!

We love you Hope!!! We are glad to be your Forever Family!!!

Sum, Sum Summer Time!

Well Summer is off and running at our house! We have entered a new phase in our house! Every child is now registered for school in the fall! What a place that is! We are now the parents of a High school Jr., and 6th grade Middle schooler, and a big KINDERGARTEN girl!!! She is sooooo ready to start school!

She went for her kindergarten screening and did great! She tested at age 6 for a lot of things! That is awesome since she hasn't had her 5th birthday yet! The funny part was that she showed her Fuling spicyness a bit. She had 2 age Three marks on her paper and the lady explained! She was given those marks because she REFUSED to skip and to mobile skills with her fingers! I had to laugh because those of you that know her knows that she SKIPS just about everywhere she goes!!! She even skipped from the time we left the door of the builing to every place we went after her screening!!!

The other thing she did that left the lady scratching her head was that she had to do a picture cut out. She left no white on the edge of the of the dinosaur! Then the lady said, but this is the funny part. The lady looked and said, in all of my years of doing this, I have never had a child cut in between the legs of the dinosaur. I asked her why she did that and she looked at me and said..Well that way if he needs to go somewhere, then it can walk!

She is getting used to the boys being home each day for a few weeks! Then she is enjoying sleeping in just a bit!

We have hit summer full speed ahead! We have gone to Branson a couple of times already and she is full on for the rides at Silver Dollar City! She was a little sad when she found out that she wasn't quite tall enough to ride this one roller coaster! But thrilled with the fact that she only has about 1/2 inch to go!!! So hopefully by the end of the summer!!!

I will try to do better about posting this summer!! :o)

Chinese New Year pictures