Gotcha Day...3 Yr Anniversary!

Happy Birthday...almost part 2

Happy Birthday.....Almost!!!!

It is hard to believe that Hope has been with us for (just a few days shy) three years! Today, we celebrated Hope's 4th birthday! We had her party at Living Memorial Park! We like the park, plenty of room to play and the playground is very close to the picnic shelter.

The theme of the party...HANNAH MONTANA!!!! Hope enjoys watching her show! So there was a singing balloon....cake, plates, cups...almost everything Hannah!!!

We had several of Hope's friends to come and join us and I do believe that a fun time was had by all. Hope didn't want to take a nap today because she was afraid that she was going to miss her party!!! She did great considering that she didn't have a nap!!!! She even lasted until 10:00!!!

She came in and proceeded to look at each and every gift over again. She said...AWWWW my fiends (friends) are so nice!!! When we said our bedtime prayers and we asked her what she was thankful for...she said....My fiends and my nice Hannah Nontana (she doesn't call her Montana) party.

She was thrilled to have a couple of the girls from our International playgroup there. She always calls them her sisters! So she talked all the way home how she had 2 of her China sisters there and her fiends!

It is hard to believe that she is growing up so fast!!!!

I'll put more pictures up soon...I'm just very sleepy and Hope has passed out....

3 years ago!!!!!

What a difference 3 years makes!!! We just celebrated 3 years from the day that we recieved our call!!! On April 18, 2005 we got a phone call that would change our life forever!!!!!! Then on April 20, 2005, we got the first pictures that would totally melt our hearts!!!

3 years ago, we had never heard of Fuling, China! Now it is a place that we hold very dear in our hearts! It is now a place that holds a lot of history and questions for our family!

We love our Fuling SPICY girl with all of our hearts and are truly honored that God would bring her into our family to make it complete! She has gone from a small little girl that was quiet and who couldn't walk to a beautiful girl who is very rarely quiet and if you can't skip or run...it's just not worth going! I enjoy watching her so full of life everyday!

As I write this post, she is outside in the backyard swinging (where I can see her) with a handful of dandelion flowers! She enjoys being outside and playing full on all of the time! She loves being from China! She will proudly tell everyone that she is from China, but now she lives here with her Mom and dad and brudders! She has her mama's love for reading!!! We read every afternoon before nap and we read every night before bed! It may be the same book over and over, but then it is great to listen to her say...Mom...I'm reading tonight...and she will go get Green Eggs and Ham! Or Ameila Bedilia and the Surprise Shower!!! Those are the favorites right now!!!!

She loves taking care of her baby dolls! She makes sure that they are wrapped in blankets and in buckled in the stroller!!! She loved to cook!!! She loves to clean!!! She just LOVES LIFE!!!! And we love having her in our life!

The first picture you see is the first picture that we ever saw!!! The picture at the bottom was taken just a few weeks ago!!! Enjoy!!!

I would yike a pumpkin ride!!!!

We were watching TV yesterday during our "inclement weather" day from school. And a commercial came on for Disney World! It is the one that has the mom on the computer and the children are asleep and the parents are amazed at how inexpensive they can do a week at Disney and the Cinderella Coach pulls up in front of the house and the children are now looking at the window!!!

Hope, dressed in her Cinderella dress, claps her hands and looks at me and says..."MOM, I would yike (like) a pumpkin ride like Cinderella!!! PEESE!!! (Please). Oh that just makes me want to go book a trip to Disney World now!!!! We would like to wait until she is just a little older before we go so that she will remember a little more, but I do believe that our little princess would be thrilled beyond ALL the world if we would just take her to Cinderella's house!!!

Hopefully soon!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Well Happy 2008!!!!

The picture says it all!!!! We had just come in from 2 days worth of driving back from SC! The boys were determined to make it to 12:01...to welcome in the new year! Well Miss Hope didn't want to be out done! She quickly went down the hallway to her room and got her party shoes on! You really can't see them in this picture, but they are pink fuzzy plastic dress up shoes! She had those on and was doing quite well on her way to welcome in the new year!!!

The next thing we knew, we heard this soft snoring...looked over in her direction and low and behold Hope was asleep! We then tried to convince the boys that we saw Dick Clark ring in the new year in the Eastern Time Zone...surely since we had just gotten out of the Eastern Time Zone that should work....NOT!!! They wanted to stay awake until 12:00 Central Time!!! So the did and right after 12:01....off we went to bed!!!

We hope that each of you have a wonderful new years filled with God's richest blessings!

Happy 2008...may it be Great!!!!

The joy of Christmas pictures....

Well we have started taking our own pictures for our Christmas cards. I couldn't see paying an arm and a leg for pictures and to get enough to send to relatives without them having to use a magnifying glass to see who was who! So last night was the night!!!!! We got everyone dressed up in somewhat matching clothes. We are trying to let Phillip be somewhat of an individual. So I told him that the colors were red and green. Well he did good!!!

Off we headed to Bass Pro....I like their fireplace and their Christmas trees!!!! We proceeded to take pictures!!! This year was PAINLESS!!!! This will be the first year that Hope has smiled in EVERY picture!!!! We need to write that down on a calendar somewhere!!!!!!!

After we were done with the pictures...Stephen and I left Dad with the other two and headed out for a "date"! We do that every year. We take one night for him to do his shopping for dad and siblings. I will do the same for Phillip as well in a day or two. He is harder to squeeze in a date with because of his calendar!!! Then I guess I need to do the same with Fred so that we can finish!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!