0237: The devastation in our state is heart breaking and it has sparked several conversations with the children about God's sovereignty and great power. I'm thankful for these discussions.

0238: Hearing my oldest tell me he has been reading his Bible before he goes to sleep...

0239: Good news from my sweet friend L...they will be bringing home 2 more children from China!

0240: Watching both boys hit a home run in their game tonight!

It's been too long...but I'm not giving up on this blog yet! Today is perfect day to start back.

0233: After 4.5 days without electricity, I am thankful for POWER! Electricity is a blessing, some may consider it a neccessity but I know that many people live without it in other parts of the world. It is a blessing that I am so grateful for tonight.

0234: I'm so thankful for God's protection over our our family during the horrible storms that hit our state last week.

0235: I'm thankful that God is merciful, even when we are dumb. My husband and I made a very poor decision to travel to his sister's house right after the storms ended last Wednesday night. The flooding was horrendous, but we got to a point where we could not turn back. We almost spent the night in the car...it was really that bad.

0236: We were blessed with wonderful family who allowed us to stay at their house for almost 5 days! E and J...you ROCK! I'm so thankful for the time we spent with our family. The boys were actually sad when they heard our power was back on because they knew that meant we would be coming home.

0227: Marriott points...which allowed us to stay for free at a hotel that is very close to the hospital where Y was having surgery.

0228: It was a blessing that Y only told us she was hungry 2 times today...we got to the hospital before 6:30 this morning and we didn't leave until after 4. God was with us today!

0229: Sharing our adoption story with others is a blessing.

0230: The Dr.'s and nurses at Children's were superb! They were so good with Y and they did everything they could to make us comfortable.

0231: Sweet prayers from friends and family were felt today.

0232: Although I did cry, it really is a blessing that the Dr. only had to extract one tooth. She had prepared me that it might be as many as 4.

0222: We made it to church early today...which is very rare unfortunately.

0223: What a joy to hear my children sing "Holy, Holy, Holy" as we worshiped together this morning.

0224: Y is having dental surgery tomorrow morning. She is not having surgery at the hospital where she had her heart surgery, but we are staying at the hotel that is connected to that hospital. So as we walked through the parking lot this afternoon I was reminded of how thankful I am that we are here to fix something in her mouth, rather than something in her little heart.

0225: Sharing a burrito with my sweet girl this evening...

0226: Walking back to the hotel and seeing Y make people smile as she waves at them...she is super outgoing in case you didn't know :)

Pictures week 14

0210: For Christmas, my mom bought my sister and I gift certificates to a place here in town where they teach you how to paint a piece of artwork. So this week we had a girl's night out together. Here are our masterpieces :)



0211: Y had a cardiologist check up on Friday. Her Dr. was very pleased with how she is doing, he sees no changes that warrant us doing another heart cath or surgery right now. In fact, he wants to take her off of one of her medicines! Praise the Lord! We go back in 6 more months.

0212: We are so blessed to have such a kind, humble Dr. for our girl. He tells us what he thinks is best for her, but he also admits that he does not know everything and can not predict what her future will hold. I'm so glad we know the One who holds her future!

0213: Snuggles with daddy while we wait...this little girl is in love with her daddy.



0214: This picture shows how we got Y to work off some of her energy before we got in the car to go home. I don't ever want to forget what a blessing it is to see my children run.



0215: A cake pop for the ride home...these things are sooooo yummy!



0216: I redeemed another gift certificate from my mom this week at a nail salon. My SIL, my niece, Y, and I all went to get a pedicure. This was Y's first time to have her nails painted at a nail salon. She thought she was so big!

0217: This is my sweet niece helping Y pick out her color...she was a big help in keeping her entertained while we all got our toes done. This is the niece that bought Y a present (with her own money) when she was in the hospital having her surgery 2 years ago. This is also the niece that told me she prayed for Y's upcoming Dr.'s appointment and dental surgery during Bible time at school. She is a blessing to our family!



0218: This is Y trying really hard to sit still while they painted her toes. I am so enjoying doing these girlie things with my daughter :)



0219: Little girl piggies are a blessing! Seriously, I think these are the cutest, most kissable toes in the world...





0220: Strong, hard working sons are a blessing...especially to their father :) I think my husband has been looking forward to the day when they could help mow the grass since the day they were born! This 8 year old boy mowed half of the front yard and half of the back yard today.



0221: And not to be outdone by his brother...this 6 year old boy helped with lots of other things in the yard. I love his determination.

Pictures week 12 and 13

0207: Y told me to "cose my eyes" and she held my hand and led me over to show me this car she had made. I love seeing her use her imagination.



0208: This is another example of her using her imagination. She created this ensemble for her and her daddy...notice the paper knee and elbow pads. My children have been blessed with such a fun daddy.



0209: I caught C playing football with his sister. He was holding the football for her so she could kick it. Of course, she hat to be outfitted properly :) These two have a very special bond.

0204: Watching C push Y on the swing set...I love seeing one of the boys take care of their sister.

0205: A long talk with my good friend L...she is always such an encouragement to me. And she may be the most unselfish, humble person I know.

0206: Hearing J laugh while he plays Yahtzee with his daddy.

0197: I got to help my sister do some shopping yesterday. Y, my mom, my sister and I all shopped and then had lunch together..."just the girls", as Y likes to say.

0198: While we shopped, the boys all went to our church for a work day. I'm glad the boys are old enough to really help and understand what it means to serve others and the church. Serving is a blessing.

0199: After a week with almost NO sunshine...we had a beautiful, warm, sunny weekend!

0200: It is a blessing to live in a country where we can worship our God freely. I am thankful for our church family and the freedom to worship.

0201: We spent the whole afternoon at my husband's parent's house with the family. My husband and his brother worked on a "nerf gun" project with C in the garage. It made C very happy to work on this with his daddy and uncle :)

0202: We've gotten several more donations for our yard sale!

0203: We are supposed to have some strong storms tomorrow, so on the way home this evening we decided to take advantage of the last hour of sunlight and go to a nearby school to ride bikes, run on the track, play on the playground, etc. We didn't get to have dinner until 8 pm! I think the kiddo's will sleep well tonight though :)

0191: Watching my little girl play with other little girls who look like her. It is a blessing to live in a town with so many other adoptive families...families that look like our family.

0192: Answered prayers...it's such a blessing to pray for something for a long time and see God work it out in His perfect time.

0193: Kissing Y's sweet little toes...she loves to put her bare feet up to my face when we are snuggling and I kiss each of her little piggies. I've done this since the first day we met her.

0194: Smiling, happy boys after a long baseball practice who run into the house shouting things like, "I hit one to the fence"!

0195: My husband is such a good dad. I love hearing him teach and train our children. He is a blessing to our family.

0196: I'm so blessed to have my parent's live so close to us. I can get to their house in 2 minutes. I'm thankful that they could watch the kids last night so that I could do Zumba and Aaron could play basketball.

0187: Lots of rain this weekend meant canceled baseball practice...which left us with nothing to do but spend time together as a family. Good thing I love my little family!

0188: An afternoon nap is always a blessing. But waking up to find your husband has folded all of the laundry is even better!

0189: I finally got to catch up with a close friend this week. We've been friends since high school and she is a blessing.

0190: I spent a day observing a Classical Conversations group and I'm even more excited now about how this is going to work for us next year. It's something that is hard to describe, so it was really good for the boys to see what it is all about and what types of things they will be learning. I'm thankful for the friend who encouraged me to go.

0185: I'm blessed to have a dear friend that lives really close and who is always willing to watch one (or more) of my kiddo's...even on short notice. Y stayed with her for a few hours today so the boys and I could order baseball uniforms and visit a nursery.

0186: It was a chilly, cloudy day today. But it was a perfect day for us to do some work in our flower beds and our new little garden. So far we have planted a tomato plant, a green pepper plant, and lots of sunflowers.

0180: Y had to have a "physical" because she is going to have some dental surgery under general anesthesia in a couple of weeks. When our pediatrician walked in the room she was so concerned about us because the visit had been coded as a pre-surgery consultation and she thought it must be related to her heart. It is such a blessing to have a great doctor who really knows and cares about our family.

0181: At the Dr's appointment mentioned above, Y was weighed and she has passed the 30 pound mark! She was 30.6 pounds! Her surgery was 2 years ago this month and she came home from that weighing 18 pounds...which means she has gained 12 pounds in 2 years.

0182: Today I got to spend time with a friend that I haven't seen since last year. We met through baseball and only got to know each other a little. I learned today that we have even more in common than I thought. It was good to get to know her better and our kids enjoyed playing together.

0183: I tried a new recipe today and it was really good and super simple! It's Pioneer Woman's "Sour Cream Noodle Bake"...and we will be having it again!

0184: My sweet niece M is spending the night with us tonight. It is a blessing to spend time with her!

0176: A beautiful Lord's day and a relaxing afternoon spent with the family.

0177: Early bedtimes for the kids because they were worn out from their weekend.

0178: Playing Monopoly with the boys.

0179: Getting a great workout at a Zumba class tonight with my SIL. It was so much fun! We'll definitely be doing it again.

0174: My brother in law bought a smoker recently and he cooked his first meat on it today...it was a blessing to be invited over to share a meal with them.

0175: A freshly mowed lawn...the first of the season. My hubby gave up going to watch a soccer game with friends and dinner at my sister's house so he could work in our yard. I love that man!

Pictures week 11

0170: Watching Y run her little heart out and fly her kite earlier this week. She was so proud of herself. I love seeing her run...it's a blessing.



0171: The view from the mountain always reminds me of God's beautiful handiwork.



0172: Last minute plans seem to be the kind of plans that work out best for me lately. Yesterday a friend of mine who lives out of town told me they were going to be in our town for a soccer game today. I was so thrilled that it worked out that I could go see her and her precious family. This last picture is Y and her youngest child, who is also a heart baby from China.

0173: These kiddos share the same cardiologist and have had surgery at the same hospital, etc. The extra special blessing is that they both have their next cardiologist checkup on the SAME DAY next month! We didn't plan this, but I'm thankful to the One who did.

0168: A WHOLE day alone with my husband! The kids went to their grandparent's this morning and are spending the night. The house is so quiet :)

0169: My hubby's parent's gave us some free movie passes. We enjoyed seeing a grown up movie this afternoon after our lunch at PF Chang's.

0165: For more than 6 weeks now I have been trying to get together with a friend of mine but at least one of the 7 children we have between us was always sick. Finally, today, they were able to come over and play for a few hours! I think my favorite parts were jumping on the trampoline with my friend and our girls and watching my oldest son take turns riding the girls around on his Razor 360.

0166: Daylight savings time...I'm thankful for the extra hour of daylight!

0167: I don't always enjoy taking my 3 kids to the grocery store with me. Thankfully, they are usually very well behaved, it's just more chaos than I like to take on :) This afternoon I enjoyed a grocery store outing with just one little girlie...and I think she enjoyed it too. She got to help push the cart and do some of the things her big brother's usually get to do.

0161: We got a good update from Y's speech therapist. She retested her since her IEP was about to expire and she has improved a LOT in just a few months. I like her teacher more and more every week. She is really good at what she does and I can tell she cares about my little girl...which is a blessing.

0162: It started out pretty chilly today and I almost canceled our plans but I am so very glad I didn't. We went up on the mountain and had a picnic with my dad, uncle, and several cousins. The sun finally came out and it turned out to be a glorious day.

0163: While we played on the playground my uncle took C on his first mountain bike trail! This is something my uncle loves to do and C was so excited that he could go with him. They biked around 4.5 miles! C has talked about it ALL night :)

0164: Hubby got off early today and we spent the latter part of the afternoon working in the flower/shrub beds. I love accomplishing things with my husband.

0157: Another play day with a friend (we're taking a few days off for Spring Break)...

0158: Dinner with family tonight...my dad provided the food so all I had to do was cook it.

0159: My sister is always a blessing, but I am especially thankful for her today. She was my cheerleader tonight as we brainstormed about fund raising possibilities.

0160: While thinking about the devastation in Japan I realized that the only "problem" I had to deal with today was that my garage door would not go down. There are so many who have lost family members, their homes, their whole lives are in uproar. I am praying for the country of Japan and thanking my Father for His mercy and blessings on my family. I know these blessings do not come because I have done something good or because I deserve them...it's only because of His grace and mercy.

0152: Pulling weeds outside with the kids. It's so much nicer to pull weeds when it's 60 degrees instead of 90.

0153: Stinky bodies, dirty feet and tired children from playing outside almost ALL day...

0154: Time to catch up with a friend while the kids play at a play ground...

0155: Hearing Y pray for her "baby in China". She really wants a little sister.

0156: We are planning a small garden this year and it has been fun talking to the kids about what we want to plant.

0146: Beautiful sunny weather for the weekend. The sun did not appear at ALL yesterday, but today it was warm and bright all day! Thank you God for the coming of Spring!

0147: Being the audience for my hubby so that he can practice his Sunday School lesson. I teach the 4 and 5 year olds Sunday School class so I miss out on the adult class...it was nice to hear what they were discussing!

0148: Finding some curriculum for next year on sale and ordering it early. I'm excited about what we will be learning next year! And yes, I said "we". I'm enjoying learning right along with them :)

0149: Baseball practice started this week. The boys are on the same team, which is nice (it works out this way every other year). I'm thankful for the great set of parent's and kids that we have on our team this year. We knew every one of them! It's going to be a fun season.

0150: The ability to put a band aid on a little tiny cut to make it all better for my little girl. A kiss and a band aid...that is all she needs sometimes.

0151: Watching C carry Y around on his back. He is getting pretty strong and I'm seeing where this might come in handy at times.

Pictures week 10

0145: Watching the boys use their imagination to create things out of...well, other things. In this case it was with sticks recently pulled from the yard, plastic cups, string and tape.

0141: Cleaning out the play room and setting toys aside for a garage sale...and in the process, finding new age appropriate toys for Y that she has never played with.

0142: Lunch with a new friend.

0143: A safe, dry, warm house when it is storming outside.

0144: Playing scavenger hunt games with the kids before bed.

0137: Brunswick stew and corn bread for lunch on a cold Sunday afternoon.

0138: A friend who could watch my boys on short notice. They love playing at her house so they were very happy to go.

0139: A 1.5 hour drive with my husband and daughter. Y was a great car rider, she played her Leapster and colored. This allowed hubby and I to have great conversation, practically uninterrupted!

0140: I woke up this morning and could breathe out of BOTH sides of my nose!

0130: Friends and family that brought us dinner when I was too sick to get out of the bed.

0131: A husband who can work from home or take off when I am so sick. He had to do EVERYTHING for almost a week and most things for almost 2 weeks.

0132: My dad...who played with the kids one morning so that I could rest. He also went to the doctor with me and sat in the car with the kids so they didn't have to be exposed to more germs.

0133: A doctor who was nice enough to call in an antibiotic for me and not make me come back to his office since he had just seen me 4 days before.

0134: Watercolor paintings and drawings from my kiddos...to make me feel better.

0135: Playing games and celebrating my aunt's birthday with my family tonight.

0136: A cousin who recently turned 16 and volunteered to go to the grocery store for me because we were playing a "boring" game that was taking too long. It was raining today and I had not wanted to get out so this was a sweet, unexpected blessing.

Pictures week 8 and 9

Hello out there? I'm still here!

So it's interesting that the last post I made I mentioned that the kids were sick...well it hit me the next day and I'm just now coming back into the land of the living. I'm not giving up on this project though!

0126: This picture was actually taken in week 8 so I'm not going to be behind in my weekly pictures. Meet "Baby Chase"...my sweet, youngest nephew. He's a charmer! He really is the happiest little baby I think I've ever met. He learned how to give hugs and he shared one with Y. It was so very sweet and I'm so glad I had my camera with me to catch the moment.



0127: This picture was also taken in week 8, when I thought I had not taken any pictures for the week yet so I snapped this early one morning and then went back to bed to die. I'm only slightly exaggerating, I was really that sick. So this picture shows how we start school sometimes...all snuggled in our blankets on the couch. I am loving these moments with my children.



0128: I thought I might have to get a substitute for me, but I was so thankful that I was finally feeling a little better on Thursday night so that I could keep my date with my sister in law and take the kids to the circus! My mom says I went to the circus one time as a very young child, but I have no memories of it. So this was super exciting for me too! The kids LOVED it! We got there early and got to go down on the floor. I don't think I've ever been this close to an elephant!



0129: I love the special friendships that my children have with their cousins. And my sister in law is a huge blessing to me as well. Especially since she remembered that we had talked about going to the circus and bought the tickets for us when I was recovering.

0123: We're planning on having a yard sale in a few weeks. We spent some time this weekend getting ready. One blessing is that my parents are going to let us have it at their house (we don't have much room for parking because we live on a main road). An even bigger blessing is that my mom has a lot of junk...I mean treasures, that she is letting us clean out of her garage.

0124: We have 3 sick children today...so I'm thankful for cough and fever reducing medicines.

0125: Playing Twister with the kids. This game is one of the many treasures we found in my mom's garage this weekend.

Pictures Week 7 (a day late)

0122: Finishing school before lunch time and playing with cousins the rest of the day!

0117: Putting on a short sleeve shirt today because it was that nice outside!

0118: Cleaning up around the house this morning with all three children happily helping me...no grumbling or complaints.

0119: Time at the library with just my girl while the boys were at their art class. We did a few puzzles, picked out some books and did a little craft.

0120: Watching a few minutes of college gymnastics on tv tonight with the kids while Y practiced her "spits" (aka splits) and "hanstan" (aka hand stand).

0121: My prayer this morning was for more patience with my children...and there were definitely times I felt Him providing exactly that today.

0113: A friend dropped by some mini-valentine's cupcakes yesterday because they were on sale and she just happens to HAVE to drive by my house on her way home! I love cupcakes...but I love this friend and her surprise visit even more!

0114: Visiting with a friend for awhile yesterday afternoon. Although I love conversations with my children, it's good to have adult conversation during the day sometimes :)

0115: Chatting with a long time, dear college friend today. We don't get to talk as often as I would like but when we do, we just pick up right where we left off. I'm so thankful for this friend who knows me so well and still loves me!

0116: Tonight I got to attend an informational meeting about something home school related that I am interested in doing next year. It was very informative!

0109: The screaming, yelling, and laughing I heard from my children today as they ran around like crazy in the spring like weather outside. My favorite part was watching Y chase her big brothers in the jeep...she was the one driving!

0110: Meeting someone at a store today who I have a lot in common with. She was wearing an orphan awareness shirt and I was too! We figured out we have some friends in common and we were at the same event the day before.

0111: Steaks cooked to perfection by my sweet hubby who I love to pieces.

0112: Watching my hubby brush his daughter's hair. It's still makes my heart mushy when I see him do girlie things with his daughter.

0106: Hearing Y recite the Lord's Prayer in Sunday School today...she only needed help with a few words!

0107: My sweet littlest nephew who just turned 1 has learned how to give a real hug. Y leaned over to hug him today at lunch and he put his little arm around her and leaned his little head on her and hugged her back. It was one of the sweetest things I have seen in a long time. It made me think again of the blessing of family...these tender moments would be missed if we did not live close to our extended family.

0108: Being encouraged today by the stories of 2 families who have adopted 7 children between them and have 13 total children. They spoke at a church in our area and our whole family went.

Pictures Week 6

0102: I am blessed to have such a wonderful husband who is the best coach to our children. C got his basketball trophy this week. He kept putting his hand up when I tried to take his picture until his daddy told him he had to smile for me or he wasn't going to get his trophy.



0103: Lazy Saturday's when I can take a nap while the kids do this...



and this...



and this...



0104: C was blessed with enough birthday money from his aunts, uncles and grandparent's that he bought himself an ipod touch. It just came in yesterday and this is what he and his brother did for way too long today...



0105: Dinner with some friends at their house tonight. Ham, homemade mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole...it was like Thanksgiving!

0098: Making cookies with ALL THREE children tonight...it was interesting and chaotic but also fun!

0099: Another snow day that we do not have to make up at the end of the year. We had a normal school day and if we do not take a week off for Spring Break we will finish the first week in May!

0100: A special book delivery from my mom. She brought by some books from the library for C because he had read all of the ones we got last week (4 books in a week).

0101: A little girl who finally feels comfortable and safe enough to go to sleep by herself at night. She is consistently falling asleep now without one of us having to lay down with her...this is a blessing.

0095: I read a post on a friend's blog today that made me smile and laugh, and more importantly it reminded me to cherish the normal, healthy days we have with our children. Thank you Lord for giving us normal days!

0096: A quote from my oldest today after his class at the science museum..."I forgot I was learning science it was so fun." It made me thankful for the friend who encouraged me to sign the boys up for these classes last year.

0097: Good talks with 2 women at the museum today (about adoption, classical education, etc). I feel like I have made 2 new friends!

0093: Although our day did not go at all as I had planned, we ended up having a very productive day. Y learned how to help with laundry and we did 6 loads (even folded, hung and put away). We had a good school day, the boys dusted and cleaned the bathrooms and we went to the grocery store...all before 4:00!

0094: A hubby who makes up geography games for the kids with Google Earth...he's a fun daddy.

0091: Complete healing in my foot is a blessing. Today I ran for the first time since I hurt my foot on Christmas night and my foot didn't hurt at all (the rest of my body did though :).

0092: Three children climbing, wrestling and hanging all over their daddy before bed time.

Pictures Week 5

0088: J got his basketball trophy last night. He had a great season and I love this picture because it shows his sweet smile as his daddy is bragging on him...



0089: Telling Y this morning that we were going to a Chinese New Year Party tonight...she said, "TONIGHT??? TODAY??? REALLY, YAY!!!!" I love her excitement about anything Chinese.



0090: One unexpected blessing of the whole adoption process is the beautiful friendships I have made with women who share the same passion. Here are a few of them I saw at the Chinese New Year party tonight.

0086: Catching up with a friend for a few hours is always a blessing.

0087: A Saturday morning where we had nothing on the schedule to do! Basketball is over and baseball has not started yet...we have a whole month of Saturdays off!

0084: Memorizing scripture with my children. They(we) are working on Exodus 20:1-17 right now.

0085: We've been in a rut with being able to find books that C would like to read, and not just read because we made him read. Today I found a few at the library and he read for 40 minutes before he went to bed...this makes me happy!

0081: Y was telling me goodbye the other night (she was going to spend the night with my parent's) and she put both hands on her heart and said, "I love you with my WHOLE heart". I think she get's it now...this family thing. What a beautiful blessing!

0082: We had a fun day at the local science museum. The boys have been taking a science class there this year and they LOVE it! I'm thankful that we live in a town that offers such a variety of educational things for children.

0082: I met and talked with two different women there today...and both were a blessing in completely different ways. One gave me some new ideas for school next year and another was an adoptive parent of two boys from Russia and one from China.

0083: Dinner at my parent's house tonight...which means I didn't have to clean up!

0077: A morning where everyone sleeps in until 8:00.

0078: A night alone to just do girl things with Y (hubby took the boys to watch a high school basketball game).

0079: A hubby who cooked dinner while I was at ballet with Y.

0080: Seeing my little girl pray before she eats her meal...even when we are eating at different times and not all together.

Pictures Week 4

0071: I love seeing this little one use her imagination. She created a layered birthday cake out of play dough and lego's.



0072: And this guy is a joy to teach. This is some of the craziness he comes up with when we do History and Bible...an empty laundry basket as a seat.



0073: It was a blessing to watch C play basketball with so many of his friends this year. They won their tournament game this weekend and he was chosen as MVP.



0074: The Lord blessed us with a beautiful sunny day to celebrate C's 8th birthday. The cousins enjoyed silly string in the back yard.

0075: I'm thankful my children have so many cousins to grow up with...and today the oldest cousin was such a good sport to let all the kids COVER her in silly string.



0076: We bought our house from some very dear friends of ours a few years ago. They were a blessing, the house was/is a blessing and the trampoline that they left for us continues to be a blessing!

0067: A beautiful, warm January day...I am so thankful we got to see the sun today!

0068: A husband that surprised us when he came home at 1:45 today. He has been taking a professional development class this month so he has not been home until after the kids were in bed 3 nights this week. When he walked in they all ran screaming to him :)

0069: It is a blessing to be good friends with the parent's on our kids sports teams. We have such good parent's for both boy's basketball teams this year.

0070: Watching my oldest son play his heart out tonight. They had a big win and will play for the championship tomorrow. I pray that he will always use his talent's in a way that brings glory, not to him, but to the One who created him.

0061: Feeding the ducks and fish at the pond downtown today for the first time with my little girl.

0062: Running errands with 3 children is not always fun and usually takes a lot longer than it would if I was alone. But today I really enjoyed grocery shopping and birthday party shopping with my 3. They were so well behaved and very helpful.

0063: Last minute dinner with my family tonight. My parent's and my sister and nephew came over.

0064: Making cookies with my sister. I got a really good recipe from a friend of mine and they turned out great!

0065: Hearing my son tell my mom that he loves home schooling.

0066: Y has been running a fever for 2 days. That part is not fun. The part I'm thankful for though, is that she is such a good patient. She is a perfect medicine taker...even if it is horrible tasting. She is also a sweet snuggler when she doesn't feel well. And she always says things like, "I be okay mommy. Don't worry".

0058: A working oven...I'm thankful for it! The part finally came in and the repair man came today. Being without an oven for a couple of weeks made me appreciate our appliances even more.

0059: A good friend of mine who "picked up" Y from gymnastics tonight while I was at the house with the oven repair man. She was there with her daughters so it worked out nicely. I'm so thankful for friends who can help out when you are in a bind!

0060: Today we saw 2 bunnies in our yard...2 different times. We often see bunnies but the kids still get so excited. I wonder if these 2 are some of the baby bunnies we found in the back yard last summer? Now if we find a bunny in our pool then I will NOT consider this a blessing :)

0055: A sweet friend who could watch J and Y while I took C to the Dr this morning. She made cookies with them...and then shared some with me when we got back! The sweet friend is the blessing. The cookies are just a bonus :)


0056: Although I don't like the fact that C needed to go to the doctor, I did enjoy our time together...just the two of us. We finished up his school work and then played hang man, tic tac toe and the square's game while we waited.

0057: Some much needed play time outside. It is supposed to rain and possibly snow the next couple of days so we took advantage of the partly cloudy skies and 50 degree temp.

0052: We celebrated the 1st birthday of the happiest little boy today. My youngest nephew will turn one this week. This little man is a charmer and such a blessing to our family.

0053: My sweet hubby cleaned the kitchen for me tonight while I was giving Y a bath. I know that this is his least favorite chore so I am that much more appreciative.

0054: The sunshine...we haven't seen it in several days. Today it was in the 40's and it almost felt like summer!

Pictures Week 3

0046: I captured this sweet moment this week during a time out. Although you can't see him, that is J's arm wrapped around his daddy...his coach.



0047: This girl cracks me up, and laughter is a blessing. She says she wants to be a "Chinese bat", which means Chinese Acrobat. This was her latest trick...balancing on her cousin's head.



0048: A quick shopping trip with my mom today was a blessing. We got to catch up at our favorite bulk buying warehouse :)

0049: Long talks with my husband...I'm so thankful that God gave us so many of the same desires and goals.

0050: Hugs and a little snuggle time with my almost 8 year old son.

0051: Cough medicine...I'm thankful we had some. I gave some to that almost 8 year old son before he went to bed because he coughed ALL DAY. I haven't heard a peep from him since then.

0042: A good speech therapist at our local school who is really good with my little girl...I'm thankful for her and the fact that the school is one minute away from my house.

0043: My dad treated me and the kiddo's (and my nephew) to a night at Chuck E Cheese. It's not my favorite place to go but the kids enjoy it so much it's hard to not be happy when we are there. My daddy is a blessing and I'm thankful that he is healthy enough to enjoy his grandchildren.

0044: I loved seeing my second son enjoy doing his reading lesson so much today. He is reading so well now and it is a blessing to be able to help him learn.

0045: The boys started an art class today. They LOVED it! They got to tour some of the museum and do some art. I ran into a friend there as well. Her son played t-ball with J last year and we made plans to go to story hour at the library with our other children next week while the boys have their class.

0040: A science lesson (on cells) that I was dreading, actually turned out to be a blessing today. It was way more fun than I expected it to be...both boys really got into it and now they know the different parts of the cell and their function.

0041: The oven repair man came today. A reasonable repair bill is a blessing because we really did not want to buy a new oven.

0037: A play date/photo shoot with a good friend today. The boys played so well with her boys and the girls enjoyed getting dressed up in their Chinese dresses and trying "NOT" to smile for the camera.

0038: A good Mexican meal provided by my parent's.

0039: Late Christmas presents from my grandmother...my parent's finally made it over to my grandmother's house this past weekend (couldn't go at Christmas b/c of the snow) and they came back with gifts for the kids. My sweet MawMaw is a blessing!

0034: Hearing my daughter tell her brother's what to do today as they played together...they were letting her "lead" the play time and she was loving it.

0035: C (my oldest son) was feeling a little under the weather today. He had a basketball game at 7:30 tonight so we decided it might be good if he tried to take a short nap. J (my middle son) volunteered to entertain his sister so I could lay down too!

0036: I injured my foot on Christmas night. It is healing...and I can ALMOST walk completely normal :)

0031: Being able to worship today with our family and friends was a blessing. We missed church a few Sunday's because of sickness and weather issues, so I was thankful today that we could go and worship together.

0032: My in-laws cook lunch for the family on Sunday's...it's so nice to not have to cook a meal each week and to spend time with our family. I guess it wouldn't be fair to list that one every week, would it? :)

0033: An unexpected phone call from a friend today with plans to get together this week. That was a blessing today and will be a blessing later this week!

0027: My husband's new job is a blessing. I was thankful for it again this week when he was able to take 2 days off without any added stress and just enjoy the snow with his family.

0028: The boys are nearing the end of their basketball season. My husband is coaching both of them (and they are on different teams this year). One of the parent's gave my husband a huge compliment as he was working with one of the kids during a time out. I'm thankful for a husband who is patient and who loves spending time with his children...teaching them many valuable lessons through sports.

0029: Watching three children tackle and run after their daddy during "wrestle time" before bed...such a blessing.

0030: Chocolate chip cookies...yes, they are a blessing when you are craving some chocolate. I enjoyed a few too many of these today :)

0023: The dollar theater...it's a blessing for those of us trying to save money for another adoption but also trying to entertain our children on these freezing cold days.

0024: Seeing a movie at the dollar theater today with two cousins...one who just turned 16 and can drive now! I can see that being a blessing in the future when I need her to babysit :) But it was a blessing today because my children ADORE their cousins.

0025: Healthy children are a blessing. There is a lot of strep and flu going around now but so far we have avoided it. I'm very thankful for every healthy day we have.

0026: Our little toaster oven is a blessing. The heating element in our oven went out and I was very happy when my hubby remembered we had one tucked away in the back of a cabinet.

0022: As I brushed my teeth with clean, cold water and washed my face with clean, warm water I noted the blessing of these things. We did not have water for part of one day this week because there was some work being done on the pipes a few houses down. So I "suffered" without water for half a day (and I can't even call it suffering because we had bottled water). But so many people in this world NEVER have clean, safe drinking water. I do not want to take this for granted.

0018: It's a blessing to home school...we don't have to make up a snow day. We finished school at 10:30 this morning and now we can play!

0019: Having time to read some during the day - a blessing! My FIL gave my husband this book and said it was the best book he read in 2010. I'm reading it now...Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters by Timothy Keller.

0020: A long chat with a friend that I haven't talked to in over a month was a blessing today.

0021: Children who played nicely while I talked to said friend for over an hour...another blessing!

Pictures Week 2

0012: Real snow that sticks and stays around for a few days - an unexpected blessing!

0013: Warm clothes...gloves, hats, coats and red-neck plastic bags to keep our feet warm so that we can play in the snow.



0014: A few extra days off to play in the snow.

0015: A BIL who engineered an amazing hill so that we could all go "sledding" - a cool blessing!






0016: A Chinese restaurant that was opened even when the schools and some roads were still shut down because of the snow...this was a blessing because we HAD to have Chinese food on the 2 year anniversary of when we first met our littlest blessing in China.



0017: Celebrating 2 years with Y...with some of the family that waited so anxiously back here in the U.S. to see that first picture of us holding her.

Pictures Week 1 (with a few blessings mixed in)

I don't think I'll always post blessings to go along with pictures, but I'm going back to last week and I can think of so many blessings to go with these.

This was taken after midnight on 1/1/11...so it can count for the first week! We celebrated the New Year with some dear friends, at their house instead of ours because I was injured and on crutches. So my very first blessing goes along w/ this picture...

0001: Friends who are flexible enough to change plans at the last minute. These friends are a true blessing...they are a loving, beautiful family. We love them and our kids all love each other too!


Three blessings for this next picture:

0002: Children who love playing together.

0003: Boys who have been blessed with creative minds.

0004: Our playroom is a blessing...because for the most part it keeps toys from being scattered all over the house.



0005: It's a blessing to see this little girl grow.

0006: Being able to afford gymnastics classes for our daughter is a blessing. She has grown so much stronger since she started. It's hard to believe that only 2 years ago she was a tiny, weak, 18 pound little 2.5 year old girl who could not walk up steps without help and grunted with each breath because she needed heart surgery.

0007: Seeing how her mind works...definitely a blessing. She came up with this acrobatic spoon trick on her own :)

0008: A fun, playful husband who doesn't mind being climbed all over - a blessing!

0009: Extended family who live in town - a blessing!

0010: Extended family who love this little girl to pieces - another blessing!



0011: This middle child is a blessing. This picture shows his funny side as he couldn't quite get the spoon to balance on his nose whatever he did...so he modified the trick a bit.