Oh How I Love Them

There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for specially placing them in OUR family.

Oh, how I love them.

Meet Emily

This is beautiful Emily MengYan! I know I have talked about her before, but just to refresh you... She lives at Shepherd's Field (PHF) where Kate lived for 15 months. She captured my heart a few months ago and I began sponsoring her. When we visited Shepherd's Field in October, I was able to meet her and was also told that she had just been matched with a family! Needless to say, I was soooo excited that this precious little 3 year old who I had fallen in love with was getting a family of her own.

Fast forward to this week when I saw a post her family had made on the PHF yahoo group. Yes, her FAMILY!! I am so excited that sweet Emily has a mommy, daddy, and six brothers and sisters waiting for her to come home!

I did want to ask for prayers for Miss Emily. Not only has she been sick, but she has thalessemia which requires blood transfusions. (She has been getting those in China.) However, she really needs to be HOME where she can get all the treatments she needs. So I ask you to pray that she come home in record time. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they wait to bring this special little girl home!

Forever Family Days!

Three special families are in China right now and received their beautiful girls today...

We traveled with the D family when we adopted AnnaClaire and they were adopting Bekah. Bekah is just a week younger than AnnaClaire and their new little one, Leah is just 2 months younger than Kate! The D's have become very good friends of ours and I am so happy that Bekah just got her little sister! Isn't Leah absolutely BEAUTIFUL??

We also traveled with the S family when we adopted AnnaClaire. They were adopting sweet Sarah Lu at that time and now Sarah and her parents are back in China adopting Miss Chayah! Sarah and Chayah's big sister, Staci, is a good friend of mine and I am SOOO happy for her and her beautiful new sister, Chayah! Isn't she gorgeous... and could she look any happier?

This is sweet Ashley Mei, the beautiful daughter of a family whose blog I have following for the past 2 years! Her mommy had emailed me a few months after we got back from China with AC, telling me that our story had played a part in their decision to adopt special needs! Their dossier went to China about that time ours did for Kate and they received their referral the month after us for their sweet girl, Ashley. I would've loved to travel with them but am loving following their trip and so happy to see the F family with their sweet Ashley-girl!

Watching families form just never gets old. I'm not sure it ever will. I still get tears in my eyes watching gotcha videos, seeing gotcha day pictures, etc. It is an UNFORGETTABLE moment and such a miracle. I just love seeing families come together... even if I can only do so through blogs and websites. Happy forever family day to these special families! We love you all and are praying for a safe and good trip and an easy transition for your kiddos :)

22 Months!

(kickin' back in her high chair... don't you love that freckle on her foot?)

I completely forgot to post on Tuesday that Kate is now 22 months old! You would never know she'll be two in just two months just looking at her! She is just at the 18 pound mark!

She is such a sweetie and is talking so much! She has about the sweetest voice I have ever heard! She is doing so well and is such a happy girl! Sure, she can throw a fit... and keep it going... but her sweetness far outweighs :) What a little love.

So, sweet baby, happy 22 months (even if it is a little late!) I love you so much, sweet baby girl!

by the way, thanks for all the prayers for Dad! He is doing great, although slow to get around.

Prayers - UPDATED

(Dad and Kate in China on Kate's Forever Family Day)

Please pray for my dad as tomorrow he is having back surgery! If you followed our trip in China, you probably remember me talking about how he has a herniated disk. He has had pain from this for the past 3 months and his surgery date is finally here. The surgery will be taking place tomorrow morning, so please remember my dad in your prayers... that the surgery will go well, that he would have a quick recovery process, and that his back would be completely out of pain! My aunt drove in from GA today to help out, and we are SO thankful for that. It is, of course, great seeing her again, too! :)

Update: Dad's surgery went great and he was actually able to come home tonight! Thanks for all the prayers... he is in pain from the incision, but the leg pain he had is completely gone. It'll be a couple weeks before his surgery is completely healed, but he is feeling pretty well considering he was in surgery 12 hours ago!

Hook 'Em!

We're all wearing our Texas gear and in the football mode because tonight, Texas is playing in the Fi*esta Bowl against our sweet friends' team, Ohio State! Let's go TEXAS!!! Of course, I do strongly disagree that Oklahoma is going to the National Championship and not Texas (if you don't remember, Texas beat Oklahoma) but it is still a great match up and will be a great game :) Hook 'em horns!!

I know I've talked about my beloved Long*horns a lot. I just have to say once again this season how much I LOVE Colt Mccoy. Not only is he an amazing football player, but he is also a strong Christian. I love that Tim Tebow (Florida's quarterback) said the following of Colt Mccoy, "I was really proud of him because I think he represents college football and his faith extremely well, too, which I really respect as well. I think he's done a good job with everything he's going through." I think it's just awesome that someone he plays with recognizes this in him... what an awesome thing to be recognized for!!

UPDATE: very nerve wracking... but they prevailed :)

The Miracle of Adoption: Our Story

If you followed my first blog, way back when we were not even matched with AnnaClaire and you have followed this blog since the beginning, than you probably know our story. However, I know that only a select few of you that read my blog now read my first blog. And besides... I want our story all in one place to refer back to. So here it goes, the story of our MIRACLES of adoption.

My mom was an only child, so when my parents first got married, she had said she wanted six kids. (And no, this isn't hinting to anything. I really, truly think five is the perfect number for us. And unless God smacks my parents on the head, and practically drops a child in our lap, I think it's safe to say our family is complete.) My dad worked a lot and was gone for business often (in fact, for 2 years, he worked in Toronto and would fly out on Mondays and home on Fridays!) so by the time Drew, Will, and I were here, they were thinking three kids was plenty. My dad eventually got a new job and he only has to travel around once a month- for a night. Obviously, that made everything much easier and took a lot of stress off my mom. A few years later, at the end of October, 2005 to be exact, God laid international adoption on my mom's heart. Note that AnnaClaire was born on October 27, 2005. So right around the time that Mom had dreams of adopting two babies (yes, she had dreams of adopting two all along!) from China, another mommy chose life and had a beautiful daughter, whom she left to be found.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Mom called Dad at work and told him, and he calmly agreed. Adoption had never really been brought up before this point. Over the next 2 months, Mom and Dad prayed about adoption and made the decision to adopt over their 22nd anniversary dinner in December. I will never forget the night that we all sat around the kitchen table in December 2005 and they asked what we thought about adopting a baby girl from China. We were all excited from that point on... and so began our journey to AnnaClaire. We started the infamous "paperchase" in January. We started telling friends and family of our plan to adopt a baby girl from China. We were all so excited. I was 12 at the time and was absolutely delighted that I was going to have a baby sister.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27

We went step by step through the paperchase, and finally on July 5, 2006, we took our documents to Washington DC to get everything notarized and to AWAA. It was a Wednesday, but because of the 4th of July holiday, it was the earliest we could go. AWAA only sends dossiers out on Fridays and they have to be received on Wednesday before 2:00pm in order for them to go out on Friday. We were certain we would not make that cutoff... there was simply too much to do... and a 7.5 hour car ride. For some reason, our sweet Maggie (our dog who died last year) woke Mom and Dad up. They decided we might as well leave. Mom, Dad, and I set off for Washington DC very early and arrived just as one of the notarization offices we had to bring stuff to opened. We actually got that done, our dossier notarized by the Chinese embassasy, and whatever else we had to do in record time. We drove to the AWAA office and dropped our dossier off, just minutes before 2:00pm. It was truly miraculous. We were able to spend a few nights at our cousins and do some touring. On the 7th, we were looking at the White House when our SW called and told us that our dossier had been sent to China! (DTC) (Oh and as a side note, our LID for AnnaClaire was 7/22/06. Yes, we would still be waiting for years more...)

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Romans 8:15

So you're probably wondering how that story pertains to anything. In full honesty, I'm not sure we would have our precious, amazing AnnaClaire if our dossier had been sent on July 14 instead of July 7 (I'll get to that*). You see... earlier in our adoption process, I had found the blog of a beautiful little girl with cleft lip and palate. She was waiting in China for her family to come. That night, I read about special needs (SN) adoption from China and went into Mom's room, telling her that we should consider adopting a SN baby. Being new into the process, and not really knowing much about SN, she kind of nodded her head. That was the end of that- for then. About a week after we were DTC, a packet came from our agency. One of the brochures in the packet was about SN adoption. I had been praying about going SN for awhile now, and I guess Mom and Dad had been, too, because when that brochure came, we knew that God was calling us to go on the SN list. On July 16, we filled out the application and were accepted on the 18th. Three days later, AWAA posted on their weekly updates that they had received four surprise referrals. I remember reading that and yelling down to Mom that they had gotten four referrals, wondering if we would get a call. I don't even know why I so excitedly reported this news to her. Obviously, we were not expecting it. Although not nearly as many people were going SN then than there are now, we had only been on the list for three days. Now for the truly amazing part. You had to have your application turned in my the 18th to be considered for matching in that batch... ours was turned in on the 16th. If we were DTC on the 14th, there is no way we would have gotten that brochure in time to be on the list by the 18th.* When we came home to a message from AWAA on the 24th, we thought they were calling to answer some SN questions we had... how wrong we were. Imagine our shock and surprise when on July 25, they did get a hold of us... they were calling with the referral of a beautiful, 8 month old girl named Chen Xun Hui. (as a side note, out of the batch of four surprise referrals, three were baby girls. AnnaClaire and two other girls, who are part of our "chatty girls" group and we talk to daily, have reunions with, and have the most incredible bond with!)

"For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."
1 Samuel 1:27

We were shocked. Surprised, excited, and faced with a decision. She was beautiful, she was perfect, she was a part of our family already. And when we came upon that realization, we knew that no matter what her "SN" was, she was our girl. My heart experienced something it had never experienced before. I was in love with a baby girl on the other side of the world. A baby girl who I had never met, never seen in person, and only had 2 pictures of. Yet I was SO in love with this baby, my sister. Our doctor happened to be on vacation and thank goodness there was no 48 hour rule then, because the soonest we could take her file to the dr. was in early August! However, our LOI was finally sent on August 11. We waited 102 painful days, celebrated our girl's 1st birthday without her, and finally headed to China on December 7, 2006.

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20

It was a trip that will forever be engraved in my memory, one I will never forget. AnnaClaire Chenhui was placed in our arms on December 11, 2006, at the Hunan Civil Affairs Office. She screamed her way to us, and didn't stop for a couple of hours. However, it was love from the first minute and we knew that her grieving was a good thing. She was absolutely perfect and we loved her more than I ever thought possible. Not every moment was easy, as AC was a huge daddy's girl and SCREAMED when in any one the arms of anyone else. That, obviously, has changed.

"you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God."
Isaiah 62:2b-3

We arrived home on December 20, 2 days prior to my parent's 23rd anniversary... 2 days prior to the year anniversary of the day we decided that we were going to start the adoption process.

It was on that trip that we KNEW that would not be the only time we'd be in China. We were confident we would be back... back to bring home another precious girl.

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy."
Psalms 126:3

The next 6 months were so fun. AnnaClaire grew and changed all too fast. She became comfortable with everyone in our family, and everyone else (she has always been such a people person!) She is the most smiley, joyful child I have ever met. I loved her (and still love her) more than I ever thought possible to love one child. And as each day went on, that love only grew.

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
2 Corinthians 9:15

Soon enough, it was June 2007. We had our 6 month post placement, which meant we could start the process for "Mei Mei 2." Once again, we paperchased. Things seemed to go much faster that time around, as we were so busy with our beautiful AnnaClaire. We knew, without a doubt, that we would once again adopt through the SN program, so we went on the interested families list. Our 1 year post placement took place in December 2007, and we were able to send our dossier to China for "Mei Mei 2", whom we had come to know as Kate. Our dossier went to China on December 14 and was logged in on the 19th. Being on the SN list, we had no idea, no time frame for when our call would come. It could be days, months, weeks... a year. We just waited and prayed for the little girl we knew of as Kate. We were honestly in no rush for that call... we were busy with Miss AnnaClaire and enjoying every moment with her. I remember my heart truly began to ache for my second sister at the end of my freshmen year (May 08).

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalms 33:22

On June 11, Drew (my 21 year old brother) came home from a trip to China. AWAA also posted that a new shared list had been posted and they would be making calls. Something in my heart stirred and I felt like our sweet Kate might be on that list. However, once again, we were not expecting anything. On the 12th, we were Father's Day shopping in Hallmark when a VA area code showed up on Mom's cell phone. It was AWAA. They were calling with the referral of a 15 month old. Her name was Ling Xu Liu. We had a huge storm the night before and had no internet at home. To see her pictures/info, we would have to drive to Dad's office, 30 minutes away. being on the shared list, Xuliu's referral was open for anyone to see. If we really felt like this was Kate, we had to act quickly. We called Dad and he told us to lock her file. With AnnaClaire, we knew it was her by her pictures. However, we knew we were going to have to make a decision without seeing Xuliu's pictures. We quickly called AWAA and told them to lock Xuliu's file. At that point, we had 48 hours to "officially" decide it was her (we already knew it was), take her file to the dr, write our LOI, and send it to AWAA. We ran out of Hallmark and drove to Dad's office. I called him on the way and he had just received the email. He had already looked at her pictures and tried explaining our beautiful girl to us. Her picture was pulled up on Dad's computer screen when we got to the office. She was beautiful, she was perfect, she was Kate. And once again, we knew that no matter what her "SN" was, she was our girl. My heart once again grew. I fell in love with a beautiful girl on the other side of the planet, a baby who I had never met, never seen in real life, and only had 3 pictures of. We took her file to the dr., and Mom and Dad wrote the LOI that night. It was sent to AWAA and China the next day. We waited for our LOA and TA and while waiting, discovered our precious girl was at the Philip Hayden Foundation, a foster foster village which houses special needs kids from orphanages in China. We received priceless info, and about a hundred pictures of our girl... from age four months until the day before we got her. Finally, on October 23, 2008, we left for China. Another unforgettable trip, one that will never escape my memory.

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."
Isaiah 25:1

We took a car to the Philip Hayden Foundation on October 25 and met our beatiful girl. The baby girl who had been in our prayers, hearts and dreams for 3 years. She was ours. Like AnnaClaire, Kate also screamed her way to us. She cried so hard, obviously grieving for her beloved ayi. She didn't stop crying until the minute we got on the bus. She screamed once, and then fell asleep... exhausted, overwhelmed, and probably terrified. Once again, our time in China was not all perfect... there were hard moments. Kate had a strong preference for me. She was also a Mommy's girl, but definitely perferred me. Kate has definitely bonded more and more to Mom since, and is a Mama's girl (who still loves her sissy!), although she still doesn't really go to Dad, which I know is hard for him.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
John 14:18

Kate has come a far way in the past 2 months that she has been home. There are hard days and she has not had as easy of a transition as AnnaClaire. However, she is doing great and we fall more and more in love with her each day. She is a joy and we are so thankful that God has perfectly picked her and made her a part of our family, just as he did with AnnaClaire.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above"
James 1:17a

I have been so immensely blessed. When I tell people that I have 21 and 17 year old brothers and 3 and 1 year old sisters, I get some very odd looks. I mean... how many 15 years olds do you know that have a 21 year old brother and a 21 month old sister? How many 15 year olds do you know of that have 3 and 1 year old sisters period? I love that. I love having little sisters... what would I do all day without them? Sure, at times it gets tiring playing and chasing them around... and some days I do want to just shut my door and do my own thing. But I wouldn't trade my "job" for the world. I'm beyond blessed. My life has been changed and I will never be the same... all because of these two beautiful, Chinese princesses that have become SUCH a part of my life... my sweet sisters.

"I thank my God every time I remember you."
Philipians 1:3

So yes, I spend more time watching Dora, Barney, and Calliou than I spend watching other shows. I look forward to getting my license so that I can take AnnaClaire and Kate out to breakfast, not so I can drive to a show. I dream about working in orphanages in China, rather than whatever most 15 year old girls dream about. I care far more about Chinese orphans than about the latest fashion. Yet none of that would be true if our family had not started the China adoption process 3 years ago. My life has changed. My heart has grown. And it is all because of the journey that God called us to 3 years ago. The journey of the MIRACLE of adoption. Because he had 2 precious girls who needed families, and he knew that our hearts had the capacity to love those two girls. He planned all along for our story to happen. He knew all along that AnnaClaire Chenhui and Katherine MeiLing would be born in the womb of one mommy and the heart of our mommy. He knew all along. Out of the billion people in China, he handpicked these two girls to be in our family. Miracle of adoption? I think so.

"Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Psalm 139:16

When people tell us how blessed AnnaClaire and Kate are and how they needed us, I shake my head. I am the one that has been blessed. And it wasn't them that needed us... I needed them.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

True Childrens Home

Every so often, I get an email from a blog reader who asks me to post about something, whether it be a prayer request, a fundraiser or whatever. I love that because I want to get to know my readers by praying for them, offering them support, and learning about what they are up to. Anyway, the other day, I got an email from someone who reads and comments on my blog often. She had asked me to share about True Children's Home, where she had volunteered this summer. So I wanted to share with you about another wonderful organization in China. Obviously, organizations in China that help special-need orphans are very dear to my heart. And this is a great way to get a blogover while helping 2 great causes :) I'm copying her email, as she explained everything so well...

True Children's Home (TCH) is an incredible American-run organization that provides care for medical special-needs orphans in China. The mission of True Children’s Home is to: save a child’s life, fund corrective surgery, provide post-surgical care, place children with foster families, and facilitate the adoption of TCH children. It is their goal that when a child leaves an orphanage and comes to TCH, they never return to the orphanage again. The most needy orphans are brought to one of their homes (Dongguan and Anji) where they are nurtured and given life-changing medical procedures. Children's needs include: cleft lip/palate, heart defects, low birth weight, club feet, hydrocephalus, anal atresia, etc. One hundred percent of donated funds are used to help the children as all administrative expenses are underwritten by founders Alan and Twila True.

Blogs are a major resource/support for adoptive and prospective adoptive parents. Nikki re-designed my travel blog and after hearing about my trip to True Childrens' Home, she put them on her waiting list. Nikki is a Canadian Anthropology student who is in the process of raising money for her humanitarian aid work. Through her business, Blogs for a Cause, she was able to go to the Dominican Republic for a month in July of 2008 and is now raising money to go to Ethiopia for two weeks in February, and back to the DR for two months next May and June. Nikki stylizes blogs for $30 each. With the $30 that you pay, you will get a personalized header, a matching background, a new layout, and 1 free re-do. Of this cost, $25 goes towards funding her volunteer trips, and $5 goes to a Charity of the Month. From January 1, 2009- February 7th, 2009, TCH is Nikki's Charity of the Month. She does beautiful work and hopes to make a difference in the lives of many children!

For more information, please visit Blogs for a Cause at: http://madebynikki.blogspot.com/ or email Nikki to place an order: ncochrane3@hotmail.com

To learn more about the Children's Home, Foster Care, Medical Care, and Community Outreach Programs and to read TCH monthly newsletters, please visit: http://www.truechildrenshome.org/

Caught!

Yesterday it was lipstick, today it was Reeses chocolate.
(and when I walked in to my room and discovered this, she looked at me and said, "cheese!" which is what she was saying in the picture)

2008 in Pictures

Nothing really special about January... we had just been logged in for Kate though!

In February, AnnaClaire went on her first ambulance ride... and her first train ride!

In March, AnnaClaire helped work at the Show Hope booth at an SCC concert, enjoyed her 2nd Easter, and became fully potty trained!

In April, AC got bangs cut and our sweet and first adoption friends, Maddy and Elizabeth came to NC to visit us!

School got out in May and summer "officially" began!

In June, we went to the Jersey shore to visit some friends from our travel group! However, the big excitement in June was receiving Kate's referral!

I went to Romania in July...

AnnaClaire was baptized in August and we found out Kate was at Philip Hayden... which meant lots of new info/pictures of our precious girl!

Our LOA and TA both came in the month of September

We went to China in October and met Kate on October 25, 2 days before AnnaClaire turned 3!

We came home from China in November and began life with TWO precious little ones!

In December, we celebrated Kate's first Christmas home!

2008 was such a good year for us! (Obviously, since our precious Kate came home!) It was so fun looking back and finding these pictures... it's hard to believe how much AnnaClaire has grown throughout this year! I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for us!

Drew is Home!

Drew came home from China today! AnnaClaire even got to stay up past her bedtime and go to the airport (in her jammies!) with me and Dad to pick him up! She loved holding up the "Welcome Home" sign that we made for him! She was so excited to see her big brother again and smothered him with hugs and kisses when we saw him. He's been gone since August, doing a semester abroad so it is so good to have him home :) Welcome home, Drew!

By the way, I finally got Christmas pictures loaded, and also did our "2 Months Together" post. They are both under this post! (still need to work on a home update for the website... I'm getting there!)

2 Months Together!

Sweet Kate,
It's hard to believe that you have been a part of our family for two months now! How is that so? Why is it that the time we spent waiting for you dragged on so slowly, yet now that we have you, the time is flying? I have loved every minute of these two months that you have been in our family and wouldn't trade this time for the world! I'm going to be honest and say that not every moment has been easy. It is hard when you won't play with AnnaClaire, when you reject your daddy, and when you whine. Those are moments when we have to remind ourselves that you have only been home 2 months... and that's really not such a long time. Things take time and we know that they will only get easier. We love you SO much, precious Kate! I cannot imagine our family without the sweet joy and light that you add! You have come so far in these two months and I know you will only continue to do so. I love you sweet baby!

Happy two months together!

Sissy

For Unto Us...

We had such a great Christmas! It started bright and early at 9:30 am (only kidding about that being bright and eary! How thankful I am that they don't quite understand enough to wake up at 4!) I've said it the past 2 years, and I'll say it again... Christmas is just so fun to watch through the eyes of a little one. This year was especially sweet and joyful watching through the eyes of my TWO precious sisters! It was a little weird without having Drew home, I'll have to say. Our traditional Christmas picture on the stairs is missing an important part of our family...

We were all up until 3am assembling the train table that "Santa" brought the little girls for Christmas. After five hours of assembling, gluing the tracks, putting together the different stuff, etc., I think I can say that I wish there truly was a Santa to do it all for us! Oh well, we will always have memories of putting it together, and the joy that both little girls had upon seeing what "Santa" had left them was PRICELESS.

The minute we walked down the stairs, Kate, with her mouth wide open, dropped her bunny and favorite book and ran over to check it out. AnnaClaire darted right over, with a huge smile. They both love trains and were very satisfied with a train table of their own. We watched them play trains for a while before moving on to checking out our stockings!

AnnaClaire could not have been happier, as she received the "chips and dippin' sauce" that she had asked Santa for. That was the one and only thing she wanted, and she was so pleased to get it! She also got a box of rubber stamps and ink, animal crackers, a Cudoroy bear, a necklace, princess shoes, a ladybug wind up thing, a princess flashlight, and hello kitty stickers.

Kate was also happy with what was in her stocking! She got hello kitty stickers, animal crackers, a Cudoroy bear, a princess flashlight, a ladybug wind up toy, a doll bottle and sippy cup, little pink bunny slippers, a drum, Chinese "puffs" (which are her favorite thing ever and we were excited to find at an Asian market nearby!) and a book. She was also very excited with all of the little things that were in her stocking. Will and I got giftcards, candy, hot chocolate mix, and other things like that. (Oh and I got an awesome Mug for hot chocolate!)

AnnaClaire had the honors to open the first present- the Chinese foot kit from PB Kids. It was from her sweet Aunt Deanne and Uncle Bill and her cousins! (Thanks again, guys!) and she loves it! This is something we have been really wanting to get her, so we were so excited when Aunt Deanne and Uncle Bill sent this! It's SO cute and a perfect thing for our sweet China girl!

As AnnaClaire was opening the first present, Drew called from Vietnam! They had spent Christmas on the beach and he was getting ready for bed. We all got to talk to him, and even Kate said hi, bye, and blew kisses into the phone! She looked very confused as to how a voice was coming out of it. She was very intrigued though and didn't want to let go of the phone! (by the way, he comes home on Tuesday... TODAY! I'm posting this on 12/30, because I couldn't get pictures to upload, but I'm just putting it under 12/25.)

We also love just realaxing on Christmas morning. Our family watches as each person opens their presents, so we get a lot of relaxing time :) AnnaClaire loved sitting up on the couch with her Daddy and brother while watching people open gifts. In fact, she thought that was even better than being the one to open them!

AnnaClaire loved walking around with her princess shoes. She always finds my high heels and will walk around with them, so we decided she needed her own pair, that fit her a little better. She loves them!

AnnaClaire and Kate had so much fun helping open presents, especially Daddy's Texas sweatshirt that they got for him! Daddy has lots of Texas gear, but didn't have a sweatshirt yet, so that was to perfect thing.

AnnaClaire had such a good Christmas! In addition to her train table and Chinese food set, she received little cleaning stuff (a vaccum, a mop, a broom, and a dustpan), a doctor's kit, a bingo game, some art stuff, a play-doh kit, books, and a Mrs. Potato Head (that's what I gave her). She loved everything she opened! She loves being a doctor and has been giving shots, putting on bandaids, checking our temperature, etc. all the time!

Kate also enjoyed all of the presents she opened! That is one thing about my two sweet sisters, they are so appreciative of everything they are given! She got doll stroller, a little diaper bag set for her doll, a cradle for her doll, a band in a box, a ball thing, some little puzzles, spice shakers for her kitchen, finger puppets (which is what I gave her), and books. Will got stuff for backpacking, and I got Ugg slippers, Texas sweatpants, giftcards, money, and lotion stuff.

After most of the gifts were opened, we sat down for breakfast and enjoyed pancakes around the dining room table! Christmas breakfast is always one of my favorite memories. I just love that time when we all sit around the dining room table and eating together. This year was very special with new little addition to our table. We have so much to be thankful for this year, especially the gift of our precious Kate!

Kate enjoyed her Christmas pancakes just as much as everyone else! She has started to get an appetite and she loved her pancakes! Oh and by the way- that's her "cheese" face, which she says when I take pictures of her!

Kate's favorite Christmas gift is her little doll stroller. It is the perfect size for her and she loves pushing it around everywhere. Actually, she is always pushing it! Could she be any cuter pushing her baby? We can tell that she was so cared for and loved in China by the way she interacts with her baby. It really is sooo sweet!

Our neighbor's relatives came home from China with their sweet Lila just before we went to China for Kate. We had met them before they had received their referral, and knew they were coming for Christmas, so we were excited to finally get to meet them! Lila is just a doll and Kate and Lila were so cute together! They had so much fun pushing their strollers together. Kate was also so sweet with Lila. Lila just started walking and whenever she fell, Kate would run over to help her up. She also wiped her nose and would hug on her. So sweet! AnnaClaire, meanwhile, had so much fun playing with the "big girls", our twin, first grade neighbors and their cousin, who is in kindergarten. They were so sweet with AnnaClaire and AC enjoyed checking out their Christmas stash!

We had such nice weather on Christmas- in the sixties, which made it very nice to be outside for awhile. Kate seemed to enjoy herself! I love that sweet angel face... isn't she beautiful?

Once we got back from the R's house, the girls went right back to playing with their Christmas presents! Kate loves her little ball thing and had so much fun pounding the balls with the little hammer and watching them drop down the levels! She is SUCH a good player!

And AnnaClaire enjoyed her new little Bingo game! It's so cute. You push a button to hear the sounds and if you have the picture of the sound that plays, you cover it. Once you've covered the whole board, you get to press the blue button, which tells you that you win. AnnaClaire really enjoys playing it!

Yet, all too soon, it was dinner time and we sat down to enjoy Christmas ham, mac and cheese, and green bean casserole. And shortly after that, the little girls took bathes and headed to bed... and as we winded down Christmas day, and said goodbye to yet another "most wonderful time of the year," I remembered that even though we only celebrate this day once a year, the joy that comes from Christmas happens all year long. We are celebrating the birth of the Savior, one who lives in us, works in us, and reveals himself to us day in and day out. So yes, this day comes once a year. And yes, the Christmas decorations will start to disappear. However, the joy that comes from His birth will continue all year long, and for the rest of the years to come!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6