Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snapshot : 8 months

8 months ago we were in China

We were head over heels in love with a little boy we had just met...

He was almost 4

totally precious

and stole our hearts....

But now we are 8 months ahead

With our precious 4 year old boy

That  picked up a new language and has learned to communicate in 8 months.

We have learned all about his likes and dislikes

His personality

His Contagious Laugh

His love for Power Rangers, Buzz Lightyear, and anything boy.


and it just makes us fall in Love


All over again.
Happy 8 months Andrew!

Wow, I am a SLACKER.

Sorry for the slacking in posts! Lately I have been CRAZY busy! But hopefully I will get back into Normal posting!
First I would like to thank you all for the Birthday wishes! I LOVED them! They made my day even better (:

Anna Grace and Andrew are doing wonderful and I fall more in love everyday. Here is my favorite photo of the week (: Hopefully I will soon be able to give an update worth reading ;)

Sunday Snapshot : 15 years ago

15 years ago tomorrow, God changed my entire life when He allowed me to become a Mommy to the most precious little girl ever born.
I don't know what I ever did to deserve such a blessing. God chose me to be the Mother of my precious Daughter. When she was little we were best friends, spent our days shopping, making pottery, playing babies, and soaking in all the time we had together. This precious daughter of mine has a sweet heart and has always wanted to help others. I am so proud to call her mine.

One of the happiest moments of her life was when we brought Anna Grace home. For the 3 years after she came home she prayed that we would go back to China. She is the reason we have Andrew. Her heart for Orphans, China, and Africa amazes me on a daily basis and I cannot wait to see how God uses her in the Future. Her heart has been broken for the Orphan. I  know He has GREAT plans for my special girl!
Just as the song says
It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly
Happy 15th Birthday Ashton, I love you so!
Mom

{My girl loves comments, can you do me a favor and wish her a Happy Birthday for me?}

Sunday Snapshot : September 11.

September 11 will always be a day that everyone in America remembers. For most it is NOT a happy day. For us, it is.

On September 11, 2006 most Americans spent the 5 year anniversary of 9-11 watching the local news, crying, praying...
But all the way across the world on September 11, 2006 a precious baby girl was born in Chongqing China. She was beautiful, healthy, had gorgeous little almond shaped eyes and had a thick head of black hair.

On September 11, 2006 many mourned, including the birth mother of our precious girl. I cannot imagine what she went through giving her sweet baby up. How can any mother take that lightly? They don't. She didn't have a choice. She did what she knew was best for her baby, our baby. To her I will always be grateful, because of the decision of Anna Grace's amazing birth mom we are now the ones holding her when she cries, playing dress up with her, watching her write her name, and seeing how amazing God really is through the eyes of this child. I pray that today her Birth Mom will know and feel that her baby is safe, loved, adored, cared for, learning all about the LOVE of Jesus, has siblings that will do anything and everything for her, and what a miracle this precious child is to our family. I pray that her birth mother knows how amazing this child is...How smart she is, how beautiful, her smile, her precious personality, her love of everything pink, purple, or Princess, the way she rules our house with such grace, how she can say anything and it makes you smile, and overall that this child is loved by everyone that crosses her path.

On September 11, 2006 a little girl entered the World. But September 11, 2006 was just the beginning to this precious little girl's life....As I kiss my 3 year old sister for the last time and tuck her into her Tinkerbell bed I think about how blessed I am that out of all of the people in the world HE chose ME, me! Silly, 14 year old Ashton to be the big sister to this Precious Girl. To be the one that gets to watch her grow up, Kiss her every night, Greet her with Hugs and Kisses, Teach her songs, Help her learn about the Love of Jesus, Sing to her, Hold her when she cries, Play tea-party with her, Dress her up, take her picture, Make her a Princess, Look at her beautiful face, and enjoy her sweet life. I will be forever thankful to the ONE who went before us and chose Anna Grace to be a part of our family. God had a plan for this little girl's life when she was in the womb HE CHOSE her...He CHOSE ME, and for that I will be forever grateful.

But even before I was born, God CHOSE ME and called me by his marvelous GRACE. -Galations 1:15

One

Two

Three

Happy Birthday Sweet Princess...
I love you more than anything in the World,
xoxo
Sissy




{Yes, this sunday snapshot was a little early but I wanted to honor the Princess' birthday and do a SS so here we go} (: 

Everything and Then Some

 This will be a post of everything and then some

I now have a most wonderful button for my blog!! Oooh yes! (: So if you feel inspired or nice go to the side bar and Copy/Paste this onto an HTML box on your blog and wahhh la there it is (:

Now one of my very best friends, Anna is leaving for UGANDA IN 12 DAYS! Oh my word! Can you say "Wooo Hoo!" I am so jealous excited for her! I cannot wait to see the AMAZING work she does over there, oh and did I mention she is going for 3 months?! Head on over to her blog and check it out...then follow her journey!

Now onto my precious cuties...
I FINALLY had a photoshoot with them the other day and you saw a preview of the photos in my last post... Here are a few more because they are just too cute to not see (:

Doesn't he look SO happy ;)

I think she is happy too ;)

 Actually, I will just make you wait and do another post with all the pictures (:

Sunday Snapshot : Mei Mei and JianHui Love

These two love each other...most of the time.

(Hi Yah!)

They play together, snack together, take baths together, watch Cinderella, Barney, Toy Story, and Power Rangers together.

If you ask me they are best buds....most of the time.

(they think they are power rangers)

They truly do get along and love each other but sometimes (very rarely) we have rivalry...and the occasional fight...


But to get these two to Kiss. You pretty much should have asked a monkey to start speaking English...

Oh man.That.is.a.horrible war. lot of persuading while offering candy. ;)

So even though it looks totally adorable...appreciate the hard work this Jie Jie had to put in...

the bribing, the tears, the yelling (mostly them at each other), the avoiding, the pushes, and everything else....

And see that this ...is Love.




Happy Sunday, Hoping yours is filled with lots of Love!

The Joy of Adoption

Adoption is a process of a lot of joy, a lot of sadness, a lot of being unsecure, a lot of being uncomfortable, and a lot of leaving what you want to do what He wants.

It is amazing to say the least.

When we waited what felt like forever for Anna Grace I never knew how fast that wait would disappear the moment I held her in my arms.

From that moment on I have been HEAD OVER HEELS in LOVE. She did amazingly well. Adjusted perfectly, none of the "terrors" that you hear about happened with her. She was our daughter and we all were just head over heels with our Princess.

If you ever want to know what love is, just adopt a child. I am telling you. I love Anna Grace and Andrew more than my own life.

After 3 years of praying for Andrew, looking at his picture, waiting, and the 2 hours in a hotel room waiting by the door to bring us our son/brother, I never imagined that the wait would disappear in the same way with Anna Grace, but it did. The moment he walked to me and I held him in my arms the world seemed to stop. And I fell in love all over again.

 Andrew's transition was harder than Anna Grace's but he truly did amazingly. He showed that his name meaning "Strong and Courageous" could not have been more true. He left everything he had ever known, with people he did not know, and did very well. I am not going to lie and say everything was "Perfect" but God for sure had his hand on Andrew, Our family, and our Adoption. We were blessed.

Adoption is truly one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced in my life.

It forever changed me

I am so thankful that God allowed me to be a part of the crazy, wonderful, passionate, sad, happy, miracle, and the JOY that has come with Adoption.

I have been forever blessed with two precious blessings that make me who I am.

I love you Twinados ;)

Just Because...

I decided to do this post just because....I spend more time with this family, then my actual family...

I talk to them, see them at least 5 if not 6 days a week...and they have an amazingly special place in my heart

Just because today was a hard day...Our most wonderful coach had to resign. It was his last game with us...So we, as a family, must stay together (:

Because the girls you see in these pictures are my best friends. ;)

Because we are a team.family.friends.

and because I brought my camera to the game today..oh yeah..good idea!

Because they love to be silly and make me laugh

Taking pictures is tons of fun and I just have to share them! (even if you are not interested in any way)

Just because I think the pictures are adorable and I LOVE pictures.

and

Mainly, Just because....

it makes me smile (: