Black and White Wednesday~ My Kiddos!

My Kiddos are all at home at the same time! So I made them get on the porch for a few thousands snapshots! Not really, but it probably seemed like that many to them. 

We were headed to get our hair cut. My oldest, Zach was headed out the door for a guitar lesson and then headed to work. I was amazed that the kids all had on some shade of green with yellow...and I didn't even make them. So they were color-coordinated too!

Headed back inside...it gets hot early around these parts.

Posing with the cat!

Shek has on his Stay Cool shirt...how appropriate to be wearing that today. It's been HOT HOT HOT! When it was soooo  cold back in the late winter and spring seemed so far away...I was playing that Rascal Flatts song, "Summer Nights"...now I've got the summer nights and days too...But I am still enjoying the summer even though it's HOTTER than usual!

"Just a Swangin'"

Gam with Jolie and Shek at Zaxby*s

Counting the steps...1, 2, 3...start over...1,2,3!

Y'all Come back now, Ya Hear?

Visit

The Long Road to China and back

For other Black and White Wednesday Celebrations!

Sunday Snapshot~Jolie's 2nd Birthday

Wednesday was Jolie's  2nd birthday. We celebrated a little on the day, but had the family birthday party on Saturday. She loves flowers and balloons. So we made sure we had a flower cake and a few balloons.

Jolie soon started to realize that something special was going on, when the balloons came in the door. Then we started hanging decorations around the dining room, and Karlie started making a card, and then the grands showed up...she got excited.

Birthday decorations~ I usually do not go to a lot of extreme when having family birthday parties...and my "BIGS" asked...why the Publix cake...and balloons and all....I said...Jolie has never had a real birthday party before at least not with us. And when she was born...there was no happy pink balloons or bows hanging on her door or mailbox! My kids, said, OH, yeah!...now they all want a publix birthday cake for their next birthday too rather than a homemade one. Ok...I can do that!

Flower cake!

Checking out the birthday gifts, banner and cake with Shek.

Gam made this cute flower card...it's a sunflower and the seeds are brown m&m's...those are my kind of seeds.

Karlie is always thoughtful and makes cards for everyone on special days!

When we sang Happy Birthday, I had to stop singing and let everyone else continue. I just could feel the emotion creeping up...and I was not going to lose it at her birthday party. I was thinking..this child may have never had a birthday cake before...this child was chosen by God to be a part of our family. I am glad we listened! I am glad we had room at our table...I am glad we felt that someone was missing...I am glad that someone was Jolie! I am glad and thankful that God put her in our lives.

Unwrapping gifts...Jolie took off each little piece very slowly...enjoying the process..

ooooooh a toy with buttons! YAH!

Jolie opened some Swanky Baby Vintage clothes that I ordered from jennifer's trunk show! Can't wait for her to wear it to church tomorrow! I know her orange flower will look good with too. She's going to try out Sunday School for the very first time too.

Jolie also has a new pink trike! Daddy put it together this morning while she took a nap...he was so afraid that she was going to wake up and catch him putting it together. But she didn't...it remained a surprise. We used to have a little red one that made it through all 3 of the big kids, but it had been backed over, repaired and backed over again...it finally bit the dust...so Jolie gets a brand spanking new one and Pink to boot! BTW...just look at the precious girl on the trike and the cute man beside her...don't look at the pile of "stuff" in the garage..

Shek shows Jolie how to pedal...in the hot boiling sun.

Jolie had a fun birthday party with the family...and some how I managed to only get shots of Jolie without the rest of the family...but they were there...just not in front of the camera.

Hope your first birthday with us was extra special, Jolie. Happy, Happy Birthday! We love you!

Friends are friends forever

Do you remember that song "Friends are Friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them"... I remember singing that song at High School Graduation....Well, that song comes back to me now, as one of my friends is moving far far away.

Today, Joni, Lorene, and I met for lunch at Mellow Mushroom for one last visit before Lorene and her family moves next month. We all became friends through the Home of Fine Arts Program. Joni is the Boss of HOME and all of our kids have enjoyed taking fine arts classes offered through this home education program over the years.

Aww..three women in a row...we should have done the Charlie's Angels Pose!

Lorene is a super mom! She is the mom of 4, army  wife, and is currently working on her dissertation! Soon she will be Dr. Lorene!  Lorene, has been a wonderful friend to me, praying for us through our adoption, welcoming us home at the airport, and answering all kinds of questions and concerns about Cleft lip/palate. She and her husband have adopted from China and it's always nice to have a friend to call on who has Been There Done That.

Check out my eyeballs?

Lorene, you and your family will be missed, but we are all thankful for technology so that we can keep in touch!

Now I will go in my corner and sing Friends are Friends Forever....

Happy Birthday, Jolie!

June 1st is Children's Day in China it is also Jolie's birthday. In China, orphanages assign birth dates to the children according to what age they appear to be when the children come into their care. They are usually assigned special holidays as birthdays if they appear to have been born near that time. Jolie also shares a birthdate with her friend Emmy who was adopted at the same time from the same province.

For Jolie's birthday we had Chinese food for lunch with Gam, Pop, and Honey! She enjoyed Won Ton Soup, Fried Rice and chicken lo mein...she loves noodles.

Next we headed to Build @ Be@r. My friend Melissa gave Jolie a BABear gift certificate at her shower, and I've been saving it for her birthday.

"Look, Momma!"

 How about this one?

 Choices, choices, choices....

 Honey came too!

Gam shows Jolie some more B@B choices.

I think she got a little overwhelmed!

 She's narrowed it down to the blue bear or the flower bunny....which one will win?

 Choosing a heart !

 Stuffing!

 Awww! Finished product...now for some clothes and shoes!

Jolie got a birthday sticker!

 Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!

 Gam dresses the flower bunny. Jolie picked out a shirt with a flower on it. 

 Now to name her. We named her Flower!

 Flower Bunny!

On the way home...Flower bunny and some milk!  

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jolie! You are a sweet blessing...and we thank God for you!
Stay Tuned...Birthday Bash on Saturday when the sibs are finally home from church camp!