Holiday Parade 2012

It's hard for me to believe that the holiday season is already here.  Today I did major grocery shopping to prepare for Thanksgiving with family this week.  I bought a big 24-pound bird!

Yesterday was our city's annual holiday parade, in which our church's puppet team always has a float.  Elijah and Johanna wanted to watch on the sidelines, Johanna helped with the puppets, and Michaela and Benjamin walked the parade route handing out candy canes.  The weather was great, not nearly as bitterly cold as it was last year.  My favorite part was the "buy one get one free" at Starbucks after the parade.  :)

(Cute photobomber, eh?!)

This group of girl scouts stretched for over two blocks!

Elijah and Ami worked the paraders....waving and hoping for candy.  :)

Johanna was commanding the puppet in the blue shirt.

 

Ami insisted on taking her Ranger Rick binoculars so that she could look far down the parade route.

Yes, they shared the loot with their other three siblings (minus the Daddy Tax).

November Fun

Just catching up on a few random photos from November.  Here is Ami diligently working away at copying her memory verses for Far Above Rubies, then the girls at gymnastics, and jumbo Marshmallow awaiting her next prey.

Last night we enjoyed meeting with our Families with Children from China (FCC) group for a fall festival.  It's sweet to see so many almond-eyed beauties in a room together in the middle of the USA.  We don't get together that often, but we have met often enough that our kids have made friends and look forward to the get-togethers.  Johanna has yet another "Amy" in her life, one that she has been old-fashioned pen pals with over the last few months.  We also took our "adopted" MU Chinese student along with us for the evening.  (Oops, I failed to get a picture of her!)  She has been in the States for three months now and said this was her most fun time so far. 

One Less

There is one less orphan in this world today and we are SO very happy!  Elijah's best buddy in China, Joseph, met his forever family yesterday! 

I have written about Joseph a few times on our blog.  He has been heavy on my heart ever since we began the adoption process for Elijah.  We knew from numerous pictures that these two boys were good friends, and my heart already grieved at the thought of Joseph being left behind when Elijah came home with us.  We have prayed for five years now that God would match Joseph with a family, and those prayers have finally been answered.  We even prayed many times, asking God is we were to be his family, but never found the open doors.  Now we know....God's timing is perfect.  Joseph only had six more months before he aged out of the system....but God! 

We've already been in touch with Joseph's (now Kai Joseph) family, a wonderful Christian family, and can't wait to see him in the USA and allow the boys to chat over the phone.  We've laughed at the thought of Joseph with a Texas accent, but oh how sweet it will be to hear his voice....to know that he will be receiving the necessary heart surgeries to give him greater opportunities in life.  Oh how we rejoice!!

Two sweet boys, orphans no more!

The Oregon Coast

I've visited Amy three times now, and have experienced different weather each time.  This time seemed to be quintessential Oregon weather.  It was rainy off and on the whole time we were there.  On Sunday afternoon, Amy and I enjoyed a drive along the coast.  Despite the rain and clouds, it was still beautiful.  I love the ocean, and the rugged coast is something so different from my southern California beaches.

We also enjoyed some more yummy clam chowder, and more Dutch Bros.  :)

Early Monday morning it was time for Benjamin and me to head back to the airport.  We had such a wonderful visit.  I am so blessed to have this friend in my life.  She has been there for me through thick and thin and has enriched my life so much.  She has been an iron-sharpening friend, one that has allowed me to enjoy a true David and Jonathan friendship.  Despite the miles between us our friendship has grown over the years.  From first knowing her as an acquaintance in college, to reconnecting many years later when we adopted our first girls together in China, to celebrating special birthdays today, she is a treasure.  I love you, Amy!

Here Kitty, Kitty....

With birthday cash burning a hole in her pocket, Amy wanted to get a kitten for her birthday.  She made some calls and we stopped at three different places, finally settling on a cute polydactyl.  What is that?!  Well, it's a cat with extra thumbs, making its paws look like mittens.  So cute!  Meet Princess Buttercup.  :)

 

You can see her paws more clearly in this picture.  She is a sweet kitten.

On Saturday night, Josh hosted a Bunco party with sixteen kids.  Benjamin had a lot of fun meeting more friends.  Besides hanging out with Danny and enjoying computer games, movies, and junk food, he also enjoyed the two "little sisters", Abby and Elisabeth.  You can tell they are growing up with big brothers, as they enjoyed tackling Benjamin.  They are two tough chickies!

Oh, the yumminess of Dutch Bros!  Yes, we had it every day.  :)

More from the Oregon Coast tomorrow!

Birthday Surprise

For the last four months I have been planning to fly out to Oregon to visit my very best friend, Amy.  She was turning the big 4-0 and her husband wanted to plan a surprise event.  Well, it was a success and she was totally surprised!  Benjamin got to join me on this trip, as he is friends with Amy's boys.

Benjamin and I flew into Eugene on Amy's actual birthday.  Their family was passing through town on their way home from a trip up to Portland.  I had arranged with David to meet up with them (in our rental car) at Costco, where they typically stop.  The timing worked our perfectly.  With the help of David's texts, we found them in the meat department.  We hid behind some displays and I called Amy to wish her a happy birthday.  I watched as we chatted, but she wasn't able to talk long because she was busy shopping in Costco.  :)  After she hung up I ran up from behind and gave her a hug.  She said, "Who is this?!", and turned around to find me and Benjamin.  She was in shock, shed a few happy tears, and we hugged and hugged.  So fun!

 

David drove the kids the remaining two hours home, and Amy and I took our time going home in my rental, stopping for a yummy seafood dinner on the coast.  Oh, I love me some fresh clam chowder!

So, the next day I tagged along with Amy in her Mom Taxi.  It was fun to be with her for all the running around in person, instead of accompanying her on the phone as she taxis around.  I even got to hear Josh and Nate in their jazz band perform at an assembly at Abby's school.

 My sweet buddy, Elisabeth

My main job in the evening was to keep Amy company for dinner.  I know, not so tough.  The tough part was that I had to time things just right and have her home in time for a surprise birthday party.  Amy made super early dinner reservations, and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to fill the exact amount of time, but we managed.  She had not a clue until we pulled down her road and it was lined with cars.  David had about 40 people waiting inside!  So fun again!

Happy birthday, Amy!  It was so fun to pull off this surprise.  You have an awesome husband to plan all of the details.  We are so glad we could be a part of it!

I'll post more from the trip tomorrow.  :)

October Misc.

Catching up on some pictures that didn't get posted....

Benjamin devised a tool to truly test if he is taller than Michaela.  The proof is in the level....not quite yet!  He's determined that he'll be another inch by Christmas so that he'll be as tall as me.  We'll see.

Gotcha Day Eve we had pizza at our favorite local pizzeria, then the Red Plate on Gotcha Day.

Pumpkin Carving

Halloween tradition at our house isn't trick-or-treating, but rather pumpkin carving.  It's nice that the kids are getting old enough to do it on their own without the adults having to get messy!  This year Michaela and Benjamin paired up, Elijah took his own pumpkin, and Ami and Johanna worked together to make a cat (complete with tail in the back).