Phone Photos

Once again it has been a long time since I downloaded the pictures from my iPhone.  It's fun for me to look back at these because they are just quick and random moments where I don't want to take the time to grab my "real" camera, or when I want to take pictures on the "sly" such as in stores or public places.  :)

Good grief.....there are a ton to post and I'm not nearly posting all of them.  I need to remember to download much more regularly!

Someone learned how to blow bubbles:

Ami is a super volunteer at the Food Bank each month!

I did get out my "real" camera for this one.  It was a gorgeous shot as we came up our hill one afternoon:

Corn maze in October:

Through the screen...I love this picture of fall with leaves on the deck, and our silly cat making itself comfortable on our deck buffet: 

Out for our regular evening walk, I love sunsets!

On our way to Oregon....

....to surprise Amy at Costco!

One stop while following Amy around was for an assembly at Abby and Elisabeth's school.  It was for Veteran's Day and all the kids sang a beautiful patriotic song, making me tear up.  I'll have to post the video because it was just too neat.

Out for a delicious dinner at a Amy's local "Chinese BBQ" (ha...inside joke!):

Amy picking out her birthday present, the cute Daisy:

More clam chowder....I managed to savor some about every day!

Enjoying the gorgeous Oregon coast:

This sign just struck me as so funny and we had to turn around so I could get a picture.   Stop....but really, only if you want to.  I got so lost in their small town, the direction and water (they live on a horseshoe peninsula) kept throwing me off.  My personal compass was all out of whack and I even got turned around trying to get out of town to drive back to the airport!

My fun pal, Elisabeth:

Lunch at SFO on our way home:

The big day!

The cutest little Thanksgiving guest:

In church (I know, sorry!) holding my sweet China doll's hand:

MRI ready in STL:

Treats from the Italian neighborhood bakery to help pass the time at the hospital:

At the dentist for a regularly scheduled check-up....the day after loosing her first tooth:

I had to get my wedding band and my anniversary bands repaired over the holidays.  Ugh, I hated going without them, it felt too weird to have "naked" hands!

Poor Johanna, sick on Christmas Day:

Elijah and Chris....you know where, doing you know what.  Elijah is clearly impressed with his cool dad.  :)

It takes a real man to hold up a Pony shirt in Target....or an awesome daddy who will do anything for his Pony loving China doll.  Seriously, can you believe these shirts are in the mens' clothing section!

A tour bus at the grocery store?!  Yes indeed, folks were boarding the bus when we pulled up to the store.  So funny!

Benjamin is into "The Thinker Pose" and Ami loves to be like him:

Gotcha Day!

It was four years ago today that we anxiously paced the entry area of the Inn of Eight Happiness at Shepherd's Field.  The kids kept peering out the window, hoping to spot their brother first.  And then finally, "I see him!!  He's coming!!"  Sure enough, bravely walking across the courtyard with dear Teacher Wang, Elijah came with a huge smile on his face to meet his awaiting family.  What a very special day that was!

We had been on a long journey to meet the son that we knew God had placed in our hearts.  At first, he was simply a child that we sponsored through the Philip Hayden Foundation.  But it was in the following 2-3 months after that initial sponsorship that God clearly spoke to us.  He was OUR child, he belonged WITH us.  And so began a year and a half long mountain-leveling, gate-breaking, bar-cutting journey to bring our treasure home.  Isaiah 45:2-3 were our promise verses.  God led the way, and an incredible way it was.  We took huge steps of faith, but with 100% assurance that our orphan-loving Father was guiding each step of the way. 

So, on that cold Tianjin afternoon, in walked our miracle.  Our treasure!  Here are some favorite pictures from our first few days together.  And then a few more from our celebration here tonight....out to a yummy Chinese meal with our Chinese student. 

Two very happy brothers, just moments after Gotcha:

Our wonderful Baba Tim, director at PHF:

Oh, how we loved being with the PHF children:

Our second morning together, Elijah slapped a note on my back and ran off.  Later translated...."I love my mommy."  Awwwww....

Elijah's wonderful Teacher Wang;

 

 

Ami Funny

Just a quick Ami funny.  Yesterday in church, Ami leaned over to me and whispered, "We're all sorted out."  Huh?  Again, "We're all sorted out.  Our hair."  Sure enough, there were our two blondies sitting together, then the three browns, then the two black headed treasures.  Indeed, all sorted out.  :)

Puzzled

A Clark tradition growing up was to put together a new puzzle each Christmas break.  For the most part our family has carried on this tradition.  This year with all the extra time at home, we I ended up putting five together.  Yes, Grandpa and Grandma were here to help with one, and a few other random pieces were placed by passersby, but I enjoyed several hours bent over the table placing pieces.  I'm telling you, it was a relaxing break!

We had one old puzzle and four new ones.  We are still puzzled about the bird puzzle....and can't figure out who it is from!  None of our family has admitted to sending it to us, and we can't remember exactly how it arrived in the mail.  So, thank you to whomever will claim sending the birds to us! 

Count them, that's 4,550 pieces!

(We did find the missing piece after I took this picture!)

 

This one made me want to run to Cracker Barrel and shop in their old country store for some old-fashioned candy.  :)

Elijah vs. Iceballs

What can I say....boys will be boys, and Elijah seems to have suffered the brunt of it. 

Thanks to some new snow toys from Uncle J and Aunt Y, the kids have built even greater snow forts and have had even greater snowball wars.  With some warmer temps during the day, snow has become icy and made for some brutal battles!  

Christmas Break

We enjoyed a very relaxing Christmas break.  Chris was off work from the 17th of December and just went back to work yesterday.  We are getting back to school today.  It was so nice to have several days at home without much of a schedule at all.  I can't remember the last time Chris was home for that many days without us taking off for a trip.

So we enjoyed snow, games, puzzles, hot drinks, sleeping in, playing with Christmas toys, a little bit of shopping, a couple of dates, no school, no work, and a warm fire.  I hardly took any pictures and obviously took a bit of a break from blogging, too.  :)

We took our "adopted" grandparents out for dinner.  They are very special to us and have enriched our family greatly.

Happy New Year to all of my bloggy friends and family.  May this year bring many new memories and things to be thankful for.