Happy Halloween!!

Hope you all had a safe trick or treat and a very Happy Halloween!!!  We have

lots of pics of our little ladybug that we will post later this week!

Our Cutest Lil' Pumpkin

Happy Fall Y'all!!!!

 

I'm Ready....

I'm more than ready to have all of my kiddos together again!  Daniel moved to

 North Carolina in September...I have pictures but each time I tried to post about

 it I began to cry so I didn't do the post.  He is missing his little sister and his

 little sister is missing him!  We're hoping he can come home for Thanksgiving but

if not then, he will be home for almost an entire week over Christmas!!!  We

couldn't be more proud of him for wanting to spread his wings and try something

 new out on his own...but we just wish he was a little closer to home:)

We're Still Here...

It's been a crazy couple of weeks but we are still here!  I'm hoping to take some

fall pictures of our little princess and maybe even the boys if they are up for it

and post them in the next few days!  We are currently on the "hunt"

for the perfect little Lady Bug costume for Gabriella.  If you all know of any cute

ones please feel free to let us  know where we could find one:) 

Thank you for all the kind comments on our last post of "Are You My Mommy":) 

We are so blessed to "know" other families who have BTDT and I can't thank you

enough for all your support! 

Are You My Mommy...

I knew the question would come...one day.  I just didn't expect it when she

just turned four.  It was during bath time.  We were playing and talking and

then out of the blue she looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes and

said "are you my mommy"? I paused, just for a second out of complete shock

and then my mind raced for the right answer; I thought back and remembered

how James Dobson always suggest you answer the question they ask...if they

want to know more they will continue to ask more.  I looked her right in the

eyes and said "yes, I AM your mommy". 

"Did I come out of your tummy like Daniel, Jordan and Nick"?  I replied, "No,

you were born in China and came out of your beautiful birth mommy's tummy;

she is a woman that we will always love and pray for..she gave mommy the

 most precious blessing in the entire world...you".  Gabriella smiled and said

"You love me"?

I said "I love you with my whole heart...all the way to China and back"! 

Gabriella giggled, hugged me and said "Good mama, cause I wuv you too,

this much" and held her arms out as wide as they could go.

I don't know if I gave her the "right" answer according to all the experts on

the subject of adoption but I gave the answer that God put in my heart and

mind to say when she asked...and based off her response I believe 

she understood and knows without a doubt that, yes, I AM

her real mommy!

Blessed Beyond Measure!!

Though I only work about eight months out of the year as a nursing professor,

 some of my weeks can be super busy...and this has been one of those

weeks!  Last night on our drive back from being out of town for a couple of

appointments I heard little sniffles from the back seat....I turned around to

see Gabriella crying...it was obvious she had been crying for a little bit as she

had tears running down her little cheeks.  When she first came home from

China we called it "silent tears" as she was trying to be so brave about

something but her emotions would take over...just like anyone. 

When I saw the tears I broke every law known to man and jumped in the back

seat while Curtis continued to drive in an attempt to  comfort Gabriella and

find out what was wrong.  She looked at me and said "I don't want Mommy go

to work tomorrow, I want Mommy to stay with me"...and she then began to

really cry!  This is NOT like her!  I comforted her and was able to get her to

calm down.  Then, I told her that Mommy has to teach in the morning just for

a little while... BUT when I have to go to work tomorrow evening, for a

dedication ceremony for our nursing students she needs to come to work with

mommy....and did her little eyes ever light up!

Once we arrived home she immediately chose the outfit she wants to wear

and is VERY excited to go to work with mommy!  Curtis was going to drive

down with me anyway so she can sit with him during the ceremony and can

then hang with mom during the reception part with our students and

faculty...who will LOVE having the opportunity to meet her. 

I am soooooooo incredibly blessed to be able to serve at a Christian university

that understands the importance of family, adoption and will welcome

Gabriella with open arms! Our university is dedicated to being a world changer

and we are in the beginning stages of possibly partnering with a nursing

school in China and I am beyond excited about the opportunity! Curtis...is a

little nervous that we may be taking a trip over and that it may lead to filling

out a little more paper work in the future...only God knows what great plans

He may have for our family...but for now I'm feeling blessed beyond measure

with my family, serving where I do and enjoying this incredible life that God

has blessed us with!

 

Friday Favorite....Finally Free!!!!

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Jordan and Nicholas.  Nicholas thoroughly

enjoys boating, tubing and simply being at the lake!

 For Jordan, I feel it represents that he is finally

 free...free from all the negative things

and bullying that went on at his last school.  Free to be the incredible person

that God made him to be; a

considerate, strong, loving, respectful young man who knows exactly what he

wants to do with his life and is

on track to do just that!  Since moving home Jordan has gained 12 pounds!

 He has reconnected with old friends and has made TONS of new friends at

school, on the basketball 

team, at church and youth activities; he has returned to being the natural

leader that he is.  I'm also proud that

Jordan is utilizing the difficult time he went through to encourage and

help others who

have or may be walking in his shoes; this is part of the healing process and

we couldn't be more proud of him

 for doing this!   I'm proud of him for being truthful, for not participating in

things that he knew he shouldn't

 have, for standing his ground, even when those who should have been setting

a good example, chose not to.

 I've very thankful that we are home, surrounded with friends and family who

are supportive,  know and love

us and we feel the same about them!  While we had an awesome church

where we lived, I can't even begin

to describe how good it feels to return to our home church and our incredible

pastor who is so very gifted in

teaching.

As usual I'm including a picture of princess in here too!  We were invited to

spend the day with some dear

friends at their lake and it was a day full of laughter, talking and pure R & R!! 

 We had a wonderful time! 

Gabriella enjoyed getting in the hammock with their son, who she refers to as

 the "nice Jake" and  loves it as

he and his family always enjoy loving on her and spoiling her; it's funny, she

has almost everyone we know

wrapped around her little finger..and I believe that's exactly how she likes it:)