AnnaClaire Day!

Today is a special day. Many years ago on December 5th, my dad asked my mom to marry him. She said yes:) The next December 5th, my parents found out that they were expecting a little blessing...me! Two years ago today, Jeff, Cameron, Allie and I walked into the Civil Affairs office in Nanchang and met our very own little ray of sunshine. We didn't expect the babies to be waiting for us when we got there, but when we walked in there they were. I picked out AnnaClaire immediately. Unfortunately, Jeff had the video camera and was taping another child he thought was AnnaClaire. LOL (I can laugh about it now!) When they called our name to go and get her she was bucking back and forth and grinning ear to ear. I thought that surely there was something wrong with her. What baby would be so happy to meet strangers for the first time? That would be our AnnaClaire! Bless her sweet heart, she was the stinkiest, dirtiest little thing and didn't have any teeth or any hair. On the way back to the hotel from the CA office, she would stood on our laps and jumped (while we held her around the chest, she could barely sit unassisted-such a difference from Allie when we got her). Little ACE radiated pure joy. God has blessed us greatly with each of our children; they all have their own special gifts, talents and place in our family. AnnaClaire is our sunshine. Our road to AnnaClaire was a bumpy one but God always knows what He is doing. AnnaClaire can turn a bad day into a great day with her smile. Thank you Lord for entrusting this sweet angel to our family. We know we are blessed!

After 30+ years, my dream is finally coming true!

I am...ahem...I mean ALLIE and ANNACLAIRE are getting a Barbie Dream House for Christmas. I am drooling over it already. And it comes fully furnished! Is it Christmas yet? Truthfully though, all those years of buying boy toys when the big guys were little and wanting so badly to buy some girly stuff too...well, I am finding that I am enjoying buying for Brady more than anyone else this Christmas. Boy stuff is so COOL!

We are having some issues getting our Christmas picture. Allie fell off the couch face first a few weeks ago and had a giant goose egg on her forehead which turned into 2 black eyes. Beautiful. As that started to heal, she turned up with a big bruise on her cheek. No one knows where that came from. Then at the end of the week, it was finally faint enough to take the picture. WELL (and I know you know where this is headed), yesterday Brady and AnnaClaire were playing with some tea pitchers in the kitchen and I heard a 'bump' and Brady started to cry. Not his 'I'm a little hurt and I need some comfort' type of cry, but the 'I am in PAIN' cry. I go over to him and scoop him up and he has a goose egg on the side of his head near his eye that had already turned bright blue. Today it is even more awful looking. I was thinking we might still be able to salvage the Christmas pics and planned to take them tonight...ha ha. You think I would know better by now. Today Brady was running through the kitchen, fell face forward on the hardwoods and now has a lovely busted and swollen lip to go with his other boo boo. Did someone say Mother of the Year??? Where can I accept my award?

Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

Several people have asked for this recipe so here you go...

Crust:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Mix and press into buttered 13x9 inch pan.


Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar (I use only 3/4 of this amount)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice


Mix filling ingredients and pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Center should be gooey. Do not overbake.

Portraits By Allie

Allie wants a pink camera for Christmas. If she can take a picture this well I think she should have one! Although she apparently forgot to tell the little ones to say 'cheese'. What sourpusses!

Happy Thanksgiving...a bit late

hmmm...does it seem that someone is missing?
here he is!

my haggard crew;)

If only they were wearing green and red...

this could be our Christmas card photo! LOL

Could you say no to this face???

Conference with Allie's preschool teacher & other misc stuff

As soon as I was seated, Miss Amy says 'she's a pistol'. LOL She also said that she was like a little adult and that of all the kids in the class Allie was the most 'her own person'. She also said Allie was a peach, a joy and a treasure. I told her that we agree:)

You know you might have a problem with shopping when...a UPS truck passes you on the interstate and your 4 year old says, 'that guy comes to our house too'.


So much has happened lately...Allie got her Certificate of Citizenship, we had Brady's 6 month PP appointment, Jeff got his new car, Jeff quit the bank, we had some girls from the World Children's Choir stay with us for a few nights, Brandon got a haircut, Brandon finally decided he was ready to get his driver's permit, Ryan has become a sports fanatic and Brady's decided that we might be an okay family.

I don't want to brag...

but I think he's rather handsome;)

Last year's Christmas pic

A visit with MeeAll & Popaw (and Tonka)

 

 

 

 

Misc Pics

 

 

 

 

Yum...candy!

 

Look what I found!

I was cleaning off my desk and found this picture from Christmas 2004 (back when 4 kids seemed like a lot!). Check out Allie's cheeks!

Happy Halloween!!!

a dose of reality

People have asked how I got all three still and looking at the camera at the same time. All I can tell you is that it was a MIRACLE! LOL Here's a more accurate shot...



More Halloween pics to come...

a dose of cute

Our crew

 

I swear I am going to cut their hair while they sleep. Ryan can't even see!

Wonderworks

 

The big boys and Allie had Fall Break last week. We wanted to go to Disney but we still don't have a car that we can all fit into and to our surprise, you can't just rent a big van that seats all of us. We decided to just go to Pigeon Forge/ Gatlinburg since it is so close. We had a great time. I can't remember the last time we ALL had so much fun together. The kids got to do Putt Putt, Go Carts, Laser Tag and Wonderworks.

Brady did have a meltdown on the second night when we returned to our condo. He doesn't do well with things outside of his routine. He seems to be throwing a few more tantrums lately when he doesn't get his way. I am not sure if he is testing us or what. He NEVER gets his way so you would think he would learn, but he hasn't. He had another appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday and doesn't go back for 2 more months. The doctor says he will probably have surgery again in January or February.

Cameron got his senior proofs back and they are incredible. I will share when we get them. AnnaClaire told me the other day 'he not my brother' referring to Brady. LOL Oh, and she is Annie most of the time these days. It's easier for Brady to say plus she tells us that she is Annie. I called her Anna the other day and she is NOT Anna. At least that is what I was told in no uncertain terms. Brady had his first 'American' virus this weekend and I have officially been christened as his mommy if you know what I mean;) He was kind enough to share with some of us so that has been fun. Part of the joy of this virus was stinky diaper after stinky diaper. The other morning when I went to get him out of bed, the first thing he said to me was 'I stink' LOL Allie wants every toy that she sees a commercial for for Christmas. I figure it just means that she isn't picky and will love whatever we get her. ha ha Brandon and Ryan are doing well. Basketball starts soon so I guess we will be busy with that. My parents got the boys a pool table and it just arrived tonight so hopefully we will be seeing more of them. Anything to get them away from those computers...look who's talking, eh?

 

 

 

 

A Day Like No Other

Four years ago today, I got a call from Emily at GWCA saying that we had a daughter. A few minutes later, I opened my email and there she was, my daughter Qiu Xiao Lian. My Allie. The child of my dreams. The most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I was completely smitten. I still am:)

Nothing short of a 'God Thing', exactly 2 years later on October 3, 2005 we got a call from Sherry at HFS that we had another daughter. A sweet little roly poly named Zhuang Lu Qiao. She came into our lives with a huge smile on her face and we have the honor of seeing that smile every single day. My AnnaClaire is as close to an angel as you can get here on earth.

AnnaClaire's Travel Journal
We had such a thing going with this October 3rd date that last year when we were waiting for PA for our little Shan Le Qiang, I really hoped (prayed even) that we would get our PA on the 3rd. There was a post to the CHI group that nothing had been mailed from CCAA before the holiday. I was a tiny bit disappointed that our little man wouldn't share this day with his sisters, but trusted in God's always perfect timing. On October 4, 2006 my phone rang and it was Terri from CHI (House). I was a bit worried about why she would be calling since I knew nothing had been mailed. She told me that we had PA! I said I thought that nothing had been mailed and she said that they had been very surprised when they received them 'last night'. Can you say TEARS??? My sweet boy's PA arrived at our agency on October 3, 2006!!!! God is absolutely TOO GOOD to me. Really. And you know what? That sweet, precious, wild, crazy little boy that God entrusted to me said 'I LOVE YOU' as clear as a bell to me today! With his wide cleft nothing is clear but I said I love you to him and he said it right back...with a big grin. I tell you, GOD IS JUST TOO GOOD TO ME! Thank you Lord for all my blessings. I can't imagine anything sweeter than to be the wife of Jeff and the mother of these six children.

Brady's Travel Journal