Three Years Already???

Friday was our three-year celebration of having Jaelyn in our lives, otherwise known as "Gotcha Day!" She has not lost that twinkle in her eye, and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. Here's a picture of the first glimpse we got of her as she came in with the nanny. The poor girl had thrown up on the drive to meet us, and was quite hesitant around us. This is evident in the family photo Kellen took of us. She actually came out of her shell the next day, and has been all smiles ever since.


And here is our sweetie now...

Quadruple blessing....

Today was a day to reflect on my quadruple blessing that God put on me when He chose me to be the mother to four wonderful children. What did I do to ever deserve that? Absolutely nothing, but I'm glad He did.

Following church the family treated me to a wonderful Chinese dinner, then we headed to the Going out of Business sale at Joe's, where I got to pick out my own present:) Actually I'm not sure how this worked out, but everyone seemed to get presents! We then headed to Tulip Town, the only fields still in bloom. The scenery was gorgeous and the family time priceless.

I want also want to take the time to honor my mom and mother-in-law this Mother's Day. My mom has always been there for me, instilled my love of God, and helped me be the confident person I am today. It's been a tough few months for her in losing her mom, and caring for my other two grandparents, but don't worry mom, I'll be there for you someday too:) My mother-in-law raised four wonderful boys (and the twins couldn't have been easy!), and she has always treated me like family. Happy Mother's Day to both my moms!

Lastly, as I prayed with my girls before bed tonight, I thought of their birth mothers (Tummy Mommies as we refer to them) in China. May the Lord bless them and fill them with peace in any void they may feel, in that they chose life for their daughters. I wish I could share my joy with them, but for now I can only offer up a prayer...

Out of denial....

Well after months of telling Mike he needed to get his eyes checked, he finally came out of denial last week! A typical conversation from recent times:
Me: Wow, your eyes sure are red.
Mike: It's from looking at the computer too long.
Me: Yeah, you need to get your eyes checked.
Mike: No, they're just tired because I've been on the computer too long.
Me: Yeah, that's called eye strain, and it's because you need reading glasses.
Mike: No, I just need to give my eyes a break.
Me: muttering stuff under my breath....

So he wants everyone to know "These are only for reading" but he has made progress in admitting he may not be perfect after all:) I have to admit, he does look quite handsome in them.

Starry Night....

Otherwise known as Prom, 2009! Thought my son looked rather dapper in his tux:)

What Tulips???

Our Bi-annual tradition of going to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival with our closest girlfriends was interrupted this past weekend, due to the fact that there were NO tulips in bloom yet. The festival begins on April 1, so obviously our cold spring has messed up Mother Nature. However, we had a good time together regardless. We braved the street fair with three girls five and under (Josh played big brother to all three), took them to a Children's Museum, and had a joint birthday party (Jan.-Apr.-May) since they live far from one another. By the way, if you live near the area, the tulips are in full bloom now!

Busy Weekend....birthday and Easter

The Sites & Sounds of Seattle....

How is that for alliteration? Hey, what am I doing, I'm on spring break and not supposed to be making this educational! Speaking of spring break, the first few days were spectacular. Sunny, in the 60's, what more could you want for Washington? Yesterday the boys and I played tour guide to one of the exchange students from school who has become a good friend of all of us, and one of Kellen's friends. It was a beautiful carefree spring day in Seattle. We started off by touring the Underground City, which I highly recommend. It is very informational, but entertaining at the same time.

We then headed up to the 35th floor of the Smith Tower for a fabulous panoramic view of the city.



Linde then educated us on European fashion by taking us to H & M where she used Josh as her all-too-willing model.


We wrapped the day up by eating a delicious meal at The Cheesecake Factory. By the way, they do have a nutrition guide if you ask, but I'm not sure you want to see it. And yes, Josh finished the burger, and ate cheesecake!