Summer Hair

I'm pretty sure she was more excited about donating her hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths than the actual haircut!

I love it, it's so perfect for summer!

Annual Birthday Chair Photo

Happy 8th Birthday Ladybug!

You are sweet, caring, inquisitive, happy, and beautiful on the inside and out.

I love that you enjoy 2nd grade and are doing so well with grades, activities and extra advanced assignments.

Your favorite TV shows this past year were Bubble Guppies and Paw Patrol.

We gave you an old phone that would text and play videos so now you'd rather watch You Tube.

Your favorite videos include stress balls being cut open or blind bags being opened.  

Minecraft was discovered and is your newest obsession.  Although, you'll only play on creative mode, the monster sounds scare you.

Speaking of sounds, loud sounds still bother you...smoke alarms, buzzing noises, or alarm clocks.

You're obsessed with going to the store and shopping.  Money burns a hole in your pocket!  Working on teaching you how to save for special things and tithing.

You enjoy taking piano lessons and are looking forward to softball starting very soon.

Stats:
Height:  46"
Weight: 42 pounds
Shoe Size: 11 Toddler
Shirt: 6x
Pant: 7 (only skinny fit, she really needs a 6 waist and 7 length)

Chinese New Year 2017

We prepared for this year's Chinese New Year celebration with a new red outfit, red envelopes for our friends and we practiced saying Happy New Year in Chinese with you tube.  Ladybug thought that was so cool!  We skipped The Crow Museum's event this year and attended an event at Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie.  It was a little smaller but definitely more authentic.  While walking through the little mini mall I felt like I was back in China.  The smokey air, the ready to eat ducks hanging on a stick as you walked by and lots of pushing and shoving.

We met up with our special friends Becky and Abby...oh and Coco met us there too!!

Happy Gotcha Day!

It's that time again! 7 years ago today we not only saw you for the first time, but we welcomed you into our arms and our hearts for the first time.

Here's a little walk down memory lane.

There were 5 families in the Center for Intercountry Adoption of Hubei Province that day all ready to meet their babies for the first time.  Everyone was anxious and impatient until the babies all arrived.  When they did arrive, we picked you out of the crowd and took this picture to remember the first time we saw you!

You were quiet and apprehensive and bundled up in 3 layers of clothes!  We left with you that day on a 24 hour pass and when we arrived back at the office the next day they asked if we still wanted to adopt you.

What a question to be asked after waiting 3 years and 8 months to even see a picture of you.  After praying and wondering if it was ever going to happen.  After saving pennies and dollars and wondering it it would even be enough.  After trusting in God's timing, because it's always perfect...


Happy Forever Family Day Ladybug!

December Daily - Day 24

We spent this rainy Christmas Eve relaxing and waiting for Coco to get here. Ladybug has been waiting and waiting to open presents and I really felt like she was going to burst with excitement in church tonight. The candlelight service was wonderful and then the wait was over. We had such a great Christmas. I feel so blessed right now!

December Daily - Day 23

I'm still in awe over having 3 days off for Christmas! Not working in retail definitely has its perks and this is one of the best perks. Another perk is being able to do fun stuff with this little ladybug. Tonight we decorated a gingerbread house....except we named it the Maplebread House. It's complete with leaves all over the yard, just like our house. Ha!

December Daily - Day 21

Christmas is saved! T went out of town for a few days and I assured him that I would get this egg wrapped. Well, I couldn't find it. Anywhere! I was convinced someone had broken into our house and stolen it!  Umm, and it was right in the closet where he said it was.  

Sent from my iPhone

December Daily - Day 20

Ladybug is hanging out with The Grands today and it looks like she had some fun baking cookies and checking out all the presents.

December Daily - Day 18

Busy day with church and then afterwards Ladybug went caroling with her choir group for about 3 hours! Oh and the the temperature changed from 75 yesterday to about 35 today, so crazy. We were happy to warm up with footed pajamas and extra blankets. I believe she's put on an extra robe under there too.

December Daily - Day 17

We keep running into Santa everywhere we go! This one was so nice and I was impressed with their little set up in the store. Way to go Walgreens!

We did some last minute shopping today and it sure was wild out there. I don't miss the holiday traffic and those crazy customers one bit.

December Daily - Day 16

We are all three huddled around the table wrapping stocking stuffers. Christmas music is playing and hot cocoa is soon to follow!

December Daily - Day 15

My to do list was crazy long tonight. Teacher gifts and happies for friends and then T comes home from a food show with a ginormous box of goldfish crackers. Of course, then I just had to make classmate happies for Ladybug's Christmas party tomorrow. Nothing like waiting to the last minute!

The Christmas cards weren't going to get done but T stepped up to the plate to help me stuff the envelopes. Hooray, now I can finally get some sleep.

December Daily - Day 14

She's ready, but I'm not!!

December Daily - Day 13

I'm not sure how many years we've done the Lego or Lego Friends advent calendars but it's several! She gets to build something every day and they all go together at the end. Ladybug is a huge fan! Sometimes she lets me build one too.

December Daily - Day 11

Ladybug loves going to choir every week and tonight they put on their Christmas program at church. She looks nervous but she really wasn't....I could definitely hear her sweet voice singing. Oh, and I even knew those songs as much as we practiced them in the car!

December Daily - Day 10

This past summer there was a parade with lots of old tractors and we asked Gdad if we could put Bug Bertha in the next parade. They decorated her up real nice with lights and sat on the back seat (what, your tractor doesn't have a back seat?) throwing candy to the kids. Ladybug had a blast!

December Daily - Day 9

KitKat has been terrorizing the Christmas trees!! Argh!

December Daily - Day 8

Tonight we attended the Holiday Extravaganza at school. Santa was there as well and Ladybug talked his ear off about all of the things she wanted for Christmas!

And here she is with T watching the program. Our December has been so busy thus far!

December Daily - Day 7

We gotta make it over the hump!

December Daily - Day 6

She told us today: I had more than an amazingly stupendous day because I felt like I was the ⭐️ of the school. I got a brag tag at lunch, I got a ribbon for participating at UIL and I was the only one who had to make an elf on the wall. (Not sure if the elf thing is good or bad.)