The Crew

May I introduce our crew.

Starting in the back row Dustin 17, soon to be class of 2007 and plans on joining the Marines :(
Second row left: Cody 21, going to college and if he doesn't change his mind he wants to major in sports medicine. Next our neice Dani 18(she lives with us) she works as a technical support person for Alocora. Then there is Jordan 12, 6th grade and she wants to be a teacher. The oldest of the crew Michael 29, he works for a company which requires him to travel all over the US he sets up Lowes, Sears and Kmarts. On the first row Cameron who is 8 her goal right now is to master her already great double dutch jumproping. Then on her big brothers lap is Kennedy. By the look on her face she is probably thinking "what have I gotten myself into?!" The only two missing are our two precious grandkids.

My husband and I went out on a date last night. After 2 hours we were ready to go get our kids! What can we say, we love our kids and this is our life! We wouldn't change a thing.

2 months ago today

Two months ago today I arrived home with our daughter Kennedy Grace. Her transition has been perfect! We have not had one issue. She is a doll baby for sure. Her personality comes out a little more each day. She is very funny and makes the funniest faces I have ever seen on a two year old! She tells us that she loves us and gives the best hugs & kisses. She loves the nursery at church and loves other children. When I first met her I said "Ma yoon Oanh" (sp?) which means Ma loves Oanh. The first time I said it she repeated it back and still repeats it every time I say it to her. She melts my heart. God has been very good to us and this little girl is one more blessing He has chosen for us.
Happy two month "Gotcha Day" Kennedy Grace. You are loved!

Sisters

There is something to be said about sisters. I am the oldest of five girls so I know what I am talking about. I was watching my daughters the other day. They are so beautiful and special in their own way.
Jordan is quiet, shy and very smart. You can tell she is the oldest because she "mothers" her younger sisters. She loves to help me cook, is eager to help any of us and loves to talk about Korea and how one day she may go back to teach. Either way teaching and missions are something she is planning for her future. She has always been and "old soul" and continues to amaze us. For being such a quiet one she is one to be reckoned with on the soccer field. An awesome defender. Did I mention she was recoginized as a "Principals Scholar?"
Now Ms. Cameron, she is a character! This child who came to us at 15 months old was not suppose to walk and possibly be developmently delayed. Are you kidding me?! Besides being highly intellegent, she is witty and funny and so loving. People love to here about her "cameronisims" She crack everyone up and can she give you a look, ouch. She loves life and everything it has to offer. She has a beautiful voice and is a DIVA and proud of it. I look at her and can't beleive this is the little girl we brought home who couldn't even sit up. In Camerons words "look at me now mom!"
Kennedy has been a suprise to say the least. We thougth there would be at least one issue. This child is amazing! We can't sit at the dinner table with out this precious child making sure we all bow our heads to say prayer. Today I put in a cd I picked up in Vietnam. The minute she heard the woman start singing her eyes lit up, she smiled so big and started speaking in vietnamese! Then she picked up the cd and said "Oahns" and smiled and just kept looking at the womans picture. It is sad in a way. I hate to see her lose that part of her. She thinks about Ninh Thuan. When I show her pictures she gets kind of a faraway look in her eyes and gets quiet.
She is so sensitve, smart and loveable. But if you make her mad, watch out!
My three sons love these girls so much! They are so proud of them and very protective. If they have their way the girls will never date! They would do anything for them. Mike and I are so blessed.

She is so awesome!

Today we bought Kennedy her first bed. She has slept with me since the first night I had her and and she sometimes sleeps with her sisters. Anyway we are changing rooms around and she will know share a room with Cameron. We bought her bed and told her it was hers and around 8:00 she was saying night night! This child has absolutley no issues. She is so confident and loving, happy and just plain awesome. Tonight she finally got to meet her oldest brother for the first time because he works out of town. We had been showing her his picture. When she saw him it was like they were old buddies and his heart just melted when she said "hi Michael." She has only been home for about 6 weeks but it seems she has been with us for a life time. Mike and I had not planned on adopting again and came so close to not following the path God laid before us. We are so happy we stepped out in faith. What a sweet blessing we have in MightyOne!

Now we know!

The mystery is solved! Where would a sweet little girl learn to drink cereal from a bowl? HER BIG BROTHER thats who! No kidding we were eating cereal for breakfast one morning and Kennedy picks up her bowl and starts drinking the milk! It seems her and bubby had a few meals together and he taught her in his words "the real way to eat cereal." Never a dull moment.

Kennedy & Kien & Gotcha Day!

This is Kennedy & Kien at a recent play date. Kennedy & Kien were in Ninh Thuan orphange. They hung around together and came home together. I am so happy our families live just a few miles from one another. Kennedy & Kien are very close. No one says "Oanh" (Kennedy's VN name) like Kien. I starts at the toes and comes out in a small roar. He tells Kennedy what to do and she mothers him. Today is the two month anniversary that Kennedy was placed in my arms. Gotcha Day! We celebrate it as "Gotcha Day." Somewhere someone criteqed this term to death until they could find something wrong with it. THEY decided it could harm or insult the children and damage their self esteem. They also compared it to swatting a mesquito. Ok..... I told my 12 year old daughter that and she rolled her eyes and said "Why do people do that? I think of it like I am falling safely into your arms and you or daddy saying Gotcha!" Then she asked that we not change it. Cameron agreed. I promise we are not changing it.

No matter what you call it, Gotcha Day, Anniversary Day, Forever Family Day, it is a great day to celebrate!