October...really!

Woke up this morning to our first trace of snow...the boys will be disappointed as they really want a big storm so they could build a snowman.  Ah...to be little and enjoy the white stuff!

Eli is loving his new school.  His self confidence and academics have soared.  Math is absolutely his favorite over reading!  He will finish his math homework lickety split...reading homework is a different story.  Yesterday, he told me that he has a girlfriend.  They used to sit by each other in class, but then the teacher moved everyone around so now I don't sit by her.  So cute!!  Last week, in karate, he graduated to the purple belt.  He was so excited to move up another level.  Two more belts and he gets to start using weapons...oh boy!

Jace is silly as ever.  He continues to work on his speech, which is much more difficult for him, because of his initial palate repair being much more severe than Eli's. I really hope he is able to improve his speech enough to go to kindergarten!  It would be very sad if he had to wait another year as he LOVES school.  Everyday, he asks if it is his turn to ride the school bus (he gets to ride the bus 2x a week for preschool).

My boys LOVE costumes.  I would say they have about thirty different ones in their play area.  Yesterday, I made the Goodwill stop to do our annual costume addition.  I scored four new ones!  It was like Christmas at our house last night!  I even found three with "the puffed out muscles."  The boys love going around the house pretending to be Ironman, The Hulk, Captain American, Bumblebee, etc.

A few weeks ago, I was the fortunate one to bring a group of 4th graders on a three day-two night field trip.  Our travels brought us to Cody, WY and Casper, WY.  The Buffalo Bill Historical Museum in Cody was fantastic...and I really am not a museum person!  The kiddos also went the the rec center in Cody....whoever voted down Cheyenne getting a rec center is nuts!  Our second day, took us back to the museum in Cody then onto Casper.  By the time we got to Casper, the kids were whipped.  The hotel had sent up a sperate area (oh thank you very much!!) for us to have a first-class dinner and breakfast.  I think it was the first time for many of the students to have a linen for a napkin, a salad fork, and someone removing their plate before getting additional food.  Then their was the pool...besides having a blast, it was NOISY!!  All around, it was a fabulous trip..a little long, but everyone had a great time.

Rob is in his fifth week of training for patrol.  He really enjoys his career move to the street.  His schedule takes a bit to get used to...he either works Wednesday-Saturday or Sunday-Wednesday...a little different from the rest of our schedules.  His cousin, Mark, is now staying with us.  He landed a job here in Cheyenne about three weeks ago.  The boys love having another uncle!

The boys with Addy

Eli has the answer to most Mount Rushmore trivia!



Eli lost his 1st tooth...so as Chinese tradition has it, he had to put his tooth on the roof of the house.

1st day of school....1st grade

1st day of preschool

2nd Anniversary of Jace's Gotcha Day

Two years ago, Rob and I were in China anxiously awaiting the phone to ring.  The sound of the phone put us on our feet...only to find out that the adoption agency was running late and instead of 10:00am, they wouldn't be to the hotel until noon...urgh!  Looking back, those two hours really don't add up to much, but at the time it was everything to contain the excitment of meeting our little man. 

The time came.  The. phone.rang. Our hearts were beating frantically just knowing our little guy was downstairs in the lobby.  Would he come to us naturally like Eli? Would he be shy and reserved?  Oh, the thoughts that go through your head as you walk down the hallway, take the elevator to the lobby, walk through the halls of the lobby to the special room that was reserved just for this occasion.  The above picture tells it all...he was so nervous as to what was going on.

However, it didn't take long for Pan Yu to welcome us  his daddy into his world.  For me, it took a few days.  I couldn't even lift him out of his crib.  He was extremely attached to his daddy!

Moving forward two years...he is quite the ham!  He loves to make people smile.  He can also be a little pout, pout fish.  As a matter of fact, I even found a book titled The Pout, Pout Fish.  He hates to have it read to him when he is being a grump!   He loves his brother Eli to the moon and back!  He is still working on a lot of his speech sounds.  (We can usually understand what he is saying but hard for strangers to tell what he is saying).  He has another year at Stride and the Language Clinic.  Hoping by next year, his speech will improve so he is able to go to kindergarten. He loves to play outside.  This summer, he has taken a huge love for the water...hint, hint...hopefully we can get a pool next summer!  He is mommy's little side kick :)

Fall Fun in Denver

Brothers!

Lake Michigan...so cool!

Kinder Graduation and Michigan!

Eli with his award.

Eli's favorite person at his school (the nurse...we love her!)

On our way to Saginaw, Michigan...the boys thought the plane was a tad loud!

Best Store....Ever!!

The graduate and her family (Aunt Lynda, Kelsey, Kennedy, and Mike)

My parents and the boys by the old barn at my grandparents.

Lake Michigan....Eli asked if it was desert sand...not quite!

Trip to Bronners...Christmas super store!

Another family member will attend the great Central Michigan University...Kelsey!

My family...minus Rob (boo!)

Pickeral Lake with Noah, Eli, Luke, and Anna...love this place!

Statue made with numbers...Fred Meijer Gardens

Steph, Lili, Eli, and Jace at Saginaw Zoo

A future doctor in the house????

Gotta love our trip back to Michigan...however, it was a bummer with Rob being at the police academy he was unable to go!!  We missed him like crazy!!  My oldest niece graduated from Swan Valley High School.  We had plenty to do to prepare for the festivities.  On our down time, we headed to the casino for the day.  The boys had their first experience at Kids Quest....its fair to say they weren't in a hurry to leave :)  

Hiking



My brother and niece

My sweets and I



Kennedy working on climbing some rocks.



Just one of the beautiful things you can find while hiking.

Easter Egg Hunt, Easter, and Bowling....Quite the Busy Week!

 

My mama and I

 

Take a kid bowling and he plays on the ball chute...oh yeah!

Mohawk time for Uncle Joe

 

Easter Egg, Easter Egg...where are you!

 

Eli got ahold of my camera...I cracked up with I flipped through my pictures and found this one!

Spring Break Excitement

Eli tested for his yellow belt..he was very excited to pass his test!

 Gotta love the Children's Garden!

 Eli "walking" the dog.

 Can you find the fish?

 Jace lovin on his cousin Kennedy.

 Love this picture!!

  Downtown boot tour

 My boys love statues!

We had a blast during Spring Break!  Nana and Papa arrived (the boys were insanely crazy with excitement).  Eli had to know what states Papa drove through to get to Wyoming.  He can still recite all the states too (funny thing is that Papa left our Arkansas, so Eli had to rework his order of states).  A couple of days later, Uncle Joe drove out...another wild crazy excitement for the boys!  A few days later, Uncle Mike and Kennedy came to visit.  We had a blast with everyone!!