The traveling tree and I need more ornaments!

The shoppers!

I'll have the gift but get me out of here quick!

James and the traveling tree

We put up the tree and I had one helper with the ornaments. The girls usually do disappear after a while because we do have oh so many ornaments. James was thrilled unwrapping each ornament and putting it on one of three bottom branches. Wow was that a funny looking tree when he was finished.

Ali gave him her little tree from her room so he could have a tree in his room. He is thrilled, but little did I know he thought it would be a traveling tree and brought it downstairs the other day! As I saw ornaments decorating the staircase I explained to him it was his very own tree and it could stay in his room! Every night when he goes to bed he props his chin on his hand and gazes into the tree and says I love my Christmas! Every morning when he wakes up he says he needs more ornaments for his tree. He is picky about what he will include when I give him ornaments to put on his tree.


James loved our annual trip to Galena which he has been hearing about for weeks. He didn't know what it was he just knew he wanted to go. So when the day finally came he got to experience it. As we pulled back into the parking lot of the hotel after shopping he shouted there's Galena! He wasn't all that thrilled with the cute little shops, but what young one would be! He is not into Santa but when he heard there was a gift he stuck up for a quick minute with his dad. He loved swimming in the pool and just having fun with his family.

Pumpkins and Family Day!

Spiderman James on a mission!

James celebrating his family day anniversary
with a spider cake he picked out

Found my pumpkin!

The day we got James at the orphanage in China "family day" happens to be Halloween. We got a cake and watched some videos which actually upset James. He sees those and says he wants to stay home with mama and baba- I think he fears going back for some reason and losing his new family. He cried when looking at the videos saying he is all done with Beijing so he still has some very real memories and probably confusion about all of it. He loved Halloween except the scary costumes.

Summer trip to Michigan

Got a fish- I love fishing just like dad!

Taking the boat out! James is in charge!

Loving the water!

One year ago...forever grateful

James and Mom walking out of the orphanage lobby.
James with his new family, he is not sure what is going on.

James just after he was brought in the waiting room.

A year ago a reluctant little boy followed us out of the home he had known for the past three and a half years. We signed countless papers and jumped through all the hoops and began our journey. Our lives were changed forever on that day and we are so thankful for God's direction, guidance, and provision through it all. How many times a week, sometimes in a day, do I look at this little boy and say "is this real, did this really happen?" I looked at James last night when he was going to sleep and time just stopped and I could not believe it had been a year. The beautiful way he has adapted, his contagious laugh, the way he throws himself around and the way he joins in with us and talks at the dinner table. I think some of my favorite times are at the dinner table listening to him interact with his family. You can just see the love he has and wow the countless times a day he tells each of us that he loves us. It melts my heart. I overflow with joy as I watch the beautiful relationships that James is sharing with each of us. Seeing the relationship with dad and his son-whether its watching football, wrestling, reading, going to the store or just hanging out-it is precious!

This is how God has worked and before we even knew it would be James, God knew. God enabled us to love James through the years of prayer as we prepared for our adoption. He prepared our hearts, opened our arms and blessed us in ways we can't begin to count. I know one day James will understand God's love for him. James has asked us from time to time why we love him, why God loves him, and in time he will get it. At times we cannot comprehend how blessed we are and marvel at how much joy God has poured into our house with James. He has entrusted us with one of His children and we are forever thankful. We dedicate James to God and I really cannot wait to see what God does in his life and the plans He has for little James. This is the boy God chose for our family and He has plans for James just as He does for all of our children. We will be forever thankful God gave us the opportunity to be blessed in this way.

We love our little muffin as we like to call him!

My heart still aches and I cry right now as I think of the many orphans who do not know what it is like to be a part of a family, who don't know the love of a mom and dad, the laughter and love of a sibling, and may never learn of God's love. I do not know what our role is in this, but I feel as God continues to stir our hearts, He will give us direction. At times it feels like there is little we can do to help in this monumental problem. It seems too big, but I know God is bigger than all the mountains that need to be moved for these kids. I remember being amazed when I heard a story of some of the nannies in James' orphanage that were Christians. God watches over all of His children.

We celebrate this time and remember without God none of it would be possible.

Celebrating Claire

Claire posing while I play with my new camera!

Claire at one of her first meets

I never got a chance to post around Claire's birthday because we were in AZ. Claire- I like to think of as our miracle baby. We were told she would not make it when I was a few months pregnant. She was such a gift when she arrived, early of course, because she gave me such joy in a time of sorrow when I has lost my mom during the pregnancy.


Claire is a busy girl who likes to be involved in a lot. I remember a teacher once saying she likes to live large. She can be dramatic about things and she has quite a sense of humor. She loves to laugh and keeps us laughing a lot. We laughed the other day on the train from Chicago until we cried playing the no smiling contest. She plays soccer and is on the cross country team this year at the middle school and really loves to run like her dad. She sings a lot too-this can cause problems in the house when others don't want her to sing. She is finally in a singing choir so she can sing more often!

She has just begun a study of the book of Proverbs with her dad. I pray it is a special time of growth for them. This was her idea and she has a heart for God and wants to know Him more and we are very proud of her!
Happy late Birthday Claire, Bunchkin, Care Bear, Clareese -WE love you!

We survived!

First day of school

Soccer-(mass chaos) I caught the only time he was near the ball!

The first week of school. Poor James didn't understand why he had to go and why I wasn't going with. I really wanted to ride the bus the first day, which they used to allow, but they no longer do. He wasn't too excited about the prospect of going to school and when I asked him what he would wear his first day he replied in an angry voice "nothing". I drove him most of the week because he was just not going on that bus. The second day I could barely get to the bus to tell the driver he wouldn't be riding the bus. It was a hard week for James and Mama! The puzzled look when he rode away on the bus was enough to reduce me to a long cry in the house. I believe he likes school though. God provided a dear friend who is actually over at the school helping out in a different class who is able to look in on James and tell me how he is doing! How awesome is that! She even felt a heavy heart one morning and went out to the bus area and found James was on the wrong bus-couldn't believe it! Talk about entrusting our kids to God and knowing He will watch over them.

So I think James will be continuing on with his school career and will like it more and more with time. I caught him singing the days of the week and was pretty excited. He also "ran soccer" this week which was a great surprise considering last week. I say "ran soccer" because he ran around where the ball was. He wore his uniform and everything. Things are going well and James is adjusting to change!