My future NFL Player and my beautiful Mermaid.

Look at what I did.

This is gross!

Here are some pictures from this years Halloween. This was Brooklynn's first year to carve a pumpkin. She loved making her design and kept telling Clint to be very careful when he was carving. It must have been the 10 million times she heard me tell Davis to becareful. Anyway we got these pumpkins when we went to Tate Farms. I will have to get a new battery for my good camera as I now realize that is where those pictures are and that reminded me that I needed to get a new battery. Lucky for me I have a back up camera for these such occassions of me losing my mind. As you can see I managed to get one picture of the Trick or Treaters at the end of night. This is when I realized that I had not taken one single picture. Brooklynn enjoyed going door to door and saying "Trick or Treat", but it soon wore off by the 8th house. We went back home and got warm, but I think she just wanted to eat the candy. Every time she got something new she would try to get it out and I would tell her no we had to wait till we get home. I am guessing that is why our trip around the block was cut short. Davis went with a friend around the neighborhood by himself. He felt so grown up about doing this. We are truly blessed to live in such a safe and nice neighborhood. Braxton stayed at home and handed out candy and watched Halloween. All and all I would say a good time was had by all. Brooklynn has already put in a request for next year to be Tinker Bell. Will see she may change her mind a dozen times before then.

I know it has been awhile since I last posted on our Blog. Just had to make myself sit down today and do this. Anyway, we recently went on the Polar Express Train Ride. This was at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Musem in Calera, Al. Thank you Becky for finding this. We went with our AFCC group and had a whole car full of our precious china babies in there. I have to say it was more fun than I expected it to be and the look on Brooklynn's face when she say Santa was priceless. She did have a moment of silence. I could see her little brain just working and trying to decide what to tell Santa. All she could get out was "ismas Box". Translation on that is all she wants for Christmas is a Christmas Box. The boys even got into the spirit and had a picture made, but that was after Santa pulled Braxton from his seat. It was so much fun to share this experience with our AFCC Family. They are a great group and always full of support and encouragement.

Brooklynn has started Speech Therapy this week and is doing very well. She goes twice a week for 30 minutes. She has had 3 sessions and I already see improvement on her words. Brooklynn made a Santa and she said he is coming soon with her Christmas box. Boy do they catch on quick!

The boys have been busy with school and of course socializing with their friends. They are looking forward to the Christmas Break and believe it or not so am I. This thing with getting up early is just not my cup of tea. I am sure before the end of the break I will be ready for them to go back to school as are all moms. LOL.

September Up Dates

Smiling with Chuck-E-Cheese

I love this Monster Truck!

Roll Tide!!!!

Braxton and Brooklynn having fun!

Brooklynn with Noah

Well, we have kept ourselves pretty busy this past month. Between all 3 kids we have made our rounds to birthday parties this month. Brooklynn had her first visit to Chuck-E-Cheese and she enjoyed the rides and games. She was not to happy with Chuck E himself, so the giant mouse stayed at a distance. Brooklynn got enough tickets that she was able to pick a prize. Suprising enough the boys still like going there.

Our favorite College football team Alabama started off their season. So, it has been football every weekend. I am so glad that football season is here!!! Roll Tide!!! For those of you who are not familar with the south, we love our football. Brooklynn has caught on real well to the sport and she will ask if we are going to watch it.

Braxton has been keeping busy with band at school and hanging out with his friends. He is really growing up fast and I can't believe how he has changed these past 6 months. All the little boy features are fading away and they are being replaced with features of a young man.

Davis is playing fall baseball this year. He really wanted to play football, but we told him he needed to wait until he was in middle school. That will be next year. He is doing well in fall ball and seems to enjoy it.

Brooklynn still is enjoying dance class and goes every Monday. I can't wait to see what they are working on in class. They will have a parent day sometime in November. She also enjoys going to Davis' baseball games and playing with Braxton. She really loves her brothers and says that they are the best.

Clint and I have just been trying to keep up with all the kids activites, as well as our own. We celebrate 15 years of marriage today. We both enjoy spending time with the kids as well as with each other.

One year ago today

This time last year we were landing in China. Exhausted of course, but ready to get our daughter. We still had to get on another plane to travel to her provience. Really if you have never flown a China airline it is an experience, and I thought Southwest was bad. Anyway, we managed to land in Taiyaun tired, hungary, and smelling pretty rough. We managed to meet with our guide and get our luggage. I had to use the rest room, so off to the squatty potty . I remember thinking only use these in cases of emergency. Before we knew it we were off to the hotel, which was about a 45 minute drive, for most normal people driving. I discovered that there are no rules when operating a motor vehicle. I just prayed that we would make it in one piece, thinking to myself how many more times do we have to get in this van.

Finally, we were at the hotel and got all checked in and our guide Mary gave us some instructions for the next day and when we would leave to get our lovely daughter. We went up to our room and lets just say it is a good thing I really love Clint. We got unpacked and ordered some dinner, which we still laugh about today. If you have not heard the story you need to ask, it is too funny to just type it down. We discovered we had I think it was 2 English speaking channels. HBO, which for some reason only showed B movies and of course BBC. We layed down to go to sleep, which Clint seemed to drift off pretty quick, but I layed awake wondering what was Dang You Ju thinking. I thought about if she had grown alot, what her mother thought about when she left her at a train station at 10 days old, and if the father new anything about this child. I wondered if she looked like her mother and had her father's smile. Was she taken care of at the orphanage or just lost in the mix with the other many children's faces. It seemed like I just fallen asleep when it was time to wake up and start a new day, but this time with our daughter and forever family.