Lela Jade

We are so very blessed to have Chris and Kathy as long-time

friends!! They love our kids and spoil them royally! When we

stepped off the plane with Shaelyn in our arms, Kathy was

there to cry tears of joy with us! She remembers how tiny

and beautiful Shaelyn was. A few years ago Kathy bought this

Lee Middleton doll (Pampered Asian Doll) and said it reminded

her of Shaelyn when she looked at it. She kept
the doll until Shaelyn was older. This evening Chris and Kathy

came over and gave the babydoll to Shaelyn. When she opened

it she was so surprised and giggled with excitement. I was

completely overwhelmed with emotion because it so reminded

me of what Shae looked like when we got her! It was truly

amazing! Anyway, Shae gave the doll the name Lela Jade.

This was the name we recently had picked out for the girl we

thought we would get from China, but of course God gave us a

boy. Thank you Chris and Kathy for giving this doll
to Shaelyn, she will treasure it forever!! When I get to missing
Shaelyn's baby days I will just look at Lela Jade!

Happy 11th Birthday Shaelyn

Shaelyn with her recently stuffed Hello Kitty!

Aiden was sure proud of the bath he was giving his monkey.

The birthday girl at Build-a-Bear. They made her this birthday

ribbon around her neck! It said Shaelyn is 11 today! She was

so proud:)

Out to eat at Shaelyn's favorite restaurant.

On the way home from the mall...both kiddos were happy with their new friends.

Shaelyn concentrating on blowing out her candles. Aiden is

clapping with excitement.

Shaelyn's Littlest Pet Shop cake! She was very happy with her cake:)

Shaelyn and Aiden with their wonderful cousins!

The table is all set and ready to go. The pink bags are treat bags for everyone.

Today we celebrated Shaelyn's 11th birthday! I can hardly

believe that my baby girl is 11 years old!! I took the day off'

from work and we had a day jammed packed with fun! Shae

decided that she wanted to go to Build a Bear again this year,

so we took the kids there this afternoon. Both Shaelyn and

Aiden had a blast! Shaelyn chose a Hello Kitty and Aiden

chose a Monkey. Afterwards we went out to eat in the mall

then Shaelyn went to the Hello Kitty store to spend some of

her birthday money. For the grand finale... we had a family

party at our house at 7 PM. This year Shae wanted a Littlest

Pet Shop theme, and of course Mommy had fun decorating.

All in all it was a terrific day for Shaelyn! We are so thankful

for Shaelyn and for all the joy she brings to our lives. We love

you very much Shae!

This and That

Approximately 2 1/2 years ago this cat showed up at our house. I
had no idea who it belonged to and tried to find its owner. I even
responded to an ad in the newspaper but turns out it was the
wrong cat. Anyway, we decided we would not name him because
we didn't want to get attached and then we find his owner. So,
we decided to call him just Kitty Boy. Well, Kitty Boy has been
our foster cat for 2 1/2 years now:) He stays outside and is great
at keeping all the little critters away. He is huge!! He makes two
of Sophie! This was a picture I took today of Kitty Boy on the
back deck. I thought it was just too cute. Oh, did I mention that
Aiden is crazy about this cat! He feeds it every day:)

As many of you know, I LOVE a bargain and LOVE flowers. Here is Aiden posing in front of the Marigolds we planted this weekend in front of the house. I got them for about 17 cents each!

Here is another bargain I am proud of! I got this TV at a yard sale
for a fraction of what a new one would have been! It swivels, so
you can see it clearly anywhere in the living room and dining room!
It doesn't have the greatest picture (color) in the world but it will
work just fine for us:)

Pool Fun!

Here are some pictures of Shaelyn and Aiden enjoying

the pool. The dog Sophie is always very distraught when

the kids get into the pool. She whines excessively until they

are out. We have a chair we keep beside the pool for

our towels, well she gets up on it and tries to see inside

the pool. She will even stand on the arm of the chair

and stretch as much as possible just to get a glimps.

It is adorable! Don't know what she thinks here little

7 pound Chihuahua self could do to save the kids but in

her little mind she must think she's the lifeguard:)

God Bless America!

Tonight my two "China babies" danced around the yard singing

and waving sparklers! Shaelyn has done this now for many years.

This was Aiden's first:) I couldn't help but think that both of my

kids are celebrating a freedom they would never have know in China.

We are all truly blessed to call this great Nation our home:)

Almost Ten Months!

It's hard to believe that we are approaching our 10th month as

a family of four! It does not seem possible! We just couldn't be

happier with how things are progressing. Aiden has bonded so

well with us and is simply a joy! His language is coming along

nicely and we are proud of him. He is a smart little guy and for

that we are thankful! He loves his big sister "Sissy" and is

very fond of the dog Sophie. We are so very thankful that

he has transitioned so well into our family. God is so good!

Happy Father's Day

Some people in this life are just meant to be a Daddy and Rob is one of them! He simply adores his kids and is so good with them! He is such a hard worker and good provider! Both of the kids love him intensely! There were many years I wondered if Rob would ever become a Daddy. My heart hurt for him at each Father's Day and I would feel such guilt! Now he will tell you that he wouldn't have it any other way! We have gone through some pretty intense storms together but I know Rob wouldn't change the outcome of his journey for anything in the world! He loves his kids and his family and shows it to us each and every day! We love you Rob and hope you have a wonderful Father's Day!

My Dad adores his family and grandkids! He is such a hard worker and instilled in me the value of hard work! After 5 back surgeries and 2 hips replaced, he is still working full time, mowing his yard and tending to his roses. There was a time we thought he would never walk again, but through God's help and Dad's amazing determination, he is still going strong at 67 yrs old. The green thumb this man has amazes me!! At Aiden's dedication they presented us with a long stem red rose. Dad took the rose and rooted it. It is now a bush and has produced roses. The rose you see in the vase is from this bush! I thank God for my Dad and for his example of Godliness! Happy Father's Day Dad, we love you very much!

Rob's Dad (who unfortunately we do not see very often) loves his family and would do anything in the world for them. He is such a good example of faithfulness to the Lord. He loves his church family and is loved by many! It has always amazed me at how well Dad can remember facts. He can tell you exact birth dates, anniversaries, ages and names of MANY people! (And I have a hard time remembering my own families birthdays:) We love you Dad and hope you are with us for many more Father's Days!

Arts Festival

Shaelyn's first oil on canvas masterpiece. She named her piece "Lilly Acres".

Shaelyn showing off her masterpiece. Although she was a

little annoyed that mommy was taking so many pictures

when it was 100 degrees outside :) lol

Shaelyn working on her painting.

Some of the incredible art work made from fruits and vegetables!

Shaelyn being shown how to make a character made from

mushrooms and raisins.

Shaelyn enjoying a strawberry that had been carved to look

like a rose. Notice the awesome carvings in the background,

both made from watermelons.

Aiden's toothbrush critter.

Today we took Aiden and Shaelyn to the Arts Festival at Waterworks Art Center. They got to make toothbrush critters, paper bag hats, and watch a fruit carver make beautiful creations from fruits and vegetables. After hearing a story about a very talented historical artist, Shaelyn got to make her first oil on canvas painting. She was thrilled when she discovered the lady that was helping her paint was going to be her instructor for the art lessons she will be taking in a couple of weeks! She is really excited about taking lessons. The lessons will be on how to draw people's faces. Here are some pictures from our outing today.

More Pictures from NY

Grammy and Grandpy made a penny jar for Aiden just like they've done for all of their grandkids. Aiden was fasinated!

Shaelyn and Grammy on the merry-go-round. They went around 3 times!!! Urghh,

Mommy was sick just watching:)

Grammy and Shaelyn waiting to catch Aiden as he came down the twisty slide.

Grandpy doesn't like to go shopping but surprised everyone by going with us to Walmart. With what you see in the cart, how could he resist??

Grammy and Grandpy took us out to eat for Breakfast. This pic was taken at the Restaurant with Aiden and Arianna.

I'm a little late in posting more pictures from our vacation to New York to visit Rob's parents. We had such a good time and the kids really enjoyed spending time with Grammy and Grandpy. Unfortunately, they do not get to spend much time with them because of living so far apart. This was the first time they had seen Aiden, their first and only Grandson. He wormed his way into their hearts just like Shaelyn 10 years ago. Here are some more pictures from the trip.

Discovery Place in NY

Aiden sitting in the Giant's chair.

Aiden, Daddy and Grandma headed to the 3 little bears house!
Shaelyn watering the vegetables in Peter Rabbit's Garden.
Shaelyn doing her favorite job at Discovery Place - being the cashier at the grocery store!

Aiden digging for fossils.
Aiden trying out his luck at being a fisherman:)
For the kid who LOVES to eat, it came as no surprise that he needed TWO carts at the grocery store!!
Aiden, shopping for produce. He put lots of apples in his cart!
Shaelyn broadcasting the news at the TV news center. There was actually a TV screen that broad casted her picture live!
While on vacation in NY we took the kids to Discovery Place. It was fantastic!! It had everything imaginable for the kids to do. There was even a mock grocery store with tiny little shopping carts and fake food. The kids could "shop" and then take their purchases to the cashier for payment with fake money. The register was Shae's favorite as it really worked and she actually got to scan every one's groceries. There was a bank, a restaurant, an real ambulance, firetruck and fighter jet (indoors) for the kids to get in and experience. They got to dig for fossils, stand inside of a giant bubble, play in a fake hair salon and art studio. They even got to dress in tux coats and perform on stage at "Broadway". Outside of this Discovery Place they had Peter Rabbits Garden with real vegetables that the kids could water. They got to go inside of a Victorian doll house, and even visit the 3 bears cottage. Needless to say, it was an wonderful experience for the kids! I actually enjoyed it too:)

Golden Apple Award

Shaelyn received a special award today at her school.

The Golden Apple Award! This award is given to

two children per class and is selected by the teacher.

It is given to the student that the teacher feels exemplifies

what a good student should be. We were so proud that

out of a class of 23 kids, Shaelyn was selected as one of the

two recipients for this award. Her Daddy, Aiden and

myself were there to see her get this award! We are so

very proud of you Shaelyn!!

1st Professional Family Photo

Here is our first professional family photo. We had

it taken for the church directory. I am so thankful for

my wonderful little family!!

Readoption Finalized!

We decided to have Aiden readopted in NC so that his
adoption record and birth certificate would be on
file in NC. This step is not a necessity but does result in a
birth certificate and adoption decree in English:) It also makes
things a lot easier for when they are required to produce
paperwork such as a birth certificate for school, etc.
Aiden's adoption hearing was this morning at 10:00 AM.
Unfortunately I do not have any pictures because
they do not allow cameras in the courthouse. So....I will
just tell you what happened. We waited for approximately
20 minutes before the Clerk of Superior Court called us
back to his office. He asked us a few questions, talked with
us for about 10 minutes and then issued us the adoption decree.
It was so simple! While the Clerk was talking with us, Aiden
spotted a stuffed AFLAC duck sitting on the desk. He went
and got it and proceeded to play with it for a little bit. I wasn't
paying any attention to him as I was focused on answering the
questions I was being asked. When it was time to leave, I heard
the Clerk ask Aiden for his duck back! Aiden had proceeded to
stuff that duck into his little backpack and was "taking him home"!
I was so embarrassed! Here is my son "stealing" from the Clerk of
Superior Court! I explained to Aiden that the duck was not his
and that he needed to take it out of his bag and put it back on
the desk. He did exactly as I instructed without a whimper. I
was proud of him for that:) Anyway, the clerk got a good laugh
out of it and we left promising that we would take care of this
precious little boy and teach him not to steal! We are so glad
this chapter is done and now we can keep on enjoying our
wonderful little guy!!

Sunshine and Ice Cream!

Today is absolutely gorgeous! Sunny and very warm! I got

these really cute pictures while we were enjoying the sunshine

out in our backyard. I am so thankful for our wonderful

backyard. It is very big and very private! We enjoy lots of

time out here. Aiden is slowly getting use to the big pool. He

is still not very comfortable in it and would rather just play

in his little kiddie pool. We are hoping to teach him to swim

this summer:)

Shae's Project / Report

Shaelyn had to do a project for school and she chose to

report on Poison Dart Frogs. She (uhumm, "we") searched

online for some informational facts and found out some

pretty interesting things about these little critters. She

wrote a very nice report and made a panoramic of their

natural habitat (tropical rain forest). She was very proud

of her project and received some nice comments from

her teacher and fellow students. Her project is now on

display at school.

Proof!

For those of you who think I may exaggerate that Aiden

is into everything....here is proof! This "mess" occurred

in approximately 5 minutes. I had the living room nice

and neat and went into the kitchen to start supper. I

chopped the onion and but the ground beef in the skillet

and returned to the living room. Again, maybe 5 mins

had passed. This is the scene I returned to. Imagine

what he could do in 30 minutes!! lol

Aiden's Big Boy Room REVISED

Until further notice, Aiden's big boy room will be

sportin' his little boy crib:) Oh well, I guess we

will know when he is ready to go to his toddler bed.

One thing for sure...he's not ready yet! Here is a

cute picture of him "vacuuming" his rug.

He was so happy to see his crib back up! So sweet!

Big Boy Bed Update

The big boy bed idea DID NOT work tonight!! Apparently
Aiden is very attached to his crib. He screamed and screamed
when we put him in his new bed. So, I finally brought his pack
and play out and put it beside the bed. He quit crying as soon
as I put him in it and was asleep within minutes. So, I guess the
crib goes back in his room tomorrow:)

Aiden's Big Boy Room

We have been talking about taking Aiden's crib down for a

few weeks now. Well today we were fortunate to find a

toddler bed at a yard sale for $5. After a good cleaning and

a spray paint job, it is good as new! We found the cutest

little comforter set and wall art for a really cheap price too.
So, tonight will be Aiden's first night in his toddler bed/

big boy room. He LOVES balls and keeps going around

the room pointing at all of them and saying "baaalll". It is

so sweet. I asked him if he was going to sleep in his new

bed and he shook his head no! We're not sure how he will do

but are praying that he does well. He is growing so fast.

It's hard to believe that he is now 28 months old! Here

are some pictures of Aiden's "new" room!

Painter Boy

Maybe, just maybe Aiden, will be as artistic as his sister! He loves

to scribble with crayons and his latest love is ....paint with water!

Here are a few pictures of him up at the table having a fun time

with his little brush and glass of water! He had so much fun and

cried when it was time to put it up. :)

Happy Mother's Day

Today was a special day for me as I celebrated being a Mom

to two beautiful children this year. Rob got me a porch swing

for Mother's Day and put it up for me yesterday! I was so

excited as I've always loved a porch swing. The kids

and the dog love it just as much as I do. I know we will get

lots of enjoyment from it. I also had flowers and several

cards spread out on the table this morning! I even had a card

from the dog! Rob had taken paint and put Sophie's paw print

in the card. It was too cute:) To make the day even more

special, I also got to spend some time with my precious Mother.

I took the kids and went to church with my Mom this morning

and then ate lunch out with her and my Dad. I am so very

fortunate to have had a Godly mother who taught me so many

wonderful life lessons. Knowing how much I wanted to be a

Mommy, she longed for the day that I would be blessed with

a baby. She has embraced by two little China babies as if they

were biologically mine and has loved them dearly. I thank God

for my Mom and hope that I have many more years with her!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

My Journey to Motherhood

As my 10th Mother's Day as a Mommy approaches, I am finding
myself reflecting back over a long and arduous journey. A journey
that started out with heartbreak and shattered dreams only to be
replaced with immeasurable joy and not an ounce of regret! This
journey has not always been easy and there were many times
along the way that I questioned God and cried out in anger.
My desire for a biological child once consumed me and I struggled
to understand the reason that my dream of motherhood was so
elusive and unattainable. I couldn't see beyond my grief and I
certainly could not see the beautiful plan that God had in store
for me. Fast forward 10 years and now I SEE! I now can see
that the plan God had for me from the beginning was far better
than my own ideals. God handpicked two beautiful children from
half way around the world and placed them in my heart for me to
love and Cherish for as long as I have life. Through the miracle of
adoption not only did I became a Mom but I saw the beautiful
story of Christ's redemption revealed so vividly. I am so
undeserving of God love but because I have accepted Him, I am
adopted into the family of God and am a joint heir with Jesus.
At the very moment I was handed my beautiful children, they
went from being orphans to being cherished members of our
family and an heir to everything we own. Throughout this
journey to motherhood, I have learned a valuable lesson.
God's ways are far better than our own!! How could I have
wanted it any other way! I can honestly say that I would
not change the outcome of my journey even if I could. I feel
like the most blessed Mother in the world!! The love I have for
these two children that God blessed me with is indescribable. I
thank Him for choosing this path of motherhood for me!

Bubble Boy

This is the scene one can expect when you leave the

bottle of baby wash on the side the tub and leave the

bathroom for 1.5 minutes with a 2 year old in the tub!

I could hear Aiden jabbering, kicking and splashing

the whole time and knew he was okay so I made a

quick trip to the kitchen. When I returned, I noticed

that 3/4 of the brand new bottle of body wash was GONE!

Soon the bubbles began to multiply! He had a blast!

Our Little Lady!

Here is Shae's Spring school picture. She is growing into

such a little lady. It doesn't seem possible that she is

almost 11 years old. Where does time go? I love her

so much and am so very thankful to be her Mom!

A year ago!

It was a year ago yesterday that I received the call that would
change our lives! I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang
and it was our agency representative. She said they had

information on a baby that she thought just might be "ours".

She told me the baby was 15 months old and healthy and then

she said "It's a BOY"! What? A BOY!! Wow, I never dreamed

I would have a son! She told me she'd e-mail me his picture

and his medical information and that we had 48 hours to decide.

Well, in my heart I knew God had already made the decision for

us. Yang FuSheng (Aiden) was meant to be ours! I called Rob

(who was at home) and I immediately left work! I couldn't wait

to see his picture! When I got home we got the e-mail and saw

his cute little face for the first time. We were in love! His special

need of ptosis (droopy eyelid) didn't look bad at all and we just

knew he was ours. We signed the letter of intent and returned
it to the agency within 24 hours! We were then officially on our
journey to bring him home! What a journey, what an experience,
what a joy! His laughter has brought delight to our home
and his curious little nature has made us smile. What would we

have done without this little treasure? Thank you God for blessing

our family with this precious little boy!

Spring at our House

Spring definitely has sprung at our house! I have always loved

flowers so spring by far is my favorite season! It is such a nice

evening tonight so I took the opportunity to take some pictures

of the house, and some pictures of 2 of the world's cutest kids.

Okay I'm a little biased:)

Field of Daisies

I sit at my desk at work and look out the window at this field of

beautiful white daisies. Every day I have thought about what great

pictures that field would make. So...after supper tonight I left the

laundry that needed folded, and took the kids out and got some

really cute pictures in the field. Life is too short not to enjoy the

flowers while we can. :)

WOW What a Fun Day!

Yes, that is Aiden climbing way up to the highest slide! He never hesitated! Mommy was holding her breath. Shae had already gone down it and was headed back up.

Daddy was pulling Aiden and Aiden was pulling the wagon with Shae in it. Aiden was so proud of himself! He just loves having a "job" to do.

Hand in hand, ready to go down the slides.

A very happy boy who just loves being outside barefoot!

Aiden looking through the fence at all 15 of the cute little ducklings.

Wheee! Having a blast!

Aiden and Shaelyn enjoying each other and the beautiful sunshine!

Ahhhh! Aiden sportin' Daddy's sunglasses. He was so cute that Shaelyn couldn't resist squeezing him.

Jump Shae! She did the obstacle course in record time! She is very fast!

Daddy showing Aiden how to pet the horse and Shae waiting her turn to brush the horse.

Today was a fun-filled day! Rob was off so we all went on a

family outing beginning at 8:30 AM. By 9:00 AM we were at

the YMCA's Healthy Kid Day extravaganza. The first 100 kids

got a free t-shirt and tote bag and of course Shaelyn made sure

we were there by opening time of 9:00 sharp! They had an

obstacle course, inflatables, a horse to pet, balloon animals,

popcorn and the works. Aiden wasn't too sure about the horse

but Shaelyn loved it! After the YMC A, we took the kids to the

park. We fed the ducks, saw the animals and mined for gems

at the gem mine. After lunch we headed to another small park

where we took a walk around the pond (Shaelyn rode her bike).

We saw a duck with 15 babies!! They were so cute! After we

let the kids play a little while on the playground at the small

park, we took them to the bigger park just a few miles away.

This park had bigger and better slides. We thought Aiden may

be scared of the bigger twisty slides, but no way! He showed no

fear and seemed to really be having fun. By this time we are

all pretty tired (especially Mommy and Daddy). We ate supper

out and finally came dragging our tired and dirty selves home.

After hots baths and clean PJ's we are ready to settle in for the

night! Wheeee, what a fun and tiring day!!