Another sweetie arrives home...

Well, I love going to the airport to welcome new arrivals from China and this one was extra special. My very dear friend T traveled to China without her hubby and 2 older girls. She was gone 16 very long days and is thankfully home safe and sound with her new daughter L. She is so adorable and has the CUTEST dimples! It almost makes me want to adopt again (that feeling will be gone in about 2 weeks) but we feel our family is complete. They waited 29 months for their referral and left exactly one month after her referral. With Olivia we waited 9 months for her referral and 10 weeks after referral to travel. With Sophia we got her referral in 6.5 months and traveled 8 weeks later. It saddens me deeply that the wait has gotten so long and if you'd have told me 2.5 years ago that the wait would be this long I would have told you that you were nuts. Never in a million years would I have thought it would be this long. To those waiting, please know our prayers are with you all.

The girls and I are off tomorrow on a "vacation" with my mom. We are going to Philly and will get to meet with several different travel mates - 2 from Olivia's and 1 from Sophia's. We are so excited to see these families. One from Olivia's group is someone that she shared a room with in the orphanage and their cribs were beside each other/end to end to each other. I don't exactly know what I was thinking when I agreed to this trip after being home only one week from our vacation but we will go and have some fun. We are talking like we might go over to the Jersey shore one night to see the beach there. I am hoping to take my laptop and camera cord so I can post pictures but I don't know yet if that will happen since the hotel rooms are not wi-fi nor is it free access.

One of my favorite pics...

Our first "baby"......

Our first "baby" is sick. He has been diagnosed as having a heart murmur and fluid around his heart. He is on medication and is doing better. One of the medications he is on is a diuretic which of course makes him want to pee all the time. One of the places he has taken to use as his "place to pee" is MY bed! Oh the laundry this has created. Hopefully he will be on the mend and can do away with that medicine soon.

2006 - 2008.....

I thought it might be fun to see how the girls have changed in the last 2 years. The first picture was taken in July 2006 and was published in the Love's Journey 2 book. The second is last years picture and the last is this years picture. I can't believe how much they've changed. I can't believe that 3 weeks from today Olivia will have her first day of Kindergarten. Yikes!

Home from Myrtle Beach

Well, we are home from the beach! We had a great time relaxing, swimming, hanging out at the beach and playing putt-putt. Olivia has really loved swimming this year. She can now do a cannonball and swim from one side of the pool to the other without assistance. Sophia is enjoying the water too. I am afraid I am going to have to get her some private swim lessons as this group session did not really teach her much as there were (in my opinion) too many kids in the class for her to get much individual instruction. She is trying her version of the cannonball and is having so much fun. I know all you really want is to see pictures so here are a few:

Off to the beach!!

Today we headed toward Myrtle Beach. We stopped for the night in Spartanburg, SC. I usually don't take my laptop but since one of my best friends is in China right now adopting her third daughter I had to bring it. I know she would disown me if I didn't check in on her daily. LOL. Well I also had hoped to update the blog with pictures while we were at the beach but sadly I didn't bring my camera cord so the pics will have to wait. I knew I was forgetting something!

Today was also the last of the swim lessons. Olivia jumped off the diving board without being caught and swam to the ladder with little help from her teacher. We are so proud of her! Sophia did well to and hopefully will do better next year.

Swim lessons

Well, the girls started swim lessons last week and they finish them up this week although we did miss one lesson last week due to Olivia having strep throat and Sophia waking up with a bark like cough. Olivia is improving on what she learned last year and Sophia is just getting started. The water is cold and we've had much crying and getting in and out of the pool but since we have a pool in the backyard not taking (or finishing) lessons is not an option.

Sophia with her teacher (in blue):

Olivia jumping off the diving board:

Holiday World camping......or not.....

This past weekend was supposed to be our annual trip camping to Holiday World. This would have been the 4th year in a row going. After watching the weather all week, we decided that being in a trailer at a campground was not our idea of a good time so we decided not to go. Instead our friends came to our house Friday night for a cookout and swimming. Saturday we went to the Newport Aquarium and had a great time.......