Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Back to School!

I can't believe how quickly the summer flew. Today was the kids first day back to school. I'm happy to get back into a little more routine and structure, but I'm still not ready for summer to end. Hopefully we'll still have a few more weeks of summer weather. I don't feel like I got enough this year. Anyone else feel that way?
It was a bit traumatic for Addie today when the kids left. I didn't think she would even notice, since they are in and out all day with their friends. But when Alyssa left, she just stood at the door and sobbed. She finally calmed down in time for Riley to leave. Then it started all over again. Riley came back in the house once, and Addie said "my Riley came back". It was so sweet, except then her Riley left AGAIN, and the sobbing started all over. We ran a few errands, and kept busy for the morning and that seemed to help. But she has been on edge all night, crying at every little thing. Hopefully this will pass quickly!
Alyssa, ready to go.....
Riley, with very sore teeth, ready to go......
And a picture of Addie, just cause she's so cute! :)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Before.......

After...........
Yep, my guy got his braces on today. Sooner than his older sister, too........
What's next, dating? I don't think so!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

She just KNEW......

When we were camping this weekend, my niece Brooke, Addie and I were watching the beautiful colors of the sun setting over the lake we were on. Just to the left of us, though, was the most amazing, huge MOON coming up over the horizon. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. Brooke and I both tried to take some pictures, but nothing we took seemed to do justice to the beauty we were beholding. You can't tell in the pictures, but the moon was larger than life.
Now we spend a lot of time in our family talking about God and Jesus, and Addie often asks "Where's Jesus?", and we talk about Heaven and God, and how Jesus is in Heaven with his Daddy, God. But to my knowledge we have never talked with Addie about God creating anything. As we were looking at the moon, I asked Addie, "Do you know who made that beautiful moon?" And without a moments hesitation, she practically yelled "Jesus did!!" I couldn't believe my ears. How did she know this?
Romans 1:19-20 (New Living Translation)
19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Wow, talk about the faith of a child.......I stand amazed!!
"Jesus" !!
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Beautiful!

If you are having trouble accessing my blog, be sure you have me bookmarked as www.2china4addison.blogspot.com I originally started this blog without the "blogspot" in the address, and I think that one has expired. Hope that helps if you are having trouble!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Camping

We spent this past weekend camping with my sister and her family, and some friends of theirs. It was a nice break to get away and spend two whole days on the lake. School will be starting next week, soccer has started, and we are not ready to say good-bye to summer yet....
Some of you have asked about my new camera. It's the Canon Digital Rebel XSI/EOS. I'm still playing around with it, and figuring out the settings, but so far, I have no complaints, and I LOVE it!! My last two cameras have also been Canon's, so I guess that is the brand I like! When I find something I like, I stick with it.
Here are some pictures from our weekend....
Brooke and Alyssa, cousins....
Addie and Aunt Lisa, studying the bugs on the boat!
Addie and Luke (cousins)
I love this picture!
2 boats and a waverunner made for a fun weekend!
Going for a swim
Making dinner!
Addie and Brooke at sunset.....you wouldn't believe the full moon we watched come up, it was beautiful!
Addie sat in the tube, but we didn't actually pull her behind the boat. Sitting in it was good enough for her!
Soaking up the sun!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Have I mentioned......

how much I LOVE my new camera?!! We are so busy, running between band camps, soccer camps, soccer practice, dentists, orthodontists, and keeping up with a 2 year old.....but I am still managing to at least keep snapping some pictures! Here are a few of our latest....
This looks like trouble.....
hmmmm.......see who's at the end of the paper?! :) Yep, trouble!!
Riley at the skate park.....and yes, he should have his helmet on - bad mommy!
Painting. Riley was so sweet, he came downstairs with Addie all dressed in one of his old soccer jerseys so he could paint with her. How could I not take a picture?!
My newest way to get Addie to smile so good for a picture? I say "Don't smile" !! Look at the great shots I get! :)

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Happy Referral Day!!

I will never forget that day, 2 years ago, and that phone call. As soon as I saw our adoption agency on the caller id, I started shaking. We had been on our agency's "interested family" list for the China special needs program for quite a few months. As different families received calls every few months, we wondered when it would be our turn. We wondered which little girl God had already chosen for our family....so many questions, so many prayers, so much waiting. Just 2 weeks earlier, our agency (America World Adoption) had received 4 "surprise", out of the blue Special needs referrals. I watched as families posted on America Worlds Yahoo group about their referrals. I tried not to question God......but why weren't WE getting a call? A family posted about receiving a referral of a little girl with a hemangioma on her face. They said it looked like a little birth mark. I was so sad......our Riley had had a hemangioma on his back. We knew exactly what that was. We had seen doctors about it. We were educated and informed! But God had chosen another family for this little girl. I called our family coordinator to ask her about this, and she told me we had only said "minor special needs", but we hadn't specifically said we would consider a child with a hemangioma. I told her to add it to our application. She told me they RARELY get this as a special need. Then told me again, to make sure I understood, they RARELY get this as a special need! Ok, I understood, but please add this to our list. This was a no-brainer. Two weeks later, our phone rang. It was our family coordinator....I was shaking! She asked me if we would be interested in reviewing the file of a little girl with a hemangioma on her hand?! WHAT?? Yes, they recieved another file! Were we interested? Are you kidding.....let us see our daughter! Less than an hour later, Russ was home from work, the kids had been called in from playing with their friends and we were looking at the pictures of the cutest little Chinese baby we had ever seen. She was our daughter!!
3 months later, we were on a plane to China. We were so blessed to be able to travel with the family who had adopted the little girl with the hemangioma on her face(Lucy). Had it not been for Lucy's referral, we would not have known to add the SN of Hemangioma to our application, and we would not have gotten our referral for Addison. Was her referral really a "surprise" to our agency? I suppose it was. But was it a surprise to God? Definitely not!! I truly believe God brought Addison into our family, through that "surprise referral" of Lucy...... 2 years later, and we are still in touch with Lucy and her mom and family. They have become some of my dearest friends! Isn't it amazing how God works, how God blesses, and how God shows himself to us in the best of ways?! This is a picture of Addie and Lucy at the beach last month.....

And here are a few more pictures of Addison now.....she is such a joy to our family. She is a perfect fit for our family, and always has been. I don't think any of us can imagine our lives without her in them. Thanks be to God.....for He is never surprised! How we love this little girl, and how I love to re-tell her story of how she became a part of our family!

Psalm 78:4 .........we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

We love you Addison Grace Xin!!!!!!!!!!