Our kiddos slideshow

This is not our adoption video. It will take me a while to get this done since I want to incorporate video. Despite most of these pictures being on the blog already, this is our life the past 3 months. Enjoy

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our rainy morning art project

Yes we bedazzled the cast. Anyone who knows my daughter knows just how fitting this is. We glue gunned them on so I think it's permanent. We'll see what happens when we go to the pool this afternoon. This is way better than a crown. How perfect for this little princess!

Oh and Brian is on a trip. So look what we did honey- hope you like it.

The 15 gallon tub

We have this 15 gallon tub that we fill with ice and drinks for parties. When Callie broke her arm and I was looking for things to play with on the driveway with the little ones, I got out this tub and filled it with water. It was magic. Carter and Anna played for hours in this tub for 2 weeks. They never got tired of it. Who knew that our beer bucket would become the best water toy ever.
I know I posted pics of these 2 already but these capture the days of happiness with their tub. Also looking at their little bodies crammed in this tub was precious to me.
So... instead of investing $50 on a kids water table, I highly recommend the 15 gallon tub from Home Dep**.

Look what we got today!

This morning Callie got her cast removed and a WATERPROOF cast on!! I practically did a little dance in the doctor's office. I know a broken arm is nothing in the scheme of life but it's been a long 2 and a half weeks. I can only play so many games and color so many pictures. The big kids have watched entirely too much TV while I've been playing water in the driveway with the little kids. When it's 95 degrees outside I can't really make Callie play outside- it's just too hot. She can't swing, ride a bike or play in the sprinkler so we haven't even gone to the park.

So we went straight from the orthopedic to swim team practice. She was scared at first to get in the pool but did O.K. once she got in. Carter and Anna are so excited to go to the pool. They are napping right now and when they wake up, this clan is headed to the POOL. It's 100 degrees outside today and I can't wait!

What a wonderful night...

When we traveled to China, we traveled with only two other families. I became very close with one of them and they happened to be in St. Louis this weekend for a reunion for our adoption agency. I knew they were coming and I have been counting the days since their arrival. I posted about this before, but going through the adoption experience with another family is very intimate and you become close friends in a short amount of time. I love this family and I can't even explain how excited I was to see them again. What a special treat for me and my family. I can only hope we all stay in close contact and see them again in the future. We had a great time at our house and the kids all did wonderfully together, giving the grownups time to chat and catch up. I am such an emotional gal, it was another tearful goodbye for me as our friends left but I am so grateful for this reunion and the opportunity for us all to get together.

The 2 families.

The grown ups!

Hunter and Callie

Xiara and Jack

Kiddos and ice cream

Xiara, Jack and Carter

The rugrats




Xiara, Hunter and Anna (Hunter and Anna were adopted at the same time.)

Thank you G family from the bottom of my heart for sharing your evening with us. I will always have a place in my heart for each of you and it was so wonderful to see you all again. I truly hope we all keep in touch and our children continue to know each other.

Lots of love- Jen

Silly Saturday

2 peas in a pod

Since we aren't going to the pool these days, water play on the driveway is the way we have been spending our afternoons. These 2 love it and seem to never tire of it. I try and mix it up from day to day. Sometimes we add soap to make bubbles. Sometimes we add bath fizzies to color the water. As long as they are happy, we are outside in the water. It's just so nice that the simplest things make a 3 year old so happy.

Happy 4th of July

From our little firecrackers.

And a very special wish to one of our newest little Americans.

It's so hard...

being a fashion diva. Not many people can pull off the combination of sunlgasses, a bow, and...

fuzzy winter slippers. Especially when it is 95 degrees outside.

But this little girl is all about looking good and staying on top of the latest fashion trends.

Even if it means sweaty tootsies.

And when you aren't as hip as your sister, just follow along and you too can look just as cool.