Spring

 We had excellent spring rains this year which made for wonderful bluebonnets.

Its a very Texas thing to do.

And also pretty cute!

Painting is serious business!

Maggie has discovered painting.  She loves it!  She works at it very intently.  Look at that face!

Mixing colors is her specialty.  She has no taste for color application the way the sample picture might show it! 

She intently tries to cover all the space on her figurine and says over and over what color she is using.

When she is done her hands are messy but who cares (well Daddy does but he's not home at the moment)!  The point is Maggie loves her new creative outlet!

Easter last year and this

Last year Maggie did a lot of looking at her brother and sister to take her cues from them.  Wondering what this strange activity was about.  She was also just 2 weeks post palate repair surgery and just barely eating solid foods.

She discovered quickly that the eggs were full of surprises.

This year she had it down.  After collecting her eggs she said "more."

Maggie helped color her first eggs this year and really enjoyed it.  Since she loves hard boiled eggs and egg salad, she be happy later too.

Clearly no cue needed here.  She recognizes and says "Easter basket!"

Fun was had by all!

Even Grandpa!

Christmas pictures, finally

Our Christmas crackers have paper crowns in them.

Maggie with cousin Audrey

We love silly hats.  Uncle Scott's is the best with Santa's feet sticking out of the "chimney"

Christmas eve pj's

Decorating cookies with cousins is a tradition

 San Antonio Riverwalk lights

Wearing the cute hat cousin Rebecca made her

more riverwalk lights

Adoption Finalization Day 1 Year Anniversary

October 2010

December 2010

December 2011

I am absolutely undone, hopelessly infected and I will never recover from this great love I have for this wonderful person!

I am thankful to God for my family and I give Him all the Glory!

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today we met the most amazing person...

 At first we saw just a glimpse of her as she was whisked into a back room,

 But soon she came out to meet us face to face,

At first we bonded through food,

then we bonded through play,

we bonded through bubbles,

and we bonded through more food.

We toured her province and experienced her culture,

as best we could for 10 days,

which was an amazing experience.

We saw things amazing,

and ancient,

and had once in a lifetime experiences.

We brought back what we could for her,

but we couldn't really do her great province justice.

Then we embarked on a long journey, literally the longest day of our lives

and brought this most amazing, wonderful, person,

to her new home!

Stage Fright!

Last week Maggie had her Christmas Program.  She practiced every day at school.  Frequently she could be heard spontaneously singing around the house, using hand signs etc.  But on that day....

She just stood and cried!

Eventually I went to get her and she finished the program sitting in my lap.  We had to go home and have a nap to get over the experience!  Maggie is in good company, her brother Matthew cried at his program a couple of years ago!

(I thought he was crying because they made him wear those big bows!) tee hee

John Michael had no problem being on stage.  It was the halo made of tinsel that got him.  He spent the entire program bobbing his head back and forth until it flew off his head.  At the end he was happy to be the one blowing out the birthday cake for Jesus' happy birthday, minus his halo.

Meghan (pictured right) was just happy to be an angel! No stage fright.