Photos from the New Camera...

We purchased a new camera in order to keep up with the girls. Here are a few pictures. Enjoy.

Nothing much....and lots...

Yes, both girls are in their toy basket. Big fun!

So this will just be a quick update of some of our life events...

• The girls got dedicated at Church Saturday night! It was a special time for us. Six months ago we couldn't imagine our lives this full, but Saturday night was the reality. Many of our friends and family came just for the three-minute ceremony. It just proved that our girls be raised by one big, loving village. And we're so thankful! (Thanks to Aunt Robin for hosting a dessert party afterwards at her house! It was perfect!) God is good and we wanted everyone to know that Abby and Laney are not ours, but our Heavenly Father's. Thank you for taking part in that!

• A HUGE THANKS to those of you who donated to the Yifeng SWI snow relief effort! Our girls were at the Yifeng SWI for the first 22 months of their lives and we're so thankful they were taken care of. You all stepped up and help make life even better there! Due to the recent snowstorms, they were without heat and needed to purchase some new heaters. Well, everyone gave above and beyond and they didn't just purchase three new heaters, but SIX new heaters! They were also able to purchase some formula and other necessities. YOU DID THIS! YOU SAVED KIDS' LIVES! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

• We FINALLY got Abby's Certificate of Citizenship corrected, which meant that we could get her SS card. Well, we received it last Thursday (we were getting our taxes done on Friday)! However, the lovely government made yet ANOTHER mistake. Both girls now have the SAME Social Security number!!!!! How frustrating! Thankfully, Tony got in contact with Congressman Pence's office (they offered to help us before---and did, on another occasion) and they are helping us work it out. It might take three weeks, but we'll take it! We know they wouldn't have been quite as apologetic if we called them. THANKS AGAIN to Congressman Pence's office! (Debbie you have been just great!)

• Since we know we'll get a little something back on taxes, we did go ahead and make a family purchase. NO, it wasn't a minivan! It was a nice camera. My mom got us our other digital camera and it has worked perfectly. However, you couldn't adjust the shutter speed and, man, these girls are fast. Tony found a great deal on a Cannon Rebel XT and we LOVE it. We've taken hundreds of pictures already! We just haven't figured out how to download them yet...or upload them, or whatever. So, no pictures from that camera this time. I'm sorry. But just wait until you see some of them. They're amazing!

• Otherwise, life has been great. The girls are growing every day. I am just flat amazed at their vocabulary too. Just when you think they can't communicate with you, they throw out a word like, lid, mickey mouse, house. They're amazing. I'll be sad to start back to work full-time next week.

Ok, that's it for now. I just had to post before I got chastised for the lack of updates! Have a great Tuesday and remainder of the week!

Happy 3 Month Anniversary Girls!

Our beautiful girls...we've been together three months today!

Dear Sweet Abby and Laney,

As of today, you have been with us three whole months! Time has surely flown! It seems as though just yesterday we were nervously sitting in very hard chairs listening to the cries of newly formed families in the Civil Affairs office in China.

We blinked and now we've been together three months! It is amazing that we have only known one another that long. It seems as though we know you inside and out. We know every silly face you make, every squeal or cry, your favorite foods, and can understand almost every word you speak.

Just this week, you have added many new words to your vocabulary. You tell each other, "No, no, no Mei Mei!" and "Help, Baba!" You've also been connecting more words like, "Mama's drink". We're so proud of you!!!

When you were especially quiet this evening, we knew you must have discovered something new. And you did! You are now strong enough to open the refrigerator on your own and get your cups out to drink! This is both scary and exciting at the same time!

You are also learning about thanking Jesus. Before we ate dinner tonight, Abby, you immediately closed your eyes and folded your hands in prayer. We almost forgot to thank Jesus, but YOU reminded us! And you two pray so sweetly before bed that our hearts just overflow with love. We know God is rejoicing in your love as well! WE thank Jesus for YOU!

You have grown too! In China, you were both at 23 pounds. Laney, you now weigh 23.8 pounds, and Abby, you weigh 24.8! You're growing little by little and we LOVE that we get to witness it! We love every single ounce of you!

You make us laugh daily! We swell with pride at each new thing you accomplish, and cry over each fear you overcome. Because we have learned so much about you over the past few months, we're excited to see what the future holds with you!

It's just unreal that God chosen us to be your parents for forever and always. We are blessed beyond measure. Happy Anniversary Baby Girls!

We love you!

Love,
Mama and Baba

Click each column to see our many faces!

Make a postcard - it's easy!

The Girls' Homeland

Ok, friends and family...Laney gave you a little bit of information about the serious situation in China right now. They have been hit by record-breaking snowstorms, and it has brought a lot of the country to a standstill.

Well, today, the information got a little more personal. Our daughters' Social Welfare Institute (orphanage) has been affected greatly. Although Yifeng SWI was not the ideal place for our girls to spend nearly all of their first two years of life, it is those staff members and nannies that kept our daughters alive and loved until they could come home.

We are fortunate to belong to a Yahoo group of families that have children from the Yifeng SWI. One of the mothers took the initiative to find out how severe the situation was for the SWI and contacted Love Without Boundaries (LWB). This is an organization of volunteers in China that works with various SWIs on nutition, medical issues, education, and foster care programs to improve the lives of orphans.

Several of us emailed LWB to find out how serious the situation was and what we could do to help. Below is the reply I received today.

Thank you everyone for your concern for Yifeng. I just received an email from our facilitator in China and Yifeng is in desperate need. They are in one of the worst hit areas. Director Yao has said their solar heaters (for heating water) and all their air conditioners (which are also used for heating) have all broken due to the cold. The normal power supply has not been restored to their area yet but the local government has given the orphanage the highest priority so their lights are on. The local government has also given money for blankets and coats for the children but it wasn’t enough for all the children and the price of formula has jumped 30% . Director Yao has asked for 3 A/C units to keep the children warm as a first priority. The price of the A/C units (wall or tower) are $350-$625 each so we would need between $1050 and $1875 for all 3 units.

Now, a little information about Love Without Boundaries (LWB) and how to donate. LWB is a volunteer organization so 97% of all donations reach the children. Also, all donations are tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt for tax purposes. We can take donations either online or by check.

If you would like to donate online go to www.lovewithoutboundaries.com and click on ‘Donate’; click ‘Other’; enter your information and in the ‘Notes’ section please write ‘Yifeng Orphanage Assistance’.

To donate by check make your check payable to ‘Love Without Boundaries’ and write ‘Yifeng Orphanage Assistance’ on the Memo line. Mail your check to: Love Without Boundaries, 306 S. Bryant St., Ste. C, PMB 145, Edmond, OK, 73034.

Thank you for your help and if you have any questions please feel free to email me at kate.finco@lwbmail.com.

Kate Finco
Director of Special Projects
Love Without Boundaries
www.lovewithoutboundaries.com
'Every Child Counts'


You know where this is headed. First of all, pray. You prayed for our girls and our family so much, and we felt every prayer. I'm asking you to rise up and do that again...but change the direction. Pray for those little babies, and those little toddlers, and those younger children, and the pre-teens, and teens, and nannies, and directors. Pray that they are all able to stay warm. Pray that sickness doesn't overtake the staff or the children. Pray that the little ones that are coming home soon, can do so safely. Pray that those who haven't found forever families thrive well enough to do so. Pray that the directors make wise decisions on behalf of the kids. Pray that everyone at Yifeng have full bellies and warm beds. Simply put. Pray.

Beyond prayer, Kate laid it out how we could donate. I'm amazed at how giving people are...around the holidays. We're included in that. But now is the time to think bigger than yourself. Think outside of Indiana. Think across the world where your granddaughters, neices, cousins, and friends, Abby and Laney, lived. Their best friends are there. Their first caretakers that represent the only love they've felt before all of us are there. They need us now. It doesn't matter how much...just give. You gave so much before and the impact was staggering to our family. Now give again, to make an impact worldwide...in the lives of orphans.

I could go on and on, but I won't. Honestly, it's bigger than me. Jesus challenges us to do this.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Thank you!

Laney's Turn

It's MY turn!

OK, so Mama said that it's my turn to do the post. FINALLY! Get ready, I have a lot to say!

I haven't been feeling so hot this weekend. Well, actually, I have been super hot. I have been running a fever off and on. I'm not sure who to blame. Abby was sick last weekend and is again this weekend. She keeps coughing. Mama has been with some sick kids at her school. And Baba's sick now too. He said he blames Mama for his sore throat and my sickness. It's ok though, we still love her. Besides, it hasn't slowed me down much!

My cool cousin Jarrett spent the night last weekend. He was BIG fun! Here, he pushed me on my trike! I love him so much!

So you want my take on what has been going on around here? Not too much, really. I was doing this "potty" thing for a week or so. It was a hoot. Every 20 minutes or so, Mama or Baba would say, "Potty, Laney?" and of course, I'd echo it back to her (they don't call me a mockingbird for nothing) so then they'd whisk me off to the potty. I'd do my thing, they'd cheer and clap and I'd get some major attention. All for doing that?

Well, things were fine if they'd remind me, but I'm a kid and playing is my job. So I'd be hard at work and forget to mention that I might need to go. That made Mama and Baba frown, but we'd try it again later. I did try to get their attention sometimes though. I'd try to make eye contact and I'd do this thing that I learned in China. I'd drop my right hand down to my side and point at the ground. *shrugs* I'm not sure why they don't understand that motion here. Maybe I'm supposed to TELL them I have to potty. Who knows...they're teaching me so much I get confused sometimes! I'll get it soon!

These are my pretty toes after Mama painted them!

Other than that, we've been hanging out with Jiselle and Jessica in the mornings. I have a really good time there. It takes me a few minutes to warm up to the idea, but once I hear the other girls, I remember how much fun I had there the day before! Those girls are teaching me so much! Their Baba, Jerry, is pretty nice too. He fixes great mini-pancakes! I can't get enough!

Here I am at Chinese New Year in my red gown!

We went to the Chinese New Year party Abby was telling you about. We had a really good time. I ate lots of Chinese food, decorated a mouse cookie (because it's the year of the mouse/rat), practiced my chopstick skills, played with a hula hoop, and tried to hang out with the older girls. I wasn't afraid one bit! Abby had fun too.

We're practicing our chopstick skills on some Apple Jacks. It's harder than it looks!

Everyone kept saying, "Ohhh, the twins!" But I don't see the big deal. I mean, seriously, Abby gets on my nerves sometimes. Especially when she spots the microphone (thanks Lynn) that I wanted first, or takes my chair at our table. I'm trying to be nice though, so if I ever grab a toy she has, I give her something to replace it. See? I try!

Here I am trying to figure out what to give Abby so I can get my hands on that hula hoop!

Abby and I got to go to Mama's school last week too. We got to dress up in our red gowns again. Mama left the squeakers in our shoes too. That's always a hit! The preschool class was taking a trip to China! Now, I don't think it was a real trip, but they were learning a lot about China. They knew more than I did! They said "Happy New Year" in Chinese and counted to seven in Chinese! I just don't understand it here though. Mama and Baba are always trying to get us to speak English and here are some kids learning Chinese. So which is it???

Speaking of, well, speaking...Abby and I have been learning a lot. We are now telling Mama and Baba things without them saying it to us first. I just realized how when I say certain things, it will get me attention or what I wanted. Want to know some of my favorites? "Drink". Yeah, I use that one a lot. I'm one thirsty girl! I still use the sign with it just in case they aren't listening. I also say "cold" a lot because every time we go outside it is SO cold. I have stopped crying when Mama puts me down near the snow now. I know it isn't as scary as I thought it was. But if it's too cold, I still cry...loudly! I hate the cold!

I also use "Varoom" a lot when I'm looking at, watching, riding in, or playing with cars. I love cars. Actually, Abby and I both do. We love watching monster trucks with Baba. It's about the only show we'll sit still for. But I heard a loud varoom the other day and, boy did it scare me. Mama said he was just scraping the ice and snow to the side of the road, but he looked so close to me when I looked out the front window! Bet you can guess what I did...yep, cried. Mama loved on me though and I felt safe again. When he went by later, we all just waved and said "Bye-bye" and it was ok. (As long as I could see Mama, it was ok) Abby, well, she wasn't afraid of him though. She's a pretty brave sister.

Ok, well, I've talked long enough. I better go take my nap. I'm getting pretty sleepy. Please pray to Jesus that Abby and I feel better soon. Also please pray my Baba's throat stops hurting. I miss our play time!

One more thing, will you please pray for my China sisters and brothers that are really cold right now? Lots of snow (yuck) fell in China. More than they've had in a really long time. Places where kids stay to wait on their Mamas and Babas are in a lot of trouble. They can't get the heat to work and they're running out of supplies like food, safe drinking water, and coal. Those are my friends and I want them to be as warm as I am. I know they don't like the cold either.

There's a group called Half the Sky that works with nannies to help them take better care of us. They also do other things to help my China brothers and sisters. They're stepping in to help raise money for the necessary supplies for the hardest hit places. If you want to help our friends in China, please go to the website: http://www.halfthesky.com/

You can read about what they're doing, and then go to the bottom of the page. There's a project called Little Mouse Emergency Fund. Mama and Baba donated and so did some of their friends. If you can give a little something, it will definitely help our friends. They need to be healthy kids so that they can meet their Mamas and Babas!


Ok, I really have to go. Abby is already asleep. Thanks for reading!

A couple of seconds...

The girls in China with Kiera (above), the girls with Kiera yesterday (below)

Hello and thanks for stopping in to check up on us.

Things are going well. The girls have adjusted well to their baby sitter now that Rett has gone back to work part-time. The girls continue to learn more and more each day and jabber constantly, which is hilarious. They are putting their words and phrases together more and more in addition repeating everything you say.

We did celebrate a couple of seconds....our first second was the fact that we celebrated our second month with the girls. Time flies. We have been together just two months yet it feels like forever.

Another second was attending our second Chinese New Year Celebration presented by our local international adoption group. We almost did not go last year because we were childless and felt the wait was going to be forever...seeing all of the cute children could have been depressing. We enjoyed it last year AND EVEN MORE THIS YEAR!

It was great, a whole new group that had been waiting to see the girls. One thing that we thought was hilarious were some comments we overheard. Two different people came in saying "we have to see the twins, everywhere we go and people see our daughter, and they ask if we have seen the family with the twins." Well, everyone got to see the twins.

It was also a very enjoyable evening because we were able to see Lynn and Kiera from our travel group. They drove up from Cincy to the event with her daughter Kendall and her friend. Kiera is extremely cute and stole the show. Next year Chris and Sarah will have Jaxson home which will be fun!

Well, I will keep this short, it is getting late and tomorrow is Monday, I cannot wait to start another exciting work week :(

Thanks again for stopping by and enjoy the pictures.

Their many faces!

Trying to stay still after having their toes painted....(below)All the girls at Chinese New Year.

The girls trying new things at Chinese New Year...they loved the hula hoops.
They will climb on and into anything where their little bodies will fit, here they discover the laundry baskets.

As written by Abby

Here's another picture from the "mug shot" gallery. Did you know Mama and Baba have me say "please" so that I look like I'm smiling? They do...and I humor them!

Ok, so Mama says we need to do today's post. Things have been busy around here! Mama went back to work half-days. This makes her sad, but we think it's getting easier. Baba takes us to Jerry's house to play. We love playing with his girls Jiselle and Jessica! We have a great time! As soon as we get there, Laney has to have Baba carry her in, or she gets really upset. It doesn't matter to me if Baba takes me in, or if Jerry carries me. I just want to get upstairs and START PLAYING! That's why I point upstairs as soon as we're inside!

Mama or Baba picks us up around lunch time. We fall asleep in the car almost every day because we're SO tired from all of our playing! Being a kid is a tough job! But we perk up when we get home and can EAT! We have lunch as a family most of the time and then Mama puts us down for our "Nite nite". It's hard to settle down some days, but once we do, we sleep hard!

The afternoons are spent playing with Mama. We drive her crazy sometimes saying "Kyler," and "kitty, kitty" but we know we're cute. We're adding new words every day! I like to say, "OK!" and "Oh, maaan!" It makes Mama giggle every time!

Laney has been trying to use the potty more and more. It doesn't get me all excited. I don't even pay attention to them most of the time. I do notice, though, when Laney looks at Mama funny, because Mama jumps up and says, "Laney? Do you have to go potty?" like a hundred times and hurries her in there. They clap and cheer each time she goes! As if that is a big deal or something! I go too, when I'm on there! I don't see what the hype is about that!? Oh well, it gives me more time to play and full choice of the toys!

Here's another picture of me, just to remind you of how cute I am! I'm working hard on a Valentine's Day project for Baba! Shhhh, don't tell!

At night, when we go to bed. Mama (or Baba) will read us stories. Right now, we can't get enough of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Did you know he gets a tummy ache? It's so sad! Laney and I both say, "Oh no!" when it gets to that part! It is ok in the end though. But I won't ruin the story for you. Oh, and Goodnight Moon is great too! There's a tiny mouse (or mow as we say it) on almost every page! We love it!

Mama told us that we're going to celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend. She said we'll get together with other families that have kids from China and have a party! I'm not sure what she's so excited about, but I guess I'll tag along to make her happy!

Well, that's about it from me. I have some playing to do before Baba gets home. Because, let me tell you...the minute he gets home, I'm all about Baba. Don't get me wrong, Mama fixes a mean snack, but Baba....well, he's my Baba. I love him!

See, here we are playing in our ball pit! Isn't he the best? He even climbed in!


P.S. Laney says HI! and "I lub you!" (She forced me to type that!)

And Mama said I HAD to include a picture of her too! OH MAAAAN!

It never ends....I am having flashbacks!

The picture is Abby's mugshot.

I will explain. You see, the paperwork never ends. When we returned home it was recommended that we obtain Indiana birth certificates and register the adoption with the State of Indiana. We agreed that it was a good idea and hired an attorney to do this (since it was not something we could do our own). The director of our agency is an attorney and is taking care of this for us (and we appreciate it very much!!!).

Another issue was/is Social Security cards. We went to the Social Security Office on New Year's Eve, figuring that there would be very few people there. We were right. There was only one person waiting. We took the applications for Social Security cards and all of the required paperwork per the instructions (and per information from our agency). The lady behind the counter disagreed and said we needed Indiana birth certificates. I showed her in the directions where it said the paperwork we provided would suffice and she took it just to humor us and said she would be in touch if more was needed. Well, we received a call. She needed another form of identification for the girls. So I will move on to the next issue, which corresponds with this one....

Between applying for Social Security cards and receiving the call that more documentation was needed, we received the girls' Certificates of Citizenship. They are very official and came in a huge envelope. Inside it was another envelop that said "A message from the President of the United States" printed on it. Inside that envelope was a letter from George W. Bush congratulating each girl regarding their new status as a citizen (it was a form letter but who cares, it is official and cool), their official Certificate of Citizenship and an instruction sheet telling you what to do if a name is misspelled or if you change your name.

The good news is that the Certificate of Citizenship is a document that the Social Security Office can use to process everything for their SS cards! The bad news is that they misspelled Abby's middle name on the Certificate of Citizenship. So, here we go again MORE STINKING PAPERWORK!!!!!!!!!! For the record, her middle name is NOT LuLu. And for the record again, the CIS office is the same office that we had a hard time getting our I-171h form from and the same office that forgot to forward it to China and which resulted in momentary heart failure while we were in China (read previous posts) when the mistake was discovered. (Sidenote - I have a theory why there are so many illegal aliens...if we have this much trouble, I cannot image what they must go through in order to become legal citizens...)

To correct the Citizenship and Immigration Service's (CIS) mistake, we had to do the following....send copies of the paperwork they already have (which they looked at and still spelled her name wrong originally), a two page application telling them what THEY did wrong, two color photos closeup with white background (thus the mug shot at the top of the post and I have a hunch will not work, I just have a gut feeling they will want passport photos even though it did not say that) AND a written explanation from us telling them what they did wrong. We are being punished because of their mistake...I love government. But they were nice enough to say on the application that the $380 fee would be waived if it is their mistake, how sweet.

SO, I went back to the Social Security Office today. This time I waited 45 minutes in order to stand at the counter for 1 minute for them to copy Laney's Certificate of Citizenship. After that I went to the post office and mailed all of the paperwork to the CIS to correct Abby's Certificate so I can give it to the Social Security Office so we can get a Social Security number.

And I almost forgot...just to add salt to the wound, our friend Lynn, who was in our China travel group, used a different Social Security Office. She simply used her daughter's Visa and Adoption Registration form from China (all things we provided to our Social Security Office) and was able to get a Social Security card. Something is wrong with this pictutre, but I will stop rambling, can you tell all of this just bugs the snot out of me? I just keep repeating I love government, I love government, I love government....

You may ask why we are so concerned about the Social Security numbers...well, as you are aware, they are needed frequently now days to function in our society and Social Security numbers equal other things that occur on or before April 15th.

So, here we are again, we wait, praying that the stars align so that all of this is resolved. But during this wait, we have two wonderful little girls to keep us company to make us forget about all of the stupidity and bureaucracy.

Thanks for checking in...tune in for more interesting posts from Rett in the near future. Oh, and here are some pics.

Fun with the diaper box!

Kyler, our other daughter, modeling one of the girls' birthday tiaras.

Lunchtime, ravioli and beets, YUM?!!! (below)

Ahhh, the life (long post)

Ok, we've had a bit of a rough week. Poor Laney has been dealing with congestion due to the lovely Indiana weather, I'm sure. Anyway, after noticing some other symptoms, I went ahead and gave her a dose of some medicine. Well, we found out just a few hours later, that she IS truly my daughter. She broke out in hives. I knew that's what they were the minute I saw them. My heart ached for her. First, I know how uncomfortable hives can make you. I was also so sad because I was the one that gave her the medicine! I wanted to make her feel BETTER not WORSE!!!

Well, the hives didn't end up slowing her down one little bit. She never once scratched them or whined. I actually think they gave her a boost of energy! She was a new super hero....HIVE GIRL! She could leap through the air in a single bound! She could fly off the couch with NO tears! She could run hysterically down the hall and erupt into mad giggles. So, no, I didn't really end up making her feel worse.

That was two days ago, and the hives are all gone today! Yay! Both girls are still a little congested, but it doesn't affect them much.

With all this going on, I do have to share a delish mommy moment. I was putting clothes away in their bedroom on Tuesday. We had the music cranked to a great Christian station and the girls started boppin' all around. So, I did what every Mama should do...I put those clothes down and danced like mad with them! We giggled and twirled and snapped our fingers (ok, I snapped, but the girls gave it a valiant effort) and acted like total goofballs in the middle of the day.

After our crazy dance episode, a beautiful slow song about living life to the fullest came on. I scooped both girls up (no easy feat) and we slow danced together under their chandelier. As we danced, I cried (yep, still emotional). This was one of those moments I had lived two years for. I am fortunate enough to come from a family that loves to dance. I remember many times where my mom, dad, and I would be in the kitchen dancing to whatever song came on the radio. We'd dance the Jitterbug, the Charleston, and other dances with names I will never know. My mom and dad would dance together, and then one of them would pull me in and we'd all dance together. Or, my dad would twirl me around and show me how not be so bossy and let the guy lead!

Well, all of those memories came rushing back and I just danced with my daughters and cried. It was a surreal moment. They laid their heads on my shoulders and let me just flow and turn with the music. Even six months ago, I could have never imagined a more perfect moment in time. It's one I'll never ever forget. Somehow those moments wrapped up years of memories, family ties, and emotions that spanned both the US and China. And it was beautiful.


So that has been my week. Exactly one week from today, I start back to work part-time. It's going to be hard. Even during those evenings when I'm flat exhausted, and Tony's tired, and the girls want to do nothing but whine, I don't want to trade it. I have truly LOVED my time at home with the girls. I've been able to be selfish and just soak up every little goofy, fun, and endearing thing they do. (Like when Laney picks up her pretend cell phone and says, "Yellow" for hello. And when Abby scrunches up her nose and says, "UP" about 100 times a day because she wants to feel safe in your arms) I know it will be fine once we get into a routine, but I'm just not ready to go back. Stay tuned to see my emotional trek back into the workplace.


The pictures, are, well, just because I know you'll want Tony to post from now on if I didn't include them.


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"Aww...Kyler...good girl" (This is what the girls say EVERY time they see her)



This is actually Abby, not Laney, saying "Hello!"



Here, Laney fell asleep standing up in her crib. TOO funny!



Bath time is WAY fun now! Too much fun sometimes....they even get in trouble now!

Happy Birthday!!!

Last night we celebrated the girls 2nd birthday, their first in the USA. As a result, we combinded traditions from China and the US into this small party.

The girls have been blessed with a wonderful extended family and friends. As a result, they received numerous gifts for Christmas. With their birthday just a week after Christmas, we told everyone no gifts for this small party. The reason we call this a small party is because we only invited our parents, Tony's Grandmother and brothers/sisters. We went to one of our favorite eating establishments, Joe's Pizza, for their small party.

As you will see in the pictures, the party had no "theme". The girls have not connected with a favorite cartoon character or etc... They do like watching monster trucks and like our dog and cat. As a result, the cake had monster trucks, the plates/napkins had dogs on them and the balloons had cats on them, all things they easily recognize.

Other than the extreme cold outside, it was fun inside. The girls had a great time. We made them individual cakes (a US first birthday tradition). Since the girls don't like having their hands dirty, it took a little encouragement for them to dig in. After eating cake, Tony's grandmother gave the girls jade that we purchased in China. It is tradition in China for the oldest family member to give jade to the child after 100 days, 1 year or 16 years of age. Since this was their first US birthday, they received their jade this year. It was a fun birthday party. We may try to have a 2 1/2 year party later in the year for everyone.

The girls continue to do extremely well. The are VERY active, are learning more and more every day. We still get questions amost daily regarding their ability to communicate with us. Rest assured, they know more english then some adult Americans...well that is an exaggeration, but they are SMART little girls and are adapting just fine. We crack-up laughing at their new faces, attitudes, gestures and etc. every day. They are so darn cute.

Enjoy the pictures (can you tell who wrote this post?). We'll try to keep updates coming on a more regular basis. Have a good day and a Happy New Year!

They love black olives!

Hangin' out before the party....

A season of wonder...

Hanging out in the NEW double stroller!!!! (See my new boo-boo?)

My first wonder (see title) is...I wonder if anyone is still checking our blog?

Ok, ok, on to the good stuff. Warning though, this could be long!

It has been quite some time since I (Rett) posted much on our blog. Tony has been the king of all things techie since we left for China and I have gleefully let him! I have, however, been missing my outlet for emotion, and thought I'd give the blog a whirl once again. We LOVED the comments you left on our other site though! And we'll be doing a couple of additional updates so check back there in about a month.

So, we've been a family of four for just over a month now. Wow. A month. Amazing. I honestly mean it when I say that it feels like the girls have always been with us.

I am a mom. Yep, a mom. Unreal. People have asked all sorts of questions since we've become parents and one of those is, "Does it feel any different now that you're a mom?" And you know, I'm not sure. I mean, nothing, and I DO mean nothing melts my heart more than to hear one of the girls yell, "Mama!" and actually INTEND to get my attention. I absolutely love that. I love it just as much to hear them wander through the house singing "Mama, maaaamaa" or "Baba...babbababba". It makes my heart smile. (Right mom?) And I know, someone out there is chomping at the bit to leave a comment saying how we'll be annoyed one day soon when it's a constant stream of Mama's or Baba's, but for now, there's no sweeter sound!

I guess it does feel different now that I'm recalling some events of the past month. The first time I heard the girls giggle with delight while running down the hall cause "Mama's gonna get you" was just great. The first time I had to use my mommy voice and say, "SIT DOWN in the tub or you'll fall!" I felt like a mom. When little LaLa (Abby) was all excited and playing outside and had her first big fall over the wagon handle, I felt like a mom. My stomach was in my throat as I picked her up to see the goose egg that was appearing over her beautiful right eye. My protective gene kicked in and I wanted to rescue her. (She's fine, by the way...singing mere minutes later). So yeah, I felt like a mom then.

I feel pride like mommy's worldwide do, when they learn something new. When I see them reenact something I just did, or say something they heard us say, my heart swells. When they can point at a shape and say, "Circle" yep, I'm proud. And when they show tenderness to one another by giving a random kiss to sister. Or when they're changing clothes and reach over to tickle their sister's tummy, just to get giggles. Mommy emotion fills up.

When the girls launch into their favorite part of Itsy Bitsy Spider (Out comes the sun) on their own, or combo that with their ABC's...wow, I'm in love all over again. They just make us laugh so much!

Church has been great too. Our church family has been so supportive. They ohh and ahh over the girls as much as we do! And I'll tell you, there's nothing more wonderful than holding your child while worshipping God. I looked into LaLa's eyes this past Saturday night as we were singing, and her eyes conveyed such peace....trust...comfort. And MeiMei was relaxed in Tony's arms, taking in the music and all that God is. God is so good.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not all ladybugs and sunshine. I have experienced all the other mommy emotions too. When it's 4:00 A.M. and Tony and/or I have been up three times already because MeiMei (Laney) is crying out again, I feel lots of emotions. I'm tired, grumpy, irritable, sad for her, and groggy. When we've told one or the other to share, not take their sister's toys, or be nice for the 600th time, yep, I feel like a mom. When I have to put someone in time out for pulling hair or NOT being nice, I feel exasperated and worrisome that they'll never learn.

So, yeah, I guess I do feel like a mommy now. I'll be honest, at first, I didn't. I felt like I was playing mommy, you know? Kind of like you do when you're first married. Going through the motions of being a wife...cooking, cleaning, etc. It isn't until your first big decision or the first time you sign your married name that you feel like a wife. I didn't feel mommy-ish for a while. I loved the girls even then, but we hadn't 100% bonded yet. But we're there now.

Speaking of bonding...it has gone well. We appreciate everyone being so conscientious about it. It's so hard on our end. We know everyone has waited just as long as we have for these wonderful girls, and they just draw you to them. But, we've had a couple of times where the girls would be with someone and when we're trying to get them back, they shake their heads no. I know to many of you, that sounds very normal..and it is..somewhat. But we've read, counseled, and experienced attachment and bonding and we know when it's time to pull back. That's why we appreciate it that many of you have purposefully not reached for them. If anything it just reassures us (we're the ones stressing, not them!). But soon, we'll all settle in. Like my mom reminded me...we've only been home a month. It's ok to still have new parent worries and jitters. We're still solidifying as a family. Thanks mom!

Christmas helped us feel like parents too. Although the girls didn't quite understand everything, it was fun for us to start some of our traditions. We toured a local park that is filled with lights and Christmas decorations. We shopped. We saw Santa (from a distance---no chance they'd sit on his lap). They had their first candy canes (thanks Congressman Pence). And we totally felt like parents when we put them in their new Christmas Eve pj's, put them to bed, and then spent the next two hours assembling many, many toys. Their kitchen set was a HIT! Thanks aunt Robin! Tony and I giggled and laughed while A Christmas Story played in the background. It was such fun. And I think I actually woke up before the girls because we wanted to have the lights on, and cameras ready for their very first Christmas morning with us. It was such a good day. Those are the days we dreamed about. But we never dreamed it would be as good as it was though.

As the days have passed, we've enjoyed some lazy days as a family too. The busyness of the holiday season has been fun, but the days where we trap ourselves in the basement have been equally as fun. I have a great life.

Reality is coming soon, though. I start back to work Jan. 17, and I'm in full-on denial. Spending all day with the girls can wear me out, but it's the best "exhaustion" I've ever felt. I cannot stand for one second thinking about someone else teaching them the things we should be. So I am not thinking about it. At least not for another week or two. Yep, denial. So if anyone has a home-based business idea that would allow me to work for two hours a day (during nap time) and make the same pay I do now (ok, I could take a slight pay cut) then send your ideas my way.

We celebrate the girls' 2nd birthday this Wednesday. We missed their first birthday, but trust me, they were loved even then. We didn't even know there were two little ones in our future last January, but God took our prayers for little Abby and multiplied them times two. He knew we were praying for them both. Thank goodness He knows the ending of all of our stories! We can rest in that knowledge!

So Tony and I picked out their first (2nd) birthday cake today. Since they haven't attached to any character or theme yet, we went with Monster Trucks. It's the ONE thing they watch on TV and they'll be able to totally identify it. Yes, Tony was thrilled! Mickey Mouse and Pooh, would ring NO bells with them. Besides, from here on out, they'll have their own opinions and need two cakes to satisfy their wishes. We'll post pics of their intimate birthday party later this week. We're going to do a mid-summer party w/ all of our friends and family and their kiddos once things have calmed down some. So, for now, it'll be a small get-together filled with lots of love!

I couldn't end this post without a few pictures, so Tony's going to attach some. Thanks for being such a great support. God is good...all the time...and all the time...God is good.

Aren't they adorable!!! (even without their hair done yet)

Christmas PJ's.

Had to have the new boots on immediately Christmas morning!

Christmas outfit...fashionistas!

Yes, Life IS Good!