Happy Chinese New Year!

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese New Year, the most important holiday in China. We always celebrate with the kids in some way. In the past we have gone to the Great Wall restaurant for dinner, given the kids their red envelopes, haircuts, crafts, and I try to do something with each of the triplets classes at school. This year I only made it to Lorelle's class. I read a couple Chinese New Year books and I made paper lanterns with them.

We also decided to try something else a little different this year to celebrate as a family. We decided to go to Chinatown in Chicago on Saturday. We gave the kids their traditional Red Envelopes and they went shopping with their "Lucky Money" in the local shops. As you can see below...Lilyan picked out a Chinese drum and Lorelle picked out a HUGE Chinese fan, that she now has hanging on her bedroom wall. Lilyan and Liam also had treats from the Chinese bakery while we were there. They chose not to have Chinese food for dinner but instead we had our favorite Chicago pizza at Giordano's:) It is SO good!

Lilyan with her Red Envelope and drum she wanted to buy...

Here is my gang in front of the 9 Dragon Wall...

Lorelle and Liam in front of the lion statue...

Lorelle with her new fan...

Dragon in the parade...

We spent the night Saturday night at a hotel near Chinatown and on Sunday morning we found a restaurant for breakfast called Yolk. It was GREAT! Then we were off to the Chinese New Year parade. Liam and Lorelle especially enjoyed it. The sun was shining and it was a fun afternoon. Happy Year of the Tiger everyone!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!!

I woke to the BEST gift this morning. It was an e-mail from Adele at Blessed Kids. She was confirming that our cake and letter had been delivered and that she was also able to get some pictures for us. I was SO excited and cried tears of joy when I saw my sweet boy enjoying his cake. Adele was also able to get some updated measurements of Levi. He is 46" tall so he is smaller than the girls but taller than Liam. Poor Liam, all three of his younger siblings will be bigger than him. He is such a peanut! Liam was excited to see Levi's pictures. He is SO ready to have his brother home. I still think they look so much alike. I just know if they get matching haircuts and clothes people are going to think they are twins:)

Levi making a wish...

Blowing out the candles...

YUM!

Getting another piece...

I think he likes it!

It sure did this mama's heart good to receive these pictures. Our last piece of paperwork is off getting state sealed and authenticated so we will soon have all our dossier done and ready to send off to China. I am SO happy! It has been a long paperchase and I ready to be counting down the days till it is time to go get my son. God is GOOD!!!

SNOW DAY!!!

School was canceled today because of the weather. The kids were SO excited to have an extra day off and to play in the snow. I took them over to Madison Elementary school to sled and snowboard on the hill there. They built ramps and tried burying Landan in the snow. They had a GREAT time!!!

Wipe out...

Liam burying Landan...

Lorelle snowboarding...

The sun was out on and off today. It felt SO good. It was a beautiful, fun day. Thank you Lord!

Lance and Leytan's Weekend Together...

On Friday, February 5th, Lance and Leytan headed south to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They stayed at the Harbor Beach Marriott, along with the Indianapolis Colts football team. They ran into several of the players during their stay. They got quite a few pictures and autographs too (on the NFL football that Bob Sanders gave him:) What a AMAZING experience for Leytan!

Here is a picture of Leytan with Jeff Saturday #63...LOVE his shirt and his beautiful blue eyes!

Another of my favorite pictures...Leytan with Dallas Clark #44!

Lance and Leytan being silly. The picture behind them was signed by all the Pro-Bowl prayers.

Ready for SUPERBOWL XLIV!!!

Lance and Leytan at the BIG game!!!

They also enjoyed the pool, concert on the beach and the Museum of Discovery and Science. They saw the IMax movie Dinosaur...Giants of Patagonia 3D.

They returned home a day later than expected, on Tuesday, February 9th, because their plane had mechanical problems on Monday. Leytan was not too bummed to miss another day of school:) It was a GREAT trip for them and one they will never forget.

Happy Birthday Levi!

Today my baby boy turned 6 years old. I am sad he is not here to celebrate with us. I hope that he got the cake and card that I had sent to him. I feel like this is the 2nd birthday I have missed. It is actually the 6th I guess:( I say the 2nd because last year when he turned 5 yrs. I was praying for him to get a family and thinking of him on his birthday too. We did not know he was officially ours until July but for over a year now I have been gazing at his pictures daily and thinking about him. It is amazing how much you can fall in love with photos. I feel like I know him and miss him but we haven't even met. It is hard knowing in my heart that he is MY son and not be able to hold him. I am trying think positive today and to remember that our paperchase is coming to an end and hopefully in the next 6 months or so we will be together at last. I know that his foster mom is probably holding him extra tight today since she knows this will be his last birthday with their family. I am so thankful for the love they have given my son for the last 4 years. I know they will miss him.

Here is a picture of the cake and card I sent Levi.

I feel like I have missed so much and have so much more to learn about my boy but here are a few things I have already learned:

1. He likes to play with animal toys.

2. He likes to eat dumplings and play in the dough.

3. He likes to eat shrimp.

4. He is kind and passionate.

5. He is smart.

6. He likes playing with wood blocks.

7. He likes puzzles.

8. He likes soccer.

And most important he is LOVED!

Happy Birthday Levi...

Love,

Mama

HaPpY (or not so happy) Groundhog Day!

If you haven't heard, Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter:( I am not surprised since I look out my windows and everything is still covered with snow. I am not totally depressed yet but I will be ready for Spring in a couple more months. The kids haven't complained. Lilyan is still enjoying her snow fort building.

And we have at least one duck gracing our pond that made it through the cold weather so far. He had a buddy going into the winter but I haven't seen him in a while:( Hawk? Too cold? I am not sure.

The fresh snow is pretty and I SO enjoy the different seasons we are blessed with here in the midwest. Hang in there everyone...spring will be here before we know it!

Junie B. Jones:-)

If you have K-2nd graders...then more than likely you have heard about Junie B. Jones. She is the world's funniest kindergartner and my three 1st graders can totally relate and think she is just hilarious. The author Barbara Park has written a whole series of Junie B. Jones books and we have quite a collection of them. They are the perfect reading level for my girls. They are short, easy to read, chapter books and the girls feel grown up reading them. Here are a few Junie B. quotes for you:

"Work is when you use your brain and a pencil. Only sometimes I accidentally use the eraser too hard. And a hole comes in my paper."

"I am a very good spier. That's because I have sneaky feel. And my nose doesn't whistle when I breathe."

You get the idea:) TOO funny! I enjoy reading them to the kids too. SO...when we heard the traveling Junie B Jones play was going to be in town over the weekend, we HAD to go. We made a family date night of it and took the gang out to dinner and then to the musical. The boys weren't especially thrilled and we sat in the balcony, where is was like a sauna, but the girls thought it was funny stuff. The kids all got a free Junie B. Jones book too!