A Doubly Happy Birthday...

On Saturday we celebrated the double birthdays of our dear friends daughters, Twirly Girly and Dancerella. These sisters have something very unique between them--they were were born on exactly the same day exactly three years apart. And if I recall correctly only a few hours apart. Very unique indeed!

As always when our families get together we laugh, we joke, we eat, we play, we eat and we laugh some more. At dinner I thought that Dancerella and Beetleboy would laugh themselves into delirium when it was suggested that being both in the same grade, and having been friends for so long, that they would never be without a prom date as they could go together should the need arise. Both turned an interesting shade of pink then shot us all a look as if to say, "All right, no more picking on us pleeze!" Hey isn't that what friends are for?

DB and Diesel Daddy have been best friends for over 30-something years. Friendships such as these are priceless. They all are true blessings in our lives.

So, Happy 10th to Twirly Girly and Happy 13th to Dancerella!! We love you so!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today LL and I traveled to our capital city to see a wonderful production in celebration of the Chinese New Year. We were very fortunate to get orchestra seats even at the last minute. Perhaps this was God's way of balancing out the anxiety when I lost my way in getting to the parking garage, LOL!

It was a wonderful performance and there was even a musical piece performed by musicians from the Anhui Province, the very place that LL was born. How special! When it was intermission I took a moment to express my appreciation for the beautiful song that the performers played. They, of course, were very gracious in accepting my thanks and turned their attention to LL asking if she was from that area also. I STILL want to know how one can decipher this mystery. Just by looking at some persons features (I guess) you can tell where in China they are from, amazing.

My favorite part of the performance was a woman acrobat who did positively gravity defying balancing acts with spinning plates and then later on a pedestal with spinning rings and velvet scarves.

LL was decked out in the beautiful pink dress that we purchased for her in China. She looked like a princess and told me she felt like one too. I couldn't be happier because when I saw that dress, it was the first thing I thought of...every little girl should have a princess dress. After all, they are daughters of a King, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All things said it was a very fun day, our first Mother-Daughter outing. Life is good...


So Beautiful and Positively Amazing...


Our Own Dancing Girl


Pretty Like a Princess

A Gift...

In my last post I mentioned the Grand Opening of our church. DB and I created something special for the building to hopefully be a blessing to all who enter. It was a labor of love. We wanted to provide a focal point for meditation in the sanctuary. And, of course, give honor and glory to Jesus who made the ultimate sacrifice for us all.

Here are a few shots from the night our gift was placed in the sanctuary...


Humble Beginnings


Pastor Paul Being So Silly


Finding Just the Right Spot


LL Playing Hide and Seek with Pastor Paul


Ted in the Limelight


All Done

Grand Celebration...

This Sunday was the Grand Opening Celebration for our new church building. We've been in the building since August (or so) but it was this weekend that the building was officially dedicated.

The building is a magnificent blessing to our community. A tool to reach out to those who are looking for a place to make connections, find rest, and be fed spiritually. It truly is a sanctuary. The land was donated by a widow who owns the adjacent property. She is elderly and Praise God was able to see her dream come true. That is, having a church placed on the land she so dearly loves and so selflessly donated to God's Kingdom.

It was a great day of celebration indeed. And we had many new faces come to worship. What a joy! A few shots from the days fun events...


Our Beautiful Church



Funny Sherry, BB's Favorite Confirmation Teacher


Our Directory Photo, hope we don't scare anyone off!



BW and BB manning the Bouncy Bounce


The Guys


Rover the Dog


Socializing


The Store

A Special Visit...

On Tuesday I received a call from Dr. Tim, a dear friend of ours. He actually is the son of my prior bosses, Pastor Ed and his wife Lori. Who (Lori) was also Boll Weevil's day care provider way back in 1992. So, you see their family and ours go back a long way. We have a lot of shared moments; potty training BW (who's now 18!) working together, watching Tim graduate from medical school two years ago, weddings, babies, and so on. There have been joys, there have been tears, and I wouldn't trade one second of this time we have shared. Pastor Ed and Lori (Dr. Tim's parents) have been mentors to Daddybug and I more times than I dare count. And I know that we too have been there for them. Though, I am SURE that if anyone were counting, they have been on the giving side far more than the receiving. That's just the kind of folks they are.

So, anyway, Dr. Tim was home for a two week hiatus from his residency in Tulsa and stopped by for a shared dinner and dessert. It was such a pleasure to catch up with him as he was just in Vietnam on a mission trip. He also has only met LL once since she came home. As with all children, he made quick friends with LL. He also happens to speak fluent Chinese. So it was interesting to see how she responded to his Chinese words he tried out on her. A few she recognized and others she did not. It is clear though, she has maintained her receptive language to some degree.

After dinner, we enjoyed seeing the photos from Vietnam and learning about their culture. Before we knew it, it was past midnight and the fun had to end. So we sadly said "Good-bye" til our next visit. God Bless you Dr. Tim as you embark on the wonderful calling that God has in store for you. You are truly a man of God and we are better for knowing you.


Being silly!


LL & Dr. Tim

Having Snow Much Fun...

On Sunday after church and nap time we all decided to go sleigh riding at "The Bowl", a really neat geographical formation just down the road from our house. Every weekday after school you can find a slew of red-cheeked children and breathless parents making their way up and down the steep hills. Considering the obvious common ending point that all riders share, there is surprisingly few collisions. Simply put, it's a blast for kids.

When the boys were younger I used to drive them there, sleigh ride a bit, then go to the car and read while listening to the radio. It was win-win. They stayed until they got tired, while I had some extended (but chilly!) peace and quiet. Then they got older and snowboards took the place of sleds. And mountains took the place of "The Bowl". And our budget shrunk as a result, LOL!

Well now we are on Round Two of our visits to The Bowl, this time with LL. This was her first visit and she loved it! She giggled and laughed each trip down. Well, except the one time that BW took her on the fast sled which sprays snow in your face. Need I say more? Perhaps she'll appreciate that sled in a few more years.

Once she got tired we all headed home for some hot cocoa and mini-marshmallows. It was so nice to get some exercise and breathe the cool, fresh air. Winter is hard for me to endure but days like this really help. Thanks guys and LL for the fun memories!


Mommy and Me


Feeling Very Safe with Daddy


BB sizing up the jump...


Getting some good air!


Chilly Smiles


Let's Go!!

Smile? What smile, bah humbug!!!

Last weekend as we were taking down our tree I realized that we didn't take a photo of LL in one of my favorite dresses we bought her. So, I decided she needed to dress up in it so I could snap a few quick shots, even if it was after the fact.

Uh-hmmm...have I mentioned how hard this child is to "make" smile for a photo? If not, clearly you missed the post titled, "Just Cuz", October 20th, LOL!

Here are the results of my efforts. I give SUCH credit to the pros who make every child look like an angel...


Cheesy Smile #1


BIG Squeeze for Santa, let him breathe Honey!


Mom, what's that smell?


OK, good enough, the Toothy Smile will have to do!

My friend Deb who lives "Down the Garden Path" has shared she has a similar issue with LL's Bengbu Sister, Little E!. I sure hope one day we each can get some nice photos of our little sweeties...before they are teenagers!

On another note, our LL has hit another big milestone over the past week or so. Can you guess what it is?


She's gonna HATE me for this later I know!!!

Yup! She's almost potty-trained!!!!!! It has been a long, drawn-out affair indeed. But I feel we finally are on the home stretch! Good-bye diapers, Hello Dora undies!!!! What would we do without Dora, LOL!!