Another Grab a Kleenex Moment, Folks

Although this is not the adoption agency Roger and I are using, this is what it will be like when we finally go get our daughter with the other five families in our group.

New Year's Eve - Leyna and Logie Style

After coming to the fellowship up at the church, Leyna and Logan decided to leave around 10 PM to finish the rest of their celebrating at home, BY THEMSELVES! Armed with two hats and two noise makers, they rang in the New Year just the way they both wanted to --- TOGETHER. Here are some self-portraits that Leyna took of the two of them, and then of course Logie by her cute self.

More New Year's Eve Pics

NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THE WARREN CHURCH OF CHRIST

Well, here's certainly trouble on a couch

Evan studying the board and getting ready to make his move Henry, Randy, Roger and my Dad hanging out near the foodMy mom loves getting her picture taken while she's eating ;)Aren't the decorations perty?Bev, Betty and Marian during the gift exchangeYou can't fool us, Mister!Henry and Sue during the gift exchangeWe know who you are, too!Even after all these years, aahhhAn intense game of Scrabble is beginningAnyone for a game of Bibleopoly?Don't Spill The Beans is always a crowd favoriteSome people just can't stay awake, not mentioning any namesJake singing away!Kara and her mother Vickie singing

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Our family and some other members from our little congregation rang in the New Year once again up at the church building, as we have almost every year for the last ten years or so, and longer for others. We of course ATE, had a gift exchange, played some games, and then at around 11:45 PM we all gathered around and sang some of our favorites hymns to welcome the New Year. This particular video shows you what happens when, one, kids don't go to bed on time; two, they eat way too much sugar and drink things with caffeine in it; and, three, they are made to wait all night long before they can start blowing those horns!

This One Closed The Deal

This is the video I watched that actually closed the deal on Roger and I deciding to adopt from China. And, seriously, grab a Kleenex! We still have a long wait ahead of us, but every couple of months I watch this again just to remind myself what I felt the first time I watched it.

A Christmas Visit to Granny's

This morning our whole tribe (18) converged on my granny's house for our annual Christmas visit. My Aunt Sues and Uncle Gary along with their two grown boys, Justin and Bryan, also came over, and of course Justin brought his sweet little daughter Lilly Mae with him {this visit was conditional on him bringing her I might add}, which brought the grand total at granny's house to 24. You may remember Lilly Mae from my 8-18-08 post about her arrival into this world weighing a little over 4 lbs. Well, she has grown and at four and a half months is getting to be quite the chunk, but she's adorable of course, and such a sweet baby. My Aunt Sues and Uncle Gary can hardly stand being grandparents to her :)

Here's our family's whole next generation sitting together enjoying pizza at one table. I pray it's always like this with these seven. The youngest member of our extended family, Lilly Mae My oldest brother Jeff enjoying some quality holding time with LillyLike father (Chris) like son (Christopher), both playing video gamesGorgeous Lyndsey (Jeff's daughter) with Lilly McKayla getting the ole classic pit job from her cousins.The whole tribe!Lilly is packed up and ready to go homeMy neice Lyndsey, nephew Shane, brother Jeff and sister-in-law KathyAnd the day wouldn't be complete without a final shot of Logan May

Santa's Elf

I don't believe anything needs to be said, except....THAT'S MY DADDY!

REMEMBER TO SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK

I've noticed recently that I've had a few repeat "customers" to my blog, and I'm assuming you're enjoying reading it. Please, please, please sign our guestbook so that I know who you are, if for no other reason just my own curiosity. I can guess a lot of you by your location, but others......well, I just wanna know who you are and see your smiling faces, lol. So sign our guestbook at the bottom of this page, please, it's very easy to do.

A Star Is Born

The sound on this didn't come out real well, but if you put headphones on, you should be able to hear it. At first she starts out with "I'm not a failure," (which she got from one of the movies she watches), lol, and then she switches to a little bit from "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," and then just some random musings of her own.

It's Christmas, It's Christmas!

After getting to bed at 4 AM this morning, I was hoping for at least maybe five hrs. of sleep since Logan didn't get to bed last night until 10:45 PM, but I guess it was wishful thinking 'cause she was up bright and early at 7:30. We actually didn't go downstairs until about 9 AM and she did soooo good patiently waiting for her Pappy to get done doing chores so that he could be here when she opened her presents. After her joyous entry into her playroom and the half hour it took to look everything over, and after the four of us exchanged our non Santa gifts, Leyna made homemade blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon for all of us and we sat down for our Christmas breakfast feast, and feast we did. It was fantastic. Santa was very good to all of us this year. Each one of us had a few terrific surprises from the others.

I can't believe it, a recliner just for me?Future folk singer? A girl can never have too many shoes!Roger putting together some games. Pappy and Logie enjoying their recliners together Leyna modeling her new robe The chef making us breakfastThe little princess pondering life Leyna's new aroma therapy slippers, lolOn a side note, the morning started out with what I thought was a disaster. I've been watching this chubby little grey squirrel outside all summer, fall and now winter. When I went to call out our bedroom window for Roger down at the barn (for you city folk we yell in these parts), there on the road was a chubby little grey squirrel that had been hit sometime after 11 PM last night. I was a little bummed, but imagine my surprise when I looked out our kitchen door later today and saw this... MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!