Just Because........

She looks so adorable in her new dress!

All I Want for Christmas......

is my two front teeth!

Camping

Another camping trip.  This one is a little different as we decided to go in the heat of the summer.  We really didn't know what to expect.  We were just hoping not to be miserably hot the whole weekend.  Well, we were happily surprised that it was actually quite pleasant at the camp site.  The sites are very shaded.  We even found ourselves using a light blanket at night!  Of course when we were out and about it was quite hot, but after all, it is summer!

Here the kids are relaxing at the camp site

In the tent goofing around

The fun part about camping in the summer is playing in the water!  There was a small stream right by our tent that the kids playing in every day.  Note to self......make sure to have extra clothes over and about the extra clothes that I brought!

Jordan and his family joined us for the weekend.  Check out my boys holding up their shorts! :)

There's a small pond and beach for swimming at this camp ground.  It was too cold in the spring, but the kids really enjoyed it this time.

Tyler was very proud of himself for sliding down the pole with no help!

We found a fun store in the little town that we had to check out.  Really enjoyed that air conditioning in the middle of the afternoon!

This town had the coolest model train exhibit that I have ever seen.  You don't just walk around the model railroad, you walk through it.  You duck under bridges and walk on paths made to look like water.  Trains go by overhead, and at your feet.  It's a remarkable display.  The best part is that the nominal fee they charge to get in goes entirely to local charities.

Enjoying the campfire on the last night

Loading up for the trip home.

Tyler's Birthday

Tyler is six!

What happened to that baby boy who would just snuggle on me because he did not have the muscle strength to support his little head or body? He's now running, jumping, climbing, riding a 2-wheel scooter and even beginning to pedal a bike! He has come such a long way and is such a joy to us.

Ty Ty, we are so proud of you and all you are doing. And although there have been tears along the way, your determination to accomplish all we and your teachers have asked of you has always shone through. You have taught us so much. Because of you, we know the words "special needs" are not something to be afraid of. Because of you, we did not hesitate when we felt Got calling us to the special needs program in China.

Now you're getting ready to start kindergarten and you are so excited! We look forward to see what this year brings your way.
We love you!!

Tyler with his giraffe on his 6th birthday

Compared to Tyler with his giraffe at 5 days old.

We left to go camping on Tyler's actual birthday, so we celebrated the night before. He picked pizza for this birthday dinner (with a little coaching from mom :), and ice cream for dessert.

Brotherly love!Opening presents with a few very interested spectators.Favorite giftWe had his birthday party the week before his birthday at an ice cream shop. They show the children how to make ice cream, and let them help make a batch.Then all the kids make a waffle bowl for ice cream sundaes.

After all that ice cream, we went back to the house for cake

Ummm good!

Family

Lily really loves family. She talks about family and she plays family with her brothers. When they play, she's always the Mommy. I'll hear one of the boys yelling "Mommy", and when I say "what", they say, "no, not you Mommy, the other Mommy"!

Well, the other day Ruben was outside doing some digging, and the kids were watching. He kept digging up worms, so all the kids got plastic water bottles and added a little dirt. Ruben put a worm in each bottle. Lily came back for another one, and when Ruben put the second worm in her bottle, she said "Ahhhhh, now they're a family"!! After that, every times he put a worm in, she said "ahhhhh", in that sweet tone usually reserved for cute things like babies, and apparently.......worms!

Eat Mor Chikin

For those of you that don't have Chick-fil-As, once a year in the summer they run a huge promotion. If you come in with cow ears, you get a free sandwich, and if you come dressed as cows, you get a free meal. At the last minute, as in the night before the promotion, I decided that this would be a fun family outing. So I spent the rest of the night cutting out spots, ears, tails, and ears to make cow costumes! Ruben and I just wore ears, so we had to pay for drinks, but our family of 6 was able to eat out for $3 !!

Check out the cute cows!Mooooo!

Swim Team and Water Fun

This summer, Alex joined our neighborhood swim team. The daily practices really helped him improve and strengthen his swimming, and I liked being able to catch up with the other Moms at the morning practices.

There were 5 swim meet, and Alex enjoyed hanging out with his friends. He's not too competitive. Although he always asked if he beat the other kids, he was really more concerned about the color of his ribbons. (the kids get a ribbon for every race) He wanted to be able to make patterns with the different colors!

Here he is before one of the meets. His team is the "Dolphins"
With 2 of his friends clowning around before a meet.Check out the big toothless grin!Swimmers take your mark............go!Sit diving off the side during a relay.Backstroke (not his favorite)All the kids hanging out at one of the meets. It's VERY hot at the meets, so popsicles are very popular.Lily and Tyler just wasting time on the playground waiting for Alex to finishThe award ceremony at the end of the season.Alex was very proud of his medal!Now for a little water fun this summer. The kids spent a lot of time at the pool, and in the backyard sprinklers.Michael being a ham! No surprise there!

Lily has really become a little fish. She loves to go to the pool, and has been taking swim lessons. She likes to show me how she can put her head under and touch the bottom of the pool! A big change from her first time ever in a pool in China, when she was terrified. No longer!Still working on getting Tyler to put his head in, but he does love to be in the water.