2011-2012 School Portraits

I am plesantly surprized at the way the school portraits turned out this year!

Camille - Second Grade

Jon Paul - Preschool

Second Grade

Growing up way too fast... More beautiful everyday.

Let's Cheer!

Cheer season is in full swing. It is far and away Camille's FAVORITE activity. I don't know if it's because she just loves to perform, or because the season is short (dance lasts all year long) but she just LOVES to cheer!

Yep, she's beautiful...

Camille did Costume Gallery, yet again this year. The pictures, as always are phenominal. She's in 3 catagories on the website, but she's in many more photos in the actual catalog.

Here's the link: Costume Gallery. You can find her under "First Recital, Ballet Girls and Show Kids"

Sweet, Sassy and Seven!

Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet Camille! We love you more every day!

Little Ambassador!

Jon Paul was selected to be a "Little Ambassador" for the Children's Eye Foundation. You can click on the link to see his very own page! We're so proud of you JP!

The Playground

Jon Paul's adoption was really expensive. Add to that his medical bills and some unexpected bills accrued by Camille this summer, and, well, we haven't had the extra money to do much of anything. There have been no extra funds to go to the zoo or the amusement park. We don't eat out or go to the movies. One place we do enjoy, because it's FREE, is our local playground! Yesterday evening JP even gave the tire swing a try... He LOVED it!

There is a suspended tire in the "little kids" section of the playground (meant for kids under 6 years old) it's not a swing, but good for climbing and exploring... JP enjoyed that too!

The next 2 photos are kind of fun... The first was taken in the big tire back in the fall of 2006, after Cami turned 2 years old.

And here's the same tire, with JP, age 3. Funny, isn't it?!

Happy Gotcha Day!

Six years ago today, Michael and I met the love of our lives! Happy Gotcha day, sweet Camille! We love you more than life!

Happy Birthday, Rock Star!

Early Birthday Party

We're having a birthday party for Camille today. I know, I know, she doesn't actually turn 7 until August. So why have the party in June? August is a tough month around here. Most of Camille's friends go on vaction or spend weekends at the shore. We tried for the past 2 years, unsuccessfully, to have a birthday party for her in August. It simply didn't work out and Camille had a simple family party. We'll probably do that in August this year, but I wanted to make sure that Camille had a "kid" party, with her friends from school this year. So we're doing it early...

Can you stand the cuteness?

As Jon Paul gets stronger and healthier, he looks better and better. He looks like a different kid than he did when he arrived here, just 3 months ago.

What a difference 8 weeks can make...

I apologize for the quality of these photos. Both were taken on my cell phone. The first photo was taken after we'd been home for maybe a day or two. It was the first photo I took of Camille and Jon Paul together. Poor little guy, he looks so forelorn...

This next photo of Jon Paul was taken last night. He was in such a hyterical mood, that I just had to grab my phone again and take some photos. It's hard to believe this is the same little boy in the photo above, just 8 weeks later... what a difference!

A picture

is worth 1000 words!

A funny thing happened...

My plan was keep up this blog... blog our China trip and all that went along with that. Then continue to blog about life as a family of four... But our trip and return home (especially the return home part) were so turbulant, that I never found the time to blog. As it turned out, our little cherub had major medical issues, including eye cancer that needed immediate attention. He is very, very developmentally delayed, much more so than we expected or anticipated. He's going to need a great deal of care and love, but we are doing our best.

Exciting times!

These are exciting times! I know I haven't posted often, we've been very busy getting ready for our trip to China. We're leaving in 8 days to bring home Jon Paul!

Camille auditioned for Beauty and the Beast at school yesterday. She said the audition went pretty well. There are no featured parts for first graders, which is fine and I think it's exceptional that the school allows the little ones to participate at all. Last year Camille was thrilled to be in the choir for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, so I am certain she will be just as thrilled with a part as a villager or castle staff for this years production.

She's in the 3rd quarter at school and she's moving along. She really enjoys school, so that's important.

Visas

Mike and my dad went to the Chinese Embassy in New York City today to get Visas for our passports. One step closer to our trip to China to bring home our son... it's getting closer... it's becoming more real..

Jeremiah 29:11-13
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. There is a very real possiblility we will be going to China in the next 4-6 weeks. While it's exciting, it's also extremely stressful because there is still very much to do.

Mike and my father are going to NYC this week to get Chinese visas. I had forgotten what a process (not to mention how expensive) this is. We need to think about getting things packed and get our paperwork in order so we don't forget ANYTHING. That could be a disaster. There is a lot to do and very little time to do any of it.

At the same time, the rest of our lives go on. Work, school, chores, things. Life moves at a rapid pace. It just does. If you can, please remember us in your prayers. It doesn't take much to say a quick prayer, but it sure helps out a lot! Thanks!