Seeing the Difference {Already}

Olivia has been such a trooper with her hand/arm; no real pain, no complaining, just an inconvenience at bath time and bed time! 

We headed to the doctor on Tuesday to get the cast off and have her arm re-casted.  Well, the doctor was so pleased with her progress, she did NOT need a new cast.  He put her in a splint (she has to wear it ALL the time) and we scheduled therapy.  The next big decision we will need to make is whether to make her index finger into a thumb and her middle finger an index finger, therefore giving her a "pincher".  The doctor has a few young patients he has done this with lately and he has promised to call me over when they are here (parents permission of course) so I can see the benefits.  We would not do this until Fall, so we have a lot of time to make the right decision. 

And without further ado...(if you have a weak stomach, beware)

BEFORE -->

AFTER-->

Honestly, how awesome is that?

Happy Birthday {Abigail 7}

My first (and youngest) daughter just turned seven.  I can't believe it!  Abigail has been with us for almost five years now and she has grown into such a beautiful, loving (on her terms), KIND and CARING person.  She loves her sister like they've been together forever.  Yes, they argue, but in the end, Abigail has Olivia's back. 

We celebrated with a pancake breakfast dinner in her honor and topped it off with cake, ice cream and PRESENTS.  When we asked Ab what she wanted, she said anything she got would be nice!  Ahhh, love this girl's heart.  The best part about gift opening time {for me} was watching her and listening to her READ her cards!  Oh how far she has come! 

She is having her very first sleepover this weekend, two friends are coming and her cousins are coming over to party with us.  Should be interesting, to say the least! 

We are thankful every.single.day for the gift the Lord has given us in our Abigail, we love her with all our hearts.  (sorry for the awful phone pics, camera battery was dead)

Prayer Request {Hand Surgery}

Tomorrow is a big day for our Miss Olivia.  She is finally going for her surgery that I talked about here.  We tried not to talk about it too far out so as not to worry her too much, but last weekend we brought it to the forefront.  A lot of questions, a lot of restlessness and now yesterday she came home from school with a low grade fever and said she was "having a sad day". 

Our prayer is that the surgeon's hands be guided by the GREAT SURGEON and that Olivia's pain be minimal.  This is no small surgery but the end result will be for the best.  Her hand & arm will look more like her left hand and she will benefit with better dexterity.  Down the road, should we go there, she will also have a "pincher" that will enable her to manipulate things, where she can't right now. 

Thank you for praying for our little girl.

Not to be forgotten {Losing the 1st Tooth}

I would be remiss if I didn't include an update on the loss of Abigail's very first tooth - on January 5th.  She has been surrounded by her peers at school who have been losing teeth left and right, and they make a BIG deal out of each one at school. 

So my baby has come home on numerous occasions since last September, sad because, first she didn't have a loose tooth and then sad because she had a loose tooth and it wasn't coming out fast enough!  (Not to mention her 8 year old sister came to us with several loose teeth and proceeded to lose at least 5 - ouch!)  

Lo and behold, after taking its good ol time, that tooth finally came out, no blood, no pain, just "look mom!!!!!".  Of course we made a BIG deal out of it, the tooth fairy made a visit and all was right with the world again! 

Not the best picture, but you get the idea...the first of MANY to come! 

Chinese New Year {Bo Loong}

We have spent CNY with the same people for the last six years, both in support during our wait for Abigail, and then in comraderie as a group of adoptive parents.  We usually go to a local joint and have a good meal and great conversation. 

This year we decided to venture up to Cleveland to a restaurant my hubby frequents for lunch, Bo Loong.  They are known for their dim sum and they didn't disappoint!  We had several choices off of the dim sum cart and then ordered entrees off the regular menu.  What a wonderful lunch!!

Then, we were treated to the Lion Dance in honor of The Year of the Dragon. 

 Love this picture below of the girls waiting patiently for the Lion to throw them an orange for luck~

(Livi got an orange & Abigail got some lettuce - lucky girls!)

It was a great time with good friends and we wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else (except in China for CNY) to celebrate! 

Aren't they beautiful! 

We are so blessed that they call us their parents.

Wintertime Fun

Our newest addition is from the southernmost tip of China, Guangdong Province, and she says she has never seen snow with the exception of pictures.  Livi has been soooo excited for us to get a substantial snow so she can build a snowman with Baba.

Well, last Friday; we got a nice blanket of snow…not the HUGE snows we sometimes get but a nice covering.  It wasn’t the kind of snow that packs {if you’re a Northerner you know what I mean}, but it was perfect for the four wheeler and two saucer sleds to fly around the house a few hundred times. 

I could hear the squeals of joy coming from Olivia and Abigail as their daddy took them around and around, in freezing temperatures, until he just couldn’t go anymore…they could have! 

For being from such a warm climate, that little girl LOVES to be outside in the cold (and I love watching her from the warmth of my home with a cup of hot coffee in hand).  I don't think she'll have anything to worry about where the snow is concerned.

...and a huge THANKS and shout out to my gal Christy  who has once again made our blog look sooo fine!  She's the master blog designer and she is also an awesome blogger/sister in Christ.  I love her and only dream about blogging like she does!  

I've Been Remiss

in posting...about Olivia's first Christmas, about New Years, about ANYTHING!  After being off of work for 10 days straight (and actually enjoying family time with little to no bickering), my brain needs jump started! 

Christmas was great!  We ALL headed to church Christmas eve, which was very nice for this ol mama, and then back to our place for a late dinner.  Grandma Juanita spent the night with us, so she could share the joy of Christmas morning. 

Olivia got up at 3am.  Well, needless to say, I made her get in bed with me and go to sleep.  Around 5am, in came Abigail.  I took the smart route, tucked them in quietly in our big bed and snuck into Livi's bed for a couple more zzzzz's.  Bern and I were up around 7am but NO KIDS!  I got coffee made, casserole in oven and around 7:30am, here comes Abigail.  She did a brief acknowledgment of the tree surrounded by gifts, with a glint of joy in her eyes and we waited. 

We had the video camera set up for Livi's reaction and she didn't disappoint.  There was the squeal of joy, there was the mad grab for gifts, there was paper flying, lots of smiles and then, there was "where's my Elmo?".  Seems she grasped the list idea, but not the idea that Santa might actually NOT get her EVERYTHING on her list...sheeesh. 

(Tree, post Santa, pre unwrapping)

It was an awesome day, everyone was content and kept very busy.  The hits of the day, roller skates {Ab} and scooter {Livi}.  

I am so very thankful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ.