Spring Formal 2016

Spring Formal 2016 was just perfect! Pryce and Colin were in attendance and I could not have been a more proud parent as I watched my boys dance the night away with their partners.  It is simply an amazing sight to see!  Pryce and his partner, Kaylee, finished their first year of Social together.  Friends since Kindergarten, they share a lot of laughter and smiles as they grace the floor.

 Colin, after completing three years of Social, was selected to be a Cotillion Dance Club member this year.  It has been amazing for him....many friendships from several area schools formed and he has been one happy camper on his nights leading dance club members.  Because his former partner did not apply to become a Cotillion member, he was assigned a new one.  Her name is Emma and she is the sweetest!

 Pryce embraced the dancing styles and had a grin on his face 99% of the time throughout the evening.  

 Colin looked very dapper in his tails....he has grown up so much this year!

 When Pryce wasn't smiling, he had this smirk on his face as if to say, "Are you really taking ANOTHER picture of me?!?!?"  Goodness.

 As a Cotillion member, you are asked to perform 80% of the dances over a 3 hour span of the evening...so, basically, we saw a lot of these two and they were terrific!

 Pretty sure this was the Twist.....I loved watching Pryce and Kaylee as they danced, laughed and sang along!

 Three peas in a pod....Spencer, Pryce, and Isaac.  They have grown up together and all three are becoming fine young men!

 So glad that my mother was able to be a part of our spring formal evening this year!  I knew she would love watching all of the dances, seeing the beautiful dresses and listening to the band play.  She said many times that she thought it was just beautiful!  And of course she was so proud of the boys!

 Pryce and Kaylee

 Colin and Emma

After the formal, all Cotillion members and their parents were asked to a dinner and dance at a local hotel.  The children, after having danced for three hours straight, ate a quick bite, drank some good ole sweet tea, and then continued to dance the night away on the dance floor.  

 Our pre-formal crowd.....all of these children are homeschooled except Colin.  What a fine group of young people Pryce has had the privilege to grow with!

 The best part about this crowd is that they know when to be serious and when to let loose!

 With the sun going down, the group enjoyed a few pre-formal snacks and walked into a night they will all remember for many years to come!

Maddox on Wheels

Maddox Ren learned to ride her bike last week without training wheels.  It literally took two tries and off she went!  And she has smiled and smiled and smiled all week because of this amazing accomplishment!

 I watched her one day as she tried and tried to get her pedals just right in order to "start" her ride all by herself.  A few times, I asked her if she needed my help.  She answered no and no again.  I couldn't help but think in my mind how much I love her determined little spirit.  She does not give up!  And she is very confident in knowing that she can and will do anything she sets her mind to. 

She could not wait to go to school the next day to share with her friends that she had left her training wheels behind!  We are so very proud of our girl!  

Strawberry Fields

The boys were off on a camping trip celebrating Pryce's upcoming birthday....so, that left the girls and we all know that when the boys are away, the girls will play!  

 And play we did.  We spent the evening dining at Moe's - the girls LOVE Moes, then we visited Target where we purchased all sorts of crafting supplies, and then we came home and rode bikes and played with our neighbors well into the night.  

 Morning came and, after a morning stop for donuts, we were on our way to pick strawberries!  

 All of the girls were thrilled with this idea.  And as we approached our designated picking row, Maryn began calling, "Strawberries, where are you strawberries?"

She really is so cute.

 Maddox did not allow a berry to go overlooked.  

 She picked an entire bucket before she knew it!

 Meanwhile, little Maryn was more on the scale of "Eat a few, put one in the bucket"....

 And as Maryn ate a few, Maddox continued to collect the berries as she was told.

 Maryn wasn't so sure about their taste.

 She would take a bite and we would wait to see what face was going to follow!

 She never cried though this pic would make one wonder!  I believe this berry was a bit too sour for her liking, lol

 But sour tastes and all, this girl was all about the sampling.  Her method, grab the berry with great force from the plant, hold the berry by the stem, take a huge bite and then FLING the remainder behind you....I was so thankful no one was picking around us as she would have undoubtedly bombarded anyone around with half eaten strawberries!

 My girls.  MK wanted to know if we can do a girls only day one more time before the baby arrives.  Of course, I told her YES!  

Maddox proclaimed the weekend was her favorite time EVER!  

And Maryn just went with it and enjoyed her time as one of the bigs.....or at least thinking she was one of the bigs!

A Little Bit About Our Girl

For the last three months, we have worked as steadily and as diligently as we possibly could to process our paperwork quickly.  After a roller coaster kind of few days, last week we sent our entire packet of paperwork, minus on very important document, to our agency - 15 papers, all signed, sealed and authenticated and ready for mailing to China.  We received word on Friday that our final piece, the 16th, has been signed, sealed, authenticated is on its way to our agency!  Our dossier - compilation of 16 documents - should be mailed Monday, May 2 to China!  YAHOO!

Phew!  Now, we can sit back and wait.

And while we wait, we thought we would share a little about our Chapman.

*Chapman waits in an orphanage in the northern part of China.
*She is currently 20 months old.
*She was born in August, 2014, so she is exactly 2 years younger than Maryn.
*She is part of the Waiting Child program in China.  She was born with spinal meningocele (spina bifida).
*Her meningocele has not been repaired.
*She has a head full of hair and the the most angelic little lips.
*She seems to hearty, southern style liking for food - her file info mentions how she loves to eat     sausage and eggs, add some grits to that diet and she will be good to go!
*It is said that she is a deep sleeper and tends to suck on her fingers for comfort, sweet girl.
*It is also said that she is fairly extroverted, active, likes to play with toys, and she loves music!

We are currently hoping to receive and update on her development and, of course, updated pictures!
The next step?  We will likely wait for 2ish weeks to hear that our paperwork has been received (Log-In Date or DTC as it is referred to in adoption land).  From there we anticipate a three month wait or less on our Letter of Acceptance (official approval from China) and then we wait two more months for our invitation from China to travel and adopt our girl.
Or, in a shorter version, we have been told we will travel in 4-6 months.

One thing that I will note that is SO different from our previous adoptions is that this time we have a face.  MK, Maddox and Maryn were all matched to our family following our paperwork being finished and in China.  Having a face to look at, knowing that your daughter is in need of medical attention that she has not received, knowing that she is getting older by the day - well, it is just a different kind of experience. Many ask if the paperwork is easier.  No.  We are required to do every.single.document over from our birth certificates to our marriage license to everything.  Is it faster?  No.  Adopting from China means that you are working with the Chinese government and their laws as well as the US government and their laws.....so, the timing of how fast or how slow an adoption from China takes is dependent upon these two entities.....and you have to wait on one to do their part in order for the other to do their part, they must work together and they cannot work ahead.  MK was adopted in two years.....Maddox was adopted in 10 months....Maryn was adopted in 14 months....hopefully Chapman will be home in time for a 10 month process.

We are thankful for the many prayers for our sweet girl and for our family.  We look forward to sharing photos as soon as we are able.....but, until then, know that she is adorable from the tips of her tiny little toes all the way up to her beautiful head full of black hair.

What We Have Been Up To!

This little one joined in on the family building of the girls' new playset.  We have been saying since we moved in our new home almost two years ago that we were going to get a new playset for them.  One thing has led to another and another thing has led to.....FINALLY, it is installed and all set for the girls and their friends to enjoy!

 I was sitting on our back porch one afternoon when I looked down to see Maryn just swinging back and forth and back and forth!  I could not believe my eyes!  So I asked, "Maryn, how are you going so high?" and Maddox shouted, "Maryn can swing!  I taught her how to do it all by herself yesterday!"  Amazing.  

 My sweet Maddox Ren

Oh, how she makes my heart so happy

She is a light to everyone she encounters!

On the way to her school this morning I was talking with her about our summer plans and how we are going to read the Bible like I did with her siblings.  She was so excited!  And then she said, "Mom, I dropped Genesis somewhere (the pages fell out?) but don't worry because I have that book memorized!  I can tell you every little thing about Genesis!"  

 To be a boy

P came to me in December complaining of an ingrown toenail.  We may have soaked it once or twice and we may have applied meds once or twice but we were not really the best at caring for this issue.  And it doesn't help that it is his big toe and the minute it would begin to heal, he would run into something or it would get stepped on, etc.

So, over Spring Break, P mentioned that his toe was really bothering him and I agreed it looked painful.  Off we went to the dr and then to the podiatrist.  Nothing a little antibiotics and removal of the nail couldn't handle!  Poor guy.  No worried though, he was on the baseball field within 24 hours of the procedure doing what he loves!

 MK had an art display at school.  She loves to draw and doodle and sketch so art has been a real blessing in her transition this year!  Her teacher is Asian and she is married to a Chinese man so she adores MK!  We are so thankful for her love of MK!

 Not only did Maddox teach Maryn how to swing by herself, but she also taught her the art of doing the spider together!

 Adoption Gathering

We have 12 families who typically get together every 6-8 weeks in our home....

we are so thankful for each of them and the "normalcy" our group brings to our daughters' lives.  Having families who have Chinese children (as well as families who have adopted and bio kiddos) had made all the difference in the world in our kiddos lives.  The children know this group is super special and the parents know that we are all in this together!  

 Our little Noah

This kiddo continuously amazes me

He has done PHENOMENAL in adjusting to his new family and we are beyond thankful for that huge answer to prayer!

 He clearly adores his momma and the feeling is obviously mutual!  I thank God everyday for our hosting experience last summer and for this little guy's life!

 Admittedly so, I was a bit concerned on how Noah would do visiting our home for the first time since he was here last summer.  Again, he rose to the occasion and took it all in stride never missing a beat!  And, he remembered the ever-so-famous Barbie car that he and Maryn always rode together in last summer!  Sadly, the battery was in desperate need of recharging so their driving adventure was cut a bit short!

 During our gathering, our fundraising raffle drawing was held.  Ipad Mini was won by a young girl of 12 years old who reached out to help us; a lovely wooden train was awarded to a family in our church; and our Yeti cup was gifted to our photographer/friend whom we adore!

 Many have asked if adoption is easier each time.

NO

It really isn't.  It is a wee bit easier because I know the lingo and I know who to contact BUT there have still been hiccups along our way and it has left me a bit stressed at times.  Yesterday was one of those stressed out times and Pryce and I took matters to a whole new level when we made the spontaneous decision to drive to Atlanta to get the last document signed, sealed and delivered to the consulate today!  

 And when it Atlanta, do as the Drafts always do in Atlanta and go to dine at Cheesecake Factory.  And enjoy.  And breathe.

Maryn decided that black beans are the way to go!  And salad.  Lots of salad.

 And then there was this....16 documents+16 notaries+16seals+16authentications=ALL DONE!

Next up....DTC

Forever

Today marks the day that this little one has lived with us longer than she without us!  

We are so thankful for this sweet girl!  

Spring Break 2016

Spring Break 2016 began in the most perfect way - a trip to the zoo with this crew!  Our Butcher favorites and our sweet Noah and his mama!  He is doing fabulous and has adjusted so well!

 A carousel ride was in order and the boys offered to oversee the girls:)

 Following our day at the zoo, we embarked on the 2 hour journey to one of our most favorite places - Seabrook Island.  

 April may just be my new favorite time of year to visit this little slice of heaven on earth!  And this little one was all about tackling the island on her bike!  

 Kite flying was in order - the wind was perfect!  Little Maryn wasn't about to let holding a kite stop her from building a sand castle!  Multi-tasking may just be her strong point!

 The beach was basically on our own private getaway.....

 to the left and then to the right, few people were seen!

 There wasn't much tolerance for the chilly waters but the sand was our playground and the children spent hours roaming the surf looking for treasures to take home.

 And the sunset on our drive in....we missed all of the others but this one says it all!

 The boys had a great time just hanging out watching movies, playing games, riding bikes, looking for gators - yes!  Gators!  And they found quite a few - eek!

 And these two....I love that they adore one another.  The giggles, the games, the talks....they have it all!

 Though we didn't leave the island much, we did meander our way to Boone Hall Plantation for the day to learn a little about the Gullah culture and southern history.  The grounds are beautiful!

 This little corn house caught my eye....

 And Maryn never sees a dull moment....she embraced our wait for the trolley tour but settling onto the ground to build this masterpiece with rocks!  

 My attempt at getting a pic with the children!  

 And they humored me a few times with smiles and everyone looking at the camera!

 And a family pic.....

 And this sweetness describes how we all feel now that our vacation time is over!  Tomorrow begins the real world again and we must catch up on our zzz's to be ready!