Noah

Oh this little guy will always hold a very, very special place in all of our hearts!  My prayer continues to be that this little boy grows into a young man who knows beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much he is loved!  He is a bright light in the life of everyone he meets!  Seriously, who could deny this little guy and that adorable smile?!?

 Noah is now SEVEN years old!  He has grown several inches and continues to eat anything and everything he can get his hands on which means he is growing "like a weed" as we say in the south!  He came home in March of 2016 and it blows my mind just how fluent he is in English....this little boy knew "Hello!" when he came to stay with us for his hosting experience....we spent a whole month with a translator app by our side and, more importantly, doing all kinds of jumping around and made-up sign language to communicate with him!  It was hilarious!  And now, he just carries on a conversation with us like it is nothing and most of the time I sit in awe as I listen to him speak and SPELL words....yes, he is spelling now and memorizing scripture like nobody's business!  Noah is thriving....his family is AMAZING!  When I tell you that this little guy is LOVED, he is LOVED!!  His siblings adore him, his parents adore him and he is finally allowed to live the carefree life that every child should have the chance to live!  We are so thankful for all of them!

 And speaking of thankful, we are especially THANKFUL for our friends Ron and Celese! Ron and Celese live in China and have had the fabulous opportunity to serve orphans as foster parents as well as through adoption.  These two were the meat that held our sandwich together.....basically, we met Noah, we got a diagnosis while he was being hosted here with us and it was decided that Noah needed a heart cath stat....Noah's heart condition was serious.  Enter Ron and Celese.  These two selfless people made it their mission to navigate a way for Noah's cath to be performed in China....AND, they then paved the way for him to have his lifesaving surgery....AND THEN, they took this little guy under their wing, invited him into their home and loved on him while his forever family speedily completed the necessary adoption paperwork to bring him home!  Three families bonded together all because of this one little amazing guy! 

IF EVER YOUR FAMILY WISHES TO CHANGE THE LIFE OF A CHILD, BE A HOST FAMILY. Hosting is a life changing experience for the child, your family, your friends, their friends, and the chain goes on. Yes, they have to go back....but they go back with a hope in their hearts that endures forever!  Our little Noah had a file that most families would have cringed at just after reading the first few words.....I know, I read it and I have read hundreds of files of children and his was scary.  HOWEVER, one moment with him and I was busy calling the agency and begging them to let me rewrite it.....a file is just words, often big words that, when googled, are SUPER scary.  But a child standing in front of you, giggling and dancing around and having the time of his life speaks volumes! Hosting gave this guy a chance at life!

Our Surprise

On this day last year, I had no idea when I awoke that our lives would forever be changed by an email from an adoption agency and one little click on my computer that revealed this sweet face.

I have held her tight over the last several days and kissed her bunches.....I am so very thankful she is here and she is ours forever.  I just keep thinking this time last year, we had no idea she even existed. We had no idea that we would adopt again.  We had no idea what the year 2016 would bring.  This time last year, this little one was one of many orphans in China.  She was merely a stack of papers with a few cute pictures waiting to be seen by her forever family.  But this year, this year she is one of  our six cherished babies, one of our six favorites, she is a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece....she is loved beyond measure.  

Twas The Week Before Christmas

Chapman made her first appearance at the Tisdale Family Christmas Party and thoroughly enjoyed herself!  She met aunts and uncles and spent time playing with cousins and, most importantly, she ate Christmas goodies!

 It began to rain outside so we convinced Aunt Nancy to play the Oreo game.....

 all of the children were sports and the laughter was priceless!

 The Tisdale crew....minus several but thankful for the ones who were able to be there.

 Then we hopped over to G-Mom and G-Dad's house for a Christmas celebration!

 And then to the Lights at the Zoo

(this, all in one day - phew!)

 Perfect night

 though the weather was iffy with rain in the forecast, we lucked out and only got a sprinkle of snow here and there....

 The children all enjoyed the carousel...

 these two thoroughly enjoyed their time together....

 and these two were quite the pair on the carousel....Jay-man loves his momma!

 Maddox and the snow....it is likely the only real snow to hit the south!

 Mr. Snowman....I couldn't quite figure this guy out....he was like and inflatable but he moved....weird.

 Maryn had her Christmas program at preschool and she was quite the star!

 We love this little one's personality so much....she is rarely at a loss for words and/or expressions!

 Maddox wrote what she would do to make the Grinch grin....she really has the sweetest heart.

 Maddox's drawing of a gingerbread house....I love her detail and design....

 Maryn had her Christmas ballet performance....she LOVES this lion outside of the studio and insists on a pic each week with it!

 Polar Express Day for Maddox's first grade class.....we love Mrs. Robertson!

 Little Miss....words cannot express the messes she gets herself into, ha.

 MK and friends making snowflakes for our cookie decorating party....

 and then the real fun, the cookie decorating!

 Neighbors make the best of friends and we are so thankful for ours!

 Take Two Christmas cookie decorating.....

 Little Miss was so into decorating her little Christmas tree....

 These two....I wish big things for them!  They are "sister friends" and they are the best!

 MK, our designer.  And Maryn, our eater of designs....I am pretty sure her mouth is full of something delicious!

 This sweet baby and her thumb.  I just can't get enough!

This little one keeps us on our toes at all times....if ever I said there was a busy child, she is the one!  She tops them all!  She is happiest getting into everything in her site and within her reach!  And mess is her middle name, the bigger the better!

 Last weekend our family began to fall into sickness.  I thought it was quite possibly a virus as most things are.....however, on Sunday, just before we were to host a youth Christmas party in our home, I tested Pryce for strep throat and it was POSITIVE.  And one by one, they four went down, to include Ryan.

 Thankfully, Colin was not one of the sick and he was able to finish up his first semester as a college/high school student!

 We introduced Chapman to painting.  I tried getting her to finger paint but she wasn't so impressed.  

 And a game of hide-and-go-seek is fun for all ages....this little one is all about climbing into a cabinet and she even knows to close the doors!  

Clarks Hill Christmas Tree Farm 2016

Money, money, money, MONEY!

 My girls are being raised in the suburbs yet they love a good stick when they are given the chance to explore the great outdoors.

 And the girls may have been born in China yet they are being raised in the southern United States which has led them to a crazy love for boiled peanuts.

 Maddox is such a caregiver.  She would peal each peanut for Chapman and then be sure to take them apart to avoid choking.

 The farm always provides the best place for a little football throwing....

 and our little Maryn chose to eat Cheetos and used her cheesy fingers as lipstick!

 The cutest little Santa was onsite!

 Six blessings....age 16-2, phew!

 These four especially keep us on our toes!

They provide quite the entertainment at all times. 

 A little hide-and-go-seek.....

 this sweet girl was always hidden so well.....

 And Miss Maryn could not wait to have her turn to count!

 I hope the memories remain forever and ever, the fun we have hiding around and under the Christmas trees each year!

 The chasing....the laughter....

Big brothers are really the best.....

 these two brothers play and play with their sisters.....at home and on the go!

 That was a wrap for hiding....

 Four little cuties in a sleigh as we waited for our hayride!

 This little one has grown so much in one year!  She is in first grade and adores her teacher!  She has thoroughly enjoyed her time in school!

 Hayride time.....

 Two little explorers!

 Picture time.....getting all set up is sometimes a bit of a challenge!

 And then there is this!  They smile.  They all look at the camera!

 And as quick as it works, it falls apart again, LOL!

 I am so thankful for the life these six have given to me!

 They each have a part of my heart and I love being their mother!

(I will add, it is not always easy, there are days when I just quit for a bit, BUT it is always, always what I am most thankful for!)

 MK is 9!  Going on 19 - eek!

 Daddy forgot his measuring tape so little Maryn offered to measure the trees with her stick for us!

 And Miss Maddox was her supervisor!

 We found our tree!  And the boys had to do their traditional hugging of the tree picture!

 Sweet baby girl!

She is pure joy!

 After the tree cutting, MK and Maddox assessed the age of our tree!

 My SIX!  

Who would have ever imagined it!

I pray they always do life together!

 And Colin....this guy makes me laugh.

 Junior Explorer

 One of the best big sisters ever!

 Time to take our tree back to the barn!

 And that is a wrap!

Christmas tree farming 2016 in the books!  

Two Cs, our bookends!