Vacation!

Finally home from our amazing vacation which included driving through 6 states, carrying 12 people in a 12 passenger van, and traveling over 3200 miles.

We traveled from WA to OR then to ID where we spent the night to rest.  Then we went on to WY where we spent 3 days visiting all of my MILs side of the family.  It was great to meet and remeet many cousins, aunts and uncles and even second cousins.  We even did our own church service at the christian camp that we stayed at.  We went on a mountain hike, experienced the Bar J in Jacksons Hole, WY and managed not to be eaten by the local bears.

Then we treked on down to CO to visit my brother and his family.  They live in an amazing part of the mountain where my brothers runs resteraunts for the ski area.  Beautiful!  We had so much fun with them and look forward to future visits.

We were also able to pop down into Denver and visit CCAI, our adoption agency.  This was a special pleasure for us since we have been working with them over the last 4 years on all of our chinese adoptions.  The ladies that work there are all special and dear to our hearts.  It is an amazing organization.  Not only do they assist families in adopting but they raise tons of money for chinese orphanages etc.  We hope to reuse our dossier this next year to adopt a little girl - if God allows financially.  We also the pleasure of meeting up with a few of the families we recently traveled with to adopt our children.

We are now home and in  the process of doing too many loads of laundry, putting all the traveling gear away and looking at the grass that has grown out of control in only a week and a half.

The boys had a blast and were so happy to meet and know they are part of such a great extended family.  They were welcomed with open arms by everyone.  As soon as we got home Adam yelled "Washington I love you, no hot, no cold!"  I guess WY was a little too hot for him - that and the snakes, he was ready to leave:) 

                                                          Fun in the car?!

                                               Our family with some of the amazing CCAI staff

                                                     CCAI family Moms:)

                                                         Eating at my brothers resteraunt in the mtns

Favorite times while playing pool

                                                               The two littls guys outside CCAI

This week the kids will experience Vacation Bible school for the first time.  I can't wait!  It's always fun

God is so good!

Seriously, does it get better than this?!  Of course it can but I am so happy right now:)  Titus asked me today to help him translate and understand his sunday school class material.  Although he understands a fair amount of english we all talk so fast he misses most of his SS teacher says and falls asleep due to boredom.  So I was more than happy to spend time with him tonight translating and explaining the bible study material that they will discuss on WED night- so he will be ready!  Time consuming - Yes - well worth it - YESSSSS!

Both boys continue to be a joy!  Our close friends organized a church welcome home party for the boys - thank you Denise and Deanna.  They were so excited and happy.  You could tell by their reactions to everything that they were pleased.  Today when we went to church they were saying hi to everyone!  I am so glad they feel loved!

Adam's sunday school class gave him an action Bible with pictures (like a comic book).  They all signed it - he showed me with a beaming smile what his new friends gave him.  Titus was given a Bible by one of Bryan's chinese workmates.  So now both boys have Bibles they can read in english and chinese.

After a week of doctor and dentist appointments, a party and a youth overnight lock in (which they both loved) we are taking a week off to relax - well sort of:)  One of our bio boys turns 14 on Tue, I turn 46 (yes it is true I am getting old) on Wed and both new boys turn 13 and 14 on friday...another son turns 4 on Monday...so more parties, but low key:)  We are getting Titus an MP3 player and Adam wants an airsoft gun (his new passion and something he is very good at despite his visual impairment)  I hope they are both surprised and pleased.  We are trying not to get carried away at birthdays since we have so many kids (but I think I can squeeze out a few more than that for their first bday home:) 

Here are pics of the welcome home party:

                                                                     Ping Pong champion

                                This is when they first arrived at the party and a little unsure of everyone

                                                       Some of our wonderful church family

                                                     Soccor was their favorite -thanks Jennifer G!

Thanks again to everyone who has made this forever family possible.  We cannot imagine life without these boys!

Love these boys!

Sorry the pictures did not come out very well.  But I had to say that we sure love these boys!  They are so different in many ways, yet both caring and kind.  There is no doubt in my mind that God hand picked them for our family.