Breakfast @IHOP First mock meet. #ihop #pancakes #levelthree #gymnastics @americanacademybakersfield

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First Mock Meet! @americanacademybakersfield #levelthree #gymnastics #splits #sevenyearsold #love

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She is growing up to fast!! Listening to my iPod while she vacuums the house for me. #ipod #chinaadoption #adoption #holtinternational #daughter #love #chores #vacuum

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Happy 18th Birthday Shirley

Tomorrow is Shirley's eighteenth birthday! With every ones work and school schedules we celebrated tonight. Hope you have a wonderful day! Happy Birthday to you!!

Our little reader

I am so thankful that this little one LOVES to read! She started first grade yesterday. Jacob introduced her to the Magic Tree House series yesterday. I think she has read three books in the last 24 hours. This picture was snapped on the way to gymnastics. We have to drive about 45 minutes three times a week to gymnastics. The car ride gives her lots of reading time. I have to say Hannah loving to read makes it much easier for teaching her. 

Dinner Time

With a house full this year I have been planning and researching cheap, but GOOD dinners. Perogies, Beef Sausage, and bell pepper. I deep fried the perogies first, sauteed the sausage and bell pepper. Baked at 350 until hot about 30 minutes. Yummy and CHEAP!!

First Day of School

Shirley is our China daughter! She is a senior this year. Shirley lived with us last year too!

Linzy is our Korean daughter! She is a senior also! We are loving getting to know all about Linzy and Korea!                                                                        

Hannah starts first grade today!! My oh my where has the time gone!!

Let the school year proceed!! Good luck girls!! We are praying that you all have an amazing year!!

Happy Birthday Hannah

Today is this little cutie's seventh birthday. There are couple of  questions that I ask myself every year on her birthday. I often wonder if her biological mom thinks about her and wonders how she is?  I know seven years ago God created a beautiful child that would be our daughter 14 months later. Hannah has grown so much this year. She is reading like a little champ and  she LOVES gymnastics. She is starting to share her hopes and dreams. Her main goal right now is to go to the 2024 Summer Olympics for gymnastics. She flipping and tumbling all over the house all the time. I look at her everyday in amazement that God placed her with us for David and I to be the parents to this bright eyed, happy, and goofy child. I just love her so much!! I just want you to know Hannah Mei-Joy we love you so much and are super excited to see what God has in store for you!! Happy Birthday Pumpkin Bug!!! 

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I spent my day with this little one! My true love is in Tampa on a business trip. Hannah and I have had a fun filled day. Our day started out by taking Shirley to school and then a trip to Chick-fil-a for breakfast. Later in the day was gymnastics.

Who is Thomas Jefferson?

Who was T h o m a s J e f f e r s o n ? This is amazing. There are two parts. Be sure to read the 2nd part (in RED ). Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped. At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor. At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French. At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages. At 16, entered the College of William and Mary. At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe. At 23, started his own law practice. At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America ? And retired from his law practice. At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress. At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence . At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom. At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry. At 40, served in Congress for two years. At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams. At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington. At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society. At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party. At 57, was elected the third president of the United States . At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size. At 61, was elected to a second term as President. At 65, retired to Monticello . At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine. At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president. At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams. Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future: John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." "When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe , we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." -- Thomas Jefferson "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." -- Thomas Jefferson "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." -- Thomas Jefferson "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." I wish we could get this out to everyone! I'm doing my part. Please do yours.

Steven Curtis Chapman

We went to see Steven Curtis Chapman, Laura Story & Jason Gray last night! It was an amazing night! 

Thank you David for getting is us tickets. 

I do have to say it puts the adoption bug back in my heart! There are so many children that need a forever mama & daddy! It was also great to to see our friends Mark & Liz Gividen! This lovely couple helped us through our adoption process answering lots of questions! Thank you guys so much! Hannah had so much fun talking to Luke & Lindsey. I just have to say God is so good! 

Pedicure

Hannah thought I needed to change my toe nail polish tonight. She gave me a pedicure. She did a good job too. My foot is still swollen and very bruised. I feel like I am carrying around an extra five pounds on my leg with that boot. Only a another week of so. I am very thankful isn't broken. 

Hannah

Hannah sat down across from Emily filing papers for me. She was a happy camper to be done with school today! I just love this kids smile. 

My foot

I woke up this morning in pain. The swelling has gone down, but the side of my foot had something sticking out. I went to urgent care to have it x-rayed. The doctor thought I broke it by the looks of it. I told him I really didn't have time for a broken foot. LOL!!! The x-Ray showed no fracture! Praise The Lord! The doctor said it is badly bruised. He put me in a walking boot to keep it straight and tight.  I have to be in the walking boot for a week to two weeks.

First Anniversary and an Engagement Later

I've been dating Hailey for a year now, and we spent the day at the Los Angeles Zoo, Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey. We aren't extravagant people, and love to have fun, so we ran all over town enjoying the day.

After the zoo, we went down to Santa Monica to hang out at Third Street, and ride the ferris wheel on the pier. 

Finally, we had dinner at the Chart House in Marina Del Rey. 

It was a great day spent with my girlfriend. I can always find something great to do with her, no matter what. There's always something fun to do and explore, because we both believe that our world is too small not to see what's around the corner. With that, she's no longer my girlfriend.

She's my fiance. 

Moments after I asked.

Hailey is my best friend. I have never felt more comfortable spending time with, talking to, and simply being with another person. Yes, we are young. But what does age have to do with love, when you know you've found the person you were made to be with, and have gotten so lucky to find her so soon in life? We can get through anything together, and always learn something new, because we've had two sets of parents who have given us amazing examples of how love and a marriage should really be. My parents have dealt with a lot in their soon to be 23 years of marriage (anniversary is coming up on Oct. 20th, so send them some love!), but I've always seen my dad tell my mom every day that he loves her, and my mom constantly taking care of my dad. Yes, life will hit hard. But with my girl by my side, and both of our faith in God, we can conquer anything that comes our way. It's going to be an amazing life ahead for us. 

Cards

I was cleaning up my office today and I found a postcard from my mother-in law in PA. I have every card she has ever sent the kids over the years. She started sending the cards when the kids when they were young. She knew it would be hard for us to get there to see, but she wanted to have a connection with them. She picks up cards from all over the east coast. Even know our son is almost 21, daughter 18 and 6. The big kids still love to see what card is going to come. Thank you so much Barb for the memories!!

My foot

I dropped the hair dryer on my foot this morning!! OUCH!!!!

Fair Days

Pumpkins are here

Move up to TOPS

Hannah is moving up to the TOPS program for gymnastics! We are super excited for her!!