My Itty Bitty is 6 Months Old!

Am I Cute or What?
My mommy loves me!
Luke has been eating solids for a month. So far, he has had rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, peas and applesauce. He still makes funny expressions! Do sour lemons ring any bells? He gets tight lipped and disgusted when I attempt to feed him peas.

Check out the tongue! He likes to stick out his tongue and curl it over his lip.

Luke and Grandpa at Knott's Berry Farm. Luke flashes his big smile!

At 6 months, Luke weighs in at 16 lbs 8 oz and measures 25.75 inches.

Wow! Time goes by so fast! Could Luke really be 6 months old already? It seems like such a short time ago when he made his grand entrance into our lives. He was a happy and content baby from the beginning. My heart overflows with love for this little guy, as it does for my other children. Drool and vowels sounds have never been so sweet.

Luke is certainly a light in my life. He has a smile that encompasses his face! He scoots all over the place and has a reach that would put a giant to shame. I forgot some of the little details about raising a baby. For instance, a drink of soda is no longer a casual affair, as the little guy will reach for it. I am waiting for my drink to splatter all over me or the plate to get knocked off the table. It is fun to watch Luke explore and discover. The world is a beautiful adventure through the eyes of a 6 month old.

This time around, I am not looking ahead so much. I am savoring the moments while they are happening. Well, I am trying to anyways! It seems as if life gets so hectic and busy. Sometimes, I feel a little sad and overwhelmed with the fact that my kids are growing up so fast. It leaves me wondering, what could have I done better? Was I really that engaged? What should I do differently this time around? My little Sam will be a teenager next year, Noah is double digits and Faith is approaching four. It looks like I have a lot to accomplish!

Knott's Berry Farm!

Knott your ordinary day. We went to Knott's Berry Farm last Sunday with my dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. Unfortunately, my mom is still recovering from her latest knee replacement, so she couldn't make the trip. Knott's was honoring those that serve in the military. Thanks to my dad (a Veteran) and my brother-in-law (Uncle T) we got a good deal. I also gained a great deal of respect for Knotts. Not only do they appreciate our military, but they had an actual nativity scene on display It was right by the front gate. What an awesome sight!

One of my favorite memories of the day was watching the older kids, taking care of the little girls on their own initiative. They held their hands and helped them get on the rides in Snoopy land.

Going to Knott's Berry Farm was one of my favorite childhood memories. About once a year, my parents would take us to Disneyland one day and Knotts the next. My dad's favorite park has always been Knott's Berry Farm. He went there with his parents when the park was relatively new and consisted mainly of storefronts. Knott's also has a Wild West Show, which if you know my dad, you would guess that he'd like that. Somehow, I too developed a love for the Wild West shows.

When I was in upper elementary school, we went to Knotts with some great family friends ~ John and Terry Ramirez. My parents had me tag along with Little John, who was about 4 years older. Needless to say, I got lost and freaked out. I wanted to mention this event, because it reminded me of someone special that we lost. Our dear friend, my dad's best friend and his second wife Joanne were brutally murdered in 2002. I miss you, John! John was witty, funny and an all around great guy.

Thanks For Serving Our Country!

It was 40 years ago that my dad served in Vietnam. He loves this country and would do anything to protect the rights and freedoms of its people, especially those of his grandkids. Today is Veteran's Day. Thanks to those that have served our country with honor, courage and bravery.

My favorite American Hero is my dad. He served in the army during the the Vietnam War (more than a conflict). He put his life on the line for his country. He still would fight for her today, as most living veterans would. It is really hard for me to understand people who lack appreciation and respect for those that protect and secure our rights.

To all those that served the good ole USA, you have my deepest gratitude and I will never forgot your sacrifice. I want to acknowledge that the sacrifice goes beyond these brave men and women, as they leave their families and friends behind. Thanks for sharing your mom, dad, son, daughter, sister, brother, cousin, friend, etc..

God Bless the USA. May our fallen soldiers rest in peace.

Celebrating Noah's Birthday!

Grandpa and Grammy got Noah his first BB Gun

Luke is such a happy baby!

Wyatt enjoyed the celebration!The pictures below were taken at Golf N'Stuff

Faith and Lorelei pose for a cute picture!
I enjoyed carrying Luke in the carrier, until he pooped through his clothes!

Our family (my side) has a birthday tradition. Everyone young or old, gets to choose where they want to have dinner on their special day. Noah usually chooses fast food and this year was no exception. Noah chose Burger King! We were very excited at the prospect of crowning him, but they were all out of crowns.

Noah also had a party at Golf N'Stuff with all of his friends. He had a great time! I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Monday's Memory ~ Chongqing Babies

Can you believe that this is the best picture I have off all five of the Chongqing babies? Below is all the families that adopted babies from the same orphanage.
Below is Tapie, Faith and Elizabeth enjoying a popsicle in 6/2007

Today (like many other days) I spoke to my dear friend Darcy. Her family holds a special place in my heart. She has become one of my most treasured friends. During our perfectly orchestrated adoption, God not only provided us with a precious and beautiful daughter, but he gave us wonderful friends to share the journey with. The four other Chongqing families are part of my extended family (along with others adopted at the same time). I remember so vividly walking off of the elevator and seeing Faith, Elizabeth, Tapie. Emily Rose and Sophie May. These were our daughters! These children are an example of God giving us his best. We did not deserve them, but God chose us anyways. What a miracle! Out of all the children in the world, we each were given the perfect one for our family.

Next month, we will celebrate our 3 year Gotcha anniversary. It has been a great three years for us. I know that God was with Faith and her friends in Chongqing. I also believe that the nannies did their very best in caring for the girls. While God has all the answers, we sometimes get concerned about the things that we do not know. For instance, the recent findings of Melamine in Chinese Formula is very concerning. I know that the girls had the same brand of formula that was tainted~SanLu. I will continue to pray for all the babies that were or may have been exposed to this poisonous substance.

Do you remember this?

Sweet potatoes and carrots are so yummy! Luke's first food was rice cereal, but he is currently working his way through the orange vegetables. He love to eat! Sometimes, he makes funny faces. If I didn't know better I would think he was trying to eat a lemon. He is pretty messy with the food and tries to grab the spoon. The first couple of times we fed him, he would cry when the spoon needed to get reloaded. I guess he was use to the free flowing breast milk.

Happy Birthday Noah!!!

Happy Birthday Buddy! I love you so much! It's hard to believe that you were born 10 years ago today. You were our "chunky monkey" and my first born son. Your were a very content baby and an affectionate little guy. Being your mom, is a great blessing! Remember, Jesus loves you and so do we.

Noah's Turning !0!

Noah's 9th Birthday Noah's 8th Birthday

Noah's 7th Birthday

Noah's 6th Birthday

Noah's 5th Birthday

Noah's 4th Birthday

Noah's 3rd Birthday

As we approach Noah's 10th birthday, I wanted to take a look back at his younger years. Noah has always been content (possibly insistent on) doing things his way. He is very independent! He does not need others to affirm or approve of what he does. (Boy, do I wish I had this quality.) He has an extremely strong will, which I believe will help him persevere. Noah will be successful at whatever he chooses. I have often joked, "I just hope it is moral and legal." Really, I do not doubt that Noah will do what is right. He has a tender heart to go with that strong will. He ALWAYS does for others and gives generously. God has blessed Noah with many gifts. creativity, intelligence and likability are just a couple of examples. Noah has never met a stranger and is quick to make friends. He is comical and can make others laugh. He is a little lazy, but we are working on that. This past year he has grownup so much! Evan and I are so proud of him. I love him with all of my heart!

I really wish I had a digital camera back in 1996. I have boxes upon boxes of photos for the first 5 years of Samantha's life and the first 3 of Noah's. Digital certainly is the way to go. I remember how much I resisted leaving my 35mm behind, as I hated that I never had printed pictures. Now, I love looking back at my digital photo folders. Thanks to Evan everything is neatly organized and in the click of a mouse I can find every picture we have taken since July of 2001.