North Carolina : White water rafting

The last time David & I were up in North Carolina we went rafting with a company called "Edge of the World" and we had a blast. We knew we wanted to take the girls this time around and so that is what we did on Friday.

We took an hour bus ride into Tennessee to the launch and the guides do a comedy routine that is hilarious! I wasn't sure how Madison would do but she did pretty well. She didn't like riding the bus for an hour but once we got there she was up for the challenge of rafting.

The first leg of the raft Madison was using her paddle more like a weapon so we took it away & just had her sit in the front of the boat:)

After a few miles we went through a level 3 rapid and then pulled over and had lunch. After lunch,  anyone who wants to can get on the front of the boat or the sides and go over the rapid as many times as they want before we moved on...This is where I should tell you that the water is 42 degrees....SO I graciously volunteered to take photos of the family while they all got soaking wet.

Madison wanted to do it & so David let her BUT once she got soaking wet she was done! She stayed with me and watched the rest of the time:) Below is a progression of what happened as they went over the rapid sitting on the side of the boat.

Notice Madison wasn't very amused:) That water is so cold that it was painful.

Next Morgan road on the front and made it without falling, McKinley didn't fare as well, but David grabbed her before she went completely out of the boat:)

David in a Kayak

 In all it was a great day and a great memory for our family.  Blessings to you and yours.

Beech Mountain, N.C. Part 1

So we just had a nice week in N.C. I think I could be a "mountain girl":) The weather was glorious! In the 70"s during the day and low 60"s at night. I would sit out on the front porch each morning (with my coffee) looking at God's creation, all the trees whistling around me and an occasional deer would walk up, so relaxing.

We drove all night to get here (13 hrs) so I was very excited to see the sun starting to rise.

When we went to buy some groceries, their grocery store had little carts for kids and Madison was
all over that! Her cart had as much stuff in it as mine:)

We have walked around quaint little towns like Blowing Rock, had ice cream and went to the park.

It just never gets old walking out the door and seeing this :

Tomorrow will be all about our white water rafting trip, it was fun!

Happy Monday!

MELISSA

Madison update

It has been a while since I have written an update on Madison & how she is doing. She has started speech therapy Yay! We started at the beginning of the school year with paperwork & all that comes with that and it took the WHOLE year to finally get her approved..SIGH. But they started pulling her out of class once a week the last 2 weeks of school and they will pick back up doing that in August when school starts back. We are also currently in the process of trying to get her language services as well. She has come a long way, but still has some speech & language issues.

Madison LOVES to draw and color, she wil lcolor & draw for hours. She is constantly on the move. The girl just doesn't know how to sit still & be quiet:) Below are two pictures she drew at church on Sunday of her daddy..I believe she may have a future in art.

On most days, Madison does really well. However, every once in a while she will have one of those days & there will be some tantrums like in the beginning. There was a time that I thought she would never snuggle with me or be affectionate but she is always telling me she loves me and she will ask me to snuggle with her...melts my heart.

Some times she will talk about China but always says she never wants to go back and she calls everyone she was around there her "teachers". She talks about Morgan & McKinley being a baby in my tummy and then she will say " I was a baby in China" usually she says that a few times and then moves onto something else, but yesterday we were visiting a church in Tampa ( since David is on sabbatical for the summer) and at the end they had a baby dedication. the whole way out to the car she was talking about the baby & how cute she was. When we left she said "I was a born in China and I didn't have a family, my family was lost" She said " I was all alone" Deep breath...... I immediately had tears! She has never said that before. I think she is beginning to process a little more in her mind & is starting to know how to communicate it to us.

It just made me so sad for her. She is going to have so many questions as she gets older, questions that David & I will never be able to answer. The only thing we know for sure is that she was left on steps in an alleyway. She will never know if she has any siblings in China, what the people look like who gave birth to her. Why she was abandoned? So so many unknowns.

Happy Father's Day!

To my dad, I love you more than I can ever say. You have loved me well and my girls love their Paw paw.

When I was a child I remember you always letting me stand on your feet & dancing with me:)And now you do that with my kids and I love it!

You have always pointed me to the cross and set a great example for me. Thank you! I love you!



And to my husband- The best girl dad I know. I am so Thankful that I get to do life with you.

Happy Father's Day to two of the BEST fathers in the world.

Your girl's love you~

Orlando

We spent the last 4 days in Orlando. We went to a Cirque Du Soleil on Wednesday night which something I've always wanted to do.

The rest of the time we were swimming at the hotel pool, which McKinley loved but Madison got bored with after about 15 minutes..ugh

McKinley met a friend everyday and played with her new friend in the pool...while all Madison wanted to do is play on her leap frog:

Look closely under the chair..she spent about an hour like that one day:)


View from our room:

Our hotel was right next to Downtown Disney so we walked there everyday. Morgan had a friend go with her on this trip so she was very happy! Morgan also got to meet the "Vine Guys" (it's a teen web thing) who just happened to be staying at our hotel for a meet & greet they were doing today.   That was the highlight of the trip for Morgan.

Hope you're having a great week!

Disney Cruise -Part 2

We saw some beautiful sunsets:

We stopped in Nassau on Friday, I wasn't to impressed but we did get to walk around, do some shopping and walk around the Atlantis.

McKinley & Madison wanted to stay in the kid's club so David & I took Morgan & spent the day touring Nassau.

But my favorite day was Saturday when we went to cast away cay. It is Disney's private island and it did NOT disappoint!

 The girls loved playing on this playground.

 Morgan loved relaxing:)

Madison made it all the way across!!

The water was beautiful, I would never get tired of that view. We went snorkeling :

More watersides:

 We played a little putt putt on the ship:

It was a great way to start off our sabbatical!!