Play group

Madison & I are in a play group on Wednesday's, and today we met at the park. The kids all play very well together and the mommy's all get along too:) Here is a few pics from today:

Everyone in the playgroup has an adopted child or is in the process of adopting. I am so thankful for these ladies who have been down this journey before me, they continue to encourage me throughout this process.

Blessings-
Melissa

Pretend this has a clever title :)

Madison had her first voting experience this morning, thank goodness we didn't have to wait but 10 minutes. Then Madison & I went to the church & assembled about 100 first time guests packets. She loves helping mommy out, We were there almost 3 hours and she did really well.

About 5 weeks ago I was cleaning out this chest we have & in the bottom of it, it has about 10 books that I have made the last few years off of Shutterfly. Madison has been going periodically & getting out those family books and listing every one's name..and then she will say " where is Madison" SIGH...Breaks my heart. I knew I had to hurry up and make a book all about her, and today that book came in the mail. She was so excited to have a book all about her.

I am LOVING my new camera! Thank you, Babe!


A cute little story, Today when McKinley got in the car after school she gave Madison a hug & a kiss and she said " I love her Chinese smell" Ha! I love her!
 

Here is a little video I took in Carline today while we were waiting on Morgan to get out!

When it rains it pours..

Last month my desktop computer died, so I had to break down & buy a laptop. I fought it because I like my big desk top but everyone was telling me how nice having a laptop is. I will admit it has been nice being able to bring my laptop outside while the girls are playing.I am still learning how to use it & I hate having to read directions to figure things out, but I digress!

Now this leads me to last Friday when we took our little firecracker to the lake to go fishing. I took several pictures & then took my SD card out to download on the laptop (again, very nice to be able to do that at the lake) well when I put the card back in, my camera would not work... I googled & watched you tube videos & tried everything. After having someone look at it & calling a camera store...I am very sad to inform you that my beloved cannon rebel is dead! Yes, lets have a moment of silence.  I cannot go through Thanksgiving & Christmas without a camera! So I ordered a new one this morning but this evening after David had gotten home and we had all eaten dinner I went  to get the clothes out of the dryer & A NEW CANNON REBEL was in there!!!! My sweet husband had went & bought me one today! So I will have pics up tomorrow because I cant wait to have a little photo shoot with my firecracker tomorrow & try out my new camera.

Madison did really well at Church this week. We celebrated Orphan Sunday and I hope everyone was able to pause & pray about how God would have them help the 147 million Orphans in the world. We are not all called to adopt but we are ALL called to help them in some way. 

Speaking of Madison, today we went through a car wash & I videoed her reaction, but since the video is to long (I have no clue how to edit video) you will just have to trust me, she was amazed. I wasn't sure if she would be scared but she seemed to like it. Her eyes got really big at one point as she was looking at each window then when we were at the end she yelled "yay".  So cute! There are so many things that to us, aren't a big deal, but to Madison they are all new. I love seeing her reaction to all the "firsts" she is experiencing. Christmas should be very interesting this year :)

Blessings & GO VOTE!
Melissa

A DAY AT THE LAKE

It was such a beautiful day today we decided to take Madison to the lake while the girls were at school to do a little fishing. She LOVED it!

She would reel them end when David caught them:)

This lake that David like to fish at is at a mans house that we know from Bell Shoals, He has such a beautiful property & allows us to come as much as we want. We even packed a picnic lunch & ate on a blanket out in the field. This was a very low key, relaxing way to celebrate my China doll being home for 2 months!

Have a happy Friday!

2 months home !

2 months home...that seems so unreal to me! My oh my what a difference 8 weeks can make:)
Madison is doing GREAT! We still have our challenges & hard days but by & far she is adjusting
very well. Her language continues to get better each week. She loves to play with the iPad ( I have several learning games on it that helps her with her color, numbers, & letters) anyway, up until this past week she could not remember what it was called, but now she is SO proud of herself, she will come up to me and say " iPad please' when she wants to play with it. She was getting into trouble because she would help herself to it whenever she wanted & if she gets it without asking permission then she is not allowed to play with it.

Madison still wants NOTHING to do with her bed or room for that matter:) In fact, none of the girls sleep in their rooms much and David said that he's getting ready to turn one of the rooms into an office:) 

Madison says funny things almost daily, and I really need to start writing them down so I will

have that memory. The other day we were riding by a field full of cows and she said "Oh mommy look at the elephants."And the other day we were at a restaurant & she grabbed one of the sugar packets and as she was opening it she said "wash hands" she thought it was one of those wet wipe packets they have at some places:) Those are just a few of the things that she is getting confused with but man, she is  has really come a long way in such a short time.

There are some moments throughout the week where David and I just look at her because we cannot believe she is finally here, in our house and a part of our family. 

I am totally in Love with this little sassy, sweet, strong willed firecracker!

Happy Halloween

A new creation

John 8:12  " when Jesus spoke again to the people , he said, "I am the light of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of light:.

I found a cute little pumpkin devotion today & decided it would be fun to do with the girls tonight after dinner.

So after school we set off to the pumpkin patch to get us a few pumpkins.

Then after dinner we all went outside and as David started to cut the top of the pumpkin and we started to pull out all of the "yuck" inside we talked about how that is a picture of what God does to us when we ask Him to come into our hearts. God takes us & cleanses us from all our sin- casting them as far as the east is from the west. We let each of them pull out some of the "yuck"

As David carved the eyes, nose & smiling face we talked about how this represents how God makes us a new creation.

And as we put the light in the pumpkin, we reminded them that Christ comes into our lives as a light & can shine through us into a dark world. ( insert McKinley singing..you are the light of the world, you are a city on a hill"  Oh yes, she did folks!)

We wanted to remind them that on October 31st we are celebrating Jesus Christ and HIS beauty & light!

Blessings-
Melissa