A little light reading...

Aly and I have found a wonderful new resource. It is called DailyLit and it is a wonderful website where you can subscribe to different books. Most of them are free and they send you a short exerpt of the book each day in your email. There are many books that Aly and I want to read together, but I know that it is just too big to bite off, don't want to go buy it now, or keep checking and rechecking it out of the library long enough to finish it. So...I just subscribed to it at DailyLit and one page a day comes into my In box!

Aly and I started "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" last week. She runs to my computer each morning and wants to see if the newest installment has come yet. It only takes us a few minutes to read the one page. Obviously it is very different from the movie version and she is loving it!!

Anyway, check it out...great resource!!!

Stop by our school blog and check at the bottom of the sidebar to see what we are currently reading.

Blessings~

Officially Crib-less!!!

Well, we finally did it!!! We booted Lili out of her crib and she now is bunking with Aly in the big Queen sized bed. I don't know which one loves it more. Aly does not like to sleep alone...never has. She needs to be snuggled up to someone somehow. Lili is more than thrilled to comply!



Here are Winnie Pooh, Ruby (the rooster), Ed (the bear) and QinQin enjoying a final few moments hanging out in their crib before we take it down forever.


The girls snuggling in for the night. They were so excited to have a snuggle buddy!!


Ahhhhhh....together and finally asleep!

They have both had colds this week. I have cut out all the sweets and upped all the good foods and we have been discussing nutrition a lot this week and how it helps our bodies stay well and get well. This video is of them enjoying their dinner the other night. I love the conversation!!


Well, it is about time to do some school...see ya later!
In HIS Mighty Grip

Ni Hao Y'all!!

Okay...I have gotten a million emails and posts about the "Ni Hao y'all" shirt that Aly is wearing. I got them both one last year for Christmas from Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) The back of the shirt says "Zai Jian Yall".
Doesn't EVERY little southern girl need one????? I'd say it is a staple!!!!

I also got them matching shirts that have two precious little Chinese girls on them and they say "Yes, we are sisters"

So...everyone GO...BE FREE...BUY SHIRTS...HAVE FUN!!!!
(They also have many other adoption related shirts)

Blessings and thanks for all the comments!! I really do appreciate them and read every one of them. It has been nuts these last few weeks with lots going on here so I haven't been able to respond like I would like to. Please forgive me and know that you are loved and your comments mean so much!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

Eatin'... Workin'...and a little bit of braggin

I sent David to the produce stand the other day on his way home. I needed some goodies and as usual...he brought home some other goodies too! This time he brought home a few ears of Silver Queen corn. YUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!! Anyway...
The girlies love corn and Aly loves loves loves to shuck the stuff...whatever! So she and her Daddy set about to shuck it all clean so we could enjoy it for dinner. We did enjoy it for dinner...what was left after the girls inhaled two ears of raw corn before it ever made it to the kitchen!! They sucked it down and cleaned those cobs like pro's. It was hilarious!!






Of course they had to share with Aly's jaguar (Lucy Lu) ...

and Lili's baby doll (QinQin). I mean...how rude would that be to leave them out!!


I have started giving the girls some more responsibilities around the house...chores. They are both capable of doing, so I decided...the earlier the better!! Anyway, Aly empties the dishwasher for me in the mornings, but this morning she decided that she wanted to LOAD it as well. I started to come alongside her and show her how, but she usually gets very upset and says, "MOM....I KNOW HOW TO DO IT!!!" So I decided to let her do it, then just correct what needs correcting. Seems to be working! Anyway, she loaded it and this is what it looked like.

I don't know about you, but I am MOST impressed!!!! Not too terribly much to fix here. Aly is nothing if not determined!!!


When it comes to homeschooling, I have quickly found out that Lili WILL NOT BE LEFT OUT!!!! It would seem that fact holds true in many areas...she has started sweeping the kitchen and Living Room floors with the electric sweeper each morning for me. She has a ball and actually does a pretty good job seeing that she is still two years old (three in Dec!) She moves stuff and pics up big trash by hand and takes her time.

I am so very proud of my two little apprentices!!

In HIS Mighty Grip

Urgent Prayer Requested!!

This couple is in China right now to adopt their daughter. Unfortunately upon arriving there, they found out that the little girl was gravely ill. They are desperately trying to get her home to the US so she can receive proper medical care and, of course, they are running into all sorts of red tape and problems.
It would seem that this precious little one is on borrowed time and they really need prayers for her and for them and for all the hoops that must be jumped through to complete her adoption in record time.

Please go to their blog here. Pray for this family and that God would break down all barriers so that they can bring her home quickly!!!
In HIS Mighty Grip

A week in the life...

Okay...so it's time to find out what we learned around here lately.

This week we learned that...

...Lili is quite possibly the cutest thing since the Pixie haircut!

...she is still terrified of the Merry Go Round

...she will flash that smile again as soon as we get off said Merry Go Round

...my little heartbeat LOVES THE MERRY GO ROUND with a purple passion and smiles from ear to ear if you even say the word MERRY GO ROUND!!

...they finally like to play TOGETHER at the park. :-)

...Aly is very stubborn and WILL get the hang of Monkey bars sooner rather than later!!

...Aly is very stubborn and WILL get the hang of Monkey bars sooner rather than later!

...Aly is very stubborn and WILL get the hang of Monkey bars sooner rather than later!!

...Lili is...well, she is just so darned cute...what else is there to say!!

...it is always the right time to take a picture!

..there is never a bad time to tell your sister how much she is loved!

...why be normal and sit IN the chair when sitting ON the chair is just...well...better!

...a two year old loves to string cheerios onto a piece of ribbon ...

...while the four year old practices writing!

...that if you keep your thread straight...

...and push that needle through at just the right place...

...and pull it through at just the right place...

...you will learn to embroider and put your name on a handkerchief!

...Aly's hair is FINALLY long enough to put in a pony tail after four years of waiting!

...when Aunt Babs and Uncle Henry send us a box in the mail...there is ALWAYS something really cool inside...like NEW DRESSES JUST FOR US!!!

...how much fun we can have when we go out to eat with good friends (Lto R: Aly, Mary Joyce, Lili, Katharine) Mary Joyce and Lili are from the same orphanage in China. They were there at the same time and I am still amazed at how they seemed to remember each other last year when they saw each other for the first time since their adoptions!!

...even Spider-Lili needs to stop for re-fueling every now and again!

and finally...we learned that black olives are best when served on the tips of your fingers!!!

Bon Apetit!!

Blessings to you all this week~

Unspectacular!!

I was tagged today by Debbie over at My Princess Journals. She asked me to name 6 things that are unspectacular about me. I'm sure this will be tough as most everything about me is spectacular!!! Ha Ha Ha LOL, ROFLOL, Ha Ha Ha!!!!! LOL...lol...LOL...LoL...HAHAHAHAH!!!!!
ahem...okay...here I go.

1-I am an only child. Just me myself and I. I have 5 siblings waiting on me in heaven, but on this earth...I'm it. I could talk for hours about the pro's and con's...but suffice it to say that I wanted Aly to have a sister!!

2-Most people I know got married and started a family early on in life...I waited a while. I married David when I was 28 and I didn't become a Mommy until a just a week before I turned 37. Second time Mommy-hood didn't come until I was nearly 40. God's timing is perfect ya know!!!!

3-Not only are my two daughters LEGAL immigrants to this great country...but my grandfather was also a LEGAL immigrant to this country. He immigrated from Canada as a young man and would have been so proud of his beautiful great grand-babies who joined our family from the other side of the world!!!

4-My favorite ice cream flavor is.....drumroll please....VANILLA!!! How wierd is that. I just LOVE vanilla. I eat other flavors, but I usually end up back with my old faithful. Just plain ole vanilla. Okay...maybe with a little choc syrup on it or a few spoonfulls of pineapple. :-)

5-Okay...this one isn't "unspectacular", but I'm quickly running out of stuff to say...so...
My birthday is New Year's Eve...11:58 PM to be exact! Pretty cool actually!! David's birthday is 4th of July...pretty cool too.

6-um...oh...I'm an internet addict!!! Did anyone see that commercial awhile ago with the guy sitting at his computer and the screen says, "You have reached the end of the internet....go home!" That's me!!!! LOL!!

Okay....now that you know all sorts of fun and "unspectacular" stuff about me...I will be passing the torch along to my friend Jen. Okay Jen...it's all yours ...let's hear all about you and your amazing "unspectacular" life!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

PALIN POWER!!!!

Okay...so did you watch that speech??? I was blown away. I am most impressed. I can't wait to watch her take on Washington!! This household are proud McCain/Palin supporters!!
I am also looking forward to watching little Piper Palin take on everyone!! Did you see her last night with her baby brother?? What a precious little girl!!
check this out...


Have a wonderful Thursday~