Happy Lili Day ~ December 18th,2009!!!!

Wow...I cannot believe that it has been three years tomorrow since we were handed one of the two most amazing children on the planet. Somehow God chose to give them to us...we still don't know what we did to deserve this little screaming Tiger Lili, but THANK YOU GOD FOR HER!!!! Check out our travel blog to see all the posts from our trip three years ago.

I have never met a child who talks more, who cries more, who gets her feelings hurt more, who pouts more, who talks more, who laughs more, who snuggles more, who talks more (did I say that already???) and who loves more than this little Liliana Grace MinQin Swindler. December 18th, 2006 is most certainly the day that our lives were forever changed by a God who loves us so much and chose to give us the gift of this precious baby.

I added a bunch of pictures from those first few minutes, days and weeks when she first became a part of our family and some at the end taken just in the last few weeks. She has grown so much and we just love her more and more with each passing day!!!

My precious Lili...thank you for joining our family. Thank you for letting us be your parents. Thank you for being who you are...we love you so much baby girl!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip

Mommy & Daddy

Ah...those first few precious moments before the screaming started!!!! LOL

Aly was desperate to get that first Cheerio into her little mouth. We had no idea that she had never had any solid food and would have absolutely NO IDEA what to do with a Cheerio yet!!

Aly had waited so long to be a big sister. She wasn't going to let Lili down now. Aly's poor little arm fell completely asleep while Lili was passed out on it. But she wouldn't move her arm because she didn't want to wake Lili. Okay...let me hear it all together now...AWWWWWW!!!!

My little wombat with her tear stained face. We just got over a total meltdown. I am quite sure the next one started within seconds of this photo!!! LOL

Daddy and his baby girl at her first Dr. apt a few days after coming home.

And here we are three years later!!!!


Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

a time for everything...

Well, I guess my 30 year old midget really does get it...most of it...on many different levels. Oh where to begin...

For the last few nights at bedtime, Aly has been asking a lot about marriage, falling in love, her Daddy and I, etc. Last night it all kind of came to a head in her little brain. She has one of our wedding pictures on her bedside table...it is her favorite. (She used to bring it into our bedroom with her when she would sleep over with us.) Anyway, last night she looked at it and asked if that was the only picture I had of when her Daddy and I got married. I told her that there was a big album on the shelf and asked her if she would like to see them. Of course she did. So she and I sat on her bed and looked through our wedding album. She thoroughly enjoyed herself!

Then she started getting all weird acting again...much like at the pool the other day. I asked her what was wrong and she finally said that she didn't know how to say it. I told her to go for it and even if she said it wrong we would figure it out together. So she finally mumbled something about not wanting to ever get married. She said that she would miss us too much and she would always be our daughter and she would never leave us like that. HOLY COW...it all clicked in my pea brain. She was associating getting married with Abandoning US!!! We then had a LONG talk about how that is not what happens when you get married and that when you marry your husband you are SUPPOSED to cling to him and go to live with him and not with your Mommy and Daddy anymore. I told her that was how God designed it. I reminded her of all the times we called her grandparents and visited them...that we didn't "leave them", we just started a new life with each other and that one day, God willing, she would do the same thing. (I also assured her that we would never let her marry anyone who wouldn't agree to our terms...building a house here on this property right next to our home so we could see her daily!! She thought that was hilarious!!) I assured her that marriage was a LONG way off in her future and that she would be an adult when that happened and that she would feel differently by then.
Oi Vei!!!! I can't believe my FOUR YEAR OLD is going to these places in her little FOUR YEAR OLD brain!!!! God help me when she gets to be a teenager!!!
Oh...speaking of God helping me. Any guesses where Aly is at the moment?? Well, she just came in and asked me if there was anything I needed her to do because she wanted to go into her room and close the door for a little while. I asked her if she was alright. She said, "Yes, I'm fine...I just need to regroup!" Then she looked at Lili and said, "It wouldn't hurt you to go regroup a little while too!!"

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under
heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to
uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to
build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to
dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to
refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw
away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to
speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for
peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Well, I guess my little munchkin has a lot to learn about times and seasons...but she is well on the way. Maybe we will start memorizing this verse...perhaps it will help her to get it all straight!!

~Abba...thank you for my amazing children. Please keep my words right and give me divine discernment when it comes to my girls. Help me to know their hearts and minds in amazing ways so that I can help them to be amazingly God-ly equipped for what you have planned for them- Amen~

In HIS Mighty Grip~

A look back...

After our multiple computer crashes over the last year I am finally getting around to uploading some of our older pictures onto my current computer. I, of course got sucked into sitting and looking through all 9 million of them and came across some fun memories. So, I thought I would go back and share a few pictures with you from the early days...pre blog.

In the months before we went to China to get Liliana, I began to try my best to prepare Aly for the trip. We were advised by several people not to take her, but that was not even an option. I knew she would be a good traveler and besides not even being able to comprehend being seperated from her for three weeks, neither David nor I wanted her to miss this moment in our family...becoming a family of four.

First official "Big Sister Kiss" by Aly

First moments as a Family of Four!! Priceless

Adoption complete...she is officially ours!! I can't imagine not having these pictures!!

Anyway, back to preparation...Aly does really really well in most any situation as long as you give her information about what is going to happen. So, I thought that we should check out the airport since we would be seeing lots and lots of them on the trip. These few pictures are of the two of us on a rainy day at TriCities Regional Airport in Blountville TN. (This is the airport we flew out of and came home to on trip #2.)

checking out the runway

checking out the planes

Is there where I take my luggage Mom?

uh...has anyone seen a large Pink suitcase with polka dots all over it?? I've been waiting here forever!!

I still can't believe how little Alyson is in these pictures...this was just a month or so before we went to get Lili. How time flies!!!! She had a ball at the airport even though we did run into "Grumpy Gus" at the entrance to the security gate. We just wanted to stand there and watch (DUH...I knew we couldn't go THROUGH security!) But he wouldn't even let us stand there and watch!! Bear in mind that there was NOBODY at the airport that afternoon...and the two people who were there had already boarded their planes!!! I know, I know...those Chinese two year olds pose such security risks!!! Oh well...I would post a picture of our buddy Gus, but he was so hateful that the picture didn't even take!! :-)

Little Miss Sunshine!


I hope you enjoyed my quick trip down memory lane. :-)

More later...

In HIS Mighty Grip

Why China, Why Now?

I got this video from the Open Doors website. It really touched me as I continue to think about the country that gave our daughters life. I think of the two couples who brought them into this world and the roles they each played. I wonder if any of them know their creator? I wonder if, as they think of these angels, they have a peace in their hearts as to what has become of them. I wonder if my daughters...the beautiful, precious gifts of God that are standing here next to me right now...will have a role to play in sharing Christ with their homeland someday?
Oh...so many things to think about, so many things to pray about, so many things to put safely into God's hand to perfect so that I don't totally screw them up!!!

WOK ON!!!

Yesterday afternoon we gathered with new friends to celebrate Chinese New Year. We started off at the library for crafts, music, ribbon dancing, fan dancing and one big monster Dragon Dance!! It was great fun and the kido's all had a blast.

After our fun times there, we all decended on a local Chinese restaurant for some delicious food and fellowship. (...and yes, they knew we were coming...we didn't just show up!) and finally we ended with fireworks in the parking lot (also know as popping bubble wrap!) It was a hoot!

There were about 50 people in attendance and to see all those beautiful little girls and boys in their adorable traditional Chinese dress was indeed a sight!

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!!!

Lili made a little Dragon

Aly working on her Dragon

My little Chinese jumping bean...a two year old in motion!!!

Here is Lili just looking beautiful and showing off her Dragon Tatoo

Daddy and Aly decorate a Kite.

Two precious little hands

Lili and her Poppy!

Aly and her friend Betsy

Not sure what the look on Aly's face is, but it is about the best picture I got of the two of them. At least they are both looking at the camera!!

Oh my...there just are no words. I am overwhelmed by this child!!

The Dragon Dance. Notice the big dragon head on the right behind the lady in red?

Here is Aly under the back of the Dragon as it made it's way through the room.

Chinese New Year - 2008