Balloons for Devan

Today is my niece's birthday, Devan and Payton. Payton is three and her party is on Sunday. Devan, is now in Heaven, this would be her 25th birthday. Her mom started the balloon tradition the first year she was gone. So every year after Payton's Party we write on balloons and release them to Heaven. We wont be able to stay for the balloons on Sunday so we released ours today.

Devan was such a beautiful girl, with a beautiful soul. She had a huge life about her, and was always the center of the room.

I tried explaining Heaven to Grace, but it is too much for her to understand. She sang Happy Birthday to Devan, and let her balloon go. She yelled fly away balloon, fly to Devan's House.

I wish Grace could have met Devan.

We let two go earlier and then when Paul Ray got home we let the last two go.

So, Happy Birthday Devan!!!! You're still so much a part of our thoughts. We miss you, love you and know we'll see you again one day.

Goofing Off with her big brother

Sunday, talking with Helen. Grace took this picture.

Brandon & Lyndseys House Warming

My oldest son, Brandon, his fiancee and a Friend of their recently got a townhouse. They had everyone over for a party on Saturday. It was really a nice day. For Christmas they got three fondue pots, THREE! So the theme of the party was fondue. I forgot to get any pictures, I thought about it as I was leaving, so these are the only ones I have.

The day turned out nice, they had a house full. I'm very proud of them.

Saying goodby to Granddaddy.

Gracies first night away from us

Turned out ok. When it came time to go, she got very clingy and didn't want me to leave, but after about 20 minutes I calmed her down. At this point I wasn't sure we would make it all night.

Our wait for a table was one hour!!!!!! I did talk to her once or twice more that night. By the time she got up this morning and was calling me, we were pulling into the drive way.

She had a good time. Her PaulPaul and Caleb went to Walmart where she got her Ka-Lin movie. They then went to Ryan's to eat dinner with some Friends. Paul said she woke up around midnight, but went back to sleep.

So it all worked out really well.

Hope everyone had a very Happy Valentines Day!

Love

Peggy

Happy Chinese New Year/School/PaulPaul

Yes I know this has already passed. We took Grace to the local FCC (Families with Chinese Children) Chinese New Year Celebration last week (At least I think it was last week).

Grace Ready to go.

It was held at a local Chinese Restaurant. I did finally get to meet Chelsea and Anne who also have adopted. It was so nice talking to them. I recognized Chelsea and her crew immediately. Those kids are just as cute as they are in their pictures. Claire is doing so well walking.

The Gour Family Signing In

The Craft Table

I loved seeing all the little girls there from China, they were all so beautiful. Paul asked me if I had plans to go back for a sister for Grace. UH NO! I don't think we could afford another one. We can and will take her back when she is older, but adopt another one, I don't think I have the strenght or health for it.

When we told Grace we were going, her first question was "Are you going to leave me" so that tells you, my sweet little girl does still have concerns over being left again. Poor Baby. Once I assured her again, that she was stuck with me and her Daddy, that this is her home FOREVER and EVER, she seemed ok, she then wanted to know if she were going to school. No Baby, not yet.

However once we got there, she would not sit at the craft table. Here is a picture, so you can get the generally feel she thought about being there.

Grace's Craft! She was very proud of it.

We did win a door prize. They were waffle sticks. And they were very good.

Grace was asleep on the way out the door, they even gave all the kids a red envelope with a dollar which is a tradition in China for the new year.

School Note
I did finally talk to the school, they will be doing testing the first couple of weeks in March. So please pray that Grace gets in. She is good with the Capital letters but not the lower case. She can count but does not recognize all of the numbers. Work to be done over the next two weeks.

Do you ever wonder what your kids are doing when you are not around. Well I downloaded my pics from the camera (oh and FYI, I have pics of mclaurns party on my camera, the stooge that I am didn't have my card in the camera so they are on the hard drive and I cant locate the cord, it was a DUH moment!!) sorry back to Paul Paul. I downloaded the pics and look here!

A boy and his truck (well not his yet)

On another note, we've been invited to attend an upcoming fundrising dinner for Half the Sky at the Daniel Island Club on March 1st. I'm very excited.

Happy Valentines Day

Well today is Valentines. Gracie has already received three cards in the mail, and a big stuffed pig (I think its a pig)

We all know how excited she gets when she gets mail.

Here is Wednesday, Day One, First Card is from Granny (Please note, I think Gracie is getting her fashions styles from her daddy)

Day Two, Aunt Bonny, Uncle Brian, Mikey and Ashlee sent her a card.
And the the third Day, ????? Her Daddy!!!!!! You should have heard her, For Me, My Daddy!!!!!! Needless to say that the key to his heart is locked safely inside this little girl.

On this day her brother had dressed her. It was Friday and he didn't have school, I let her stay home with him. I fed her before I left and told her not to let him sleep all day. I got a very unhappy phone call at 8, wanting to know WHY she was at home. I had told him he didn't have to watch her, so he dressed her and bought her to the office. I said Jeans and a nice shirt. It was cold outside and nothing on her arms. Not sure what he was thinking, he did brush her teeth though.

And then last night, her mama came down with money and a stuff animal.

When she got up this morning, her daddy gave her a heart shaped box of candy.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Valentines! We're planning our first night away from Grace, we'll see how it goes.

Love
Peggy

Random Pictures and Thoughts from the week

My Very Long Stressful Week:

We were on our way to work, (twice this week I was there at 7am - and there until 6 at least twice) I turned around to check on her and this is her pose. She rides like that alot, and I happened to have the camera with me.

By her look, you can tell she didn't want me to take the picture.

As promised, pics from my new home, oops I mean office.

This is Paul's desk.

And here is mine.


And what office room is complete with out toys???


And here is my cork board, can you see the picture on there.

note

oops, i had to remove that picture, if you enlarged it, there were details that should not have been posted.

How about this, you can even see I've wrote the date on it. You would think my husband would have noticed by now?????? See, now he cant say he wasnt notified of our upcoming vacation. :) :) :)
Just a random picture of Baby Noah. This child's head is made of stone, be very careful when going to give him a kiss. He finds it funny to headbutt you.

I finally heard back from Gracie's test. They are some type of bugs. However there are 80,000 different types of bugs, (did you know that - that's about 79,900 too many). She has called in a daily med, actually two of them. And she said not to let her outside without bug spray!!!! Oh joy. Good thing, I was planning on her being a dancer.

Grace, PaulPaul and I are all fighting some type of cold/flu, which makes for so much fun. My boss told me I had better not be getting sick again!

I've got to go cook a cake, my daddy is coming over for his birthday tonight. Maybe I'll find the strenght to clean some also.

Tomorrow we are (health permitting) attending our very first FCC (families with Chinese Children) event. I'm really excited.

And next Saturday, 10 months after bringing my baby home, we're planning on leaving her overnight for the first time. Its valentines, so Paul and I are planning on going off for the night, not so far that we couldn't get home quickly if we needed to. So say a prayer for PaulPaul, he and Grace have gotten pretty close, so it should be fine.

Yesterday, we went to Walmart and Paul had left the back seat up in the back of the van, I was trying to put it down and I said outloud, I'm gonna kill him! Grace said, Who Momma? I said PaulPaul, she got so upset, but Momma, "He's my Brother"!!!! IT WAS THE CUTEST THING!!!!

Well I've rambled enough, have a great weekend.

A Gift From China

How beautiful is this little girl!

We received this photo from Helen today, I'm not sure where she got it yet. I know all of you understand wanting pictures of your kids. It really saddens me when I think about not having pictures of her growing up. So you can image how happy this made me this morning.

lines or spaces on blog
why is it I put lines (spaces) between my paragraphs but yet they are not there when I post??????????????

My First Award

February is For Friends

February….the month of friends, love, and hearts. What better time than to give and receive the Friendship award.

Kristen, at A Family is Forever, gave me this award today. She is a working mom to four kids, 2 teenagers and 2 little beauties from China. Her blog is one than I love to check regularly.

Here are the rules:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award. "With great difficulty, I chose eight blogs to award.

Teresa at Continuing the Journey is a working mom to three kids. A teenager daughter with a full dance schedule and just learning to drive. A son, "Carson" who those close to me know by name, is from China and is all boy and oh soooo cute. I have to keep up with little guy. And if those two weren't enough to keep her busy enough, they are currently in the process of adopting another one from China, this time a beautiful little girl. I can not wait to follow that journey.

Penny at Sharp Family Tales another working mother of two. Elias, her handsome little boy and Norah, her two year old from China. I met Penny online about a year or so ago, she lives close by.

Denise at Theres always room for one more. As you can tell by her title, she has her hands full. I found Denises blog through Penny. They traveled at the same together and I have been hooked ever sense. You can always count on her for a good laugh. Many of times I have found myself laughing out loud. She has six kids! Seriously, she is a remarkable soul, you have to stop by.

Meggie, The Teenager at The World According to Meggie is the teenage daughter of Teresa at Continuing the Journey. She is not your typical teenager. She is an amazing young woman and her two siblings are lucky to have her. Meggie, I'm looking forward to following you off to college.

Chelsea over at Gour Family Adventures is the busy mother of five. One in college, a set of twin boys, and two little girls, the youngest is from China. They also live locally, we haven't met yet, but I'm hoping that we can meet them soon.

Patricia over at Little Cabin in the Woods is a homeschooling mother of six. Three boys (grown) and three beautiful little girls from China. She is an amazing woman of God, and I aways come away with a sense of peace after visiting her blog. She and I were in the same LID group.

Donna at Handsful is another homeschooling mom. She has five kids, one of which is from China. She was also in my LID group.

Carrie at Adopting Again is another homeschooling mom. She is an amazing woman who is currently in the process of adopting her second child from China. I hope to meet her one day.

I would love to meet all of my blogging buddies, you have all come to mean so much to me.

Gracie's Bumps,
I tried to get pictures of the red ones, but you cant see them in the pictures

This is what they end up looking like and the ones on her legs she is scratching.

This is what they end up looking like, they leave scars that the doctor says will fade in time.