The School Christmas Program

 We had our annual Christmas concert at CVCS.  Em and Anna participated.  Anna is wearing this dress that Jillian wore a year earlier.  She is so much smaller than Jilly was at this age.

 Jillian and Molly Kate enjoyed watching.  They were adorable, but getting them to sit through the hour and thirty minute concert was an adventure.

 Anna loves to wear her pearls from China when she gets dressed up.  She is looking so grown up.

Only one more year of school concerts for Em.  Where has the time gone?

Here is Anna in the PK4 portion of the concert..

She has been singing the sheep song at the top of her lungs since the concert.

And We Have An Adorable...

 donkey.  The preschool teacher at the christian school where my girls attend decided to dress the preschoolers up as barnyard animals for the Christmas program.  I thought it was adorable.

 Anna Mei was pretty awe struck by the crowd and didn't sing too much, but she could bow.
















The high school choir, including our Em, also sang some beautiful songs of Christmas.  (She would kill me for posting a picture of her so please don't tell her.:)  She is growing up so.  She gets college material almost every. single. day.  Really college admissions counselors, do you have to remind me how little time I have left with her?

 My little princess was thrilled that momma gave her a pearl necklace from our China trip to wear.  She told everyone "my momma give me necklace from China".

Absolutely adorable and radiating JOY is this special, special girl of mine.  Sunday both Jillian and Anna are sheep in our Christmas program at church.  Stay tuned for more adorable in the days to come!

Back to School They Go

 Yesterday I sent Anna Mei to preschool for the first time.  She enjoyed her morning and reported every detail of snack when she got home because she was fascinated by the rainbow colored goldfish crackers.  She is excited to be in the same school with Emily and her big friends (the teens in our ministry).

 The girls are attending the christian school that is a part of our church's ministry.  Anna Mei will be there on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and she will be sure to see her big sis often.

Tenth grade.  How did we get here?  Em was happy with her first day.  She has started her year off well.  Her class load includes a few AP courses and she just added Drama Tech.  She is busy with volleyball and didn't even get home until after 8:00 PM last night as the day was full of activity..school until noon, lunch with friends, volleyball, and sports night.  I am exhausted for her already!  Tenth Grade will be gone in the blink of an eye, but until then I will try to savor it.

The Farm Park

 We checked out the small, farm park in our city this weekend.   We had never been there before and Jillian loved it.  She noticed all the animals and was very interested in them.  She also used her "voice" (NOVA chat device) to name all the animals she saw.  It just almost made this momma cry to hear her using her magical device to voice the name of the animals because so much is in her head even though she can't speak.  She has so much knowledge and language in there and this magical device is her ticket to get it out.   She must have hit the pig button ten times while standing by the pig pen.  She was proud as pudding with herself as she has never been able to say pig before.  Truly, this kid is a walking miracle and just enjoyed everything about being in the farm today!  I never imagined she would come so far when she was first placed in my arms.  To see God work in her has been truly amazing!

 Anna Mei went down to Em's room early this morning to wake her because "whole famlee go to farm park".  She often says "whole famlee" when we are all together and she loves her big sister so much!

 Jillian was so intrigued by all she saw and labeled it all with her NOVA chat. She is getting eye level with the ducks.

 Em and Anna Mei taking in the donkey.  He was a white, old specimen, but he pleased Anna very much when he made a HEE HAW sound.

 She loved posing on this tractor.

This is her cheesy posing smile.  So funny!  She wiped out on the way out of the farm and skinned her knee.  We may have a band aid filled summer.

The First Weekend of Our New Life..

The first weekend of our new life..

was wonderful!  

I missed having daddy here the last week with us so we were all super happy to be together enjoying the last few lazy days of sunshiny summer.  The splash pad was calling our name by Saturday night as Em and I spent the entire day Saturday shopping at the mecca mall in IA city.  We needed some rest and relaxation after the marathon school shopping trip.

 The free splash pads all over the city are one of my favorite things about our new home.  Anna loves to point to the water and ask "where did it go?" when it turns off.

 Both of the girls run to the sensor to turn it on again when it turns off. 

 They race to see who can get there first.

 The playground is close to the water and the girls enjoy playing there too.

 It always brings big smiles.

 Emily LOVES the park too.

(OK so this may be an exaggeration, but she tolerates it well.)

Daddy ran the trails in the park while we played.  Then Sunday, we enjoyed our first worship at CVBC.  We have felt so loved and welcomed by this special group of people who we are lucky enough to begin serving alongside.  It has been a great week and we are so thrilled to be settled and get started.

My Biggest Girl

This teenager of mine is growing up right before my eyes.  In four short years, I will be walking her to the door and leading her out into a life of her own.  I don't know where the time has gone or how it could be over so quickly, but I am grateful to God for the time He has given me to shepherd her heart and all that He has taught me about being a momma through parenting her.  She is a treasure.  A treasure who is quiet and reserved.  One who is not terribly emotional and enjoys memorizing, rational thinking, and staying in the black and white as far away from the gray as possible.  She was an only child for nearly 12 years.  My has her world changed in the last two years.  She has handled it with grace and God has enlarged her heart every step of the way.  I didn't want more than her as I planned out our family.  An only child was my plan all along and so this new, bigger family-that was always God's plan for us-is a wonderful and unexpected surprise for all of us.  She is a wonderful big sister and I love thinking about how God will use all the experiences that we have had with our newest treasures to shape her into the woman He desires her to be.  I can't wait to see how God will use this in her and where He will take her in the years to come.  She is one special young woman and I am grateful to God that He has allowed her to be a big sister.  Anna is already demanding Emily's attention and calling out for her sissy throughout the day.  Emily is answering her call even if it means forfeiting her breakfast.