3 Months Later...

 

This is the face of the beautiful, vibrant, adorable girl who we have the blessing and privilege of raising!!!! We are truly blessed!!!

 

We hear it often said that she is so blessed to have us as a family!!! The truth of the matter is, it is us that continually reap the blessings!!!!! 

 

I thought that rather than writing a bunch of stuff, I would just outline our past 3 months by way of pictures...so fun!!!

 

Having said that, I have always tried to make a point to be real with everyone and never sugar coat our lives!! These past 3 months have been TOUGH!!! It has been extremely rough gaining an instant 1 year old and learning how to manage a family of 5. In the past three months, there has pretty much been at least one sick kid a week, and we have had many trips to the doctors! We have had sleepless nights and exhausting days...the laundry is always on "back order", chicken nuggets have been the dinner meal far too often, and the dishes are usually right where they were left :-)!!! Regardless, we wouldn't change a thing, and we feel as if Ellie has been with us from the start!! She is a perfect fit to our family, and only an all powerful God could orchestrate such an amazing thing...To God be the glory!!! 

 

Enjoy the pictures!!!!

 

First full day home asleep in her crib...the sleep didn't last long, but it was surreal to see her lying there finally at home!!!

 

We arrived home late October 30, so we were prepared for a little "trick or treating" on October 31st...of course she had to be a ladybug!!!

 

All ready for her first bike ride...she LOVED it!!!

 

"Are you sure about this daddy?"

She loves taking jogs with daddy on Monday's and Thursday's!!

 

First (of many I'm sure) drum lesson with daddy!!

 

Drew's 4th birthday party...Pirate style...Yo Ho!!!

 

Ellie loves to find her way under chairs and tables!!!

 

Got her ears pierced!!!! She looks adorable with cute little pearls in her ears, and despite getting them pierced, I STILL had someone think she was a boy...I tell ya!!

 

 

Getting out the Christmas decorations...the boys put the Santa hat on her and she loved it!!!

 

In early December we had to take a trip to Oakland for an appt. for Drew. I happened upon this amazingly cool playground where there was a Chinese Junk Boat to play on (just a mile from his doctor...been there countless times and never knew about this playground)!! You can tell by Ellie's knees that she LOVED crawling all around!!

We even went next door to the community center and found over a hundred Chinese adults playing ping pong!! There was a school next door that had mostly Chinese kids and they loved playing on the playground with Ellie!! It was so fun and I felt as if I was back in China!!

 

Ellie's favorite spot in the house...under the kitchen table :-)!!

 

At the Bass Pro Shop getting ready to see Santa!!!

 

"Hmm...I'm not too sure about this whole Santa thing..."

 

"I think I'm my brother Drew's favorite person to play with while Jeremy's at school!!!...He's crazy and makes me do crazy things, but he's a lot of fun!!!"

 

"I love playing with my new kitchen while mommy cooks!!"

 

"Just chillin' with my big brother!!"

 

"I might have to be rough and tough with my big brothers, but I love to carry my purse around the house!!! Being a girl is so much fun!!!"

 

At Impact Sports with Drew...this was the only picture she was still enough to take!!! She loved all the play structures and mats to crawl around on!!!

 

Picking up Jeremy from school is one of the highlights of the day!!!

Ellie learned to walk a couple of weeks ago and loves holding her brothers hands!!!

 

 

At church with favorite "big sis" Jamee ("Yay-Yay")

 

 

Happy Chinese New Year!!! January 31, 2014 marks the first day of the Chinese New Year!! We celebrated with the Eby's and the Liu's!!

 

Family day trip this past Saturday to Point Reyes to see the migrating Grey Whales and Elephant seals (in the background). We are thankful that Ellie (like our boys) is a great traveler!!

 

"This is the rocking chair that my Gramps made my mommy when she was my age..."

 

"I have the coolest big brothers..."

"And a pretty crazy family!!!..."

 

Together, we are all blessed!!!

 

We have enjoyed a whirlwind of a past 3 months with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (a trip to San Diego), Winter Camp (with the "big kids" at church), and much more!!! We look forward to this continuous road ahead with our sweet Ellie Mei!!