Cali's 1st boyfriend

Greg and I have decided to go back to the ancient custom of picking a husband for our daughters. We have offered the Peak family two cows and they have accepted our offer. Hee Hee!

Sweet Summertime

The Peak Family is visiting us from Alabama. Amazing how new friends can seem like such old friends....

My girls

I have always loved the summer. It is a slower time for our family. The kids spend alot more time together. This time last year we were anxiously a waiting word from our agency as to when we could travel to get Cali. Incredibly, Cali has been home almost one year. I have been looking at the photo of that day. In some ways it seems like yesterday in other ways it is a distant time. My very special friend that I met on our adoption trip for Cali is coming to spend a week with us at the beach. I can not wait. Thank you God for giving me such special women in my life.

New Beach Friends

It is amazing how God orchestrates every thing, even who rents the house across the street from us at the beach. We also have a birds eye view on Saturdays of people moving in and out of the neighboring beach houses. This week we had a special treat, the family across the street had 4 little girls around the same age as Cali and Lily. Two from China and twins from Guatamala. I do try to "find" friends for Cali and Lily that look like them and share some of the same history. I ofcourse love talking to the mom and dads to find out about their stories and how God joins their families. God is so good to each of us. Their girls were BEAUTIFUL! Lily looked at pictures of her new friends and said, "oh,I miss my friends.Let's go back to the beach and play." I had to break it to her that they went home. They are actually building a house not too far from us at the beach. What fun to have summer friends-great memories.

Happy 4th of July from some of my fire crackers!

Happy 10 months home Cali!

It is hard to believe that Cali is almost home one year. Last year on the 4th of July weekend I was so hoping to hear from China as to when we could actually travel. We were so close to getting travel approval but it was not happening quick enough for us. There was some last minute bumps in the road but we did finally get our travel dates. But I had to trust that God's timing is always perfect.
If you go over to my blog list "Mary Beth" is Mary Beth Chapman. They are in China right now for the grand opening of "Maria's Big House". Reading her blog is an incredible journey of faith, motherhood and the heart for the orphan. She is really an inspiration.

Susie Gilmore Photographer

We had portraits of the two little girls by Susie Gilmore about a month ago. You can see some of her work in her news letter.

www.susiegilmore.com/blog