A Red Thread Moment

Today, as I mentioned in the previous post, we went to a gathering of families with children from China today. The group in our area is really growing. The last time we were able to attend was in June. (The last gathering was in August, about a week after Katherine was born, so we didn't make that one.) We were excited to see several more little girls around Mary Joyce's age this time. Chet started talking with a man (David) who was new to the group, and we found out that their younger daughter was from Jiangxi province (same as Mary Joyce) and that her birthday was in December 2005. That was already neat enough. (With our friends in Georgia, most of our girls are from Jiangxi, but at the last gathering down here, Mary Joyce and one other girl were the only two from that province.) Anyway, I started talking to Shelley, David's wife, and she asked what SWI Mary Joyce was from. I told her that Mary Joyce was from Tonggu. (Keep in mind that Tonggu is a smaller SWI.) She got a surprised look on her face and told me that Lili, their daughter, was also from Tonggu. It turns out that we are on the SWI Yahoo group together, and had communicated some before. I even had followed their website when they went to China to adopt Lili. Also, when we adopted, neither of us lived down here. We were in Georgia, and they were in Tennessee, so we would never have expected to meet in Florida. On top of all of this, Mary Joyce and Lili played extremely well together. Watching them, we really feel like they have been around each other before. It was a pretty remarkable thing to watch. Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture of the two of them together, but Shelley is supposed to send me one. I'll share it when she sends it.

Costume Cuties

Today was the girls' chance to wear their Halloween costumes. Our local group of families with children from China had a get together, which included a chance for the children to dress up. We were supposed to go to a local park, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we ended up at the home of one of the families in the group. There was an incredible turn-out, and we all had a great time. We even had one of those "Red Thread"/"Small World" moments. I will share that in another post. Right now, I need to feed Katherine before she gets upset with me. :-)

Snugli Girl

Before we went to China, we got a Snugli to use to carry Mary Joyce. We used it during our entire China trip, and continued to use it when we got home until Mary Joyce outgrew it. Now, we are using it to carry Katherine. Yesterday, Mary Joyce decided that she wanted to wear the Snugli. Actually, she wanted to carry Katherine in it, but I did convince her that carrying her doll would be a better idea.

Mary Joyce in the Snugli in Guangzhou last year:


Mary Joyce wearing the Snugli yesterday:


Here is the full version of the picture where Mary Joyce is wearing the Snugli. Tell me this isn't a prime example of "Mommy Multitasking":

Shuttle Launch

One of the really neat things about living on the Florida coast is that we are close enough to watch when the space shuttle takes off. Yesterday, we were able to watch as Discovery launched. It was a beautiful day. The crowd wasn't as large as the last launch we watched because it was earlier in the day, but it was still a fascinating experience. Mary Joyce even noticed the shuttle this time. (If you click on the picture of the sky, you can see the shuttle above the cloud in the middle.)

The Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday, we took both girls on their first fall excursion to a pumpkin patch. (This is one of the kind held by a local church where they sell pumpkins as a fundraiser.) Katherine really wasn't old enough to enjoy it this year, but Mary Joyce had a great time wandering around and looking at all the pumpkins for sale. We came home with 2 pumpkins that are now decorating our front porch.

Random Pictures

Here are some random pictures since made since I last posted:

Cute Katherine:


Blue Jean Baby:


Mmmm...Spaghetti!:


Sharing a Seat:


All Dressed Up:


Doesn't Mary Joyce look grown up in this picture?:


Adorable!:


See, I'm not the only one...:


Mama and her Girls on Mama's Birthday:


Mary Joyce and Samson (One of the World's 2 Most Patient Kitties):


Our Little Lamb:


Mary Joyce and Chloe (The Other One of the World's Most Patient Kitties):

French Horn Fun

Chet took out his French horn today while he was home for lunch. Mary Joyce has never seen him play, and she was absolutely fascinated. First, she looked from across the room. Then she got closer and stared in awe. She kept walking over and looking into the horn, but I wasn't fast enough to catch that one with the camera. Finally, she was brave enough to reach out and touch it. Then, onto Daddy's lap for her first attempt at playing it. No sound this time, but one of these days...

Just Pictures...

Here are some cute pictures from the last few days...

Daddy and his little girl:


Mmmm...Chocolate!


"Are you pondering what I am pondering?" (Anyone recognize the quote?)


Tummy Time


Mary Joyce helped with Katherine's headband.


Modeling a New Outfit

2 Month Check-Up

Katherine went for her 2 month check-up today. She is a healthy little girl and has now had her first shots. It looks like she is going to be tall and thin. She weighs 9 pounds, 14.5 ounces, and is 23 inches long. That puts her in the 25th percentile for weight and the 90th for height. We were pretty surprised, as she has been right at the 50th percentile for both until this time. The pediatrician told us that now we are probably seeing more of how she will actually be physically built as she grows. She and Mary Joyce are going to be like daylight and dark, as far as physical build goes. Mary Joyce is on the short side, and is solid as a rock. We think they are both "just right." :-)

2 Months Old

Katherine turned 2 months old yesterday. She is growing and changing every day. She smiles now and babbles, and it is just the sweetest thing. :-) She is such a good, laid-back baby, too. Our only issue has been some gas and fussiness, and a formula and bottle change seems to have taken care of that, thankfully. She has her 2 month doctor's visit tomorrow--time for the first vaccinations. That part is no fun, but I am looking forward to see how much she has actually grown since last month. She is such a precious gift from God!

117b, One Year Later

In September of 2006, the lives of eight families were changed forever. The lives of eight little girls from Tonggu, China were changed forever as they joined their forever families. This collage shows how much each one of these girls has grown and changed in one year's time. Although we live in every corner of the US, our families are forever connected by this one special day. What wonderful blessings God has given to each one of our families! (You can click on the photo for a closer view.)

She Cracks Me Up! (The Sequel)

Mary Joyce is always making us smile. The last couple of days, she has been in full form. :-)

Here she is in her baby sister's bouncy chair:


This morning, I looked down and saw her favorite baby doll sporting a new doll fashion--Mr. Potato Head's glasses:


The double stroller was in the kitchen this afternoon, and Mary Joyce made herself right at home. She used it to reach her goldfish on the kitchen counter, and then she decided that it was a good place to sit and have a snack:


Here are a couple of more cute stroller shots:

A Family Visit

This past weekend, we had a short visit from Chet's sister, Lynda, her daughter, Erica, and of course, Grandmama. We had a good time together and really enjoyed the chance to see family. This was Lynda and Erica's first chance to meet baby Katherine. Mary Joyce loved having a big cousin around to follow and play with. This took a little getting used to for Erica because she isn't used to being the oldest and wasn't quite sure about her little cousin shadowing her every step. We had a great time, and just wish the good weather had held up for the whole time.