Two Months Home

A happy joyful baby

Who loves her 2nd Mama...big sister Julia

Loves to play with Jaida...although a little jealous of her

Adores her BIG brother Sam and looks for him when she can't see him

She thinks Xin is so much fun and crawls on him when she wants to play

Had a reunion at the zoo with her Hunan/Changsha travel mate Leiney Grace this week. It was so good to see that beautiful girl again with her brand new heart. Loved seeing Jan also and meeting 4 of her 8 kiddos! God blessed us with this sweet family as travel mates who live an hour away!!!

It is so hard to believe this baby has only been home 2 months.The changes she has been through...oh my! And oh how we love this precious child! She is so adaptable and has handled all the changes unbelievably well. She LOVES her family and must be part of the action at all times. I can't imagine our life without her! We know people doubted our choice to adopt again and thought it was too much. Yes, 5 kids is a lot. Yes, there are exhausting days. The casting has not been easy but in the grand scheme of things....not a big deal!To look at her filled with happiness and watch her soak up her new life, fills my heart. She has brought us such joy and filled our home with her sweet baby-ness. She has inspired us with her determination to overcome her physical limitations....what limitations??? This little girl will accomplish anything in life she sets her mind too. Thank you Lord for blessing her with this gift. Thank you Lord for blessing us with her. Thank you for calling us to step out in faith for Louisa. Thank you for the numerous ways you have showed us your faithfulness on the journey to her and with her. It is a joy to be her Mother! She is just perfect for us! He knew that...all we had to do was trust and obey. Happy 2 months home Louisa. I love you with all my heart!

Spring Break

Sam took the plunge...Lulu watching...can't wait until she can join them!

Jaida still thinking about it.

I don't know Jaida, it looks awfully cold to me!

A little Just Dance 3...note Lulu trying to get in on the action!

Lulu wanted everyone to sit under the air hockey table...so they did!

When everybody else leaves town for spring break and you are stuck with no friends but thousands of golf fans around town that crowd the streets, restaurants, and stores....what do you do? You make your own fun. Even if that means swimming when the water is 72 degrees and playing Wii games with your old Mama!

Party Time

We finally celebrated Sam's 10th birthday stateside with his buddies. They played soccer, hide and seek, sardines, arcade olympics, ate pizza, cupcakes and ice cream. This is such a cute age for them...still little boys but growing up so fast. I enjoyed watching and listening!

Soccer, Summer???, and Some cuteness....just "some" cuteness

Just 1 game for Jewels this weekend.

6-1 victory...and they all wore green bows..so cute

St. Patrick's Day tournament for Sam...3 games

Unfortunately the U10 Bulls did not have a good outcome.

The "Littles" enduring the soccer

Yes, it is still winter???? Well the thermometer said different....86 degrees this weekend!

Cooling off

And the cuteness....well the brief cuteness, very brief!!!

Mostly just miserable, unhappy and whiney! But still so darn cute!

My pitiful baby

This is how she was ALL DAY! She could NOT get comfortable and she was exhausted yet she would NOT sleep. And she insisted on having that fleece blanket draped around us....80 degrees here today. Poor baby. We did get her to stop fussing and crying for a brief time when Jaida drove her up and down the driveway in the Barbie jeep. Of course she screamed when I finally took her out. Every time she remembered those darn pink things were on her legs she would pick at them and fuss. Hoping my happy baby is back tomorrow or at least in the next few days! The doctor did say her feet were very easy to manipulate and seemed atypical club foot... more contractual vs bone? So they should respond well to treatment and less casting up front. Here's hoping the night goes well........

Sweet little crooked feet

Today we saw the orthopedist. Since May 31st of last year we have wondered what was actually wrong with those cute little feet. We now know. Mild clubbed feet. We have a treatment plan too. We go next Tuesday for her 1st set of casts. Followed by probably 5 additional castings done weekly until the feet are in the correct position. Surgery to lengthen the tendon is a real possibility after that with 3 more weeks of casts. Total....looking at about 10 weeks of casts. Just in time for swimming season!!! Braces in her shoes to follow and sleeping with a very comfortable, I am sure, bar between her feet for...oh a long time. But her prognosis is very good. Praising God for clarity tonight and a "game plan". Please, if you feel led, pray for Lulu that she would not be in any pain, that she would adapt yet again to another set of changes, and that by God's healing power she will respond well and quickly to the casting. We love this little girl to pieces and think pink fiberglass casts up to her thighs will only make her more squeezable!

What can I say....she LOVES her food!