♥ A Life Without Love is No Life At All! ♥

WE HAVE A NEW BLOG NOW!!!

2009-10-13T14:38:00.001-05:00

Because the domain on my original blog says "Kenzie and Karli" and now that I have announced we are getting Kacee, it does not exactly fit, and so....I moved everything to a new blog!!! As far as photos and the items on the sidebar, everything is not completely up and running yet, but I imported all of the posts from my old blog to the new one, and it's like nothing changed. (Except the link). The new blog address is: Our Life In A Nutshell (click to go to the page). Sorry to change blogs on everyone again, and I apologize if there's any confusion!

p.s. don't forget to follow the new blog!

♥ Kayla ♥

BIG NEWS!!!! (:

2009-10-13T12:00:00.003-05:00

Watch the video we filmed of Kenzie to hear about some big news for
our family!!! :)

School Pictures

2009-10-13T11:36:00.000-05:00

Here is Karli's school picture. She sure is photogenic.

Partayyyyy!!!

2009-10-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

The other day was Karli's birthday party. It was a good, fun family birthday party (except for Debby and Alana, but they were our "honorary family"), and we had cake/ice cream and Karli opened presents. Obviously, she loved them. She got a big princess castle play house (pretty much a princess version of Kenzie's Batman toy) with accessories, a puzzle, a new purse, another book for her Tag pen, a Kai Lan LEGO set, and a new bike/bike helmet!! :) It was a good day and she and Kenzie enjoyed it a lot. I'll post pics later.

p.s. "Kacee" has become the decided spelling.

Don't forget!

2009-09-29T19:04:00.000-05:00

I still need people to vote on which name spelling they like best! Kayci or Kacee? Take your pick and leave a comment with your choice!

Boat races and...excavating? What a day to spend a Sunday!

2009-09-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

Today, we went with some people from our China adoption playgroup and saw some dragon boat races. These are traditional in China, and it is when a group of about 20 or so people (I'm actually not sure, but today each boat had 25 people) get in a boat that is modeled to represent a dragon, and they have races in the lake to see which team/group can row the fastest. Since on one of the episodes that Kenzie and Karli frequently watch of Kai Lan involves her and her friends participating in a dragon boat race, we figured that they would enjoy watching them, and hanging out with other kids there. It was a fun day, and the dragon boats were pretty cool. As usual, my mom took many photos, and so I'm posting the best (and my favorite) ones on here. Oh, and if you are wondering what they are doing with those things that look like bricks, they were excavating them. They were actually "bricks" made up of a softer, powdery substance, and they used picks and brushes to break it apart and dust it off. Hidden in the brick, that they had to dig out, were a bunch of miniature models of some Terracotta Warriors (like on display at our local museum), and so all of the kids loved getting to find the soldiers and play with them. It was a very fun craft :)
AND don't forget to scroll down a little bit after these last 2 posts and see the one called "Important". I need people to leave comments and vote on that one!

p.s. Also, please continue to pray for the missionaries. Today was the last day of their conference, and so many of them are on their way for more deputation or going back to their field. Keep them in your prayers!

A very soccer Saturday...

2009-09-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Kylie had her very first soccer game on Saturday. It was blazing hot outside (hey, we live in Texas, what should we expect?!) but her team played very well and won. What a great way to kick off the season! :) Here are the photos from the game:

Important:

2009-09-26T21:34:00.005-05:00

Which spelling do you prefer...

○ Kayci

OR...

○ Kacee?

You're probably asking WHY on EARTH am I asking you to vote on name spellings right? Well...that's for us to know and you to find out... ;-)

FOCUS '09

2009-09-26T16:27:00.002-05:00

Today was the second day of our annual missions conference at church. This year's theme for the conference is FOCUS. The purpose of the missions conference that my church hosts every year is for various missionaries, both ones that we support and do not support, to come to my church and talk about their field, their prayer needs, what they do, and give their testimonies. We have a guest preacher come in and preach several services, and it is a good time to meet new people and come with your family, and just to meet the incredible people who have surrendered their lives to the mission field for God. You're probably sitting there (if you're reading this) and going, "Wow, okay so why do I care about this?". Well, after sitting at today's part of the conference and going to several sessions to hear different men and their wives speak, and meeting many of the missionaries I didn't get the chance to hear, I decided that I would get their information cards, that way I could post a little bit about them, and so I could have everyone reading this to pray for them and their families and their specific needs. I also am going to put on my sidebar (the items on the right side of my blog) their names and to remind people to pray for them, because what they are doing is truly amazing and glorifying to God.
Here are some of the missionaries that were at the conference toady:

○ The Orrick family -- Richie and Missy Orrick
- They are hoping to get to the country of Wales, in the capital city of Cardiff, by the end of 2010. Wales is a post-Christian country being mostly converted to muslim beliefs, and the people of the country are being taught to mock the Gospel and call it nothing more than a "fairy tale".
- They have two children; Isabella (almost two) and Briton (3)
- Please pray for the funding they need to send them to the people of Wales (the currency exchange rate for pounds is high), for the guidance they need from Christ, for the safety of their family as well as their friends (several veteran missionaries who are already over in Wales doing the works of the Lord), and for them to stay faithful and true to God.

○ Rich and Jan Godinez
- They are missionaries to the country of Paraguay, which is in the middle of South America.
- Please pray that they can continue to glorify God with their evangelism and the churches they have started over there, as well as their safety and the people they are trying to reach, that they would come to the knowledge of their need for a Savior.

○ Chris Meyer and his wife
- He is planning to get to the Dominican republic and start proclaiming the word there, and evangelizing to the people of that country by 2011.
- He has a five-week-old daughter, Gabrielle (Gabby).
- Please pray for him and his family, and that they will be able to gather the finances, and that it will work out okay. Also pray that God will continue to use him in his hometown in Texas before he gets to the Dominican Republic, and that God will keep preparing him for the work he will be doing over there. Pray for his family too, please.

○ The Bandaru family -- David, Leena, Michael, Michelle, Myrtle, and Marcus
- They are missionaries to India, where they have been establishing new Independent Baptist churches (Faith Baptist Mission [1994] and Faith Baptist Church [2004]). They are also training nationals in the country for God's ministry, and have started the Faith Baptist Bible Institute in 1995, and 15 missionaries have been sent out by Faith Baptist Church.
- Please keep their family in your prayers, as well as the churches and missions they have started, the missionaries they have sent out, the people they are currently training, and the Christians of India (persecution is getting pretty bad over there).

○ The Pearcey's -- Kevin and Shanise
- They are planning to go to New York City, and get affiliated in several of the Independent Baptist churches there, and start a ministry called Unashamed for Christ. They will be starting near the Bronx area in a community that is highly Dominican Republic citizens. Their ministry will be an evangelistic ministry that will reach the lost people of diverse NYC and get them baptized and involved with some of the local Baptist churches tehre.
- They have two twin children, a girl and a boy; Braden and Haven (17 months old)
- Please pray that they will be able to get to NYC and begin their work easily and without any interference. Pray that Kevin and Shanise will be guided by the Lord, and that as their children grow and they expand their mission field, that they would be safe, and that God will bless their family.

○ Nick and Meina Cogan
- They are missionaries to China, which is where Meina is from. She is an incredible woman with an incredible testimony. Meina and Nick met when he was studying in China, got married several years ago, and now he has been called to the mission field over there. They are leaving on October 31st for China. Once they get there, they will be involved with some of the local churches and friends/pastors they know over there, as well as evangelizing to the many people of China. China has 1.3 billion people and the majority are atheists. They are hoping to also be involved with the children and schools there.
- They have a 17-month-old son, Merrick.
- Please pray for their family and safety as they train up nationals from China to start and preach in churches, they meet new people, start a new lifestyle there, preach the Gospel, and try to raise their son over there.

Well, that is all of the people I have. Please keep them in your prayers....they are doing some great work, and if they're not already in their "field" yet, they have great plans!

Kayla

Last Night's "Party"

2009-09-25T11:35:00.002-05:00

Like I mentioned in my post last night, we had a small birthday party yesterday evening for Karli, in honor of her turning four-years-old. She opened three gifts from us (as seen in the picture); a puzzle, a Littlest Pet Shop character, and some bracelets. And today when mom, Kenzie, and I were shopping in Toys R Us and we got her (Karli) a little purse, which she loves, because she loves purses. Today she had her party in her school class, and she liked that a lot too. And they ate cookies...yumm!!! Anyway, here are the pictures from yesterday evening :)

p.s. I don't know if you can see in the pictures behind Karli, but do you see that Batman lair/cave thing? The Imaginext one? Yep, well that's Kenzie's. Her new favorite thing besides Kai Lan seems to be Batman! Today while out shopping, she got some new Batman toys to go along with that set. She loves the movie too, and for all of the people who say that Batman is scary for younger kids (especially Heath Ledger as the Joker) need to take it up with Kenzie, because not only does she enjoy the movie a lot and can tell us about many scenes from The Dark Knight, but the Joker is her favorite character. I think we'll be having a lot more Batman toys lying around the house in the near future...

Guess what today is...

2009-09-24T18:49:00.002-05:00

Today is Karli's birthday! Our little Karli is four-years-old today!!! We are going to let her open a little gift we got at the store this evening, and in a few weeks she will have a birthday party with some family and friends. She is very happy that today is her birthday, and several family members have called to sing to her and such :) Tomorrow she is taking cookies for her pre-K class at school, and they will have a little "party" there.

I Can't Believe She Said That!!!

2009-09-23T09:49:00.004-05:00

Kenzie is getting to be very vocal. Sometimes we are surprised at what comes out of her mouth. When she says things like this, it's hard not to laugh. Here are two things she has said this week.

We were shopping and Kenzie was sitting in the front of the grocery cart. She was trying to stand up, and mom said, "Kenzie, I really need you to sit down." Kenzie looked at mom and said, "That not my problem, that your problem." Needless to say, mom was not very happy with her reply.

Another time, Kenzie was whining about something. Mom said, "I really don't like whining." Kenzie stopped whining and said, "Well how bout screaming."

Here are some pictures of Kenzie taken this week. She does her school work while we do ours.

Happy 2 Year Gotcha Day Anniversary Kenzie!!!

2009-09-16T07:23:00.005-05:00

Two years ago today, we woke up a family of 5 and went to sleep a family of 6. That Sunday afternoon, we boarded a bus in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China with 8 other families to be united with our new little ones. We walked into the room and immediately saw the 10 babies (There were 2 sets of twins in our group). Some were crying, some were not, but all were adorable. We looked around until we found Kenzie, and fell in love. Her caretaker was holding her, and she was content, not crying. We just stood and stared and talked to her while she stared back. Eventually, they called our name, and handed her over. We had prepared ourselves for screaming, but she did not cry at all. She was perfect. We got a smile a couple of hours later and the rest of the trip went smoothly (especially if there was food in sight). I thank God everyday for his guidance in matching Kenzie with our family. She is a perfect fit.

Here are some photos from Gotcha Day and today.

Entrance to Adoption Area

This was our first picture of Kenzie (with her caretaker).

The room was very crowded with families, babies, and caretakers.

Kayla and Kenzie

Kenzie back at the hotel room

Memorial Day

2009-09-09T08:42:00.007-05:00

We spent Memorial Day with our grandparents at their house in East Texas. They have 10 acres, so Keaton and Kylie like to shoot BB guns in their yard. This time Keaton had a new rifle that dad bought him; he did a pretty good job shooting. Kylie had a slingshot and bow-and-arrow that she used. We had a great lunch, enjoyed spending time with family, and played outside. Here are some pictures of our day, including the required family picture (hint, hint).

Roadtrip :-p

2009-09-09T08:11:00.006-05:00

On many Saturdays throughout the year, we take a day trip to small towns 2-3 hours from our house. Mom and Dad like to read the historical markers and browse around the antique stores. Dad takes about buying land and living out in the country. And... he always makes us take pictures. Here are some pics from this past Saturday's roadtrip.

275 Days or 9 Months or 3/4 of a Year

2009-09-09T08:00:00.003-05:00

Karli has been a part of our family for 9 months. We are so proud of her and all that she has done in such a short amount of time!!! Since she started Pre-K 2 weeks ago, she has begun talking more and has a lot more confidence in herself.

2009-09-04T08:54:00.003-05:00

Hey readers :)
Not much has been happening lately; just the usual, school, family, and sports (which are starting up soon). Karli is still liking school a whole lot, and Kenzie is still enjoying her time at home with just us and mom. I hope the year works out for Karli and brings her out of her shy-copying-Kenzie state that she is in at home. I'll write when something good happens :) lol.

Our Little Karli's Growing Up!

2009-08-24T16:09:00.004-05:00

Today Karli started started Pre-K! Normally, we are a homeschool family but we enrolled Karli in Pre-K at our neighborhood school this year so she can be around other children, get away from home for a little while, and be able to get the speech classes that the elementary school provides. She was incredibly happy to go to school this morning (I'm wondering how long that will last...? Lol.) and she can't wait to go again tomorrow. A few weeks ago we went shopping for school supplies, and she loved to pick out everything; it's all Disney Princess stuff. She especially loves her backpack which she would carry around everywhere, 24/7, if my mom allowed her to. Last Friday afternoon she got to meet her teacher. Her name is Mrs. Shaw (her name is Carly too, hee*hee), and she's a very nice lady. Karli also got to see her class room, which she was upset to leave. When my mom dropped her off today, she didn't cry at all about mom leaving (good sign), except she did get upset and cried a little because Mrs. Shaw took her backpack and hung it up on the wall with all of the other childrens'. My mom said when she picked her up this morning (she has morning pre-K; 8 a.m.-11a.m.), she said she was laughing and couldn't stop telling her about her day. Her favorite part was the slide (the playground at recess time) and she liked the snack (cookies?) and she said they got to color and sing (the ABCs). Mom said in a few days she'll talk to her teacher and see how she's doing, and how she acts around the atmosphere there. I think this is going to work out really well...I'll keep everyone up-to-date on how the year goes :) ttyl.

Another Beach Day :)) Plus a trip to play Putt-Putt golf and Moody Gardens!

2009-08-20T15:52:00.039-05:00

Catching Up

2009-08-18T09:44:00.012-05:00

We have had a busy August. Here are some pictures from some of the places we have gone - the park and Galveston. Everyone starts school on the 24th. Kayla, Kylie, and Keaton will still homeschool, but this year will be doing their school using computers. Karli will attend the morning session of Pre-K. Kenzie will do preschool at home with mom.

On another note, Today, marks 8 months since Karli has been home and united with our whole family.

*** If you've scrolled down this far, here is a little something for you to ponder. Stay tuned for some big news within the next month or so.

Happy Referral Day Anniversary Kenzie

2009-08-02T16:00:00.003-05:00

Two years ago today, August 2, 2007, at 1:55 p.m., we recieved a call from Great Wall China Adoption that our referral had arrived. Our paperwork had been sent to China October 28, 2005 after 10 months of getting it all together. So, we waited about 21 months before finally being matched with a child. We were so excited to hear that it was an 8 month old girl; we could not wait to see her pictures which they emailed about 1.5 hours later. We drove to Austin the next day to pick up all of the paperwork because we just could not wait for it to be delivered by mail. Below are the first glimpses we had of Kenzie and a picture of the kids (and Alana) outside the adoption agency.

Look What We Did Today

2009-07-28T09:18:00.003-05:00

Since the older kids homeschool. the "Littles" are always asking to do school work. I guess because their work is fun: cutting paper, matching shapes, stringing beads, puzzles, lacing, coloring. etc. Today, their work was naming and matching colors. They did very well for their first time.

Really Good Video :)

2009-07-26T18:31:00.001-05:00

99 Balloons:

Can you guess who's popular at our house?

2009-07-25T11:38:00.002-05:00

The girls love to watch Kai Lan, even Karli who will not sit still more than 5 minutes to watch TV.

2009-07-22T14:06:00.002-05:00

Can you believe August 2nd will be our two year anniversary of Kenzie's referral day?! That means this September she would have been with us TWO YEARS!!! Wow! Time flies! It feels like she's been with us forever, but on the other hand it feels like just yesterday we were picking her up in Nanchang. She fits so well with our family, I don't think God could have matched us to a child any better than her :)
Also, in a few months (like five) Karli will have been with us one whole year....wow. It's amazing how fast times goes.

2009-07-14T14:30:00.003-05:00

Wow...there is seriously like nothing going on in life right now! I just got back from my church's camp Friday evening. It wasn't the best year I've had, but it was okay. I don't think my dad enjoyed it too much, though, lol. It's good to be home for more than a day and a half :) I missed Kenzie and Karli. Next Friday (like the one next week) I'm going on a trip with my church to Arlington and we're going to Six Flags Over Texas. Yay!!! :) Then a few days later I'm going back near that area (to Dallas) for a youth convention that my dad wants me to attend, and he and Kylie are going, too.
Oh and guess what else....
I DYED MY HAIR BLACK!!! :) Lol! I don't think my mom likes it that much, but I think it looks really good and I love it...and that's what really matters most. And I paid for it myself. :)

Here is a pic:

Karli = 7 Months

2009-07-08T14:18:00.002-05:00

Karli has now been part of our family for 7 months. Our Gotcha Day, December 8, 2008, was memorable. We had braced ourselves for crying and grieving, but everything went smoothly. We are so glad the God hand picked Karli for us.

Tabitha

Swimming Fun:)

2009-07-06T06:53:00.007-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time at the pool since it has been so hot. I think it has been like 50 days with no rain at our house. Here are some pictures of our recent trip to the pool with our grandparents. At least this week is supposed to be in the mid 90s rather than hitting 100 or more.

Kenzie and the puzzle

2009-07-06T06:47:00.003-05:00

Kenzie loves putting puzzles together. She has mastered all of the easy ones that we have and has been working on the 24-piece puzzles. Last week, she finally mastered them and can put a 24-piece puzzle together in no time. Not bad for a 2.5 year old.

Here is a picture of Keaton and Kenzie together.

Karli's first haircut

2009-07-06T06:44:00.003-05:00

Karli got her hair trimmed last week. Not much was cut off, but now her hair looks a lot better. Her hair has grown quite a bit since we first met her almost 7 months ago.

Independence Day

2009-07-05T17:56:00.011-05:00

We celebrated The Fourth of July by watching fireworks with some of our friends and family.

:-)

2009-07-05T15:26:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday!!! :) I'm 14 now!
I got back from Tennessee yesterday...sorry I didn't post anything! I was so busy! And I leave for church camp tomorrow!
Ugh...too busy! I will post pictures when I can :) lol.
Happy late Fourth Of July!!!

Yay!!!

2009-06-24T21:38:00.002-05:00

I leave tomorrow!! :) ...still have more to pack. Oh, and I need to clean my room...ugh.

I saw Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen today. It was so SO good!!!! Can't wait till tomorrow...

Here are some pictures of the girls at the pool. As you can see from the thermometer in our car; it was hot today, even at 6:00 p.m.

Pictures from Saturday

2009-06-23T19:33:00.008-05:00

Here are the pics from the birthday party on Saturday.

Monday.

2009-06-22T19:25:00.002-05:00

Today I did my laundry, which I haven't done for about two weeks. I had two loads of clothes!! And the funny (or maybe sad) thing is, I still had half a closet full of clothes to wear. While waiting for my clothes to go through the washer and dryer, I cleaned my room...not fun. And I started packing for Nashville...
I don't know how many of you people out there are like me, or how many are like my mom.

This is me: I like to take a bunch of bags or a really big suitcase, and take tons of clothes...more than I need, even. I love to be in style no matter where I'm going or what the occasion is. I like to have a different pair of shoes for each outfit, or maybe even two for each outfit. I like to have a jacket, at least two changes of pajamas, and I have to bring all my necessities. You know, my flat iron, hair stuff, books...you know stuff that says "me". I say I pack heavy, my mom says I'm just crazy.

This is my mom: She prefers to pack in a backpack, or sometimes even a Wal-Mart sack. She takes the least amount of clothes as possible and will stuff everything to make it fit. She takes one pair of shoes. She packs light.

Anyway, me obviously being myself, I got down the biggest suitcase we have out of the attic (one that we got when I went to China) and started packing all my stuff in it today. I think I have about fifteen t-shirts...a few pairs of jeans...one dress...a pair of shorts...shoes...I packed for about an hour today and I'm not even finished! (Packing takes a lot of energy out of me lol.) At the moment, I'm concerned with how I'm going to fit everything... :)
I'm also working on making a list for all the stuff I still need to pack. I hope to God I don't forget anything. What exactly does one take to a musicians' camp? (Besides their instrument of course.) Hmm... I still need to work on this lol.

Tomorrow begins my 3-day volunteer week at Mission Northeast again. Even though I complain a little, I miss my boys :( so I'm glad that I'm getting to spend this week with them, since I will be gone the next two weeks.

Kenzie and Karli are doing good, by the way :) ...Not much to write about them lately.

video of the week:

Saturday.

2009-06-20T18:51:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone out there! Just had another pretty boring Saturday...even considering the fact that I was only home a few hours today. We had two (yes, TWO) birthday parties today, so at eleven this morning we dropped Keaton off at his friend's party, and then we hung around in that area for the next two hours or so. We ended up going to Wal-Mart, and then eating at McDonald's. Then we met my Aunt and my Grandma and took her home. My Grandma just got out of the ER today...I'm not really sure why exactly she was there, but ever since she had the scar tissue in her brain last year and had to have surgery she's had a few health problems, and I think this time it was because she couldn't walk very straight and it was harder for her to see and stuff. Then after we dropped her off, we ran home and the kids changed into their swimsuits, and we headed off to a water party (will post pics later btw) and we stayed there for about three hours. They went down the water slide (basically a big, inflatable slip-n-slide) and played in the little kid pools, and played games, ate snow cones, and had cake and ice cream and other snacks. Not really sure what the rest of the day will bring...we went shopping at the Galleria last night to buy clothes for camp (yes!) and went out to eat so I'm not sure if we're eating out tonight or what. Anyway, all in all a pretty busy yet boring day. *sigh* I can't wait for this Summer to pick up in Nashville. Oh, and I'm also very excited for Thursday. I get to go see Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen with my friend and my aunt. Tuesday starts my volunteer week up again. This coming week is going to be pretty busy. On Monday I have to do my laundry and clean my room (ugh) and start packing for Nashville and lay out all my clothes for church camp (yay!!). I have to make sure I bring everything I need lol; I pack pretty heavy :) With volunteering and the kids and the movies and church and getting ready this coming week will be pretty busy...I'm hoping it will keep me entertained. I'm not quite sure what to expect in Nashville; I've been freaking out with "what if?"s lol. And then I come back, have a day free to pack up for Camp Timberline, that Sunday (the 5th of July) is my birthday, and then early Monday I leave for camp. I'm so excited to see all my friends from last year that I haven't gotten to hang with much over the past year (like Stephen!), and hanging with old friend for five days straight. :) I'll post more when something happens lol and I will post those pics sometime soon hopefully.

sigh

2009-06-17T21:11:00.002-05:00

I am suffocating in this world of no news!! Aggh!!! I'm just living each day waiting for something worth posting to happen lol. This week I've started volunteering at the Mission Northeast, like I have for the previous 2 summers. I have some of the little boys from my group last year, which I'm happy about because last year I had a really amazing class, and I grew to love them :) The VBS theme for this year is "Down Under" so it has an Australian theme...my group's name is the Red Devils (for Tasmanian Devils, which I just recently found out were real and not just a made-up creature from Looney Toons; go figure!), so I'm hoping that won't turn out be symbolic. heh*heh This week Kylie and Keaton have another VBS (they had one last week), and this VBS has got to be one of the coolest ever, due to ventriloquist Dennis Lee, who is hilarious. He has the cutest puppets and themes and everything, even I enjoy it. Anyway, they've been having a pretty good week. Next week I leave for Nashville and Kylie has yoyo camp...again lol. Then I have church camp...YAY!!!! (Although actually, for personal reasons I'm kinda nervous about this week but so happy that I can spend the week with my friends, and see some old camp friends from last year that I haven't seen in forever.) The rest of my summer just involves Kylie and Keaton having more VBS's and Nature Camp. *sigh* I have no life! I'll post again when something relatively interesting happens, or I have new pictures. And I will try to be blogging the week of camp electric...which will be AWESOME!

Dennis Lee (Nana Puddin'): http://www.nanapuddin.com/
Camp Electric: http://www.campelectric.com/

2009-06-16T17:56:00.001-05:00

I leave for Nashville a week from Friday!!! :)

Fun Day At Jumping Joey's

2009-06-11T17:57:00.013-05:00

Something To Happy Dance About :)

2009-06-09T18:46:00.004-05:00

Guess what we threw away Sunday night? The bottle. Yep, Kenzie threw her bottle away (with mom's permission, of course). Even though she drinks juice and soda and water out of a regular cup, she still has her bottle of milk every morning. But now she has a "big girl" cup :) yay!
(However, it is a little hard to get her to drink it..today somebody *cough*cough*mom* bribed her with a dollar, which Kenzie is now happily carrying around in her pocket lol).

Official 6 Month Family Day

2009-06-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Karli officially became a member of our family 6 months ago today. Here are a few pictures of her taken 2 days ago to compare to yesterday's Gotcha Day post. She sure has changed a lot during these 6 months.

Gotcha Day 6 Month Anniversary

2009-06-08T00:04:00.002-05:00

On December 8, 2008 we woke up feeling excited, but a little nervous. We were excited as it was the day that we would become a family of seven. We were nervous because there was a possibility that it might not happen. See, our adoption agency had sent a crucial piece of paper to the wrong family. This paper let the officials in China know that we had permission to adopt Karli. When we found out (not from our agency, but from the family that received our paper), our agency assured us the paper would be sent directly to our guide in China and be there on Gotcha day. However, when we got to the province and spoke to the guide, she had NO idea what we were talking about. After unsuccessfully trying to contact the agency, we just put the matter in God's hands. So, we woke up and got ready assuming we would be untied with our daughter. God can work miracles, and lo and behold, the paper arrived in time to us to proceed with Gotcha Day. Here are a few pictures of that day.

This is our first glimpse of Karli at the Civil Affairs office. We were the only group there and had a lot of time with the girls before we had to leave.

These next few pictures are of Karli once she was given to us by the orphanage staff.

This picture is us with the official from the orphanage.

These next two pictures are Karli at the hotel room about 2 hours after she joined our family. As you can see, she was not really upset to be given to a strange looking and sounding family.

Guess Who...

2009-06-04T21:32:00.003-05:00

...is 2 and a half? Happy half birthday KENZIE:-)

Time Sure Flies...

2009-06-04T10:13:00.003-05:00

Six months ago today, mom, dad and Kylie left for China to pick up Karli. Here are some pictures taken from the airplane on December 4, 2008.

Dad and Kylie waiting at the airport before boarding the flight.

Kylie on the airplane.

Distance left until we arrive in Beijing.

Flight path from Newark to Beijing.

Picture of the Great Wall in the mountains taken from the window of the airplane.

Our week in Pictures

2009-05-30T22:30:00.013-05:00

Kayla at the end-of-year awards banquet for CHATA.

Kayla and friend at the Astros baseball game - they lost, as usual.

Karli and Kenzie practicing their cutting skills.

Kenzie running in the sprinkler.

Kenzie and Karli playing at the park.

Eating watermelon in the backyard.

This is what happens when your bored.

Memorial Day at PawPaw and Granny's house.

Room for one more!!!

2009-05-30T22:19:00.004-05:00

Now that we have seven people in our family, our minivan is filled to capacity when dad is riding with us. So, my parents decided we needed a new one that seats 8. My grandma watched us last night while Mom and dad went to look at new minivans. Look what they came home with.

"Not gonna happen!"

2009-05-30T17:11:00.003-05:00

The following is a conversation between mom and the girls that happened at Khol's earlier this morning:

Karli: "Momma, I love you!"
mom: *sigh* "I love you, too."
Keenie: "Momma, I love you!"
*this is at the top of their lungs*
mom: "I love you, too."
Karli: "Karli so happy!"
Kenzie: "Kenzie happy too!"
mom: "I'm happy too but I would be a lot happier if you would be quieter..."
Kenzie: "Not gonna happen."

Well...that's Kenzie for you :)

6 month post-placement visit

2009-05-20T23:20:00.002-05:00

Today we had the social worker come out for Karli's 6 month post-placement visit. China requires a home study update at 6 and 12 months post adoption. Mom had written down the wrong day on the calendar, and we thought the visit was tomorrow. Fortunately, mom emailed to confirm the appointment, and we found out early this morning about the mix-up. Then, we ran around cleaning everything before she got here. The social worker was impressed with how well Karli seems to have adapted to our family and her new life.

Since we will have the homestudy update, we are going to readopt both girls next month. This means that the girls will have a state of Texas birth certificate.

Our Disney Trip :)

2009-05-17T13:18:00.035-05:00

Last week, as u may know from looking at our upcoming dates on the calendar (on the sidebar), we took a family vacation (more like "adventure" the trip had NO relaxation!) to Disney World. (World...the one in Orlando.) It took two days to drive there and back, and we spent four days at the parks. (Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios [formerly MGM Studios].) We had a lot of fun riding rides and walking around the parks, despite the fact that it rained half the time, and the little girls LOVED it. :) Their favorite part was the Princesses and Mickey Mouse. Here are our photos!

Pictures!!!

2009-04-27T17:47:00.000-05:00

Kylie's last soccer game

2009-04-27T17:13:00.004-05:00

Saturday was Kylie's last soccer game. They had an undefeated season. She has improved so much and is one of the best players on the team. They wanted her to try out for the competitive league, but she will stay in the recreational league.

Theater Performance

2009-04-27T16:52:00.004-05:00

Friday night Kylie and I had a theater performance with our homeschool group.

Horseback Riding

2009-04-27T16:43:00.003-05:00

Today at Kylie's hoseback riding lessons, her teacher let everyone have a few turns around the ring. It was Kenzie and Karli's first turn on a horse.

Kenzie and Karli

2009-04-27T16:33:00.001-05:00

What happens when a 2 year old is too quiet? Kenzie decided to climb the bathroom cabinets and get some lipstick out to make herself look pretty.

Scout Fair Pictures

2009-04-19T15:28:00.018-05:00

This weekend, Keaton went to Scout Fair, which is pretty much like a big boy scout convention where the kids can earn things and do crafts and have a fun Saturday with their family. Last year we all went, but this year only Kylie, Keaton, mom, and Kenzie went (that's why they're the only ones in the pictures). They had a good time, and it was pouring rain that day, so it's better than being stuck indoors.

Oh, and MORE NEWS: Kenzie is potty-trained full time now :) even at night.

Karli has now been home with our whole family for 4 months and 2 days.

Happy Birthday Kylie

2009-04-14T22:02:00.003-05:00

Today is Kylie's 10th birthday. She will be having a sleepover with her friends in May once Saturday sports are over. She received a movie, a game for the XBox360 and a game for the Wii from mom and dad. She received money from other family members. She also got a shorts/shirt outfit (not pictured).

Easter

2009-04-14T20:28:00.013-05:00

Sunday we went to our grandparents house (my mom's dad) after church to hunt eggs and eat.

On Saturday we went to a get together at one of our friend's house. Here are some pictures of the girls.

Potty Training Complete (at least during the day)

2009-04-10T08:59:00.002-05:00

Kenzie is finally trained to use the potty during the day. She wears a diaper at night still, but many times, she wakes up with it dry. Once this package of diapers is finished we are not buying anymore, even for her to wear at night. We are so happy about this. Especially dad since it will save him money.

4 Months

2009-04-09T17:56:00.003-05:00

Today marks 4 months that Karli has officially been a member of our family. The paperwork was sign 12/9/08 and changed her name from Xi HeNa to Karli Nicole Na. She has changed so much since that first day she was placed in our arms.

Zoo Pictures

2009-04-09T17:29:00.004-05:00

We went to the Houston Zoo on Tuesday. Here are some pictures of our day.

Bunny Pictures :)

2009-04-08T15:53:00.005-05:00

Pierced Ears!

2009-04-08T15:45:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday, my friend Christa and I decided we wanted to go get our ear pierced at the cartilage (something I've been thinking about doing for a few years). So, after church we spontaneously decided to go get them done (with my mom) at the mall, lol. We had a great time, and they look really cute. The pics below are us at the mall, waiting for it to get pierced (we both got ours done on our left ear) or getting it done.

Saturday Sports

2009-04-06T14:57:00.004-05:00

Kylie plays soccer, Keaton plays baseball. Here are some photos of their games from last Saturday.

Playing at the Park

2009-04-06T12:13:00.013-05:00

2009-04-03T10:58:00.006-05:00

The girls got their fingernails and toenails painted today. They picked the color - orange. Well actually, Kenzie picked the color (It's her favorite.), and Karli just went along with it. Even though Karli is older, Kenzie is the ring-leader. I don't know if this is because Karli is still learning the ropes or if this is her personality. I know Kenzie will ALWAYS be the one with the attention focused on her.

When you have 2 toddlers in the house there is always noise. If there's not, you can be sure they're up to something. This is what "The Littles" were doing yesterday - trying to brush their teeth. As usual Kenzie was the instigator.

Karli

2009-04-02T09:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Karli went to the ENT to have her hearing checked. As you may remember, Karli's special need when adopted from China was hearing impairment. Her left ear was said to be totally deaf and her right ear was diagnosed as 1/2 deaf. When she got home from China, we suspected that the diagnosis was incorrect, but her pediatrician reccommended waiting a few months before getting her checked out. This way she could understand the directions for the test. Otherwise she would need to be sedated and have a different hearing test. Well anyway, the test results show NO deafness at all. Praise God!!!

On another note, mom also went to the doctor yesterday. She has strep throat again. Twice in less than one month.

Blue/Gold Banquet

2009-03-30T12:16:00.006-05:00

Every year, the Cub Scout pack has something called a Blue/Gold Banquet (the title is beyond me) and it's to celebrate the scouting year coming to an end, and for the boys to get their awards. Also for the older boys to move on from Cub Scouts and into Boy Scouts (yes, I've learned. There is a difference between the two.) Keaton's pack hosted their banquet on Saturday. Here are the pictures.

Dancing Divas

2009-03-27T23:18:00.003-05:00

The Littles like to play dress up and dance around. Tonight Kylie dressed them up and was teaching them ballet moves. Kenzie really took to the lesson and enjoyed it. Karli just liked spinning in circles. Check out Kenzie's fish face.

The Easter Bunny

2009-03-27T14:03:00.004-05:00

How do you convince 2 toddlers to sit with the Easter Bunny and look at the camera? Why, you bribe them, of course. After these pictures, the girls both got some candy for their efforts. They also were given the bunny ears by the Easter Bunny, and they LOVE them.

Good Song :)

2009-03-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath

Doesn't this face say it all?

2009-03-25T17:28:00.005-05:00

We have completed week 1 of potty training. Kenzie is doing pretty good. She had a few accidents, but is trying hard.

Naptime

2009-03-25T17:25:00.003-05:00

Sometimes we count the hours until naptime, but don't they look angelic while they're asleep?

"Mama, I pwitty."

2009-03-25T16:21:00.008-05:00

Both of the girls like to dress up and comment on how pretty they are. Their favorite thing to say is, "I pwitty." And, of course, we always agree.

Zany Zoo Pictures

2009-03-25T15:48:00.008-05:00

Everyone went to the zoo in Lufkin. They rode the train and visited the animals. Keaton was the official photographer, so most of these were taken by him. Except for the pictures he is in.

Country Living at Granny and PawPaw's

2009-03-25T11:06:00.005-05:00

Keaton and Kylie spent Spring Break at Granny and PawPaw's house. They live on 10 acres in the country. When it was time to come home, mom and dad drove up there to get them. Here are some pictures of the kids playing around outside.

I'M BACK!!!!

2009-03-24T12:57:00.002-05:00

I'm back!!!!! Yay! It feels soooo good to be home! :-) I don't know how much my mom told you, but last week I was in Springfield, Missouri for a basketball tournament, over spring break. (National Homeschool & Christian Educated Championships) It's where teams from all across the country (mostly homeschool teams/leagues, but a few private schools too) come and participate in a tournament. It was AWESOME!!! We were a little off on our game (meaning we could've done better...) but we walked away with 6th place in the 5A division, for the 14&U (14 and under) girls. (5A is the 2nd best division there [6A is the best], and there are 8 places in each division.) I went with my friend Rachel and her mom, and everyone from our team stayed at our hotel (us and a team from Fayetteville, Arkansas took up the whole hotel! LOL.) and we all went to each other's games. It was nice to get away for a week with my friends, play one of my favorite sports, seeing some friends I'd met at State and on other teams before, and meet new people...but I am SOOOOO glad to be back! (I missed my bed lol.) It's so different up there in Missouri from where I live (oh, it's about a 12 hours drive, by the way. TWELVE HOURS!!!) and it was a good tournament and I can't wait to go back next year. (We won 2 games and lost 3.)
Anyways.....
Just wanted to say that I'm back, and that it will be me posting on my blog from now on, not my mom. :-)
(but boy does it look like I missed some great stuff last week...)

Kenzie and Karli

2009-03-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

We went to have pictures made of Karli and Kenzie. That is not as easy as it sounds. Kenzie cries whenever she has to get her picture taken by a "professional." Below are some of the better ones.

Karli has been home 3 months today. She is fitting in better everyday. She said a 4 word sentence today, and her speech is improving a little at a time.

A Day of Play

2009-03-17T18:27:00.006-05:00

Since the big kids are gone for the week, I decided to take Karli and Kenzie to the inflatable bounce place. We met 2 other families from our China adoption playgroup. They had a ball.

Afterwards, we decided to go to Chick-fil-a for lunch. The girls played in the play area there too.

The incident

2009-03-17T09:49:00.004-05:00

Can you guess what this is?

One thing is for sure. Life with toddlers is never boring. Take for instance, yesterday. Our boring day turned to excitement instantly. We were eating McDonald's in the car while waiting for Keaton to finish his karate class. We hear "Ow, my nose." When we look back, Kenzie has a french fry up her nose. After laughing at her and telling her to take it out, she does. Then she starts complaining and sticking her finger back up there. It turned out that a piece of the fry broke off way up there in her nose. After trying to get it out with tweezers and not succeeding, she had to go to the doctor. Luckily, her pediatrician fit us in and it was easy to remove.

Kenzie and Karli are getting a room makeover since Kenzie is no longer sleeping in the crib/toddler bed and now has a twin size bed. Kenzie picked a Disney Princess theme and Karli goes along with whatever Kenzie wants. Here are some pictures of the room so far. They got new bedspreads and wall stickers. We still have to put up the wallpaper border.

Karli's bed

Kenzie's bed

Keaton and Kylie are spending the week with their grandparents. Kayla is in Missouri for the week for the Homeschool Basketball Nationals. So it is only the Littles and mom and dad at home.

Here is a picture of Karli playing around.

posted by Kayla's mom since Kayla's out of town.

The B-day Party

2009-03-07T20:37:00.006-06:00

Today was Keaton's birthday party :-) He had a great time!!
Or, at least, I think he did...
I wouldn't know.
(I was being quarantined in my room because I'm sick. But I mean what's a party without Kayla?! Idk...but oh well.)
Anyway, he had his friends over, ate cake, and, of course, opened gifts. :-)))

p.s. Sorry I haven't been writing much :-/ that will be changing soon lol. It's just that it's hard to find stuff to write about...

Pictures!!!

2009-02-28T21:04:00.017-06:00

Aw!!!

2009-02-10T17:45:00.001-06:00

wait for it, wait for it...

2009-02-09T17:17:00.000-06:00