To Celebrate two years together- A photo montage of our first year

Two years ago today, we walked into the Hubei Province adoption office and saw our sweet daughter standing there. I will never forget the moment I saw her. Here is a photo montage of our first year together.

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Some random December pictures

M at our church's live nativity. They had 2 real camels this year!
Ayi Natalie helping M with a craft project during the live nativity.

M dancing with Lao Shi G at her Chinese school.

We attended my cousin Maggie's wedding. Here she is dancing with her dad.
She was a beautiful and happy bride!

Well, not long after that M hit the dance floor herself.

She didn't hold back, but used all her moves. Baba and I were told to sit down so she could work the floor on her own.

She danced until about 11:00pm, before she started to slow down.

Our little lamb in the church Chirstmas program. She was so excited to be a lamb. She did a wonderful job singing too!

Christmas at the Children's Farm

We just love this place! M was so excited to go back and see all her farm friends. The Children's Farm does a live nativity every year. They offer everyone head dresses to be shepards and get in on the fun. Here's our little shepardess in the chicken coop with Baba.
The sheep were very interested in EATING her headscarf.
M thought that was pretty funny.

The nativity scene is right in the barn and they have a REAL baby. Families with infants volunteer to lay Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.
They baby lays in a real manger with a heat lamp hanging overhead. M was quite intrigued with the real baby. Shepards stand around singing carols and caring for animals.

M making friends with Bella the donkey. You can see the Holy family just above and behind M. The orange glow is the lamp to warm the baby.

M with Lily the bunny. We found out her favorite rabbit, Peter is retired. He now lives in the backyard at one of the volunteer's homes. We also were not able to see Muffin. She was at another farm on a date, but come May we should be able to see her and her BABIES back at the farm.


We ended the day with cookies and hot cider in the shed. M would've loved to keep her headscarf, but finally turned it back in so she could come back next year and don it again.

For Anna

Today we have a special message for M's Wuhan sister Anna.

M's dictated letter:

Anna,

"I want to make your heart feel happy and ahh.. Happy New Year. Merry Christmas, I can say. I wanna send happy holidays. My Jesus make your heart feel very very happy. We send a dress my mama made to send to you. I send you stickers too. I wanna say my Lord is God. We have the same outfit. I wanna tell her I lova her and I wanna tell her I miss her too. "

M

Merry Christmas to Anna and the whole B family!

Christmas preparations

Here's our now annual "hanging of the first ornament" picture.

This "forever family" ornament was a gift from my co-worker and friend, Penny.

M hanging her new Mulan* ornament on the tree.
Things always get interesting when using the 10 sec. timer to take self-portraits. You really never know what you will end up capturing.
Here are a couple of our failed Christmas card picture attempts that did not make the cut.

Shadow was trying to lick M's face as we all were trying NOT to laugh.

The shot we ended up picking while not "great" was one that John said of, "Well we all look happy and that's what really matters." Cards should be mailed by Saturday, so you won't have to be in suspense for too long.

Jenny

M's 4th b-day pics

Still hard to believe she is already 4 and been home almost 2 years.

With her panda that we sent to her in China for her 2nd birthday.

Guess who saw the Big Guy?????

M was pretty excited to see Santa.

She had been asking to see him ever since she first saw his set-up at the mall.

What did she ask for? "A nightgown and some toys."