A Little More Catching Up...............

I had started another post with pictures leading up to the flight home and they got all mixed up and I can't seem to get them back in the right order. :( So I did them in the post just before this one.

Adopting our first two daughters took over two yrs. for each one. So we were expecting at least two yrs. to get funds together to bring Chloe home instead............
Ten months from when we started to paper chase we arrived home with our newest gift from the Lord!
Even though this time around many thought we were crazy. The Lord kept putting on my heart to trust Him no matter what others would say, no matter what we would see happening in the world, and especially how He was going to provide the funds we needed to bring her home.
He is so faithful!
The one who calls you is faithful and
He will do it.   I Thessalonians 5:24

For with God nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37

Waiting in LA for the last stretch home. Chloe did great on the long
flights and layovers. She is an amazing little girl.

Finally after a long layover we are headed home. 

Exhausted 

Very tired little girl slowly checking out her new home.

A little overwhelmed.
(I wonder what was going through her little mind)

Quietly looking over the coffee pot as she
checked out the little kitchen. Not sure what
to think of everything. Especially coming from
a very poor orphanage,  they didn't have very many
toys and she didn't have any of her own. Our little
sweet heart slept with everything we had brought
for her in China and even when we first came home.
Even a year later whenever I buy her something she
always says,"THANK-You Mommy!" Even days
later she will come and thank me again.
 She is right at home now with her forever family and
 is doing so well!  We couldn't be more blessed!
God is so good!!!

Catching Up.................

We met our youngest daughter our precious gift from the Lord!

A year ago May 15........
We met our sweet Chloe Joy An!!!
God has truly blessed us with this precious little girl who has such a loving and sweet heart.
This year has flown by so quickly!
It seems like only yesterday we were in China meeting our newest little treasure!

Handprint for adoption

Officially ours! But God already knew! 

She loved playing ball in the room.
I can't seem to get this pic and the one above in the right order.
(I give up)
The one(above)of Jaden and Chloe is the next morning when we went back
to do our adoption paperwork. Chloe didn't want the director from the
orphanage near her and would walk clear across the room to
avoid her and watch to see if she was coming near her.  Check
out that face and the look in her eyes. Poor little sweetie wasn't
sure what was going on. She was afraid the director was going
 to take her away from us.
 Our precious little girl has been so happy to be with us from
the day we met. Only God could have prepared her little heart for
 all the changes in her life.
She is such a brave little girl. She has never looked back.
We have looked at pictures  from China and the orphanage
she says she wants to go visit. Only if mommy goes too!

Fun in the hotel

Hmmmmmm............. I could get used to all of this sightseeing.

Taking it all in and LOVING every minute of it!

Trying to brave stepping down from the side of the road.
She never could get up the courage.
Today she wouldn't  have a problem. She has come so
far in the past year! Thanking and praising the Lord for
all He is doing in her life and ours! 

Recital Day

Jaden wanted to try gymnastics instead of dance and she loved it! 

The place where she went to dance also has gymnastics. They don't 

do competitions instead they have a recital along with the dancers. 

 She wanted to share some of what she learned.  (forgot the bridge maybe next time) Jaden who couldn't quit giggling through the rehearsal last week, did an awesome job at the recital! (She had the biggest smile the whole time!)

Sometimes You Can't Help but smile!

"Watch cha doing outside Chloe?"

"Ummmmmm.................."

" You busy mom, so I helping put on my sunscreen!"

"What you thinking mommy?"

"Did I do a good job!?!"

Wordless Wednesday

30 Big Ones!!!!!

Our littlest fairy princess has made it from 28lbs. to 30 lbs!! She also 

has grown 2 1/2 inches. So the weight she gained isn't really very 

noticeable. She is still tiny for a little girl who will be 6 yrs. in
less then 2 months. Our doctor didn't believe she just turned 5
 (June 17th 3 wks. after coming home) She ordered up a bone
scan that was done in July and it showed her age to be
2 1/2 yrs. old. At the time we were told it wasn't necessarily her
true age. It could be from malnutrition. 

So at our last visit with our pediatrician I shared how she is doing 

better with her small motor skills and she is starting to trace dotted 

lines for some of her letters and shapes. Loves to color her bible verse
picture and any of the papers her sisters color for school. (she was
very weak at first and it was very obvious she never used crayons or
pencils) She still isn't the greatest with scissors. We have been
working on ways to help strengthen her small and large motor skills.
The doctor's comment was "Why would they (the orphanage) teach
a 2 1/2 yr. old to write, color and use scissors?" 

She then said, "For being 3 yrs. old now that wasn't bad." What!?! 

I know our littlest princess was malnourished, it was clearly stated 

in her paperwork. She was also very anemic which is common for

children who have suffered from malnutrition. Our first dentist
visit was before we saw our pediatrician and he showed me x-rays
of her teeth and informed me she wouldn't be loosing any for at least
3 yrs. Hmmmm...... (trying to wrap my mind around all this
for awhile now)

We have a copy of her finding ad with her picture and the 

date of the newspaper is the year of 2006. (gift from the orphanage)

I noticed the last number for her finding date has a 6 written over it.

I had Brian Stuy send us another copy and the year is 2005. 

That would make her even older. (sigh)

Physically she seems more like a 3 yr. old. I know from adopting 

our other daughters they can be behind for a while.

She still wears pull ups at night and has accidents every once 

in awhile during the day. Yet in so many ways intellectually she 

seems so much older than 3. I slowed down with home schooling 

and decided to just let her go with what ever she wanted to do

because she didn't seem to retain much. Yet she was learning 

English very well for someone who could barely hear us. When she 

had the tubes put in her ears we were amazed at how she just 

started repeating everything and enjoying music. We were told her 

ears were plugged so bad that everything she was hearing was very 

muffled. She was struggling to hear and even so she was learning a 

new language and trying to understand us. It absolutely amazes us 

how well she was learning and understanding English! We were told

she had just started talking a month before we adopted her. I 

thought it was because of her c/p.  Hmmm........ could it possibly be 

from her ears being plugged up so badly. Know she is always helping 

me give her sisters their spelling test. I love hearing her repeat all 

the words! Also she will have me look up the scriptures in her bible 

we are going to read. Then she will take her turn and pretend she 

is reading her bible to us. We have recently started working on  

saying her ABC's and counting again and we will see if she starts to

remember them. I am so blessed to be able to homeschool her.  

 Her speech therapist is very surprised at how much and how well she 

talks. Yes, we have another little talker on our hands. Her sissy Jaden 

rarely stops talking even while she is asleep! 

This summer the doctor will do another bone scan to try and 

determine her age. We will just continue the way we have been

just going with what works best for her as she grows and learns.

We are so blessed God has given us the gift of our precious daughter 

Chloe Joy and she is an absolute JOY!!!  

  

Celebrating Jaden!!!

April 2 Jaden turned 7 yrs. old.
That's right SEVEN!!!
It is hard to believe! The time has gone by so quickly.
I remember celebrating her first birthday with us..... she
was just two yrs. old. Look at her now! 

Very surprised to get Lego Friends.
She only wanted one thing and that was a
sewing machine.
 Don't you love that smile? She lost two teeth
right before her birthday! She had lost her first
tooth last year when we were in China.

Jaden loves horses.
Bet you can't guess what she wants for Christmas.

Poor Chloe doesn't remember her first birthday with us last June.
 She had so much going on in her little life. We had brought her
home 3 wks. before her birthday. First Sarah and now Jaden having
birthdays I think she was feeling a little left out.
 She did handle it fairly well.

This little cutie wanted strawberry shortcake for her  birthday.

We can't wait to see the wonderful plans God has for you!

Happy Birthday, Jaden you are one amazing little girl!!!

Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmmm.......... I guess this momma is going to have to learn how to sew.

 One very excited and happy little girl!
We love you!