Biometrics Fingerprint Appointment!

We have a date! We have officially been invited to have our 'prints' taken for Bella's adoption to proceed ...and the appointment is just around the corner. :)

Closure

Today was our last post-adoption Social Worker visit from Jan, our dear friend and adoption SW. Today also just happens to be Chinese Moon Festival. James bought moon cakes from our local Asian grocer. *Wishing I'd taken pictures of the visit, oops for afterthoughts. We had a great evening of moon cakes, tea and lots of stories of this past year with our two newest and oldest kids to share with our SW. We loaded her up with pictures to include for the final Ch!N@ post-adoption update. The kids had a great year in pictures. Don't worry she will be our Clinical Social Worker for Bella's adoption as well...so we will still see her. :) Jan is like an extension of our family with all her strengths, concern, intuitiveness and blessed help. The evening went well, everyone interacted including the boy, and we had a great final visit and a wonderful Moon Festival.

Look who's talking?

We received an update on our littlest lotus flower...

First of all; she is so Beautiful. She is Talking {lots}, she can now go up and down stairs by herself. And "Like Father Like Daughter"; she likes TV and is Potty Trained.

Thirteen!!

Happy Birthday Athena! We love you.Athena showing off her piercing... ears. :)And her favorite, a vision of pink... her Birthday Bike.Look Ma' ...No training wheels!

A little Birthday "Ball", is always fun.

Happy Gotcha Day, Happy Gotcha Day!!

The Grandparents were able join us from out of state, to Celebrate the 1st Anniversary "Forever Family" Dinner for Athena and Scott (Our two Newest, yet Oldest kids).

We started off with the famous Pu Pu Platter... MMmm!!we enjoyed our dinner, traditional family style... a smorgasbord of Chinese indulgences for all to share. Athena can slurp a mean noodle, and fast! ~But... ...Scott, he is the original "noodle" charmer :o). and little Hannah most definitely enjoyed her new brother and sister's "family" evening out!

UP!

First day of School.

2 Middle Schoolers, a Fifth grader and a Third Grader... ~Notice the Flute! :o)

End Of Summer!

Elitch Garden's Here we come!We started off small, to be sure what the kids could handle (physically)

as we built up to..."The Coaster"... and Up We GO!!oohh, my poor baby girl! :) but she survived and is proud to say so.

Off to the Water Park... and the camera could not come... but you can imagine the kids had, YES just as much fun on that side of Elitches as well.