Monday, July 13, 2015

Priceless...

We recently had our family photos taken by the amazing Megan of Celtic Gray Photography.  These make my heart so happy.  I literally teared up while viewing them.  She captured us perfectly.
 
Here are my favorites.... Pardon the weird cropping on the photos - I don't have the originals with me & I just wanted to get a few of these up.  :-)



 
This last one is my absolute FAVORITE....after all those long months waiting for Roy to come home....  He is now home & he's running to us!  Seriously...I'm tearing again. 
I just love these pictures soo much!
Welcome HOME Roy-boy!!! Happy almost 9 months home!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Mother's Day & Farm FUN!

Wow!  It's been awhile since I posted!  I'm happy to say things are going well.  We've developed a nice little routine.  Roy has recently started speech therapy & we are all excited about this.  We can't wait to watch him blossom in this area.  Maddie is constantly encouraging him "...say this Roy... Good job!  Now...say...this.  Good Job Roy-boy!!!"  It's adorable to watch.  ;-)

This past Sunday was Mother's day.  Oh how thankful I am to be the mother to my kids.  I am grateful to know and love Madelyn's birth Mother.  She is such a special young lady to all of us.  I couldn't help but think about Roy's birth Mother more than usual.  I wonder where she is, what she is doing, what circumstances led her not to be able to parent our sweet wonderful son.  I read a beautiful quote this week.  It so moved me.  I am truly soooo thankful my children's birth Mother's chose LIFE!  I can honestly say that I can't even imagine our lives with out these two special darlings in it.
 
 
"He is mine in a way that he will never be hers,
yet he is hers in a way that he will never be mine,
and so together, we are motherhood."  ~Desha Wood
 
 
 
For the first time in years, I was actually with my own Mom on Mother's day!  Madelyn's school ended & I was able to head to my parents farm for the week.  It has been such a wonderful week!  I think Roy is a country boy at heart!  He seems to be taking it all in!  I love having so much land for my kids to RUN in!  It does my heart good watching them on the swings and checking out the cows and exploring.  I never realized how lucky I was to grow up on a farm until I was an adult. 
 
This morning, my Dad let Roy "drive" the tractor.  Oh how I wish I had this on video!  His face was priceless!!  Dad took his hands off the steering wheel and Roy wasn't bashful taking over! He had the cutest, proudest little grin!  So many times I wish his birth parents could  catch glimpses of times like these.  I have to giggle thinking he was from a big CITY in China!  You'd never know that now!
 
Our city boy turning into a country boy before our eyes!
 
 
 

 Every night, the kids would have some wonderful quality time with Uncle Neil. 
He loves them  & they love HIM so much!  I'm grateful for their bond.
 
 

Testing out Auntie April's new double stroller!  Too cute!
 

Having some fun at Roger Williams Zoo with cousin Leah & Auntie April!
 



Possibly Roy's best day in his life!  ;-)



I might just have to enlarge this for Roy's room.  :-)





My favorite Roy's in all the world!





Lazy Daily Swinging.....
 


My lil' farmers... :-)
 
 
It's been such a great week!  it's bittersweet to go.  I can't wait to see Mike & get back to our routine, but truly, this trip was just what the Dr ordered for us 3.  I look forward to coming back this summer. 
 

Monday, March 23, 2015

A Very Belated Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Oh my goodness - I can't believe I forgot to post pictures of our Chinese New Year!  This was a first of many Chinese New Year celebrations to come! 

It was fun because my family was in town to help celebrate Maddie's 5th Birthday.  I loved that they were able to celebrate the New Year with us!

We celebrated at my cousins house - they did it up big!  What a FUN night of great food (Chinese, of course!!), games & fellowship.

Enjoy the pictures!


The cousins together

Roy & Maddie

Double Trouble!  I mean...Roy & Matthew.  ;-)

Mr. Strong Himself!

Sweet sweet girl cousins!

Boy Cousins (for the life of me, I couldn't find Roys matching pants!!!)

The beautiful, Festive Table Setting



Jumping on Bubble Wrap, pretending it's FIRE-CRACKERS!
During the New Year in China, they light lots of Fireworks. 
The kids LOVED this!

My Dad having some fun with the grandkids & "grand-cousins". 
Hee heee

Thursday, February 12, 2015

This Boy....


This Boy…
 
 
Makes us Smile

 
 
 
Is "Curious Roy"





Is Soo Tender

 


  
 Is A HAM!
 
 
 
 
Is So Loved.
 
 
 
We have plenty of hard days too...these are a glimpse of the good times. 
Regardless of the good or bad.  He is SO LOVED.  We are truly
thankful he is HOME where he belongs.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Roy's First Christmas!

Hi All! 

I hope you and your families had a wonderful holiday season!  We sure did.  We traveled to my parents home in Connecticut.  We were very apprehensive on how Roy would do.  We had visions of staying for 2 days & having to come right back because it would have been too much.  He did WONDEFFULLY!  We kept him home mostly.  We had a few family members over to meet him.  We were very careful to not overwhelm him.  We couldn't be more proud of how (overall) well he did.

It was truly a pleasure celebrating Christmas with him.  Wild to think he has most likely never experienced this.  China is not a Christian country AT ALL. 

It sure didn't take Roy long to get into the groove of opening gifts.  Look at this face!!! 
It was his first look at this pile of gifts....



JUST KIDDING!  ;-) Who knows what that face was for.  :-)



 
I was so happy to watch him to enjoy this special day, the day of our Saviors birth.  I couldn't help but think of all the little kids that are still in his orphanage.  It is so hard to fathom what they are missing out on.  Not simply the Christmas tree & presents & excitement of this special day - but the LOVE of a forever family. FOREVER.  I kept thinking....that if Roy could talk & go back to the orphanage...what he'd tell them - that he has a family who LOVES him even when he is screaming for no reason.  :-)  We love our SON.  I pray the other kids find families soon.
 
 
 
This is what it's all about...
 

 
Christmas Eve with cousin Leah and Big Sister, Maddie
 
 
Our happy Boy...

 
 
 
Merry Christmas Roy-boy!
Photo courtesy of my awesome bro-in-law.