Other September happenings....

September was a busy, busy month for us...

for many reasons...some I've already posted about.

Here are a few more...

Soccer

 Aidan and Maura are playing for the same travel soccer club this year.

So double the fun,

and double the miles!

 

They have the same number,

which I'm thinking will be very convenient...

when Aidan outgrows his uniform Maura can use his hand-me-downs!

 

Dance 

Maura was excited to get back to dance class,

and even more excited that cousin Tatum was starting dance class too!

Which means they will get to be in the same recital !!

 

My sister and I took the girls to get dance shoes together...

 

First day of dance 2016



 Tatum's 1st day of dance ever!

p.s.  She's wearing the same leotard and tutu Audra wore to her first dance class in 2013

 



Roller skating

Audra tried a new first:

Roller skating

 

Well, she kind of just stood on the skates and I "wheeled" her around.

But she had a blast.

And mommy's back got really sore.

 

Maura was there too, but she ran off her with BFF for most of the time.

Walk of Love

 Just 8 hours after welcoming Whitney at the airport,

Audra and I were off to the Brittany's Hope Walk of Love.

 

My mom, sister and Tatum joined us.

 

 

We have so much fun at the walk every year.

This year they had inflatable slides too!

 

 Audra seemed like she might try the pony ride,

but one we got closer she changed her mind.

Tatum was super excited though!

 

Lunch was yummy as always

and then our favorite...

Raffle baskets!!

I have no idea why my sister put a ticket in for the drum set??

Because of course she WON!

Getting to know Whitney:

We spent quite a few days letting Whitney get acquainted to us.

She really "checked out" the kids. {haha}

It really seemed like she knew what to do with a hockey stick.

I wonder if she has done this before??

 

We had a delicious dinner out with Tim, Dawn and their girls.

GIRLS...

they have TWO beautiful daughters now!

Adoption is wonderful and amazing and beautiful.

Love these two gorgeous girls of mine to pieces. 

 

Audra's 9th Birthday

NINE...

 

9...

 

How is it possible my sweet tiny girl is nine years old ?!

 

This is the fourth birthday she has celebrated at home with us, her very own family.

Her first 5 birthdays were spent in an orphanage without balloons, cake, presents and without any extra attention given to a special girl on her special day.

 

But that's not how we do things around here!

 

She has worn this birthday shirt for each of her four birthdays since coming home.

 

She wasn't quite feeling herself this morning...

 

But I did manage to get a few quick pictures of her before she was off to school..

 

She perked up at school and enjoyed being the special girl of the day :)

 

After dinner was her favorite time...

 

CAKE!!

 

She tried...

 

and tried to blow her candles out...

 

she may have had a little help from an unnamed brother and sister...

But she was happy nonetheless !

 

Happy last year of single digits to my teeny, tiny princess.

I keep telling her once she is double digits she will be too old for me to pick her up and carry her around....will this be the last 365 days of holding my girl on my hip?

I'm still trying to make up for her first 5 1/2 years that we missed. 

Mid-Autumn Festival

We celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival a week late because Tim, Dawn, Charlotte and Whitney were still in China on the actual day {Thursday, September 17}

 

They were able to get authentic Moon Cakes at their hotel in China,
which they brought home for us {aka really just Audra and Whitney} to enjoy:

It's definitely an acquired taste,

which Audra doesn't seem to mind...

 



Everyone DID enjoy some tasty Chinese take-out



I had two sky lanterns left over from last year,

so Maura and Charlotte wrote down wishes for themselves and their sisters,

then released them into the sky.
 

(we used helium balloons to fill the lanterns...

as a result of a little fire mishap the first year we did sky lanterns!)



Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday of giving thanks,
and we are so thankful for these 3 beautiful girls
who have joined our families through the blessing of adoption. 

Welcoming Whitney

 Two weeks ago Tim and Dawn left for China to bring home their second daughter...

a sister for Charlotte !!

 

We loved that we got to travel together for our first adoption trips.

This time we kept in touch with them daily by way of the We Chat app.

We could text and send pictures and even video chat.

 

Whitney Day...

 

The new sisters...

Mei Mei {Whitney} and Jie Jie {Charlotte}

 

Whitney enjoying yummy deliciousness at our very favorite Italian restaurant in China...

 

which reminded me of Charlotte at the very same restaurant 3.5 years ago...

While we all waited back home we tried to keep Big Brother, Daniel entertained on the weekends.

We went to an indoor trampoline park...



And we went bowling...

Here we are We Chat video conferencing...

Finally, yesterday was the day the would arrive home. 

Daniel and I decorated their house a bit, inside and out...

 

And then we all headed to the airport to surprise them for their late night arrival.

Maura has spent the past few days helping me decorate the signs,

she even drew personalized drawings on the back of each poster :)

Here they are clearing customs at 10:20pm

This mama was certainly happy to see her baby boy waiting for her. 

It was a loooong two weeks!

 

Sisters...{love}

 Whitney was shy at first, and quite overwhelmed I am sure,

but she warmed up quickly,

especially to Maura,

walking hand in hand with her through the airport,

and then tried to pull in her into their car!

And Maura's heart melted...