Sent a package

Last night, Brynn, Kevin and I went to redthreadchina.com and ordered a care package for Nathan. Yeah, I know. It's a little past Christmas. Honestly, Christmas came and went in a blink. We just couldn't find time to sit down, pick out what we wanted to send, and write a letter. Think about it--how do you write a letter to the people who are taking care of your child halfway around the world? What do you send a child who doesn't know or understand that you are coming? Thankfully, friends sent us a copy of the letter they had sent to their child. It was wonderful having a guide to go by.

Ann at redthreadchina.com said that she will be taking care of the package tomorrow. Nathan may have it by the end of the week. The thought kinda makes my stomach do flips.

If only he understood that that little package is only the beginning.

Christmas 2008

Milk and red cream Oreos for Santa

Apple and carrots for the reindeer

Did I hear something?

The best present ever

Look, I got my ipod.

Listening to Laurie Berkner


Brynn's presents to us. Don't you love the pocket watch?

Merry Christmas!!!

Some bullets...

Some bullets:

• Brynn did not get me a necklace from her school Secret Santa shop. Just ask her.
• She has not told her daddy that he was getting an ipod for Christmas, not even at the table when the three of us are eating supper.
• She has not been sleeping well at all. She wakes up in the middle of the night asking for us to pull her covers up because she just can't. The four year old can't pull up her covers. Yeah, right.
• At 3:30 in the morning, she asked me if I had any ideas at all that would help her sleep. If fact it was like she was on speed--ifyouhaveanyideasthatwillhelpmesleepjustletmeknowanyideasatalljusttellmeanyideas. Then she crashed. My idea--let her wear herself out. She'll eventually fall asleep.
• She loves her new Tinkerbell night light.
• She thinks she knows she is getting an ipod for Christmas. According to her, she's getting everything she asked for because she wrote a letter to Santa.
• Waiting for a second child at Christmas is very hard.
• We are working like crazy to get Nathan's room ready for him. Do you know how long it takes to clean out an "office/playroom" that has been like that for 13 years? Just ugly.
• A 50" tv is very bright. Blinding actually.
• Brynn is having so much fun counting down to Christmas with stickers that we are thinking of doing the same thing once we get a travel date for China.
• Brynn is wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone she sees. I love her Christmas spirit.

A little early Christmas present...

Santa came early to our house. Actually, it was more like Mrs. Claus. We got an LG50 in our living room right now and Kevin could not be more excited. Not only did we get a tv, we also got a Blu Ray DVD player and home theater system. Am I impressing you yet? Honestly, our old tv was just fine for me, but Kevin is just smiling from ear to ear. Of course, watching his precious Steelers yesterday (even if they did lose) on a tv that is wider than my daughter is tall was all the Christmas he needed. Thank you to our wonderful Mrs. Claus. It was way too much, but we appreciate it so much.

Speaking of the Steelers, did anyone see the horrible reaction that a Tennessee player had to winning the game? He trampled the Terrible Towel into the ground. I know we love our Terrible Towel, but really, can we be a grown up about winning a game? When are these high paid jerks going to be given etiquette lessons? Drives me absolutely insane!

Here comes Santa Claus

I know this isn't a perfect picture, but I love how Santa is in the background.

The perfect Santa Claus picture.

Making Cookies...

So excited to be opening the Kisses
Keeping them nicely lined up on the paper towel.

Stirring the cookie mix.

Hey, what's that on my chin? Couldn't be chocolate.

Oh, how I love my icicle

Look at my icicle!

I just can't stop looking at it.

What? Did you say something?

Whoops. Dropped it.

Cousins

I always have to post a picture of these three whenever we get together. They are so awesome together. Brynn loves them to death. We went to their brother's baptism. That means Nathan will have a boy to play with whenever we get together. Just perfect.

We have a son!!!

Nathan JiYuan

We got our letter of acceptance from China yesterday, so we can officially announce that we have a son. He is 19 months old from Nanning, GuangXi. He has a repaired cleft lip and unrepaired cleft palate. We are hoping to travel by mid February.

We are so excited to go to China and get him. Brynn can't wait to be a big sister.

Hopefully a later post will have our entire timeline. I don't want to forget anything.