She's home!!!

She's home!! Ella is home with her mom and dad and doing beautifully!! I had the wonderful opportunity on Saturday to welcome them home at the airport, along with many, many other family and friends! It was so wonderful to see them walk through the doors! Ella kept waving to everyone and smiling, like she knew all these people were here for her! She is absolutely beautiful and so happy! It was great fun also to meet other families who had adopted from the same orphanage or who were waiting as we are. Here are some pictures of the welcome party! mom, dad and Ella!

Minte and Ella were good friends in Africa at the orphanage

Sweet little girl, being very patient with all of us who wanted to love on her!

Pirates!

Today we had Dakots'a fifth birthday party! The boys dressed up as pirates and everything was pirates from the cake to the treasure hunt! I made a treasure map cake, they played pirates outside, went on a treasure hunt for their party favors, and busted the largest piniata ever created!!!(thanks to Mrs. Sarah Killian, Betsy's wonderful mother) Mrs. Killian lives inthe valley and was headed to Hamilton for the weekend. Betsy said my mom will bring your piniata ( I was having trouble finding a pirate one). Great! Friday after school Betsy walks over to me with the biggest piniata I had ever seen! It was big enough for Dakota to get inside it!! It was great and the boys went crazy when they saw it!! Don't believe me?

It was awesome!! I put a tone of candy in it and it barely filled it a quarter of the way up! Anyway, the party was a huge success and the boys played pirates until time to go home. Dakota has some wonderful friends and it was great to watch them run and play and laugh all afternoon. Here are some pictures from the day! Thank you Mrs. Killian, Betsy and all of the pirates who came over today, we love you very much!!

Happy Birthday Dakota!

Today Dakota turned five years old!!! I can't believe it! He already thinks he is a teenager! I can't imagine what this year will hold. He is an amzing kid. I've never known a five year old who was "cool" but Dakota is cool. I told one of his friend's mom the other day as he walked by in long baggy jean shorts, a bandana on his head, with is electric guitar, "He's such a dude!" He makes me laugh every day. It is official now that he's five, he wants to be a Dallas Cowboy football player when he grows up, seriously! It's been the same now for two years so I guess he's for real! Yea, good seats for mom!!
Here are a few other pictures to make you smile as you say a prayer for Dakota today on his birthday!

Happy Halloween!!

Too much Candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing and Wonderful!

Our friends have just spent the whole day with their new daughter in Africa!! Here is an excerpt from their blog:

"What an amazing morning . . . There, sitting in the floor among three other babies, was Eleanor Yanet. We spotted her from the hallway and our hearts instantly melted. She was wearing the dress we had sent for her birthday, her beautiful curly hair lovingly braided by one of her caregivers. Such an incredible sight…our daughter, sitting on a play mat looking up at us. We could see all the caregivers watching from the hall. They were all smiling and were very excited for Yanet. The caregivers obviously love her very, very much, and Yanet loves them, too.

The other children are so amazing and sweet. We hugged and loved on them all. Our friends who already have referrals are in for a treat…and our friends waiting for referral: we’re trying to figure out which one she is…but they are all amazing. One came up this afternoon and in his broken English said “Yanet…plane…you.” I said, “Yes, Yanet is going home with us.” He clasped his hands together and held them to his chest and smiled. I thought I might fall over…his sheer joy that Yanet has a family, now, while he doesn’t…how amazing. Seriously, several of you reading this now need to call Buckner and get an application packet. You thought I pushed it before…just wait till we get home."

Thank you Amy and David for loving on all the children there, one of whom is our little girl!! I am with David, there are many of you who need to contact Buckner and start the process of bringing one of these children home! I am also very thankful for the wonderful caregivers who are loving and caring for our little girl. God is amazing to put all these people in just the right place!