Campbell 3yrs. * Calli 18 months

Yesterday these 2 sweeties endured the FREEZING cold temps & we got some fun pictures!!

story time in the "tent"

what a GOOD daddy!

So-Long Mace.......

Yesterday morning, my husband was doing his normal "routine" & went out to get the newspaper on our front porch...only to see that Macy had gotten hit on the road & was dead!! It was a sad sad day for Addalie. These cats have been her little playmates (inside & outside) for the past 6 months. And they were so good with her. Tolerating all that she put them through.
I felt SO horrible for Addalie. She doesn't really understand death yet. After Scott buried Macy, Addalie wanted to "brush the dirt off of her & make her happy again." She keeps asking me if Macy is at the doctors getting a shot & will she come back soon. I tried to explain to her that Macy is "all done".
Bella is still around sometimes. She seems to be on a constant search for Macy & is quite freaked out! (they were from the same litter & were NEVER apart.)
I know that this is ONLY A CAT!! But, its been interesting for me to see Addalie process it. She is sad & emotional, but not when we talk about Macy, it's more throughout her day with small details. So, needless to say, yesterday was ROUGH! Hoping for a happier day today!

~my girl~ 2.5

I love my girl! She is just a riot & she has a HUGE personality.

She & I are opposites...sometimes that can be challenging, but most times it's lots of fun.

She already tells me when she likes my outfits & if she thinks my clothes match/don't match.

She LOVES when I do her nails...& thinks that you can't wear flip flops unless your toes are painted. (& her preference if she can pick-is always the BRIGHTEST color of pink that's around.)

She is very sensitive & will often ask me if I'm sad or happy.

SHE IS A PERFECTIONIST!

She loves the phone...(real or pretend)

She reminds me of her great-grandma Kreider in the fact that she has a sharp memory! She doesn't forget a thing...& it is helpful with her bible memory at church!

She's uncordinated....w/too many falls to prove it. =(

She LOVES puzzles & playing with pretend food. Last week she asked me if she could go to market & help daddy work....it won't be long.

On the weekends, Addalie & I often find ourselves with time for the 2 of us to do "fun things" since Scott is at market. This past weekend, we went on a little "date" to Isaac's. (the whole time she was asking if we were at "Isaacs' house??? I heard a few chuckles from the waitress's) I love the set-up that they have there for kids. It is very child-friendly. We got to sit right in front of the big aquarium.

AND.... Afterwards, we had a little photo shoot with the trains down the road. Addalie LOVES trains. It's very convenient that we live so close to Strasburg Railroad! It was a perfect evening...& I was excited to be able to "capture" my little girlie in this stage of life.

(can you see that she's about to pop up? I begged her to sit there for 1 second.)

SHE DOES

NOT STOP

MOVING! EVER! (we actually "practice" sitting still at home on the couch w/her.)

::St. Patty's Day::

Today at preschool Addalie had lots of fun. They were told to wear green for St. Patty's Day.
They played with green play dough, green balloons, green paint, green crayons & had green jello for snack! Preschool has been perfect for her!! She only goes for 2 hours -1 day a week--but it's a highlight of her week. She has such a great teacher & has learned so many fun songs, & games, they do great crafts & she has made lots of friends. It has been a blessing & is always a bright spot in Addalie's week!




Happy St. Patty's Day!

ps- sara-thank you for the "action help"!!!!!

it's a start...................

princess addalie

Addalie got this little skirt & tierra for her birthday from grandma & grandpa Stoltzfus & SHE LOVES IT! Her birthday was about 5 months ago- & ever since then she wears this little outfit almost every other day.




This past week we've had a few "close calls" with her. Because the weather is so nice we are enjoying the playground at the church across the street. The other night we were going to head over real quickly before dinner. It was starting to get dark but we wanted some "fresh air" before the sun went down. So, I put Addalie's shoes & coat on & let her out the door while I found my shoes & coat (which took me about 45 seconds) When I went out the back door, I couldn't find her anywhere....Immediately I put the pieces together & thought that she was probably going to the playground by herself. Well, the road that we live on is quite busy (especially over the work hour) with cars traveling WAY TO FAST + it was dusk. Sure enough...there she was STANDING DOWN BY THE ROAD--.....Of course, I took off running & thankfully I got to her before she decided to cross...I was so grateful for God's protection. Needless to say I gave her a strong talking to...-trying to convey to her the danger of the road & at the same time thanking the Lord over & over & over.

Then, last night Addalie had a really really bad fall in the bathroom. I was brushing her teeth & she was sitting on the counter by the sink. I turned to get a washcloth & she lost her balance & fell backwards about 4 feet landing square on her back & head on the ceramic tile....Somehow she managed to miss the rug...& just went straight for the tile! (now this isn't her first fall--she has fallen down our steps a time or two, so I knew what to look for & was pretty confident that she didn't have a concussion...)
After keeping her up for a bit we finally felt semi-comfortable putting her to bed. Then around 11:45pm I was still awake thinking about all of this & decided to call the doctor. (that's what they get paid the big bucks for right??) =)) I explained to the doctor that I felt like she didn't have a concussion but I was more concerned about hemorrhaging since that can go unnoticed & be quite fatal. She walked me through what to look for with that & said to wake her up a few times during the night. Addalie seems fine today-but I am to be watching her carefully for a few days.

SO- all that to say, I am so thankful to God for protecting my little girl. She is SUCH a delight!!! Such a blessing.....it's a good reality check for me as I can so easily get frustrated & impatient w/her perfectionist side & her toddler ways!
She brings so much joy into our home!

i love you addie joy joy!

name????

A few people have asked what her name is: She was found outside of the orphanage when she was a few days old & the orphanage named her Ji Aohong. We are still trying to think through a name for her. We wanted to wait until we knew her "given" name....So far, we don't have any final decisions. We will let you know when we've decided.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words & support! I am saving every email & letter from you all to put into her baby book!

Baby China...

....(that is what Addalie calls her)

Earlier this week we accepted a referral for this sweet little girl!!! We are SO THRILLED! She is exactly (+ 1 day) a year younger than Addalie. There is still paper work that is being processed etc. but we are expecting to travel to China at the end of the summer or early fall.

We are blessed & are thanking the Lord for His kindness in giving us this child.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord" Psalm 127:3