Happy 8th Birthday, Johnny!!!

My little man turns 8 today!

Johnny is the happiest boy I know. He reminds me SOOO much of my Grandpa Bradley...always a smile on his face. He actually reminds me of a little old man. He likes to sit on the couch with a blanket on his lap and pet the dog while watching tv. Or he will talk endlessly about science, math, or how things are constructed. I have fast-forwarded many times in my mind and have pictured him as one of those coffee-guys at McDs...you know the ones. A group of about 4-5 old men, all retired, show up to have coffee at 6:00 am and discuss the newspaper and everyone's lives. That's Johnny. Just happy, content, inquisitive, and so very, very sweet!

Happy Birthday, Johnny Le Hai!!!!

3 Months With London!

All of my children reacted different on their Gotcha days. 

Johnny was timid, frightened, and had his head hung low. 

Lily Anna cried off and on and clung to me (and me alone) for dear life. 

Roman came in with a smile on his face, said he loved me, wished me long life and happiness, gave me a hug, and then proceeded to sing a song for me (and the crowd, ha ha). 

And London peered from behind her nannies...just staring at me.

 And when my guide told me to scoop her up and go, that's what I did. And London screamed, kicked, hit, and pulled my hair. And I let her. It was her way to grieve, and to be honest, it was good that she treated me that way because it meant she was leaving people who cared for her and she knew it. I'm not sure how, but overnight I must have hooked her, because the next day she clung to me and wouldn't go near her nannies. 

Today, English is coming along slowly...very slowly. She reminds me of Lily in that department. She wants desperately to go to school, so it will be good when all the kids are home to keep her entertained through the summer. 

The big issue is her eating. She will take 2 hours to eat, and that's with me constantly saying, "London, eat your food." "Okay, Mama," she replies, and then proceeds to eat a gerbil sized bite. She is tiny. Tiny frame, tiny everything. The eating issue isn't a massive problem when we're home, but school is coming and I know she will only have about 15 minutes to eat her lunch. Food is just not a huge priority to her. (Wish I had that problem!!!)

She may be tiny, but she is one tough cookie. 

And she's pretty cute too!

3 Months!

Roman has officially been in our arms 3 months now, and London's 3 month date is tomorrow. It really is amazing the transformation that takes place once home. 

There are behaviors that were present in Roman in China that have never surfaced again the minute we walked in our home. One of the things that I love about having a larger family is that Roman had to get over his love-obsession with himself when he realized he was outnumbered, ha ha. Now that he knows the rules, I have begun to encourage that ego of his again. ;) 

I'm sorry...I just can't help it!! He is pure entertainment and always ready to make you smile, laugh, or drive you bonkers. That boy just has no problem in the confidence area, as long as the crowd is in the mood for his antics!!

I love my kiddos!! You know, I have 2 other children that just seem to always be absent when my camera comes out. I think I need to do a photo shoot with Josiah and Brianna soon to prove to my blogging buddies that I actually do have 6 children!

Secrets

What is it about sisters? 

They tell each other little secrets and then share a giggle...

Every girl deserves to have a sister! 

There's something magical about two little girls sitting on a swing with bows in their hair sharing a secret and some giggles!

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. - Isadora James

My Little Crew

My kiddos all lined up for a photo shoot. This was the one good shot of all of them. I will post some of the ones that didn't make it later. Let's just say, I have kids who like to sabotage my perfect photos...as in, they jump in and photo bomb every picture. 

I seriously have the happiest bunch of kiddos! It's surreal to think that there was a day when I would pray...every day...about adoption. And then one day, God tripped the trigger and that was it...and now just a few short years later, there are four Chinese kiddos in my home!

I cannot imagine what their lives would be like if we never said 'yes' to adoption. Because I know the background of their personal lives while in their birth country, it makes me shudder to think about. 

I cannot wait for Roman and London to experience all their firsts this year...parades, 4th of July, birthdays, and Christmas. 

If God has moved upon your heart to adopt, 

do not hesitate to say, "yes!" 

The Many Faces Of Roman

I'm not sure if I've mentioned Roman's personality before. 

Let's just say, he's not shy!!

(btw, no, that's NOT his middle finger, hello!!)

Roman likes to entertain, and will gladly pose for the camera...lucky me because I need serious help for my photography class!

Ha ha, this is seriously my favorite. 

This pose was a common one from him while we were in China. 

I wish I could see the future so I could know what this little guy is going to be and do with his life. He has such a fun personality and so much energy! He has tons of love to give and has quite the background story.

 We are coming up on 3 months since his and London's Gotcha Days and I'm amazed at how far he's come!

8 Weeks Home!!

China seems like such a distant memory now. It's as if it was all a dream...except I have proof in my home that I actually went there!

Things are going great! Just within the past two weeks, Roman and London have gained a lot of English and have increased in their understanding of everything we're saying. I haven't used the translator app on my phone in probably three weeks.  

It's funny the phrases they have learned:

Leave me alone

Leave Pucca alone

This is mine

Stop!

Want to play?

Other words they say:

Downstairs, school, church, sleepy, hungry, so cool, awesome, phone, doctor, juice...

and the list goes on. When they know the basics, it really helps. So I can say to Roman, "Go get a spoon, please" and he knows what to do. This may seem REALLY basic, but after adopting even a six year old, you are taking care of their needs as if they were 6 months old, because they don't know the word for spoon, they don't know where the spoon is...so you do EVERYTHING for them. When they finally gain understanding in this department, it helps the Mom out big time...and her sanity!

I am looking forward to school being out because right now I have to drive Roman to a different school for services to help him with English. So it makes drop off and pick up times crazy. 

Update: 

My computer went coo coo the minute I tried to originally post this. We are now home almost 10 weeks now, I think??? I will post some cute updated pictures this week. I am in another photography class to help keep me on my toes when it comes to taking photos of my kiddos. We are coming up on Roman and London's 3 month Gotcha day anniversaries, so I want to do a photo session with them this week. More to come...