Journey to Emmaline Catherine

Our cutie pie 2 year old little girl

2009-03-16T09:31:00.001-04:00

Kids Birthday Party

2009-02-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Emmaline!!!!

2009-02-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Jackson's first playdate with HIS friend

2009-02-01T18:12:00.003-05:00

We had Jackson's little friend over today. It was so cute! He has had several times where our friends have brought their kids over and he has had a great time. But this was his best friend from pre-school who came over to play for 4 hours. It was so cute and we hope this will be the start of many future playdates for the boys.

Happy Birthday Ringo!!!!

2009-02-01T10:15:00.001-05:00

Ringo turns one today. To celebrate, we went to Three Dog Bakery and got him a birthday cupcake. As you can see, he gulped it down in one bite. We also got him an indestructible chew toy....we'll see.

Fun in the snow!!!

2009-01-30T07:47:00.002-05:00

Chinese New Year 2009

2009-01-28T08:24:00.002-05:00

Jacob's Birthday 16th Birthday Party!!!!

2009-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas!!!

2008-12-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

Weekend Holiday Fun

2008-12-22T10:31:00.004-05:00

We went to Christmas at the zoo, visited a holiday train land, and made a ginger bread house and tons of cookies. We had so much fun this weekend!!

Our Little Angel

2008-12-20T12:04:00.004-05:00

Pictures from Family Night

2008-12-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

Our one year as a family anniversary!!!

2008-12-18T14:09:00.012-05:00

One year ago today, we were blessed with the most wonderful daughter in the world!!!!! We cannot believe how lucky we are and we thank God every day for this beautiful child. Miracles do happen and we will forever celebrate our "family day" or "gotcha day" on December 18th!!!

The first photo is our cake we will share tonight in celebration of our family. The next picture is Xiu Hua Yu (Emmaline Catherine Akers )being handed to her Mommy and Daddy for the first time December 18, 2007 in Chongqing, China. The last photo is our little sweetheart this December 2008 at her home sweet home.

Holiday Season

2008-12-13T19:16:00.002-05:00

Visit with Santa!!!!

2008-12-12T13:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday PaPaw!!!!!

2008-11-25T13:21:00.003-05:00

We love you! Have a wonderful Birthday!!!

A few recent photos Fall 2008

2008-11-24T08:35:00.002-05:00

One Year Ago Today.....

2008-11-05T18:26:00.005-05:00

We received the first photos of our beautiful daughter. The excitement on 11/5/07 was truly amazing!! We cannot believe how quickly time has passed and we truly cherish every minute with this wonderful child.

Halloween Fun!!!

2008-11-02T10:58:00.002-05:00

We had a great time this Halloween with the kids.

Ringo - by request

2008-10-19T17:26:00.002-04:00

Brewing Some Beer

2008-10-19T17:16:00.003-04:00

Emmaline and Daddy spent some quality time brewing some beer.

Zoo Boo

2008-10-18T17:06:00.000-04:00

We went to the Indianapolis Zoo this weekend. They had a special Zoo Boo event where all the kids were dressed up in costumes and the staff was giving away candy. It was such a beautiful weekend. Of course, Emmaline went as a cow (which is a family tradition) and Jackson went as a spider.

Trip to Florida

2008-10-18T09:05:00.002-04:00

Trish and I went on holiday to Florida this week - Deerfield Beach, located just north of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. The weather was beautiful - in the mid-80's, but a very strong breeze the whole time kept things very nice.

Getting Caught Up

2008-10-04T11:49:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...we've been horrible about posting, so here's a bunch of pictures from over the summer. A trip to the zoo, the 1st Annual Indianapolis Chinese Festival, and simply hanging around the house. Hope everyone had a great summer, but we're all really looking forward to the Fall Festivities!!!

Jackson's Best Friend

2008-08-30T11:36:00.003-04:00

One Last Swim Before the End of Summer

2008-08-27T20:06:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Trish!!!

2008-08-18T18:58:00.004-04:00

We've been terrible about posting, and this is a little delinquent, but Trish celebrated her 39th birthday on Aug 8th. Given the recent events with losing Dewey, no one really felt much like celebrating. Nonetheless, she had a special cake, Red Velvet, baked by her wonderful husband.

Tribute to Dewey (2000-2008)

2008-08-06T21:01:00.004-04:00

With incredible sadness, my beloved little Dewey passed away this morning. He had been battling with various issues for the past year and finally succumed to acute kidney failure. Unfortunately, I was out of town on business at the time and Trish had to handle everything alone. When she called from the vet's office and told me he had died, I immediately thought of the movie "My Dog Skip" and knew that he hadn't really died, "for he will forever live in my heart." I love and miss you Dewey!

Our new Lap Dog

2008-07-31T18:02:00.002-04:00

Meet Ringo

2008-07-29T19:20:00.003-04:00

Here's the newest member of our family. Ringo joined us five days ago and he's doing really well. Despite his size, he's only a puppy. He's a Cane Corso Mastiff and will grow to 100 to 125 pounds. I know.......it's crazy, but Trish has wanted this dog for 2 years, so he is her birthday present (a bit early). He hasn't had any accidents in the house and loves the kids. He sleeps all night next to our bed and is really well-behaved. He and Dewey are still trying to establish a relationship, but I think it's going to be just fine.

Emmaline's Walking!!!!!!!!

2008-06-10T18:11:00.002-04:00

Out for a walk

2008-06-09T09:12:00.003-04:00

Summer Fun!!

2008-06-09T08:16:00.004-04:00

I have been bad about posting lately.... We are having a wonderful summer and thought I would share some of the fun times we have had on Bob's Birthday, at the zoo and parade, and outside fun!

Earth Quake in China

2008-05-12T15:19:00.001-04:00

There has been a major earthquake in China very near Emmaline's orphanage. Please pray for the people in China who are suffering right now.

too cute!

2008-04-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

Snug as a bug in a rug

2008-04-28T13:31:00.002-04:00

Congratulation Aunt Crystal!!

2008-04-28T13:27:00.003-04:00

We were in Ft. Wayne this past weekend celebrating Aunt Crystal's graduation. We are so proud of her!!!

Uncle Dude's shirt looks adorable!!!!!! Yes we are biased :-)

2008-04-19T09:07:00.002-04:00

Emmaline the Superstar!!

2008-04-15T21:01:00.003-04:00

Emmaline crawling all over the house

2008-04-07T16:48:00.005-04:00

All God's Grace in one sweet face

2008-04-07T16:41:00.003-04:00

Grammy's birthday!!!

2008-04-07T16:27:00.009-04:00

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted. Mom was in town for a visit and we celebrated her birthday. She got her own pair of Ugg boots! Her visit was cut short because Aunt Crystal is still so very very sick from pneumonia.
Mom had to go home to help Terry care for her. Please keep Crystal in your prayers as she still has a long road ahead of recovery. We are still praying she does not have to have surgery. The good news, is she is still able to graduate as planned, but the bad news is she is so weak it is day by day right now if she will be strong enough.

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-23T14:45:00.004-04:00

We woke up today and enjoyed watching the kids dive into their Easter baskets! We then put on our Easter clothes and headed off to church for brunch and service. It was so much fun getting Emmaline ready and all decked out in her pink Easter dress. We had a great day and now plan on relaxing at home watching the NCAA tournament. Happy Easter everyone!

Uncle Phil aka Uncle Dude was in town...

2008-03-23T14:37:00.006-04:00

Bob's best friend Philip was in town for Easter and was able to meet Emmaline for the first time. He is such an amazing guy and we love spending time with him so much! He brought Emmaline the most adorable outfit that he picked out himself and he even bought the right size!!!! What a guy! We had a wonderful visit and we are always sad to see him go.

Neighborhood Easter Egg hunt....in the cold rain ;-(

2008-03-22T09:43:00.003-04:00

Wonderful visit with the Rafferty's!!!

2008-03-21T19:12:00.004-04:00

We were thrilled to be able to meet the Rafferty family for dinner this evening. We traveled to China with them to adopt our daughters. They were in town for a little family getaway to attend a concert and visit the children's museum. It was so nice of them to extend their stay in order to meet us for dinner! We were thrilled to see how wonderfully Lindy is adjusting to life with her amazing family. She has only been home for a short time and already has a tremendous grasp of the English language. She knows her ABC's and Twinkle twinkle little star. She understands everything you say to her now. I am in complete awe! This little 3 year old came home January 2008 and already understands so much English and speaks so well! She would not really let anyone hold her in China except for Sherry and David, but tonight during our dinner she let me hold her and hug her often :-) Her sister Molly was a complete joy as well and they are so much fun to watch interact. It was a terrific evening!!

Jackson is a big helper...

2008-03-17T08:19:00.002-04:00

Kicking back with my Daddy

2008-03-17T08:14:00.002-04:00

One of the things I prayed for prior to going to China was that Emmaline would love her Daddy since so many of the babies are not as fond of men. My prayers have been answered as she is quite the Daddy's girl!!!

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-03-15T09:52:00.001-04:00

This song touched my heart and I wanted to share it with everyone. Stephen Curtis Chapman reminds us all that our kids grow up in the blink of an eye and we should treasure every moment !

More play time to run off some energy....

2008-03-14T13:06:00.002-04:00

Since, I am back to work my goal is to post a few times a week. These pictures were taken last Monday and I'm finally getting around to sharing. Emmaline and Jackson had fun playing at the indoor playground at the mall again. When the weather is still so cold and miserable, it helps to let them have a little time to work off some energy.

Who Loves blueberry buckle more???

2008-03-10T07:42:00.002-04:00

Finally the weekend and back together again!!

2008-03-08T16:14:00.002-05:00

Day 2 of daycare went well!!

2008-03-06T06:45:00.006-05:00

Bob picked up the kids yesterday because I had to work late. He said Emmaline had an excellent day and Jackson only had one minor incident...something about a timeout for climbing on a piano ;-) The sad part for me, was getting home late with Emmaline already in bed :-( I woke up extra early this morning to spend some time with the kids. The first two photos of Emmaline show how she can hold her own bottle now, a huge accomplishment!! The others are Jackson having a little breakfast to start his day. Happy Thursday everyone!

Back to work for Mommy...

2008-03-04T19:37:00.005-05:00

Today was my first day back to work. We received bad news upon our return from China that our wonderful daycare was closing. The hunt began for a new daycare and we were blessed to find Rachael. She lives very close to us and I have no doubt it is going to be the perfect spot! She was even nice enough to send an email to Bob and I during nap time with pictures of the kids' first day. The first photo shows us getting ready to leave for the day. The next few are the ones Rachael sent to Bob and I at work letting us know they were all ok! She is wonderful!! Jackson was SO excited to go back to school. He had a great day! Emmaline was little fussy in the afternoon, but overall had a great day adjusting. (At least that is what Rachael shared with me) I had a tough drive to work missing the kids and feeling guilty, but once I arrived at work I had a wonderful day back at the office.

A few more photos from the party...

2008-03-02T13:04:00.001-05:00

The Big Birthday Party for the kids!!

2008-03-02T12:55:00.002-05:00

We had a great time celebrating with family Jackson's 4th and Emmaline's 1st birthday!

Jackson enjoying his birthday rocket

2008-02-28T07:44:00.001-05:00

Building Pal

2008-02-28T07:28:00.001-05:00

Jackson sliding down

2008-02-28T07:27:00.001-05:00

What a day!!

2008-02-28T06:39:00.003-05:00

We had quite a day yesterday. We started out at the children's museum, but unfortunately left, because the playscape room which Jackson LOVES was closed until next week. He was so disappointed, but I managed to get him out and promised a fun day. We headed for the bounce planet and had a great time bouncing! Afterwards, we headed to build a bear and he and Emmaline made matching bunny friends. He named his bunny Pal and Emmaline named her bunny Yu Yu. Pal spent the rest of the day with us. I let Jackson play on the equipment at the mall for a little longer and then we met Daddy for dinner at his favorite restaurant. It was a long day, but I think he had a great time :-)

Jackson's 4th Birthday Message

2008-02-27T07:16:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th Birthday Jackson!!!!!

2008-02-27T06:52:00.006-05:00

We woke Jackson up singing to him this morning and he was so excited and said, "Mama, am I 4 today?" When I told him he really is 4 today, he was SO excited! We are going to spend the day at the Children's Museum and then have a small dinner out tonight to celebrate. The big double birthday party for the kids will be Saturday.

Thank you dear Lord for this precious little boy! He is such a wonderful, kind, and caring little person and we are truly blessed! When I think of how his personality has developed in these 4 short years, I cannot believe who he has become. He loves to laugh and tell jokes like his Daddy! He is so smart, and loves to talk and ask question after question. He is also so observant! He remembers everything too and there are many times he reminds me of what was said months before! He is a sensitive child who loves his family. He adores his big brother Jacob and loves his counsin Michael so much too! Spending time with the "Big Boys" is his favorite thing to do. He is a terrific big brother to Emmaline and has truly amazed Bob and I during the transition period in welcoming Emmaline home! Jackson has the most keen sense of smell and is the first to tell me when we need to change Emmaline :-) He loves Jesus and reminds Bob and I constantly how lucky we are to be children of God. Four years ago today, at 8:01 p.m. we met our precious little boy and I cannot wait to see what God's plan is for this beautiful boy throughout the years. Happy Birthday my little man. You, Jacob, and Emmaline are truly the joy of our lives!

Emmaline Waving

2008-02-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

My first attempt at you tube with our short video of Emmaline waving :-)

Aunt Debbie fresh from Hawaii!!

2008-02-26T07:33:00.003-05:00

Aunt Debbie came for a visit after her Hawaii trip. Doesn't she look so tan and pretty? And, the last pictures show again what a big help my almost 4 year old can be!!!!!

Adoption Presentation

2008-02-25T09:14:00.001-05:00

This is a wonderful video on adoption from you tube. Enjoy!

We're on a roll!!

2008-02-24T07:41:00.002-05:00

The happy morning faces of a well rested family! How many days does it take to become a habit?

She did it again!!!!!!

2008-02-23T07:40:00.004-05:00

We had another terrific night of sleep last evening! Emmaline went to bed with out much of a fuss at 7:30 p.m. Bob and I have been so sleep deprived we fell asleep at 8 p.m. Poor Jacob was left to handle Jackson and get him to bed. He is such an amazing big brother and got his jammies on and put him to bed. The Akers household is starting to return to a new normal and we couldn't be happier!!!

Emmaline Slept ALL Night in her own bed!!!!!!!

2008-02-22T06:30:00.004-05:00

We had a busy day yesterday playing at the mall playground. Maybe she was exhausted, but it was a wonderful night for Bob and I. She slept from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (...and we woke her up!) in her own bed!!! I am trying to get the kids on a better schedule before I return to work in a week. We're off to a terrific start!

Fun times!

2008-02-21T07:25:00.004-05:00

The first picture is Jackson getting a bath in the utility sink. I had given Emmaline her bath eariler in this sink and he wanted to get in too. ( For the record, he barely fit!) The other pictures are Emmaline and Jackson playing together in their playroom. Jackson has been asking for Emmaline to "play" with him in the playroom often and I finally agreed yesterday. They had so much fun!

Jackson's Volcano

2008-02-20T08:17:00.004-05:00

Jackson has taken a liking to volcanos, so we made our very own volcano. He was so excited to see an eruption with hot lava first hand :-)

Emmaline's 1st Birthday Portraits

2008-02-19T08:26:00.004-05:00

I scanned these photos so you could see Emmaline's 1st Birthday Portraits. They are small, but if you click on the photos you should be able to see them a little bit larger.

The Chinese New Year Continues...

2008-02-17T11:55:00.004-05:00

This weekend will include days 10, 11, and 12 of the Chinese New Year.
These days are traditionally spent entertaining friends and relatives
for dinner. It is thought that serving an even number of dishes will
bring "double happiness." If serving whole fish for dinner,
some should not be eaten but left to symbolize abundance.

The photos today are of the kids opening up special surprises from cousin Di.

I wish I could do some of the things my big brother does

2008-02-16T14:35:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T18:59:00.005-05:00

We had a nice romantic... I mean a nice family Valentine's Day dinner at home this evening;-) We got out our special china dishes and nice glasses and enjoyed being a family who loves one another. Bob and the kids had a little dance afterwards to some Michael Buble. It was a fantastic Valentine's Day for the Akers Crew!!!

Emmaline's Birthday Dinner

2008-02-14T08:08:00.002-05:00

We had a great time last night at Emmaline's birthday dinner!

Happy 1st Birthday Emmaline!!!

2008-02-13T07:53:00.004-05:00

Emmaline woke up today happy and excited to hear it is her birthday!!!! We are going to have a big birthday party in a few weeks for Jackson and Emmaline, as they both share February birthdays!! Today, we plan on getting together for a small birthday dinner for Emmaline to celebrate her 1st Birthday!!!

NannieMaryAnnGrandma is in town!!!

2008-02-12T15:02:00.001-05:00

Bob's Mom is in town this week and we had a great visit today with her today. Jackson calls her NannieMaryAnnGrandma, so we all use this adorable LONG name for her now :-)

Update on Emmaline's Orphanage...

2008-02-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, there were many winter storms in China that caused major havoc during the Chinese New Year! There is still a lot of suffering and many of the orphanages are in desperate need. Emmaline's orphanage is also in need and here is the information posted on half the sky's website. We are so thankful to have our sweet darling daughter here with us, but worry about all of her orphanage friends waiting for their forever home.

This is posted on Half the Sky's website:

"Here’s an update on conditions and needs at the institutions we've been in contact with. We’ll provide further information regarding these and other orphanages needing help just as soon as we have it. In general the needs are for fuel, food, disposable diapers, warm clothing and bedding. Prices are soaring because no goods can be shipped and cold weather has destroyed winter crops. Half the Sky is responding to the emergency by getting funds directly to the institutions in a variety of ways."

"Xiushan SWI, Chongqing - requests 80 sets of winter clothing, 80 quilts, funds to repair a broken water mains and a subsidy to meet the increased costs of food purchases. Total requested: 22,200 yuan"

Please keep Xiushan and all of the other orphanages in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time for China.

Emmaline is feeling better!!!

2008-02-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't you know Emmaline is finally feeling better, I seem to be on the road to recovery and Jackson just got sick to his stomach!!!!! We get someone feeling better and then someone else gets sick!!!

We're all sick, but still having fun!!

2008-02-10T10:33:00.001-05:00

A bug has hit our house and Emmaline and I are miserable. We are both taking our medication so we should be on the road to recovery soon. I couldn't resist these adorable little feet to post and also of Emmaline still playing with her big brother when she is not feeling well :-)

How We Celebrated Chinese New Year's Day...

2008-02-08T09:23:00.001-05:00

We went out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant and had a terrific time! Emmaline will see how we treasure her Chinese heritage and enjoyed celebrating the most important Chinese holiday with friends!

Xin Nian Kuai-Le!!!!!!

2008-02-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

We had fun decorating the house for Chinese New Year! Here are some photos of the decorations we put up in the house. Today we will celebrate by wearing red and having some wonderful Chinese food with our friends this evening!!:-)

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve !!!!!

2008-02-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

Thursday, February 7, is Chinese New Year! Most of China will be on
holiday starting on the 6th (New Year's Eve) and continuing through
the following week. For China, this is the biggest holiday;
comparable to Christmas in the US. The Chinese New Year is based
upon the lunar calendar, starting with the new moon on the 7th and
ending with the full moon 15 days later.

This year will be the Year of the Rat. The Rat is the beginning of
the 12 year zodiac cycle. People born under the sign of the Rat are
considered honest, generous, imaginative and charming.

Traditionally the people of China will travel back home to be with
their families during the New Year. Red couplets (red scrolls with
good wishes written on them) are put up around doorways. Other
preparations include cleaning the house before the New Year begins.
No sweeping is done on New Year's Day for fear of sweeping away good
fortune. No sharp instruments or scissors should be used because it
might cut or divide your good luck.

Legend has it that an evil monster named "Nian" comes out to eat
people on New Year's Eve. The only way to scare him away is with
loud noises and the color red. This is why you will see people in
China wearing a lot of red during this time. New Year's Eve parades
feature firecrackers and drums to also scare away Nian.

On New Year's Eve all the members of the family will gather for a
meal. If a family member cannot be present, they will leave an empty
seat to symbolize that person's presence. At midnight after dinner,
the younger members of the family are expected to bow and pay their
respect to their elders. The children are given red envelopes called
Lai-See or Hong-Bao. The envelopes will have `lucky money' in them
to symbolize luck and wealth.

On New Year's Day, people will visit friends bringing oranges as
gifts to symbolize wealth. No meat is eaten that day to ensure long
and happy lives. In more ancient times, the people of China did not
recognize individual birthdays, but instead considered the 7th day of
the New Year as everyone's birthday. Everyone was considered a year
older on that day. Long, uncut noodles were eaten that day to ensure
long life.

On the 15th day of the New Year, the celebration concludes with the
Lantern Festival. At night, people will carry lanterns out to the
street and watch a parade highlighted with a dragon dance and lion
dance. This last day sends a blessing of harmony, order and unity to
remain for the rest of the year.

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy New Year to you all!

Jackson and his favorite duck...

2008-02-05T09:45:00.001-05:00

Aunt Party let Jackson take his favorite duck home yesterday. He LOVES this duck and we listen to it singing all day long ;-)

Our sick little girl...

2008-02-04T18:12:00.002-05:00

We went to a super bowl party last night and my friend pointed out Emmaline was pulling at her ear. I knew she had been under the weather for a few days, but figured it was teething. I decided to take her to the doctor today because she had a fever. Good thing I did because she has a double ear infection. Poor Baby!

Love Without Boundaries

2008-02-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

As many of you know Emmaline was part of the nutrition program through a wonderful agency called Love Without Boundaries. The 10 months she was in the Xiushan Social Welfare Institute,she received her healthy formula from LWB. We will be forever greatful to LWB and they are now our favorite charity! If you would like to learn more about LWB please go to the link on the right side our our blog to connect to their home page. Once you reach the site go to what's new and click on January 2008. We have also included a link on the bottom of this post to read the January news from LWB. Emmaline is featured in the Welcome Home Section!!!

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/pdfs/jan2008rev.pdf

Bowling with friends

2008-02-03T07:55:00.001-05:00

We had a great time Saturday night with our friends bowling and having dinner at their home. This was Jxn's first time bowling and he had a blast! After dinner, the adults played x- box rock band. It was so much fun. I wish I would have taken pictures seeing all of the adults rocking out ;-)

Too cute!!

2008-02-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

My little helper!

2008-02-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

We were so excited to be getting a huge snow fall today. When we woke up we saw very little snow and Jackson was SO disapointed. We even got out the ruler yesterday and I showed Jackson how much 8 inches would measure. So even without a huge accumulation, he was anxious to shovel for me today!

Two Peas in a Pod...

2008-02-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

Bounce Zone for Jackson

2008-01-31T07:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Jackson had truly reached his limit and needed to get out and run off some of his energy. It has been so cold and we have been trapped inside with not much to do. The first photos shows Jackson trying to convince me he is the baby and he needs to be in the infant seat! We headed to the bounce zone and he had a terrific time until all of the bigger school kids from the local school district showed up because they had a half day. Oops, I guess I should have checked that first. Needless to say we did not last as long as I had hoped, but he had a good time and we'll go back another time. The last photos is of course our sweet punkin just being her adorable self!

Happy 1 Month Home Emmaline!!

2008-01-30T07:44:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to believe we have been home a month with Emmaline. We cannot imagine what life was like before her and we are so thankful God placed this little angel in our family. Jacob continues to be a terrific big brother to the kids and Emmaline and Jackson have an amazing role model to look up to with their big brother. He is kind, patient and so giving with his siblings. We are truly blessed! Jackson is adjusting wonderfully and continues to be such a big helper! We were so worried he would be jealous and that has simply not been the case. Dewey our dog, on the other hand, wishes he could find peace and quiet again, which is not likely to happen any time soon. He hides from all of us except Daddy as much as he can unless someone is dropping food on the floor! Bob and I feel we have the perfect family and just enjoy our time we have together!

Today the photo is of Emmaline's CRAZY hair. It is growning so much and we kind of have a mohawk going on today. Enjoy!

What's wrong with this picture?!?

2008-01-29T08:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, it is Tuesday morning around 8:15 a.m. and both kids are sound asleep in our bed. Jackson was up all night last night and Emmaline was her usual self waking up on and off during the night. They are so precious I do not want to wake them, but I know if they don't get up soon we'll pay for it tonight ;-)

A lazy rainy Monday....

2008-01-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

We had a few errands this morning and then we came home and we all actually napped for 2 hours, YIPPEE!!!! Now, if we can just get Emmaline to sleep a little longer than 4 hours at night time!

Emmaline's Church Dedication

2008-01-27T14:07:00.001-05:00

We were unable to take photos during the dedication ceremony today, but here are a few we took before and after the service. During the dedication ceremony we promised to raise Emmaline with a strong spiritual foundation. As Emmaline's parents, Bob and I stood before the church congregation to introduce our precious Emmaline . We then, in commitment, stood before God to offer our lives to rear Emmaline in HIS ways. We realize this task is an awesome responsibility ,and we pray our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will continue to bless our family and guide us in parenting these wonderful children.
"Teach a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Getting ready for our big day at church...

2008-01-27T14:03:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun putting this pretty dress on Emmaline getting ready for her dedication at our church.

Our Best Present Ever!!!!

2008-01-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

Aunt Debbie purchased this adorable shirt for Emmaline and we figured we better put it on right away before it doesn't fit. We know she is the best Christmas present ever!!

Papaw and Emmaline

2008-01-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

I love this picture of my Dad and Emmaline. It is so sweet to see how much he loves his new granddaughter!!!

2008-01-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

The highlight of the trip to Ft. Wayne for Jackson was the trip to the fire station to visit Uncle Terry. He is now certain he will be a fireman when he grows up.

A visit to Grammy at her school....

2008-01-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

We had such a nice visit to Grammy's school on Thursday. It was so much fun to introduce Emmaline to all of Grammy's nice friends at school. Jackson LOVED being at the big kids school and enjoyed the trip very much also!!