Even though it was overcast and rainy today...we did manage to shoot off quite a few fireworks late this evening. We trekked to Daddy's cousin's house where they filled us full of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, fruit salad, baked beans, home made ice cream, and cheesecake! We then watched a Harry Potter movie while we were waiting for the rain to stop. Sure enough, after the movie was over, the rain had stopped and we had a wild course of "Oohs and Ahhs".
We received some priceless photos today from China!! Tessa JiXing received our cake!! Happy Birthday Sweetie! Can't wait to celebrate with you at home! XOXO
We were really hoping that we would be with Tessa JiXing to help her celebrate her 6th birthday. Unfortunately, we will have to make up for lost time later on. Our Article 5 is to be picked up tomorrow in Guangzhou and sent overnight to Beijing. Then we will wait, not so patiently, on our TA. We are so hoping to travel the first part of August.
We ate at a Chinese restaurant tonight. We are so hoping that RaeAnne's fortune comes true VERY soon!!
Happy Birthday Tessa JiXing!! We love you!! Wo ai ni!!
It's Father's Day!! Time to celebrate your father, dad, daddy, papa or whatever you call him. The girls were really excited to give their Dad a card this morning and we worked on our annual T-shirt with the kids' handprints all over it. Somehow time slipped away from me this year and I forgot to get this project started sooner! Now we need to wait and have Tessa add her hand prints and I will see if Big Bro wants to add his.
We then let Dad choose where he wanted to eat. Montana Mike's was the choice and we all filled our bellies up full and waddled on home.
Happy Father's Day Sweetie! Your children and wife love you very much!! XOXO!!
The girls finished their first swimming lessons of the year yesterday. All four girls were in the same class, but with individual attention to each one's need to learn. RaeAnne and ZoraLin both passed 1st level!! Their Dad and I am really amazed at how much they have learned in two weeks! Rae does a very strong stroke, but is still hesitant in the water. Zora does not have the fear of the water, but looses her concentration after she comes up for a breath.
For the next two weeks, Kendalan and Jordis will be in a class together to help them catch up to their big sisters. Last year we didn't get the girls signed up in time to have lessons, but they spent a lot of time at the swimming pool and have really become fish!
Jordis and Kendalan both decided that they wanted their hair cut off short for the summer. Ah, summertime!!
There has been one thing that has held our whole family back from traveling to China. My old van is just short of 145,000 miles. It is a 2002 that we have had for over four years. It has been a very reliable ride, but the last year things have started falling apart on a regular basis. The AC started blowing cool to more warmish air last summer. After a trip to the service department it never did really cool off completely and on those super hot and humid days....well I guess some warm air circulating rather than hot air is an improvement.
Then just before Christmas, I had to pay over $1200. to have a new head put on the motor. Ouch! That took it's toll on Christmas. There have been two other things here of late that have each cost me $250./each. So we decided it was time to roll out with the old....and in with the new. Okay, newer to us!
The new to us ride is a 2007 with only 19,345 miles! It is also a limited, so it has all the bells and whistles, plus a sunroof! It is a prettier blue and has off white seats. That should make it cooler just to look at! Look out road trips....here we come!!
RaeAnne has been saying that she wanted to get her hair cut for a while now. Originally, we were going to wait until after we returned home from China to cut it. However, we talked it over and since she will be starting swimming lessons daily this summer for four weeks, we decided that now would be the best time!
RaeAnne has been blessed with very thick, wavey hair. Of course, she doesn't see it like that. She would much rather have the thin, straight black hair her sisters have. Once it gets down to her waist, it becomes quite the chore to wash, brush it out and it takes forever to dry!
She wanted to donate her hair to "Locks of Love" again this time. So I took her to the JCPenney salon at the mall. I did ask her several times on the way there...."Are you sure this is what you want to do?" She would nod her head, yes.
I am very proud of my beautiful daughter. She is glad that she can give her hair to someone who can benefit from it and she is gorgeous with it long and short!
