referral-versary

One year ago today, God blessed us with the news that our daughter was 2 1/2 years old living in Shenyang China! It is a day we will never forget. We love you Hanna YingYing and our hearts go out to her families in China. She is blessed with a birth family, a foster family, an amazingly nice orphanage with nannies who love the children, and a wonderful, loving sponsor family whom she calls her Chinese mommy and daddy. Thank you God for this amazing little girl and all You have blessed us with. Congrats to all of the other June O'Hanna(h) families as well! (Four Bethany families were matched today...one boy (Owen) and three girls (Hanna(h))! God is so good!

New video from today

video

This was from April, but it just makes Hanna giggle and giggle!

One year ago today...

we saw Hanna's face for the very first time! I had just gotten home from a class and saw there was a new COP list out. I requested the file of a 2 1/2 year old girl whose file name was "Carlie." We went to a baseball game for Reese or Brooks before the file came, but when we got home it was here. I showed her picture to Jerry and he thought, "oh great. I'm going to have to tell her no again," but he didn't! He immediately asked to read her file and kept asking for more. When he was finished, he looked at me and smiled. Then he said, "She's our daughter! What do we do next!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We immediately began praying. We had to submit our name to be matched with her through our agency and wait an agonizing 7 more days before we got "the call". What a year it has been. We can't imagine our life without her. She is perfect for our family. Only God could have brought us together 1/2 a world away.

Grandma D turns 84!

Aunt Vicki and the kids

My mom and the kids

Grandma D and Hanna - Grandma's namesake!

Grandma D and the kids

My dad's mom turns 84 tomorrow. We have baseball and vbs, so the kids and I headed over to surprise her today. We had a wonderful visit. The kids enjoyed playing with the puppies again. In case anyone was wondering, the puppies on my last entry were Grandma and Aunt Vic's. We babysat them for the weekend while they were at my cousin's wedding in Florida. Hanna seemed her most at ease ever with everyone. The only thing that would have made the visit better is if only I felt better. My cold settled in my chest last night while at Reese's game. I'll be fine in a few days. Nothing hot tea, sleep, and advil won't cure!

Anyone read The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks? I just finished it a little while ago. I got it on Monday at the library and could barely put it down. Jerry was very excited to see that I finished. It was very good! I always get lost in his characters and this one was no different.

Summer at last!

Summer is finally here। Being teacher's in the summer is awesome। (We don't have to work। We get to stay home with the kids each day। We have until August 12th off.) We are enjoying being at home and hanging out by the pool. I just wish the kids knew how to sleep in! They are all up by 7:30 or 8! Hanna is generally first, closely followed by Brooks, and finally Reese. Reese would stay sleeping if the other two were quiet! We've just received an email from Hanna's Chinese sponsor family! I love hearing from them. I just wish we knew Chinese...or they English. I want to let them know that we are all healthy. H1N1 has not affected us. I will post pictures later today. YingYing is enjoying swimming in our pool and reading books. Her favorite book now is called The Seven Chinese Sisters. Brooks and Reese are busy with VBS (vacation bible school) and baseball. Soccer is over for Brooks and he did well. He averaged 2 goals each game.