More pics from China

These are gotcha day pics and some others from China.

We wish all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Holidays

The last month has gone well. Joey really enjoys school and gets excited to show us his work. He is still not listening to the teacher and sitting when he is supposed to, but he is quiet so they are taking it slow. He is doing well at home with his siblings and is finally attempting to speak more english without our prompting. He still tests our oldest son and myself more than anyone. He does not like to listen to Kurt which is a problem because we are training him for babysitting. He will stare me down and give the cheshire cat grin when he is corrected. If it has been a long stressful day this will get on my nerves. We usually send him to his time out spot, if he is persistent. He does not like this, and will hold a grudge when let up. However, if this is the only problem we face, this is not bad for a six yr old from an orphanage in China trying to adjust to a new life and bond with a family.

He loves to give the appropriate greetings, ie: good morning, i love you, good night etc. His manners are almost perfect. He loves hugs and helping out.

Joey is such a blessing, and we are very lucky he is our son.

Now as for me, my fear came true. I have traded my too small car in for a used twelve (yes 12 ) passenger van. With a family of 9 and friends here constantly, it had to happen. Surprising it actually rides nice. In time I will have it custom painted with something fun, because the plain white is horrible.

Our trip to florida went well, and Joey had a blast. He loved the hotel and swimming. We decided to keep the Magic Kingdom to a minimum, only 4 hrs. He loved it and was very tired after. My parents adored him and he loved them. We can't wait to see them again in the spring.

Thanksgiving was nice. I cooked a ton, all from scratch and we had a lovely spread. Joey thought it was very nice. He loved the decorations and all of the food put out on the table. I think he was overwhelmed with the choices. He ate everything on his plate and dove right into the pies.

We are going to our cabin in Michigan for an old fashioned Christmas. There is snow on the ground, and more expected. I hope Joey enjoys it. If not,he can hang out with Valerie in front of the wood stove, drinking hot chocolate, watching everyone else get cold. We will be gone 10 days and can't wait.