Highlights from Swim Team

Go Sharks!

The summer league swim team started in May, with swim meets in June and the beginning of July. We missed three meets due to our trip out west, but that couldn't be helped. Every year the children improve and this year we saw Isabel get 2 first places in her back-stroke. Parker got a second in his freestyle. Noah didn't want to swim this year and then broke his arm in April and couldn't swim until June anyway, so that worked out. Claire says she wants to be on the team next year....but, not put her face in the water......hmmmmm.

Parker is in the blue cap

Isabel ready for her freestyle heat

Claire enjoys the ring-pop that someone bestowed upon my princess. She is about spoiled, and it's not just family that does the spoiling. Everywhere we go, people try to get in on the action.

Isabel's blue ribbon back stroke.

Unfortunately, her goober Mama was watching her and not the camera angle and so I cut her off for part of this video. Isabel is the child in the far right when the camera starts rolling....then she's out of the shot and then about half way through, I get her back in it and you see her finish up first! What can I say, I am definitely not a professional!

And this is how....

you get 'um to eat their veggies!

1. Take them to the pool for hours of fun.
2. Serve nothing but veggies for dinner.

For more parenting advice.....
see someone else's blog, 'cause I got nothin'.

There She Is......

Miss A-me-ri-ca ..........ummmmm, NOT!

Oh, Miss American Girl!

On the heels of our wondrous trip to the Chicago location of American Girls Place, Isabel decided she wanted to attend an American Girl tea party put on by our local branch of B&N. She, along with 160 other girls, (I'm not kidding), descended on the store for an afternoon of tea, crafts, games, stories and a costume contest to complete the event! Many girls came out in high fashion! Some with outfits bought specifically to match their doll. Not our sweetie. See, her mom is a bit too cheap frugal to buy those outfits! So she was left to rummage through drawers and the attic to come up with something a little bit.....ummm, original, shall we say.

Instead of picking a doll and trying to make an outfit to fit the time period, we drug stuff out and decided which doll it most resembled.

How'd we do?

She found a skirt, actually a kilt, that belonged to my one and only British aunt. My aunt had given it to me in high school thinking I might like to wear it. I did wear it! Can you tell that fashion wasn't really my strong point? I thought I was cute!

Anyway. Then we dug an oxford and sweater vest out of the attic and found some Mary Janes that someone passed onto Isabel and she hasn't yet grown into. Isabel completed the outfit with her own silver locket and glasses and I found some red ribbon in the Christmas box.

Voilà!

Can you guess which doll she is?

Well, our little Molly look-a-like had a blast, ran into some homeschool friends and.......

ended up taking the Grand Prize in the costume contest! Which of course, turned out to be a gift card to B&N!

There she is with the other two winners, the Kit look-a-like behind her and the Felicity look-a-like in front of her! All three wore home-made outfits!

The sweetest thing!

Not this.....

Although..... that is pretty darn sweet looking! But, I am referring to the the trouble my sweet husband went to this morning. For me! I wasn't planning to mention it, but today is my birthday. 39 and counting..... because 40 doesn't scare me! Anyway....

Hubby got up at the crack o this morning, while I slept on like a baby I might add, and made an amazing attempt at his first batch of my favorite breakfast food. Crepes! Yes, folks! I am married to a most amazing man. He loves to sleep late, yet he got up. He doesn't often cook, but he looked up a recipe, ran to the store this morning, made all the components...including batter, homemade whipped cream, cut strawberries for the top, a strawberry compote for the inside. Then served this feast on a tray. In bed. For me! With tea. Claire ate two and part of mine! It was most lovely. Then he arranged for his Dad to take the kids to swim practice....so I wouldn't have to. Cleaned the kitchen with the boys and did all the the yard work while I took a bath! It's like I'm the Queen or something!

Let's Rehash!

Okay, so I've been home since Monday afternoon...but not on here. I couldn't rationalize getting on the computer to post anything when my family was literally minutes from having to go naked! I really had to do the laundry! And, boy was there a lot of it. Plus we had to get to our final swim meet, unpack, and deal with our very needy pets! But, I'm back! I'm working on several posts including a summer reading post, a swim team re-cap, and a few others!

So, we had a great trip! We loved getting to see this cute family on the first leg of it. They were wonderful hosts in Tennessee. And, I was serious when I said we want to have a China travel group reunion. Tennessee seems like a great central location too! I think we should all crash at the Caudills! HeHe, kidding! Anna just had a small panic attack!

Shane, Anna and YoYo

For the most part, YoYo didn't want to have anything to do with Claire....he had his eyes on Isabel! Like Claire, he seems to take to older children more than children his own age...I guess there is plenty of time for them to warm up to each other later (hehe). But, look what happened when she fell down in the parking lot....

Awww, what a gentleman!

And, I just had to include this picture 'cause I love this woman!

Going back to St. Louis was like going back to a favorite vacation spot. I don't know why I'm so attached to St. Louie, but I am. Maybe I associate it with so many good things that have happened for Claire. Maybe it's because they have toasted ravioli! I don't know, but if I could afford it, we would go there once a year!

We may have too anyway. Claire is supposed to have a follow-up in January. Dr. Dobbs said that if all is still going well and we don't see a visible change in her feet, that we can postpone it. Whew! 'Cause I don't think there is any way to afford that trip right after Christmas. Plus, we can email him pictures of her feet and he can tell us if he sees a problem. How cool is that?

And if being in St. Louis was like going to a favorite vacation spot, visiting the Gulkes was like visiting family!

The Gours and the Gulkes, sans Brett, the oldest, who had to work.

You've seen some of the pictures from our Chicago trip. But, here are few more that I wanted to share.

Noah and Brett having and little.....ummm, one on one.

Brett just graduated from high school and has decided to join the Marines. He is just a wonderful young man, so please keep him and the Gulkes in your prayers as he begins this new chapter in his life! He was working a lot while we were in town, so he wasn't able to spend time in the city with us. But, when he was around he made sure to spend time with the kids!

Isabel gets a makeover with Becca!

And loves playing with Sammy the pet snake.


When Brett is around there is bound to be some rough play...and my kids just eat that up anyway!

Brett comes in handy in a pool too. He makes a great springboard!

Scary...but I'm not really sure what is going on here...


Kung Fu Swimming!

Shot Put Swimming!

Clear for launch!

The Gour's in the Big City

Claire gets to walk a lot!


The boys hanging out with Josh.


Isabel with Becca

The many faces of Mia! This is Silly Face!

And this cute face is supposed to be Angry Face! She didn't quite make angry this time!

The best part of our trip this summer was remembering what it was like last year when our adopted children were so new to our families. They have, all three, come so far in just a year and it is amazing to see! YoYo and Claire talk so much now. All three kids are so happy and healthy and Mia is running everywhere and climbing and getting into everything! They are so smart and so beautiful. And, we just can't imagine life before them!