First Week of Summer

We are wrapping up our first week of summer with the two little ones. Longji started tennis and swimming Tuesday and Brielle started her first ever swimming lessons. Both did a great job in the pool this week. Longji is now jumping in 11ft and swimming across the pool. Brielle is getting more comfortable with the pool and she is now putting her face in the water which is a really big step for her. We try to make it to the YMCA pool whenever we can for play time in the pool. Thursday we headed over to the library to make a clay class for the kids. They had so much fun with the clay. We also checked out books on Tuesday so that was fun for both kids. Longji is still taking kung fu twice a week also. We have about two hours of school every day so the kids are definitely kept busy. When their heads hit the pillow at night, they fall fast asleep.

They have both been playing together really well lately. Brielle has had a few meltdowns this week, but we think she is just exhausted from our busy days and a bit hypersensitive. Her English is coming along quickly.

Jordyn is with us this month so we are keeping her busy with golf tournaments and driver's ed. She is leaving early this week for Amarillo for a wedding and we are catching up with her this next Friday. This is our first long road trip...should be interesting.

Yesterday, we participated in a Family Fun Run for Clarity, a children's facility, that my dad works for. We had so much fun. After the family run, the kids got snow cones, played basketball, Brielle got her face painted and played in a bouncer. Our team name was Adam's Athletes. Adam was "coach" which is a role he took very seriously. Below are some pictures from our week's events.

This is Longji and Brielle on our way to our first tennis and swimming lessons of the summer.

First day of tennis and swimming. I love the picture of the two wrapped in their towels.

La Loma golf tournament - Jordyn had a great day of golf.

First time at the pool

Yesterday we took the kids to the pool and this was Brielle's first time. She did awesome and she was so cute in her little swimsuit! She didn't want to leave when it was time to go. Both kids start their summer swim lessons on Tuesday.

Last Day of 2nd grade!

Thursday was the last day of 2nd grade for Longji and Brielle. Jordyn is now officially a junior and my nephew, Josh, graduated from high school. It has been a crazy emotional week for everyone. Below are some pictures of Longji and Brielle on their last day of school and Josh's graduation dinner at Olive Garden. We had a good time and the kids did great.

John and I finished today and we are ready to go for the summer. I am leaving town this evening for a 10K tomorrow and then next week we start the summer with a golf tournament followed by tennis and swimming lessons Tuesday through Friday. Our schedules are already hectic and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.  

Sweet sweet music for Jesus

So when we are in the car we typically play a christian radio station called KLOVE. Even with limited English Brielle has picked certain songs that she loves to sing. Today we were heading over to my parent's house for my Dad's birthday and I couldn't help but sneak the camera out of my purse and get her singing. Now remember, she knows very little English but she is so darn cute trying to sing a song for Jesus. Just melts your heart. And yeah, I was the camera man, sorry. I couldn't figure out how to flip the video. I thought I was holding my phone correctly and I am simply just not that good with this technology stuff.

Brielle update, Bridal shower and Prom

Well, a lot has happened since Mother's Day so here it goes... We have not shared a lot about Brielle's medical condition because according to the paperwork we received from China it was pretty severe. We wanted to wait for confirmation of what we were dealing with before we shared it with too many people. When we received her file a year ago, it stated that she has a history of seizures and possible brain tumor. It was a scary diagnosis, but we just felt in our hearts she was ours no matter what her medical condition. As soon as we got home we met with many different physicians and as I have been updating, all results have been normal. We did meet with a neurologist a little over a month ago and Brielle had an MRI to take a look at her brain. We met with her neurologist again last week and are still waiting for another physician's opinion on her scans. The good news is she does not have a brain tumor; however, she does have a bundle of tangled weak blood vessels that is a concern to the neurologist. It is believed that she suffered seizures when she was younger because blood was leaking from these blood vessels and the free blood was an irritant to the neurons which caused the seizing. We are waiting on a neurosurgical consult to see if brain surgery is necessary at this point. We are ecstatic that she does not have a tumor and she has been seizure free for two years. Now we just pray that God has placed the best possible physicians in our lives and that He guide us in the decisions of our daughter's health. Meanwhile, she is doing fantastic with her English and is definitely eating and sleeping well. Also, she and Longji have actually had a few good nights playing together and they seem to be enjoying each other's company a little more recently. Both kids are signed up for swimming lessons although Brielle tells us she is NOT getting in a swimming pool. Longji is also going to take tennis again this summer and we are going to find a gymnastics camp for Brielle. Yesterday was a busy day for the whole family. Brielle and I attended Jennifer's bridal shower while John and Longji took a mini fishing trip. Longji caught a fish (sorry, no picture) and John said he had a good time. The bridal shower was fun and Brielle did really well visiting with a bunch of strangers. Of course, the word "shower" really confused the poor girl. It's still hard to believe Jennifer is getting married. Brielle is one of two flower girls and Longji will be the ring bearer...this should be interesting. Yesterday evening Jordyn attended her high school prom. She is only a sophomore, but she was asked by a senior golfer from her golf team. After John and Longji returned from their fishing trip we all headed over to a friend of Jordyn's house to take prom photos. The girls just need to slow down with this growing up business! We should know more regarding Brielle's condition by the end of next week so I will do my best to update the blog. As for pictures, I have a few I will share below.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! This morning John and the kids brought me breakfast in bed and then spoiled me with cards and gifts. They also decorated a cake for me which was delicious. This is one of my favorite days of the year. I am so blessed to have three "bonus" children and my two little Chinese American angels. In all, I love playing a role in all five of their lives and though it seems a little hectic and overwhelming at times, it is totally, completely, without a doubt worth it. I wouldn't trade being a mom for any other job in the world. It is everything I hoped it would be and more. Now, whether or not I am actually good at it remains to be seen, but I am hoping with time and God's guidance I will only get better. Longji was extra sweet to me today and he just gave me the best hugs and kisses. Brielle really has no idea what the day is about, but I think she was giving me a little extra love today as well. We attended the service at church and then headed over to my mom's house for a family barbeque. Jennifer and Bryan surprised me at home with a sweet card and some Starbucks money...loved it! Oh, and Jordyn sent me the sweetest text message ever. She absolutely melted my heart! We finished off the day at John's parents house for a nice visit and then some goodnight hugs and kisses from the kids. It was a fantastic day and I couldn't have asked for a better one.

Happy Gotcha Day Adam Longji!

May 10th was our Gotcha Day anniversary. This is the day Adam Longji joined our family two years ago. We still cannot believe he has only been here two years. It seems like he has been with us much longer. God picked the perfect little boy for our family and though he has only been here for two years, he has been in our hearts much longer than that. We celebrated the evening by eating at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. It was Longji's choice and he wanted his green bean dish he likes to order every time we go there. It was just the four of us and we had to wait for Longji to finish with Kung Fu, but it was a fantastic evening and Longji kept telling us how happy he was to be here with his family. We ate everything and went home with tummy aches. It was a very special day and I love celebrating it with him.