Still hanging out

Livy
Babies at putt-putt. Yes, we have alligators everywhere down here.
Go Gators!
My beautiful Mike. He feel asleep during the National championship game, so we dressed him up.

Just hanging out

Aunt Amy and my girls at the park.
Mike and Mia ripping up guitar hero!
Bart, Amy, Mike, Alissa and Pat at putt-putt.
Alissa, Logan and Mia horsing around.
Logan and Mia
Hey there,

Hope all is well. We are just enjoying some quiet time, well...as quiet as it gets for us.

My sister, niece and my niece's boy friend came down for a visit last week. It was a great time! They thawed out and then headed back to the frozen north. I can't imagine how you all up there do it! We have been in the 50's down here, and that is about as cold as we can take.

But it is all good! Via internet, we have the joy of living through a few of our close friends as they travel to China and bring home their beautiful girls. Both Kate and Grace are home now! And Leah and Maya P will be home soon! No, we aren't going back -- just yet.

Stay warm out there, and take care.

Love,
Claire

Happy New Year!!

Unstinkin believable! Is it really 2009?

I have sat down several times to write some beautiful expose about last year and our dreams for the new year, but it isn't happening.

I'm not much of a writer to begin with, so I will just keep it simple.

It was a year full of great blessings, some challenges and a season of simplification for me. I don't function well in chaos and disorder, so I have just gone room by room and closet by closet seriously purging things we don't need. Don't worry...I'm keeping Bart and the kids! The dogs are still in question. (:

To the dismay of the kids, I have removed my chauffeur's hat and called a halt to 99% of the after school activities that keep us running all week and week ends. My bottom is already regaining feeling from my serious case of car pool booty-itious.

I haven't made any resolutions for the New Year because I am still working on the one's from 2006. But I know this year will be great. All of our friends and family are healthy and we are really settling in with our newest angel, Logan.

Take care,
Claire

My beautiful kiddos

Crazy bunch!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope you all had a great holiday. We spent the week with 5 of our closest family/friends camping in a National Forrest.

I'll be the first to admit that 8 days in the forrest is even a bit long for me. The company was great, I just don't do well with chilling out for that long. But it was some great down time..and much needed.

Logan mastered riding his bike without training wheels! Mia conquered her dislike of sand and dirt! Livy became quite the volleyball player, and it was sooooooooooooo good to see Michael without that X box or cell phone attached to his body!

But it is good to be home. Trips like those really help to remind me of all that I have to be thankful for. An amazing husband, healthy and crazy children, wonderful friends, a dishwasher, HOT water, and more then one potty for 6 people!!!

Hope all is well.

Love,
Claire

Lacking complete motivation

Hey there!

Hope life is treating you well.

We are doing great. Had the chance to meet up with some dear friends from our first adoption group to China last week end. We had dinner out and just enjoyed chatting and seeing Laura and her beautiful family.

Not much else going on really..... just lacking motivation in many areas. The house looks like a tornado blew through, I have washed the same load of laundry 3 times in 2 days, and you could feed a small village with all of the snacks and drinks strewn about in my car.

I never realized just how OCD I am until Logan came home. I did great with just two kids, held my own when Mia came home..but now...I am totally out numbered. I thought for sure that God had given me a child after my own neat-freakness in Logan. Remember my posts from China about how neat he was? WAS is the key word there.

Oh well, I know there is more to life then having a picked up house. But there is just something about those fresh vaccuum tracks going across the carpet that makes me all warm inside.

Maybe my attitude is this way because I am sooooooooooo ready for it to be Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday, and we are headed out for our 7th annual camping trip with our precious group of friends. Out into a national forrest for a whole week!

No clock, no tv, no cell reception. Just room to run and play, 6 nights of campfires and s'mores, and the most amazing down time I have ever known.

CAN'T WAIT!!!

love,
claire

Busch Gardens!

Just wanted to post some pictures of our week end trip to Busch Gardens, and some of the halloween festivities in our hood.

We went to BG with 3 other families, and everyone had a great time. Logan was a riot, and Mia even was able to let go of some of her fears and really enjoy the rides and the huge sand pit/play area.

All is well here. We are loving the cooler weather, and can't wait for our annual Thanksgiving camping trip. We will be playing hooky from school for a few days, we lost some vacation days due to a few hurricanes. the kids are really upset with this decision, but I think they'll be o.k. (:

Hope all is well.

Love,
Claire