Happy Chinese New Year!

Wishing you and yours a very happy Year of the Dragon! Happy Sunday!

celebrate

yesterday we celebrated good times with good people.

it was lovely.

{already go ahead and excuse the iPhone photos...i'm so slack}

we celebrated Chinese New Year and Andrew's 2 year Gotcha Day

We got to celebrate with our sweet travel buddies, the Perry's who hold a special place in all of our hearts. We LOVE them. They are so great.

SO MollyClaire and Andrew were reunited.
We ate good Chinese food

Played games

and finished off with Yogurt Mountain

              Side Note {even Ting got to join in! She is allergic to all dairy and egg products making it          hard to find sweets/ice creamish things she can eat...Does any one have any suggestions on allergy foods and what we could be 'rewarding' her with? We feel so bad when she can't eat brownies or ice-cream and so badly wants them} 

Anyways, we had a fabulous time last night and loved celebrating our sweet boy and MollyClaire! What an amazing 2 years it has been! 

Happy Sunday, Y'all! 

Two Years

Two years ago today in Beijing China on the 9th floor of the Wang Fu Jing Hotel we met a very scared little boy. He was three years old and his life was forever changed in about five minutes. 

He was so brave and so very strong. 

He has taught me more about life and more about love in the last two years than I learned in my entire life. With each adoption brings a new mountain, a new valley, a new destination, a new blessing. All perfectly, wonderfully and beautifully orchestrated by God. 

Andrew had a rough beginning, but that's the beauty. It was just the beginning. I truly cannot wait to see the plans God has for his life. I know they will be truly amazing and breathtakingly beautiful. 

Just like he is. 

Over the last two years we have watched Andrew transform...like a butterfly {which by the way, if you have ever seen A Bug's Life and the scene where the caterpillar starts singing "I'm a beautiful butterfly.." yeah, that's Andrew's favorite part of the movie and the part he walks around singing...It is so true though...because he is now a beautiful butterfly...you know what i mean} He has transformed. In miraculous and beautiful ways. 

Andrew keeps me laughing, makes you earn trust, and love, and when he does love you...he loves fiercely. He has taught me more about life and love and being JOYFUL than I think I could have learned in all sixteen years of life. Andrew is truly one of the biggest blessings in my life. 

Happy Two Year Gotcha, baby boy...Look at how far we have come. 

Also, very happy Gotcha Day to our precious travel buddies the Perry family, Yingling family, Glass family, and Starnes family. I am so thankful that we were blessed with such an amazing and supportive travel group. Happy Gotcha Day to Jacob, MollyClaire, Katie, Leah, & David. We love y'all! 

yeah, that's what faith can do.

one month ago today in a small room in Xi'an China we met our sweet Ainsley.
we did not know what the future held, or what the days ahead would look like, but we stepped out on faith 6 months ago because we knew she was ours. 
today in a small room at the neurologist office doctors confirmed what we knew all along...


Ainsley is absolutely PERFECT. 


she doesn't have hydrocephalus, brain abnormalities or any other need we were worried about. 
she is completely, 100% healthy. 


All praises and GLORY to the ONE who loves our family and Ainsley more than we can fathom. 


I am so thankful that HE gave us peace and encouraged my family to step out of the boat when everyone around us said no. 


Today, i am praising Him who went before us and chose Ainsley for our family. 


thank you all for the prayers as we brought Ainsley home and as we continue our journey. 

God is SO good. 

we're alive

i really am terrible at this blogging thing.
i admit to it. i know i am and i apologize. seriously, i do.
and i promise to at least try to get better...fair enough, right?
anyways,
on to the stuff that matters
like the fact that jet lag, new baby, 8 people, school, and everything else and we're alive...and well!
ainsley is doing so amazingly well. words cannot describe how beautifully her adjustment is going...really they cannot. i am already writing a post about her that i will post soon. it is absolutely amazing beyond belief to see how GOD truly cares for us. amazing.
our first week home was rough. a lot of sleepless nights and sleep in school {yeah...} and a lot of prayers. but we made it and we are in a beautiful place because of it. this past week has been better for everyone.God love my precious mom who is with miss ainsley 24/7 {because she refuses anyone else} but everything is doing so well and she is bonding perfectly. we are truly pinching ourselves. we are so thankful for your continued prayers and thoughts for our family...they are so appreciated as we continue to settle into a new normal.
i really don't have many more words and will allow these pictures to do the rest.

because we were in China for Christmas we are celebrating today...How sweet it is to have her HOME.
I am off to open gifts, eat delicious food, and celebrate the birth of a savior..even if it is a month late...
Merry Christmas Y'all and Happy Sunday! ;)

HOME.

we had an absolutely amazing time in China and we were oh-so-blessed each step of the way. Ainsley Ting is absolutely perfect and we are so very in love.
She is adjusting well. Her attachment is very much to my Mom and I. She is very spicy and she loves all things girly. She eats so well, but we do know that she has severe food allergies. We look forward to getting her to the doctor and seeing how we can help her to adjust better.
It will be back to normal updating soon. Right now we are jet lagged and trying to get back into schedule.
Thank you so much for your prayers while we journeyed to Ainsley!

Oh how BLESSED we are!
Expect a year in review post soon :)