Dr Appts, Etc...~

Today we saw Dr. Williams for Calla and she will have another revisional surgery in a few weeks.
We also picked up SJ's new glasses~

When we got home, Evie had another birthday present waiting for her!
She was thrilled~

Thank you Aunt Sissy and Uncle Chris!!!

Savannah sent me these adorable photos of the boys playing outside~

Love them SO much!!!

Diligence~

EK is working hard on her horse study every spare minute because she earns $1
for every completed lesson which she is planning to buy her gecko with~

 And look at this amazing dragon drawn by SJ~

Diligence for sure!

A Natural Diver~

You can't teach this form~

She's a natural!

The Spirit Animal Reader and Writer~

Last week SJ began making all the green cloaks and spirit animals from the many books she's been reading (first influenced by EK)~

 She even wrote about it for her free write!
Today she came down for breakfast and declared she was writing the next book in the series~

She told she knew she couldn't really by an author at nine and I immediately corrected her... YES YOU CAN! Her face lit up and she's been writing ever since. She told me she knew she had so many mistakes so we talked about editors. She chose me to edit, type, and mail off her manuscript. So far she has filled two little notebooks and her dad is bringing home more.

Honestly I had thought about setting up a book making area and still might but there is no way I could have set up this scenario. Sometimes it's best to just let it happen all on it's own!!!

This just goes to prove giving children time and nurture to choose something on their own is worth it. In her time she believes she is an author. That's all she needs... to believe in herself. Celebrating this great milestone today!!!

Geography~

Lots of state learning going on here~

and listening to stories read by older sisters!

Reading~

We were SO happy to have daddy join us for Bible @ Breakfast this week~

One morning while I worked with the boys, SJ helped the little girls do their book work.
She decided they needed an emergent reader so she wrote two identical ones
and taught them to read them~

 She decided they should be published and earned the Caldecott Medal as well~

Here's a little video of the teacher in action~

SJ

We have been without a dishwasher for 27 days and SJ has loved helping~

I wanted to document her standing at the sink even though the repairman came to fix the dishwasher today. 

SJ was sad. I'm pretty sure she can wash pots and pans too!

Thankful we are back in business! 

My Scripture Helper~

I looked in the sunroom to see SJ checking memory verses for Awana~

LOVE my Scripture Helper!!!

SJ's Spiritual Birthday~

Today SJ went to visit our pastor to share her decision to follow Jesus.
She has believed for quite some time and felt it was time to share it~

 She will make it public on Easter Sunday and be baptized some time in April!

To celebrate, we made a sandwich dinner and took the boat out for a picnic~

We ate, checked on Goose Island, rode around, and watched daddy cast a line.

Happy Spiritual birthday SJ! You have your REAL Forever now!!!

New Pets~

It never fails... a fish dies every time we are gone to China,
and EK's fish, Oliver was looking a little 'sick' so he went to lake heaven Monday.
Yesterday Rosie took EK & SJ to Petsmart to choose a new one,
and they came home with TWO~

 SJ said it was the best day of her life! :)

Meet EK's dumbo betta, Finley, and SJ's regular betta, Aqua Marine.
Beautiful New Pets!!!

Fun Friday~

Today was definitely because once we read a little while, I turned them loose for a play day.
It didn't take them 5 minutes to bundle and head out to their hideout.
I looked out to check on them and found the bitty girls taking a little rest~

Dad ran by the eye dr and picked up two pairs of glasses for SJ and WP~

AND Rosie leased her first adult home for next school year~

It was definitely a very Fun Friday!!!

My Parapro~

It is impossible to be with 6 children schooling at the same time
and it is those times I am so thankful when one steps in to help another~

Yesterday we had eye appts so we did our bookwork before leaving.
There are many clothes to put on and hair to fix and I need to time to get ready
so SJ stepped in to call spelling words for the boys.
As they mature and grow, some of the educating can be shared.
I am thankful for my parapros!!!

Eye Appointments~

SJ and WP had their yearly eye appointments today and we received good and bad news~

 SJ's eyes have improved and she is able to reduce patching to one hour a day.
WP's eyes had worsened last appt and upped his patch to three hours.
Today there was no change so he goes up to wearing one for four hours a day.
The best thing about it... no one complains and just does it.
They both were eligible for new glasses and modeled them for us~

 Everyone got stylish shades to wear out in the sun~

Three new pairs of glasses and SO thankful for great eye insurance!!!

Adoption Update~

We received our I800A approval (USCIS saying we are approved to adopt CA)

which was the last document needed for our dossier.

Today we walked all our documents into the GA Secretary of State in Atlanta

and had them authenticated then sent on to Houston for more authenticating.

When they return to us, I will overnight to our agency, Bay Area Adoption Services, 

and they will send to China making us DCT... Dossier to China~

Once it is China, we wait to be Logged In and wait once again for LOA~ Letter of Acceptance from China
saying YES, you can adopt CallaAnne!
We were happy to drop by to see Savannah and family. LOOK how tall EK is getting~

 It has rained SO much over the holidays and we have spent much time inside.
The easybake is seeing a lot of action~

Counting down to a new year and ready to ring it in!!!

Lizard Love~

Warm afternoons make getting outside so wonderful.

Today EK and SJ took a Cosco apple container and made a reptile habitat~

They scooped up 7 lizards, named them, and everyone loved watching them.

SJ was so proud of herself for picking one up for the very first time.

(She even took pics with her IPod so she could write about it in her journal!)

Once it was dusk, they were all released back into our yard.

Lizards are very loved at our house!!!

Our NEW Friday Routine~ {and a Field Trip}

So over the last weeks I have found the chore a day routine was just not working.

I spend the mornings schooling with laundry sprinkled in

and thought I would use a little time in the afternoons to clean...

Not.

{I want my early afternoon to read or blog or watch netflix... gasp!}

In the mornings I have started piling the dishes in the sink until lunch (ahhh)

and after breakfast 

we all get dressed, brush teeth, tidy room, and start school by 9.

Those two words {TIDY ROOM} are huge!

By tidying each day there is less to do when time to actually clean.

If this tells you anything...

I hear my children saying "I am organizing mom". 

When school ends and we finish up lunch everyone heads to their rooms for rest until 3~

Bitty Girls still nap and then play.

Boys play the whole time.

Big girls read for an hour and get school Ipad time.

I read or blog or watch Netflix. :)

Today for our Friday Routine we finished breakfast, threw the dishes in the sink

and went to the schoolroom for one activity~ Writing.

We read over the ideas we listed this week about Egypt~

And they all verbally told me what they learned.

They grabbed their journal to record their knowledge. The end.

Short, sweet, and meaningful.

Okay NOW to the New Routine:

Each twosome headed to their rooms to Organize and Tidy

then they dusted and vacuumed~

{I worked on our room and the living spaces}

The big girls and boys both cleaned their bathrooms too.

I worked right along beside them and our house was clean in about an hour and half.

The bitties mostly just played, organized, played, organized. :)

As I finished all of the things I needed to do, the kids watched another Egypt documentary.

After lunch I looked over to find Evie dangling for the counter rinsing dishes

and loading them into the dishwasher.

Now our house is clean for the weekend

and we can't wait to celebrate Will Perry and my dad's birthdays!!!

After rest today we took a little 15 minute trip to visit the Georgia Guidestones~

 SO cool that we recognized Egyptian hieroglyphics on the capstone
and the kids could read some of the letters~

 Double cool to take their photo in front of the stone with Chinese writing on it~

 A sweet couple was visiting and asked if she could take our photo!!!~

It was a fun outing and even Macy got to go!

Happy Friday!

Basketball Players~

Our neighbor, Cowboy Billy, gave the kids a basketball goal~

and it has been a fun week getting our shooting technique down.

Get after it SJ!!!

SJ's Bandaloom Business Update~

Sometimes God teaches us big lessons through the faith of our children.

Remember that little bandaloom business SJ decided to start back a few weeks ago?~

{My thoughts: Just let her do so she thinks she is helping bring CallaAnne home}...

BOY was I in for a Faith Check!!!

What I thought was just a whim turned out to be big blessings~

EK has helped her make over half of them and now she is teaching Evie.

As of today SJ has raised $200 and there are orders still pending.

No, she hasn't made that many bracelets but people are just that kind

and helping to build her faith in God's provision for our adoption.

There have been other donations given to our family over the last week as well

and we are excited to announce being chosen to fundraise 

with Project: Love One!

{More info to share very soon!}

Matthew 18:3

And he said: "Truly I tell you, 

unless you change and become like little children, 

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

SJ's Little Band Bracelet Business~

Remember me saying we met with our social worker over the last week or so?

We love her because she has helped us with half of our children's home studies

and now with CallaAnne so it's like welcoming an old friend back again.

In the times we met with Heather she shared things about her sweet family

and one really stuck with SJ.

She told us her kids had really loved selling band bracelets they made to people in their neighborhood

and SJ decided she wanted to do that too.

(To help bring CallaAnne home)

That very afternoon she gathered her supplies and got busy

with two brothers looking on who would become her partners~

I just happen to share this pic on FB and IG and instantly SJ was in business

with really more than she could believe possible.

Her hope was to sit at the top of the driveway and sell to our neighbors

so she made a sign and I set her up~

She made $2 and was quite proud

but was floored when I told her she had orders for more than 50 online.

WHAT?

It would take SJ, EK, and even Mimi to get the orders filled.

(We are still filling them so please don't give up on us. :)

NOW the background story...

In the meantime while SJ has been making bracelets like crazy,

Scott and I have been talking with a sweet friend at 314 Productions about

shooting a film sharing our adoption story in hopes of moving hearts on this journey as well.

The film will be shot on Wednesday of next week

and would you believe SJ has raised the WHOLE fee for the film???

Isn't God amazing?

That a little business she thought was just for fun

actually made a HUGE difference for CallaAnne and hopefully many more sweet ones waiting for their Forever!!!

Happy ShayleeJoy Day~ {5 Years}

Today SJ has been home five beautiful years~

Just look at that transformation!!!
Love you sweet SJ... You are a beautiful miracle!!!