My Helpers

For the last couple of days, Haley and Macey have been at 4-H Camp and Jay has been out of town as well. So, you would think that with just me and the little girls at home we would have had all kinds of fun things planned, especially with Lilly's birthday on Thursday.

Well............

"Our" Birthday...Lilly is 7!!!

Today is Lilly's 7th Birthday!!! And we finally get to give her a real celebration. I have often thought about the birthdays that we weren't able to be with her and the milestones that we missed, but today I am just grateful to get to share this special day with her. She has been sooooo excited about her birthday, not really just about the presents (like her mom and sisters) but more about the joy of sharing her day with family and friends. She has planned her "guest list" for the last 2 months and each time she made a new friend she quickly amended her list. There were even days that we asked her NOT to talk about her birthday until it was only 1 month away.
So, following her sisters' birthday posts I will share 7 (one for each year)special qualities of our Lilly Mei:

1. Lilly has had a great sense of humor since the day we got her. She will make silly faces, play practical jokes on us and giggle uncontrollably!



2. Although Lilly truly dislikes being Mei Mei (littlest sister) she really looks up to her big sisters. She wants to do everything that they do. She also wants each of them to share in different activities with her.



3. Lilly has a wonderfully grateful heart! She has said thank you so much for her birthday gifts, but she has also been grateful simply for the birthday itself. A few days ago she and Haley were discussing homeless people and she asked why we didn't give them money to buy a house. Haley told me that it really bothered Lilly that there were people that did not have food or homes.

4. Lilly has a very determined personality. This has certainly been beneficial for her as she has had to overcome many physical and emotional difficulties. There is absolutely no telling just how far she will go because of her determination!


5. She lights up a room wherever she goes! There are often very few times that Lilly won't smile at people or want to share a story with them.



6. Lilly is a VERY smart little girl and has amazed us all at how quickly she has learned English. Not only has she learned English but she will be entering 1st grade almost on target...after only being in school for 1 semester!

7. Lilly is one very special little girl! She has amazed us, taught us patience, and made the perfect addition to our family!


Happy Birthday Lilly Mei! We can't wait to share all of the upcoming milestones with you! We love you!!!!

Vacation on the Lake

Last week we were able to spend a few days in Oklahoma with family. The cabin was beautiful, the weather perfect and we were just a couple of miles from a BEAUTIFUL lake.


The kids (our girls and my two nephews) were happy to just float and play at the little beach area...



But, when we rented a boat for the day, we were all very happy! We just drove around the lake, stop and swam, drove around some more, beach the boat, and swim some more. It was GREAT!


All that fun and a great place to come back to as well. I hope we are able to do it again next summer!


The day after we came home, things were as hectic as before. The girls finished the week at VBS. All of the girls enjoyed it, but it was fun to watch Lilly. She LOVED the silly songs and it sparked a whole lot of conversations about Jesus and God. She asked last night why Jesus didn't just walk in our house instead of live in our hearts! I love it!
Macey finished her summer volleyball season, and I have to admit I am glad that it is over.

This past Saturday we also went to a local lake with some friends. How funny that Jay and I had not been on a boat in over 10 years and now in 1 week we had been twice and in 2 different states.

Finally, Haley and Macey left this morning for 4-H camp. They were both excited, but it was hard to tell that this was Macey's first camp. She was not the least bit nervous!
I'm not sure what the little girls and I will do this week...

Lazy Summer Mornings

For the past couple of mornings, Haley has been up bright and early to ride her horse,Penny, by 8:30. One morning her sisters, except for Lilly, decided to join her.


This is where Lilly can be found each morning! Dad will even go in to get her out of bed, but she usually climbs right back in and falls hard asleep again! He is not big on the girls sleeping in...


I also found the the American Girl Dolls enjoy sleeping in... They must of stayed up late at their sleepover. :)

4th of July Weekend

Lilly before the annual 4th of July Parade. She always puts her hand on her heart when she sees a flag! It is so cute!


Haley spent most of the day working in a duck pond booth at the square. Then, later that night at our block party she spent most of the time helping out with a little toddler. She can always be found with the little ones!

I love this picture!


Lilly did inform us that she had seen fireworks in China. But, the sparklers were new for her! I loved watching her face!


Dad is the official "firework lighter" and Macey is always the cautious one! I feel better having her keeping an eye on dad.

Wordless Wednesday

Ok, so it's a day late, but there were just no words...