Through God's GRACE we have HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior
Just before going to the airport Saturday to pick up PawPaw 
A common scene at our house... 
Just too cute!
Enjoying the chips Auntie Anne sent home with them... Love those Funyuns!
Oh, and here are the latest two additions to our family…
Muarl and Buck
(Lovingly named after a very special aunt and uncle.)
Desheng Darling LOVES to read. She takes books everywhere we go and sleeps with them under her pillow. I even have to make her put them away at the table in order to eat! The other day I made a comment about how much she loved to read and she told me, “That’s just my thing, Mama.” 
Well, I think maybe we’ve found Doodlebug’s “thing.” She LOVES to work puzzles! She’s really very good at working them by herself. She likes the ones with 24-30 pieces. I’m very thankful that these "things "are nice and QUIET and relatively cheap!
She has really been on a teeth-brushing kick since her visit…Ummm, I wonder how long that will last!
We also spent a little time with our play group at Chick-Fil-A. SpicyGirl’s family will be moving very soon and we are REALLY going to miss them. DD and SG have played together for over 3 years and their birthdays are only 3 weeks apart. I am so thankful for the time we’ve had together.
The AWANA Awards Program was Wednesday night. Oh, I wish I had been able to get pictures of this event. It was a hoot! DD was obviously looking for us in the audience when she went up on the stage. As soon as she spotted us, she began to wave! She then yelled out, “Hi Mommy and Daddy!” Not once, but several times. Once she realized that some people were taking pictures, she began to pose, first looking over one shoulder, then the other, followed by a ballet pose of some sort. I don’t really know what she was doing…just wish I had been able to capture it on video. DD received a medal for finishing her book and a special award for …MOST IMPROVED STUDENT. Now, as a former educator MIS was not necessarily the most coveted award… because the student who received it usually needed A LOT of improvement. Since it was the only additional award given, I am just going to accept it as a POSITIVE recognition and leave it at that. I'm afraid to ask exactly what the award was for. Hey, at least she’s improving!
This was also the week for the Girl Power T-Ball pictures. These girls are currently undefeated, although they have no clue what this means. lol
DD and DB always love it when PawPaw comes to visit even if it’s only for a short period of time. He stayed with us last night and we took him to the airport today. We’ll get to see him for a few days when we pick him up next week.
After leaving the airport, we took the girls to the Dragonboat Festival, a traditional Chinese event in our area. I think DD and DB enjoyed the kite exhibition the most. It was quite impressive.
The strong wind, in combination with these pretty umbrellas, almost made the girls an active part of the kite flying exhibit! Poor DB almosted lifted off several times. LOL
My previous post was entitled, “What Will She Say Next?” Well, this is what she said last night, “Families are Joy! I love my family.” So sweet. For at least 2 months, DD has been on a “family kick.” On several occasions, she has said, “Thank you for coming to China to get me. I’m so glad you did. I’m so glad I have a family. I didn’t have a mommy and daddy then, but now I do.” 
Have you ever had one of those days when you just didn’t think you could handle anymore??? Well, last week I had one of those moments while shopping in Target with the girls. DD was on a roll.... She started off riding in the buggy. First she sat on her bottom, then she was on her knees, then before I knew it she was standing up, leaning over the edge of buggy reaching for items on the shelves. After telling her to be seated 100 times, I decided it might be easier to just let her walk. But she couldn’t just walk behind me…Oh no, she had to ride on the front of the buggy or hang onto the side of the buggy or just stand out in the MIDDLE of the aisle in her own little world and in everyone else’s way. Of course, we had a constant conversation going on about where she should be… Eventually, I guess she got tired of me correcting her, so she managed to get about 10 feet behind me and walk very slowly. When I firmly told her to catch up she replied, “Why do we always have to be in such a hurry? Let’s just enjoy our shopping trip. You know, Mama, slow and steady wins the race.” What????? “You know…the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race.” I wanted to respond with, “A swat across your bottom will increase the pace!” Instead I just clinched my teeth, grabbed tightly onto the buggy, and forced a smile as the people around me laughed at her response. Then, I got tickled as I looked at Doodlebug. She was sitting in the front part of the buggy, looking down with her eyes closed, mumbling a few words. Then she ended with a big…"Amen.” That’s probably what saved DD’s life. LOL
On Monday we had to stay home and didn’t get to meet with our play group because some nincompoop (me) in our household forgot to check the propane level and let our tank run empty. Since Daddy Darling had to leave for Chicago, I had to stay home for the service man to come out and do a leak test. What a bummer! DD enjoyed meeting the man and talked to him constantly (no surprise.) She even asked him if he liked her Mulan hair. He obviously had no idea who Mulan was, but he told her that he loved her hair anyway.
On Wednesday we ran a few errands and sent some cute pictures to Daddy Darling to let him know that we were REALLY missing him!
They even sent him a few digital kisses!
The girls put on their new sun dresses (and their choice of shoes) for Daddy D’s return on Thursday, so I made a few pictures.
This picture was taken just before they lost their balance and fell directly into the flower bed! Oh my…one begonia..be gone! And it’s not even OUR flower bed. Uh oh! 
The girls really had a great time, but they still haven’t learned that it only takes ONE person to open a gift. LOL
The girls obviously enjoy birthday parties with cake and ice cream…but they would do almost anything for Go-Gurt Yogurt! They LOVE it…especially when I freeze it.
Since DB doesn’t really like milk, the yogurt provides some of the calcium she needs each day. 
And besides... it makes them giggle!
The girls have also shared a few giggles through a little art work and exercise this week.
In a time when gas prices are outrageous, food is being rationed, faith in God is being challenged, and the stock market is taking a daily plunge…wouldn’t it be nice to just Giggle with some Go-Gurt and enjoy life?…Oh, to be a kid again!
(Doodlebug played patiently in the waiting room with her kittens and Barney while waiting for DD to return.)
A little ice cream from Chic-fil-a was needed to polish the new crown. I know what you are thinking: Ice cream has sugar and sugar causes cavities; therefore, DD will soon have enough crowns for an entire royal family...hopefully this one time won’t result in that.
The girls even managed to get a little play time in before the feeling began to return to DD’s mouth...not such a bad morning after all.
With 3 different moms snapping pictures, the girls don't always know where to look. They are really good sports about having their pictures made.
After trying hard to smile in the BRIGHT sun, we took the girls to a park to play. The white shirts were probably not a good idea for either setting. Oh well, next year we'll know.
My eyes fill with tears as I write this. Not only because Christ unselfishly gave his life for us, but also because Desheng Darling has had the opportunity to hear about God’s love for us and his plan for our salvation. I doubt that DD would have ever known this truth in her birth country. I am so thankful that she is beginning to understand God’s love in her own simple child-like way. And to top it off…she loves to share it! Who knows? Maybe there’s mission work in her future…
The game was about to start and Daddy D and I were trying to find DD in the outfield. Since the coach changes their positions each time, we never know where she is going to be. I finally spotted her playing hind catcher! She probably volunteered so that she could wear the cool mask and pads. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the circle that the umpire drew for her to stand in. She kept trying to get him to stand in it with her. She kept quite a conversation going with the umpire throughout the whole inning. She even took his broom from him to sweep the plate, and he had a hard time convincing her to give it back. (Oh my!) I’m surprised that he was able to monitor the game at all! On one occasion, he bent over to help the batter and Desheng Darling swatted him right across his bottom!!! What was she thinking???? It was so funny!! When it was her time to bat, she got in position, raised her bat and loudly said to the coach and umpire, “Stand back!” (Like she was going to hit the ball REALLY hard. Too funny.) It’s not a game that the umpire will soon forget. He even made a special effort to find her at the end of the game to tell her “good-bye.”
This picture was made Sunday after church. Santa Sandra bought these dresses for the girls. They came with matching dresses for their dolls. Too cute. DB’s doll also attended services.
They played on the playground equipment for a little while, then took a short walk down the nature trail where they learned a little about spring weeds and hard sidewalks. Poor DB fell and scraped both of her knees. Of course, a trip to McDonald’s for ice cream made them feel much better. 
**********************************************************************
Don’t they look cute in their new capri outfits? 
