Gymnast in the Making!

 We discover new things about Kell all the time.  We want to give him the opportunity to try lots of activities and discover what he enjoys and is good at doing.  Though small, he is very muscular and strong so we were thinking gymnastics.  Then he did this...

...without even stretching (ouch!).  And this...

 Definitely gymnastics first, it was decided and he had his first "practice" last week.  We call it practice because he wanted a "practice" of his own after going to countless basketball and baseball practices with his brothers.

He was so excited and did great! And, may I add, so cute, too!  He is so proud to be going and wants to go each day...but it's only once a week.  Here he is with Emma Lael whose class meets at the gym at the same time.  He was very excited to see EL and her mommy, Andrea there!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012..Kell's first Valentine's Day at home.  Last year in this picture was a picture of him ...so glad to have the real Kell in the picture this year!  Kell is holding the valentine that Burke made for him last year.  We sent a picture of the valentine to him in China and he recognized it when I pulled it out.  "Oh! That's mine!"...and found the picture of it in that worn out album that he brought to America with him.

Kell is working hard in school and doing great!  His home teacher, Mrs. Phillips (love her!), wrote out this message for Kell and he wrote it on this heart card...you can see how much he's been practicing his writing!  You'll have to turn your head sideways to read...sorry I can't turn it around!

We had a great family evening together.  We played Zingo (it's Emma Lael's favorite game and she gave one to Kell)...it has become a favorite and he's gotten really good at it, dinner, a few gifts, and lots of LOVE! 

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.  This is real love.  It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.  No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us."

1 John 4:9-12

Surgery Success

Kell had a minor surgery yesterday...the first of 2 or 3 to complete the repair of his cleft lip/palate.  He did awesome!  He's a little trooper and always quite the character!  Here's basically how it went:

Put on the latest in surgical suite fashion:

Shake your booty just to keep things light during the long wait

Con the anesthesiologist out of his headgear and mask because his is way more cool

Flirt with a few nurses (that gets you the best post surgical slushies):

Wake up in record time feeling great and drive Mommy outta here:

Oh yeah!  Not supposed to drive after surgery!

Happy patient goes home after making a few new friends...we'll be back!
Thanks for all the prayers lifted for Kell!

Year of the Dragon! Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!  Our first as a Chinese-American family.  We celebrated at dinner with about 40 other people...families who've adopted Chinese children.  We had a great time together and enjoyed some awesome food.  Kell, of course, was enjoying every bit of "real" Chinese food...Mommy just can't catch on!
I met Kell last January at his orphanage while the children were preparing for CNY celebration.  As he's learned more English, we've been able to talk about the day we met but never had we spoken of their dancing for CNY.  When I told him we were going to celebrate CNY with our friends he said, "Mommy, member Kell and Mei Mei dance (as he shows me some moves)?  Member (remember), Mommy looking?"  Yes!  I do remember seeing them dance and the cutest boy ever kept looking at me with that charming smile!  (Mei Mei is his foster sister).  Mutual love at first sight!

Anyway, we had a great evening but Kell was a little disappointed there was no dancing. Maybe we'll work on that for next year!

Happy Birthday to Kell!

January 10 was Kell's birthday. He had been talking about it for about a month.  As soon as he heard Jesus was having a birthday, he was talking about his own!  In China, he was the birthday boy along with 120  other honorees!  I made that number up but we got pictures from his 2011 birthday, celebrated in March. The orphange celebrates birthday 3-4 times a year so all the children with birthdays in those months have a party together...talk about being lost in a crowd!

Well not in America!  You get to be the star for the day!  Kell was so excited about his birthday and his "pawty"!  All he wanted was for his friends to come celebrate and wear "pawty hats"...and sing "Happy Birthday" over and over and over....

Remember now, he is not a material guy...singing friends wearing hats would really have made his day but we started early making a BIG deal over him!  We went shopping many days planning for the "pawty", letting him pick out hats and horns, and talking about what to play at the "pawty".  He was so excited to pick out a cake that was bright green and had Shrek and Donkey on it.  Out of all things, Shrek and Donkey?  Shrek  is the only movie he has watched in its entirety and just loves the duo!  Shrek and Donkey it is!

The plan was simple: all his sweet little friends, mostly neighbors, would come play....trampoline, sidewalk chalk, riding bikes and scooters...then it rained!  Yikes!  So an hour before I picked him up from school, I gathered every bit of brightly covered Dollar Tree plastic and streamer in the house and created a last minute garage "pawty room" (hence, the classy backdrop for the pictures!).

Oh, but when he saw it, he gasped...like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen!  "Oh, Mommy, thank you, thank you so much!".  And that was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen, too!  This child of God finally getting all the things he so deserves, like they all deserve...little things like the plastic garage birthday with a green Shrek cake and so much love!  He was feeling the birthday love from all the special friends he loves so much wearing "pawty hats"  and singing just for him...the only birthday boy at the party this year!

Check out that happy face as everyone was singing just for him!

Side note cuteness:   I decided to let him enjoy his day without all the usual etiquette that comes with a party...because he probably wouldn't get all that this year.  While I was setting up last minute plasticness before the guests arrived he came in covered in green icing!  He dug a little tunnel in the back of the cake and thoroughly enjoyed it!  (note to guests: none of that part of the cake was served to you!  Ha!).  While I was cleaning up green icing, he was in a corner quietly sneaking into his presents!  What are you going to do?  Just enjoy your day, special one!

And there he (my Chinese cowboy) is thoroughly enjoying some of his gifts...and still talking about his "pawty"!!!...and wearing his Georgia Boots, of course!

Happy New Year! Kell is a School Boy

We spent New Years Eve at a big party in the home of close friends with lots of other families.  It amazes me that after being home for such a short time, Kell loves the party scene.  Lots of people around and kids to run around with.  He very often checks in with his mommy but then right back to it.  He's just simply a people person!  Anyway, he stayed up to ring in 2012 and loved, loved the fireworks!  I understand that fireworks are used often in China so I'm sure that somehow all the "boom boom booming" was a little comforting to him.   His eyes lit up...the way they do when he gets some "real" Chinese food (which cannot be made at home as hard as I try!).

On New Years Day we went to watch the Atlanta Falcons play football at the Georgia Dome.  When we told him the plan he started moving his hands like he was playing a video game!  He's been watching his brothers play the new football video game they got for Christmas,,,boy was he in for a surprise!

Kell started school and is in first grade.  He was so excited and ready to start school!  He brought me his lunchbox 2 days before school started and wanted to pack his lunch. I was able to hold him off until the next day but we had to pack lunch first thing the next morning.  He was showered and ready for bed all on his own by 4:30 the day before school started.  He woke up beaming and ready to go!  Power breakfast: bacon and noodles!

The first day had a few rough spots but he made it through.  Once he saw that Mommy always comes back, he's been excited to go every day.  Kell loves his teachers.  They are patient and kind and show him so much grace...and some days that's really needed!  He has so much fun at school that when he gets in the car in the afternoons he is talking so fast trying to tell me about it that his mouth can't keep up with his brain! I'm just so happy he's happy!

Kell Has a Big Family! Mississippi Visit...

We drove to Mississppi on Christmas day to begin introducing Kell to his extended family.  I didn't know how he would respond to all these new people at once...this huggy, kissy, lovey, loud southern family of his!  He loved every minute!
It was a whirlwind trip..one day with my family, one day with Doug's.  I guess Kell thought Christmas day went on and on and on...as did the eating!  He has talked to all his grandparents on the phone many times and was so excited to meet them!  His very own grandparents!

  And lots of boy cousins!

Gee even has a tractor with a trailer so Raz can have a ride (Raz is such a good sport!)

The next day it was off to meet more family..Kell loves to be loved and loves all the way down to his toes!  So excited!

Doug's parents have a big beautful snow village display and Kell was amazed by it.  He wanted to see and touch every little piece.  He was wowed!  Playing holiday Chickenfoot is a tradition and he gave it a go and did pretty good being on Mommy's team.  Just wait til next year!  More cousins, more love!

He's so proud to be a southern boy...in his Georgia Boots!  So cute with his expressions saying, "Kell has a biiiig, biiiig fanimy.  In the car a looong, looong time!  That's Kell's fanimy!"