Fall Happenings

We've had a lot of things going on this fall!  Here are a few pics of what's been going on with us.

Jim got a new job!  He is now Chief Financial Officer for Howell Construction in Denver!  We are very proud of him.

Caylie went on her first field trip with her kindergarten class.  They rode a train and saw a lot of pumpkins!

             Daddy officiated a lot of football.

Nana's been hanging out with baby Tessa while mama Brittany decorates cakes.

Our church had a service day where we helped people in the neighborhood with their yardwork.  Taylor and Brad are cleaning gutters.

Justin blowing leaves.

Keelan and me getting ready to do a lot of raking!

Jim stuffing leaves into bags.

The boys, after we were finished.  Phew!  ;)

Last week it got really cold . . . 

. . . and snowy.

(Brrrrr!)

Caylie got some sort of bite-looking, fast-spreading, hard-feeling red rash on her legs, and they were so swollen and painful that it was hard for her to walk.  So, we spent most of a night in the ER, after the nurse at urgent care could not find her veins. (Sigh.) After blood tests, urine test, 5 doctor examinations, (and I'm sure a really big bill) we left with no answers.  We still don't know what it was for sure, but it might have been a weird symptom of strep.  She is better now.  (Keelan had strep, too!  Ugh!)

Here she is at the hospital showing off her arm, after being seriously poked and prodded no less than FOUR times by four teams of nurses who could not find her veins.  She looks a little happier than she actually was.  It was also after 3:00am . . . 

Keelan and Sammie have spent some quality time together.  

             Tessa snuggling with Papa at church.

And sometimes she hangs out with her silly uncles.

And her auntie. 

Caylie got a hand-me-down stroller from a friend.  (Thanks, Stazia!)  She loves giving her dolly rides.

And she always has time for a little Guitar Hero.

I don't think Caylie was ever given any sort of writing utensil before she came to us, so she was very much behind in drawing and writing.  But now she's learning!  This is mama.  ;)

I found the swing that all of my babies used, and now Tessa has fun in it!  I thought I had sold it in a garage sale after Justin outgrew it, but it was up in the garage storage the whole time!

We've had a fun fall!  Can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving.

Halloween Fun!

 I wasn't sure how much Caylie remembered Halloween from last year, but it turned out she remembered it very well, especially how to yell, "Trick or Treat!"  And she was very excited to get candy!

She got this little pumpkin on her school field trip.

 And she was very excited to see it get a face.

Yummy pumpkin seeds by Keelan!

Clown outfit that two of her brothers wore.  'Cause that's how we roll on Halloween, haha.

Little punkin Tessa and Caylie, getting ready for trick-or-treating.  Caylie was an old pro, and thanked all the candy-givers with a "xie xie!"  And Brad Tessa has a nice bucket of candy, too!

AAC Fall Festival

Last Saturday Caylie and I went to our adoption agency's Fall Festival.  We had fun talking with old friends and meeting several new ones!  Caylie loved the games and prizes most of all.

Parachute games.

Racing while walking like a duck.

Caylie with Erin, who helped us bring her home!

Caylie with Jane, our awesome social worker, and Lisa, who did our adoption training.

Lots of adoptive families and yummy food!

Caylie with new friends Emma, Willow, and Sophie.  These three little girls are all from the same orphanage in Nanchang, Jiangxi, and were each adopted over the summer.  So cool that they live close to each other in Colorado!  Nanchang is where we were when Caylie came to us.  It is the capital city of Jiangxi province, and about two hours from the city of Fuzhou, where Caylie is from.  There are other little girls from Caylie's orphanage who live in Colorado, as well (one goes to Caylie's school!), but they were not at this event.

My pretty China girl!!

We love AAC!!

7 Weeks Old

Sweet baby Tessa is 7 weeks old!