Grandparents Visit

Here are some pictures I took between Caylie Day and Keelan's graduation, when all the grandparents were in town.  They hadn't all been here at the same time since Brittany & Brad's wedding and Taylor's graduation (the same weekend!) in 2011.

Tessa enjoyed showing Grandma Beck her room and all her toys.  That dollhouse is the one Brittany got for Christmas when she was six.  And Grandma gave Brittany that little piano when she was around two!

Grandpa and Tessa had some fun, too!

Hanging out at our house.

Tessa and Caylie made bunk beds on our new bench.

Caylie showed off her Tickle Toes skills.

Tessa and Grandma Altman at dinner on Caylie Day.

Making cookies with Grandma Altman.

Justin and his grandmas.

We had a fun time!

Caylie Day - Four Years!

Caylie has been with us for four years! 

 She came to us as a tiny four-year-old, although her size made her look much younger.  Here she is with the orphanage director, Mr. Zhou (on the phone) and his helper, bringing little Fu Jiu Chang to the Galactic Peace Hotel in Nanchang, Jiangxi, May 19, 2013.

And here she is four years later, wearing her "gotcha day" clothes.  Even though, at eight years old, she is the size of a four-year-old, you can see that she has grown!

Her little feet in tiny Angry Birds shoes that day in China.

And now she cannot get her feet into them!

Our little girl eating one of her favorite Chinese snacks shortly after she came to us.

 And here she is, celebrating Caylie Day at her favorite Chinese restaurant here in Aurora. 

 Last time I bought her those little snacks in the previous picture, she didn't really like them anymore. 

 (Yes, we have an amazing Chinese grocery store near us!)

Our official adoption photo, taking May 20, 2013.  She still wasn't too sure about us at this point.

 And here we are now!  So glad we didn't let fear and "common sense" get in the way of saying YES to adoption.  

We could have missed this!  

Happy Caylie Day, cutie girl!  We love you!

April Stuff

Coloring Easter eggs.  (Then we forgot to eat them.  Ha!)

Keelan and Caylie on Easter morning.

Pretty girl Caylie!

And pretty girl Tessa!

Taylor, Justin, Jim and Keelan at Easter breakfast at IHop.

And later in the day, Tessa enjoying her hamburger.  Yes, it was a warm, sunny day, and we grilled out for Easter dinner!

It was sunny on Easter, but soon the snow came back.  Springtime in the Rockies!

My and my Caylie.  :)

 Samuel and Daddy building with Legos.

Me and my Keelan.  :)

Spring Break

Our friends the Johnsons came to visit during spring break!  I don't think I took a single picture, though.  These are all from Sandy or Brittany, haha.  And the week wasn't very "springy".  It was rainy and cold almost every day, except for the day we went to the zoo.  But we were very happy that our friends were here!

Jim and me with Sandy and Mark.

Our trip to the zoo on the lone sunny day.  

Another day Justin and Keelan went with the Johnsons on a train adventure around the city.

Sandy, Mark, Justin, Keelan, Graham at Nine Mile Station.

And here's a couple of pictures that never get taken.  (Thanks Sandy.)  This is our worship team at Meadowood Church.  Me on keyboard and Keelan on guitar.

Brittany had a going-out-of-business sale for her LuLaRoe business.  On Saturday Sandy, Mark, Brad and I all helped Brittany sort through hundreds of clothing items that were to be shipped out.  This is just a fraction.  

March Stuff

We had Samuel and Caylie's parent-teacher conferences at Global Village Academy.  I'm happy to say that they were the best conferences we've had in awhile!  Great reports for both kids!

Here's Samuel with his Chinese teachers, Miss Yu and her assistant whose name I forget, haha. 

 I didn't think to get a picture with all the others.

Caylie with her Chinese teacher, Li Laoshi.

And her English teacher, Miss Kruger.

We got a new doggie!  This is Benji.  He came to us from the Denver Dumb Friends League, like most of our other dogs in the past.   This first picture was on our ride home from the shelter.  He is a "terrier mix", but the vet we went to thought he might be at least part Irish wolfhound. 

 He's doing great!

And we finally have a back yard!  This was the day the sod was laid.  It's much greener now.