House Guest

I know, I'm a bad blogger lately. But for the last week or so, I have a good reason for not blogging -- we've had a house guest! Our friend David has been staying with us for two weeks while his Mommy is traveling in China for work. We had a break over the weekend but we have really enjoyed having a 3 year old in our home. David sure livens things up around here! Here are some photos to show you what we've been up to.

David loves to look out the front window. He likes to watch for the birds, squirrels and chipmunks as well as neighbors walking their dogs. He had a lot of extra time to watch out the front window last week ... I was home with him for two days due to a fever and a bad cold.


Here we are crashed out on the couch. We felt so bad for David with his tough cough and runny nose! Now Mark and I both have a touch of those same symptoms. Fun!


David very creatively built this 'house' out of pillows, baskets and toys between the coffee table and couch. It was so cute because he gave a running commentary as he 'built' each piece of the house.

Mark and David really enjoy playing and wrestling on the floor. Here, David is giving Mark an airplane ride! Ok, not really, but the photo looks convincing doesn't it!?

Bird watching ... a favorite past time around here. Notice that the binoculars are upside down!

We even got David to help with some of the yard work. Unfortunately, Mark pooped out before David did! If only David were big enough to empty the leaf catcher himself ... just kidding!

Tonight, we went for a walk to feed the ducks. The ducks are very aggressive right now! Notice that the ducks were taking food directly from Mark's hand. That's why David is being held by Mark ... the overly assertive ducks kind of scared him! (And me, too!)

We were looking for an activity to do to keep David busy so we decided to bake some brownies from scratch. He LOVES to help Mark cook. He stands on a chair next to Mark and is a pretty good helper!

David did pretty well with dumping things into the mixer ... he only missed a few times! And we caught him just in time before he tried to add the egg shells. Whew!

Obviously, he liked the batter!

So that's what we've been up to! David is with us through the end of the week. We've been having a blast taking care of him. We have never been more aware of train tracks, car washes, police, fire trucks and ambulances or just how many buttons there are that he likes to push (on the car, the garage door, elevators, etc.) It's been so fun to see the world through his eyes! We are so flattered that David's Mom asked us to care for him and are truly enjoying our time with him. Stay tuned for updates later this week as we anticipate going to Boo at the Zoo and a trip to see Diego!

Family Photos

I know, I know ... I've been lazy about blogging lately. Mark and I have both been busy over the last few weeks with our respective jobs. And there's been no news with our adoption. Well, there is a bit of news but don't get too excited -- we have not moved up on the list. I'll post later about what we did learn last week.

Anyway, until then, here are a few photos from when I traveled to PA for Grampy's funeral last month. When my parents picked me up at the airport, we went to meet my sister and her family at a near-by restaurant so we'd all have more time to visit. My Grandma taught Brandon and Andrew how to play the card game 'Golf.' You use Skip-bo cards. Brandon could hardly wait to teach me how to play! That's my brother-in-law, Thinh, in the background.


This is my sister, Heidi. I know, we don't look much alike do we? I think we may have the same nose and we definitely have the same coarse, naturally curly hair but beyond that? I favor my Mom and she looks like my Dad.

This is Brandon, my oldest nephew. He is 8 and in the third grade. Brandon is a good soccer player and a fast runner. In school, he enjoys science. He is a good big brother.

And this is Andrew. He will turn 6 in November. Andrew also enjoys soccer and is good at riding his bicycle. He is very kind, patient and compassionate to others. Andrew is an animal lover.

And last but not least is Mason. Mason is a very busy three year old. He is so busy that it's hard to catch him on camera. I was fortunate enough to find him pausing for just a brief moment in my Mom and Dad's refrigerator. Mason is fun-loving and charms everyone he meets. He likes to do whatever his older brothers are doing. And he is passionate about bowling.

Mark and I are planning a trip to PA for Thanksgiving and are looking forward to seeing all of our family. But we especially enjoy spending time with these three great boys. They change so much in between our visits! We're counting the days until we can visit together with them.