Happy 2nd Birthday Our Sweet Baby Girl!!!

Our sweet Savannah turned two today!! It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating her first one and now number two has came and gone. We had a small party featuring who else but Kai-Lan on her cake. She also had a little lady bug cake that was hers to eat all by herself, and boy did she. We had a wonderful time celebrating, she received lots of great gifts from friends and family. Savannah also received cards in the mail from her Uncle Bruce and from her very special friend Sophie who was Savannah's crib mate in the orphanage, the card had a beautiful picture of Sophie in it and Sophie's tiny little hand was drawn onto the card, it was so sweet. As I always do I thought a lot about Savannah's birth mom on this day wondering if she is thinking about Savannah. It was through her decision to give her up for a better life that we were blessed by being chosen to be her parents. My prayers go out to her tonight, we are truly thankful. Her sacrifice became our blessing.

"Happy Birthday" Baby Girl we love you so much!!

Savannah's Ni Hao Kai-Lan cake

Her own little lady bug cake

Sweet Baby Girl

Blowing her Candles

Of course she wanted to blow them out again and again.....

One of the beautiful musical birthday candles we bought in China for her

She loved that cake

Feeding her baby that Uncle Kevin gave her

Opening gifts

Her beautiful plate Papa Sonny and Mama Carolyn gave her

Her new baby Daddy and Momma gave her

Sporting her new pajamas after the party

The Big Game

Jordan's football team, the Wahama White Falcons finished the season 8 - 2. With only 2 losses they made the West Virginia State playoffs. We traveled to Nicholas County High school in Summersville to play the Fayetteville Pirates. All of the fans were pumped up for the game with most everyone dressed in red and white. Savannah and Haleigh, Jordan's #1 fans enjoyed the game and was ready and dressed for the occasion. It was a great game, and the game wasn't decided until the final minutes. Unfortunately, Fayetteville won 23-20. We were proud of the boys for playing the way they did, and Jordan did a great job finishing the night with 2 sacks and several tackles. It was the last game for 7 young men as the will be graduating in May, Jordan being one of them. Well, football is over and now we start the wrestling season. This is Tannors first year of wrestling, we'll let you know how it turns out.

Jordan #79 and the guys are ready to play

Patiently waiting on the sidelines.You take the guy on the leftLets go Wahama!Lets go Jordan!

The bandannas we wore for the game got some more use as Savannah tried one on a few days after the game. She is starting to let me take her picture without a fuss and she actually smiles now.

Savannah with the bandanna we wore at the game. She loves Pizza

Another Birthday Bash!!

Yesterday we celebrated Haleigh's birthday, she turned the BIG 13!! She is an official Teen. WOW three teens in the house now, will someone please wake me up!! It is hard to believe my baby girl has grown to be a young lady now in junior high school, she has changed so much over the year. She is doing very good in school and made a lot of new friends. She is a very caring, loving person, and we are so proud of who she is and who she is becoming. We had a small party with family and friends, everyone had a good time celebrating her special day. Next big thing for her will be contacts, she is constantly reminding us of that. I can't believe how blessed we are!!

"Happy Birthday Pumpkin" We love you very much!!

Taken just hours after she was born, daddy had to go out and buy a bow

Haleigh Age 4

Our cowgirl at Age 8

Our beautiful princess

Haleigh with her baby goat Hannah

What a head of hair!!

Haleigh this past July in Tennessee

Her beautiful necklace she received from her Pa Pa Sonny and Carolyn

Of course she had to have a horse cake, she's still a cowgirl at heart

Lots of changes!

It's been a while since our last post, so I thought I'd post some new pics. It's been an amazing last few weeks, it seems like Savannah has just blossomed into this little independent person who's speech has just amazed us! She is saying things more clearly now and is getting good at demanding what she wants. She has started to want to feed herself more, she can put her jeans on all by herself, they may be on backwards but she can get them on. She can put her shoes on by herself, they may be on the wrong feet but she can do it! She likes to bathe herself now, not happy when Momma wants to clean her. She buckles herself into the stroller, shopping carts and high chair. She likes to fold clothes with Momma, and does a pretty good job with the washcloths. She has just started to sit still and want us to read her books to her, her favorite book is wacky sheep, given to her by a cousin and she points to everything on the pages that you ask of her. She can make the sounds that animals make like sheep, chicken, doggy , kitty, piggy, horsey and of course we have a field of cows across from our house so she can definitely make the cow sound. She is getting really good at saying grace with us when we eat, and saying Amen really loud at the end. When it's time for her brothers and big sis to go to bed she goes in their rooms and gives each one a kiss and a hug and tells them night-night and then leaves the room waving goodbye, it's so cute. It just seems like within the last few weeks she has grown so much and becoming our little big girl!

Enjoying time outside

This is as good as place as any for a nap!

Hanging with cousin Maverick

Moments after Jordan handed down his rocking chair to Savannah, it was given to him when he was two years old

Of course Savannah had to share this moment with best friend in the world "Panda"

"The Girls Club" Alyssa(niece), Savannah, Mikayla(niece), and Haleigh

Our beautiful Little Big Girl!

Forever Family Day Celebration

We celebrated having our beautiful daughter in our lives a year now by taking her to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio. Those helping Savannah celebrate were Brian, myself and the kids, my mom and dad, my sister, niece and nephew. Savannah had a wonderful time looking at all the animals. I remember when we were in China we toured the Chongqing Zoo, so I thought this would be a wonderful way to celebrate each year on Forever Family Day. While we were there we gave Savannah one of the many presents we had purchased from China to give to her on each Forever Family Day. This one was a little Chinese hand drum we had bought from the Zoo in Chongqing. Savannah loved it! Within the last few years the Zoo in Columbus opened an exhibit called Asian Quest, it had Asian elephants, Amur tiger, Malayan sun bear, etc. And of course knowing we would be touring this exhibit Savannah was dressed in one of her silk dresses we brought home from China. We also had the chance to meet Jack Hanna!! Jack is the directer of the Zoo. We had met him once before when Jordan and Tannor was just little and he posed with them and gave them autographed photos of which I still have today. He and his camera crew were actually filming some segments about the Zoo but he took time out to talk with us and pose for some pics. and of course you can see by the pictures Savannah was completely out and missed her moment to meet Jack. On the way home we stopped to eat Chinese. We had a wonderful time seeing the sites and remembering back on the day Savannah was handed to us and our hearts just melted. We were instantly in love and always will be.

Savannah, Jordan, Tannor, Haleigh, (niece) Alyssa, and (nephew) Hunter
Ready for a day at the Zoo

Savannah sleeping right through her visit with Jack Hanna

Haleigh and Jack

Grandpa George and Savannah helping Momma feed the Lorikeets

Nap time!

Whatcha lookin at?

Savannah playing with her drum

Savannah looks like she's getting licked by the Amur Tiger

Momma and Baby Asian elephant baby Beco born on March 27, 2009

My niece Alyssa and Savannah sitting on rickshaw

My sister April giving Savannah some love

a puma snoozing the day away

a bear joining the Puma for some zzzz's

Savannah loved grooming the goats

Can I take this one home Momma?