19 Acres of Adventure!

This evening, we went to a barbecue at Randy and Colleen's house. They own 19 beautiful acres just down the road from us. Maya learned how to fish. She also rode a 4 wheeler and a horse....all in one day. She had an absolute blast.

Happy Birthday to DiDi!

Today we celebrated DiDi's birthday. For those of you who do not know, DiDi is the name that Maya uses for her Grandma. We enjoyed a great dinner at Damon's steakhouse and afterwards, had cupcakes and ice-cream cake at our house. Maya carried the cupcake with a lit candle to DiDi as she sang Happy Birthday. She enjoyed this so much that we re-lit the candle three times so that Maya could repeat the whole process over and over again.

Auntie Debbie Visits Indiana!

Auntie Debbie arrived on Suday for a three day visit before flying back to England for a vacation. Maya and Debbie have spent many hours jumping on the trampoline (I'm sure Deb really appreciates the humidity and 90 degree weather that we've been having...it makes all that jumping extra fun). Today we went into town and had coffee and bagels at our local coffee shop. Afterwards, Maya played in the fountain. We've had a great time so far.

Not Just Any Rainy Day!

Our beach plans got pushed aside today due to dreary clouds and rain. That didn't stop this bunch though. Dom and John took the kids to the Bass Pro Shop this morning whild Kim and I snuck away for a pedicure. When we returned, the kids had a great time playing in the house. As you can see, they started their own rock band, played "3 kids in a box", and enjoyed licking the bowl after making rice krispie treat surprise. Not bad for a rainy day.

Splish Splash We Were Having a Blast!

Today, we went to Deep River Water Park with our friends John, Kim, Silas, and Ezra. The kids had a great time running through the pop-up sprinklers, floating on the action river, and swimming in the wave pool. Dom, John, Kim, and I all took turns going on the "big kid" slides which was an adventure in itself. We knew the day was a success when both Ezra and Maya asked for more waterpark at bedtime. Overall, it was a great day!

Maya's China Sisters!

Today, we went to a barbecue with three other families from Chicago who all traveled with us in China when we adopted Maya. Regina and Joe hosted the get together and we all had a great time. Maya loved playing on the "roller coaster", singing songs on the swing, playing ring around the rosey, and just hanging out with her friends. She especially enjoyed playing with Kate, a 5 year old sibling of one of Maya's "China Sisters". When we got home this evening, I asked her what she wanted to do tomorrow and she said "I wanna see Kate!"