Lily Claire Peng

Exciting, exciting news!
With great joy, I introduce you to our precious daughter waiting for us in Hunan Province!
Eeek!
We saw her photo and file for the first time on March 28, 2011.
We filed our LOI on the 29th and received Pre-Approval to adopt her on March 30th!
Lily is 12 months old. Her birthday is March 20, 2010. She weighs 9 kilos. Her special need is cleft lip (repaired) and palate. She also has an inguinal hernia on her right side.
We love her already!
Can't wait to hold her!
Praying her home.
Isn't she beautiful?

We named her Lily Claire because her Chinese name means "enduring, graceful" and "beautiful and pure."
Lilies are flowers that represent purity and beauty. Also, there is the scripture (Matt 6:28-29) that reads,

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

They are a reminder of the Lord's provision and care over our lives. He is also the one who is caring for her right now, and He always will care for her.

Fittingly, there are lilies in all of their magnificence blooming right now in the glory of spring. A friend says that they are blooming just as our family is blooming and growing :-).

Claire means "bright, clear, pure."

I have got baby girl on the brain!

Praise the Lord :-).

The Older the Ginger. . .

the spicier it is.
Or so they say.

We went to a reunion of sorts on Saturday night. When Dave was in college, he lived with 5 other guys. We got together with 4 of them (and their families). The last one, Jason, has moved to Seattle so was unable to come. Dave was very close with these guys, and most of them were in our campus fellowship with us. It was really cool to see all of them again - and their wives (I know all of the wives, too, they are from InterVarsity as well) and their kids! It has been 16 years since I have seen them - and it has been 19 years since Dave first met them and lived with them. Wow. . . I must say, I am feeling OLD.

A family photo taken courtesy of Carl (the gathering was at his parents' house in San Mateo).


Though it has been 16 years, still lots to talk and share about!


Dave is lovin' on Carl's youngest (he has 3 boys, too!) named Cairo. Sweet boy.


Yummy food.


Our boys fitting right in and feeling at home already with the other kids. Did you know that among the 9 kids present. . . only 1 is a girl?!? There is another one on the way for Dave's friend Ryan. . . and it is a boy!


Chillin' with the other mamas. . . None of us were married or had kids the last time I saw them. Look at us now: kids crawling all over us and chatting about bathtimes and Sunday school.

So thankful for the friendships we had and the fellowship at Berkeley. Very neat to see everyone again!

Loooooove this!

Check it out!

An Epic Anniversary

On March 10, 2001 - my precious first son, Matthew Zachary was born! A dear friend texted me on the special day and said that I should enjoy the day as well - since it meant 10 years of parenting - an EPIC anniversary!

Yes, it is true! I was so happy to be able to have found some old photos from when Mattie was a baby. You must understand that this was the digital age was just starting - we didn't even have a digital camera! These were pictures from my mom - and stills that we took with our digital video camera (which was a baby shower present from Mom before Matthew made his appearance).


Oh sweet little baby. And those kids around him? Me and Dave - plunged into parenthood for the first time. I have to say we didn't know what in the world we were doing :-O.
I had no idea then that I would love being a mother so very very much.
You cannot tell from the photo, but this was taken in the middle bedroom of Apartment 1 of the Ohio apartment.

Here he is in the hospital bassinet - the first day of his life.
He was born at UCLA hospital.


First week of life, and you can see he already has opinions!

2 months old. No longer a skinny wrinklesquirm newborn - becoming juicy and already so attached to Mama. And I was also so attached to my koala baby.


Cutie pie.


You can see that Matthew has always always had a special bond with computers - and our beloved Uncle Steve :-). Matthew is about 18 months old here in our old San Diego condo.


About 19 months old, and we went to visit John and Eunice who then lived in North Carolina. Little Matthew is helping John compose a photo.


Our little family back then.


Two years old and helping Nai Nai walk Toddie. Toddie has now gone to his earthly reward :-(.


A Halloween photo when he was 3 and a half. Matthew has always loved helping in the kitchen - even from when he would just ride on my hip when I would cook.


And this was just taken a couple of weeks ago in the snow. What a grown up boy!

Happy, happy birthday dear Matthew! We love you so very much!
You have changed so much over the last 10 years, and your dad and I have changed more because of you.
May the LORD bless you, and we pray that He will fill your heart.

The Most Random Fortune Cookie Fortune EVAH!

Agree?

Oh - just so you know - this was Nathan's fortune.

Anyone else ever receive a completely strange fortune? I want to hear about it :-).

More About Our Snow Trip

I am still fighting this flu! It has really sidelined me :-(. I finally broke down yesterday and consented to Dave calling in an antibiotic for me. For those of you who know me, you know what a BIG deal this is. I do NOT as a general rule take antibiotics. But I have been sick now for 2 weeks and Dave says that I may have a secondary infection. I pray that I will be feeling better and better soon!

With no further ado - some more fun pics from our Tahoe trip:

SNOW CREAM! Something so delicious and fun that the Kus introduced us to. Basically you go out and get a big bowl full of fresh powdery snow. Then you bring it in and mix it with flavored coffee creamer!


And it makes the most deliciously light and sweet and creamy yumminess! You can see how much Matthew loves it! Oh, I bet it would be good with condensed milk, too. Kind of like Taiwanese style shaved ice. Yum!


Here is Nene licking and eating some icicles that formed on the edge of the roof of our cabin. Yikes! Those look like they could be weapons :-(.


And a family pic!

FLU

We all (except for Dave thus far) have had the flu. It is a doozy of a flu. I seriously feel like I have lost one week of my life - it has been just a fog of headache, fever, medicating myself and 3 little ones, and allowing them lots and lots of screen time as we have all been too tired to do pretty much anything.


I came down with it first. When I was the only one sick, Matthew made me this beautiful Lego flower to cheer my spirits. Nice, huh? Whenever I would make my bed somewhere, he would bring me a glass of water and some crackers, too. Sweet boy.




Yes, that is all of my men on our bed. You know your kids are sick when they pass out in the middle of the day.


Well, except for Matthew - who is sick and still playing DS!


Poor little guy. Little sickie.


Aarbear hasn't ridden in the sling in probably a year. Excuse my pajamas, and the pile of laundry on the floor - I was sick, too.


Thankfully, I think we are finally on the mend now!