Last Saturday was Madison's Dance Recital. This is her third year to dance and her second year of clogging. All of the girls in her class did a great job, well, all of the kids in the recital did. The studio she takes at is a wonderful place and Madison has just loved it.
Zoey can't wait until she can get up there and boogie too. I think she'll be doing backflips and handsprings though. During the video Madison is the third from the right, if you can tell.I obviously didn't get up very close to video their performance and you can hear my redneck self screaming for her, but I'm the mom I'm supposed to!
I can't believe she is about to be in the fourth grade! Where have the last nine years gone? 
We were under tornado warnings twice last week, with thunderstorms and hail both days as well. This small hail sounded like bullets hitting the windows of the house.
After a day of rain and storms on Friday night into Saturday, we woke up Sunday morning March 1st to this.
This was Zoey's first time in the snow (aside from her time in China and we didn't let her play in it then). 
She didn't know what to think at first, but then loved it! 
She ate some and then tried to share some with us. 
When I made her go in to get warm you would have thought I stole her ice cream cone, she was devastated. 
I did let her go back out for a little while, but she was a popcicle. This is our snowman, sadly he can't eat, speak, hear, see, feel, or smell because our plan was to finish him after lunch, but he fell over and died before we got back outside.
Of course the snow was completely gone by 3:00 in the afternoon, but it was really fun while it lasted!
I hadn't been in years and Suzanna had never been before. 
We had a really good time and the girls got to meet some of the circus stars before the show started which they loved (sorry the pictures are so small). 
The show hasn't changed that much, but some things are different. There was no trapeeze, instead there were alot of acrobats on different swinging objects and the clowns were scary. They did alot of magic tricks. The next morning we went to a Chinese festival at Boutwell Auditorium to celebrate Chinese New Year. 
We got to watch the Dragon Dance and follow in a parade of children. 
We also got to watch some Chinese dance, eat Chinese food, and look at different items from China. There was also someone there from Ed's Pet World with these snakes. We were going to take my picture with one when he put them both around my neck. 
Next thing I know that are getting tangled in my hair! 
The girls, especially Madison, was so grossed out. Anyway it was a really fun and interesting day!
We were so jet lagged I don't think it actually sank in that she would be in our arms so soon until we were in the room trying to figure out which baby was ours. 
They were all so bundled up we couldn't tell until they called her name. 
She was so expressionless, so lost looking. 
It makes me so sad to think about it, but so happy because it took her no time to attach to all of us and she is absolutely the most perfect fit in our family. 
The time has flown by, meaning I can't believe all the things she is doing now, just like any other toddler she is quickly getting into the two's! She is constantly CLIMBING something or telling us "NO NO NO NO". She is definitely going to be a gymnist or something! 
It seems like she has always been with us, it's really hard to imagine our lives without her. When I see her referral picture or the pictures that the orphanage gave us it seems so surreal. I can't imagine my little rambunctious girl in the orphanage. 
Once she got her taste of freedom she never looked back and I mean that in every way. We have been and continue to be so blessed by having our daughters in our lives. We are completely amazed by Zoey's incredible energy, personality, and the sunshine she brings to our house. She is so smart we are constantly in awe of her. I kept trying to get video of her singing her ABC's, pointing to her body parts, and talking to her baby. All of these things are precious and I wanted to share them, but as soon as I get out the camera she is trying to take it from me to see herself on it, so that didn't exactly work. Our social worker came on Wednesday afternoon the 21st and was cracking up at Zoey the whole time she was here. She was amazed at how Zoey says words but in between words you can kind of understand she has this whole other language that she says. And while she is saying it she looks at you like you should know what she is talking about. It's so funny. God is so awesome. Just to see Zoey and how far she has come in the last year and how incredibly much our lives have changed, it's just amazing. We have been truly blessed by God to have Zoey and Madison. 2008 was a wonderful year for our family. We've had a 
first Easter, 
first birthday, 
first Halloween, 
and first Christmas 
and we look forward to this year in 2009 for what is in store for us all. 
Zoey will be 2, Madison will be 9, and Vince and I hit the big 35! Next month my grandparents will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary, how incredible is that? I only pray that God will grant Vince and me such a long and wonderful marriage, and that one day Zoey and Madison's children will be celebrating with us! May God bless all of our friends, family, and all the children in the world waiting for their forever family. May God grant them peace and hope for the future. Happy 1 year anniversary to all of our travel group families and their daughters from China and here's hoping to see you all soon at a reunion!
