Bringing More to Life

Do you ever feel like you are not doing enough to help others? This has been on my mind lately. I feel like I should be doing something more with my life. My job isn't meaningful - it pays for us to live - but it doesn't give me great joy. I do like my job but I think I need something else - meaningful. When I was a teenager, I volunteered alot for our local hospital. I pulled over 4000 hours of volunteer time. I loved it.


The problem is that I don't have time. Between work, the kids and family life, I barely have time to take a shower.


I have been thinking about ways I can help - start some sort of help for cleft children in China, volunteer at a local hospital or something else. Not sure what or when I will have time. My absolute dream would be go to China and spend time at the Starfish Cleft Home.


In the meantime, we sponsor a little boy at Philip Hayden. His English name is Will. He has a cleft lip and palate just like our Ricky. I wish I could bring him home. Isn't he a cutie? He is just a bit older than Ricky.

I also have donated our White Swan Barbie Doll to Kreuer Family fundraiser so that they can bring their sweet daughter home who also has a cleft lip and palate.

These are just little things I'm doing to give back but there is more to be done.

Priceless

I was going through some photo's from our vacation.
This has to be one of the best pictures.
Number 1 reason why we adopted. You are looking at it.

Happy Chinese New Year - Gong Xi Fa Cai

Good Reasons to Celebrate

Ricky has been with us for 1 year.
I made a photo album of his first year home. Come take a look!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZMmzRo2asmEP

Wow almost a year a home

Today we are celebrating with our family, Ricky's arrival to our family. Some families call it Gotcha ya day, we are calling it family day.

This afternoon, the family is coming over to go a local chinese restauarant for Ricky's favorite food - steamed dumplings. We had them last week, and I think I never saw a happier child. Ricky gets very excited about food and does this amazing laugh when he gets good he likes to eat.

Our official family day isn't for a couple of days. I will save pictures and a formal update of Ricky happenings then.

Pictures from the Holiday

I missed our 11th month anniversary with Ricky. It has been a busy few weeks since his surgery. He is recovery although last night we ended up in the ER with Ricky. We thought we had a bout of bronchitis and with stitches still in his mouth this was not good. Well it was a bad cold but as a precaution they put us back on antibiotics and some heavy duty cough syrup.

He is doing MUCH better today. He enjoyed his day as did Emily.

Santa is in Chongqing China!

Santa is in Chongqing China!-Ricky's Province