Videos of Kaleigh in gymnastics and Kenzie's 3rd birthday

The following videos are of Kenzie's third birthday. She had a great day! The weather cooperated with us, so we took the girls to the zoo and of course had cake and ice cream. I don't know what it is with little people and birthdays but to them it is the best day next to Christmas. Kaleigh also celebrated her sixth birthday recently but we are going to share some of her gymnastics clips. These videos were taken in January about three weeks before her sixth birthday. It is amazing to see the progress she has made since we posted the last videos about six months earlier.

We are currently enjoying our Spring Break Vacation and loving every minute of it. Tomorrow is our last day off prior to getting back into the swing of things. We hope everyone is doing well. Also, scroll down to see a few still pictures. Love, Jill.

March 2009

Sorry it has been soooo long since I last updated this blog. It is strange that I just don't have the time to do this much any more. My girls are growing up so fast and boy does time fly when you are having fun. The pictures of the girls with my dad are on Saint Patrick's Day (Dad's birthday). Some are of the girls at Kenzie's birthday and there is even one with the girls over Memorial Day Balloon Fest. Hope you enjoy. JILL

Quick Flicks of Summer

Lori, here are some current stills and videos of the girls. I am sorry we were not able to get together with you guys. I hope that all of you are well. Enjoy the rest of your summer and hopefully we can see you soon. Love, JILL

Kaleigh graduated from preschool in May of 2008. This is a small clip of Kaleigh, Kenzie and Kaleigh's best friend Abby at graduation.

Just a quick video of the two girls playing in their p.j.'s around the house today. Kenzie is a little fussy and tired.

Kaleigh's gymnastics practice

In April of 2008, Kaleigh decided she wanted to start gymnastics because her cousin Loralie was having so much fun with her practices. So, here is a video of Kaleigh in one of her private lessons. She has been doing gymnastics now for about 3 1/2 months, loving every minute of it and hasn't stopped since she started. Literally, Kaleigh does gymnastics all day long.

At the beginning of this video, Kaleigh is doing some cartwheels on a low beam. A lady wearing black shorts, t-shirt and baseball cap walks by Kaleigh. This is Jaycie Phelps-McClure. She won gold in the 1996 Olympics as a member of the Magnificent 7 gymnastics team, along with Shannon Miller. Jaycie is one of the coaches at Kaleigh's gym.

The coaches tell Kaleigh she has really nice "lines". Kaleigh always points her toes and works nicely on her hand placements. In this video she is performing round-offs for the first time. She has the concept of cartwheels down. The coaches always tell her to land one foot then the other. So, now the idea of having to land both feet at the same time is very new but, Kaleigh catches on quickly.

Rachael Sobottka is Kaleigh's coach. Kaleigh loves Racheal and looks forward to gymnastic practices. In this clip, Kaleigh is working on the skills she needs to perform back handsprings. This is one of Kaleigh's favorite activities.

In this clip, Kaleigh is working on the uneven bars. While she is doing this activity, another girl right in front of her on another bar breaks her arm. Thankfully, Kaleigh didn't see it. OUCH!!!

Finally, the last clip for this entry. The first thing Kaleigh does for every practice is to climb the dreaded rope. She is so close to getting to the top but it is a mental thing for her because it is so high. She can do it but overcoming the fear of how high the rope is, is what is preventing her from touching the top. Although each practice gets a little bit better. I also, had to show you the poor girl who broke her arm. My whole body ached when I saw her arm.

This Morning in China

This morning in China a mother cries
She'll never forget her daughter's eyes
Her heart is broken and filled with pain
The tears run down like the falling rain
She has no choice but to leave her there
The cost of keeping her daughter is too much to bear
She hopes her daughter will one day know
True love can be found in letting her go.

This morning in China a baby cries
Hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes
Her mother has left her in this public place
Another lost daughter of the Chinese race
Someone passing by has heard her soft moan
She's soon quickly taken to a foster home
It's here she'll reside in the care of another
Until she's adopted by a brand new mother.

That very moment, in the U.S.A.
A woman cries as she starts to pray
Her heart is heavy but filled with much love
She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of
"Dear Jesus I ask that your arms would be
wrapped tightly around the one picked for me
Guard her in China 'till I make my way
And then in my arms forever she'll stay.

-Author Unknown


John 14:18
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."


Isaiah 43:5
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west."

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Lazy Days of Summer

I apologize for taking so long to update the website. Drew just started back to work from summer break, this last week. I have 10 days left before my new school year starts up. This summer has been such a nice break with the girls. They are growing up so fast. It is hard to believe that this new school year will be Kaleigh's last one without being a "true student". She will start kindergarten next Aug. I think she is ready for school now and can't wait to go back to "her school" to see all of her friends. I am so proud of Kaleigh! She is such a great big sister and is so proud of Kenzie. Kaleigh loves to hold Kenzie's hand and walk with her. Kenzie sometimes wants to be a big girl and walk on her own and Kaleigh just doesn't understand why. Kaleigh loves to play "house" with Kenzie and tells everyone that Kenzie is her baby. I will cherish these memories because I know it won't be long until they get older and under each others nerves. They truely love each other now and can't go anywhere without the other.

Kenzie is running everywhere she goes. She is always in a hurry and loves life. She is such a happy little lady. She loves our dogs and thinks all dogs are named Decker, even Sidney. Every morning, the first thing she does is to go into Kaleigh's room and play with Kaleigh and all of her toys.

Kenzie has had a hard time with cutting her teeth. Somedays are better than others. This poor little girl has been cutting teeth since we got her the end of Feb. I will be so happy when these teeth are finally in.

I hope everyone is doing well. I will try real hard to not let that much time go by, before updating the webpage. Everyday I thank God for the wonderful blessings he has given me. Love, JILL

Home at last!!

First of all I would like to apologize for taking a while to post. I have been kind of busy. It has been two weeks and two days since we came home. I can not tell you how blessed we are. I will forever be thankful to China for the two most wonderful little girls. They are everything I have ever dreamed of and more. Kaleigh truly loves Kenzie and "mother hens" her like you could never imagine. She is so proud of her little sister. Kenzie is adjusting wonderfully and is getting really close to walking on her own. She will take off walking as long as she has at least one hand of mom, dad's, or Kaleigh's to hold on to. She actually called for me today when her dad was holding her. She said "momma, momma." Oh, that is the best sound you can ever hear. I am loving every minute of this and cherishing ever second knowing that they grow up so fast. Our two little dogs love Kenzie and Kenzie loves them. Kenzie has bonded to all of us and she fits in perfectly to our family. We are all doing well and are pretty much back on American time. Kaleigh was the hardest to get adjusted to American time, but is finally doing much better. It is so nice to be home!!! China is a wonderful place. The people are so hospitable. The topography and landscape is breathtaking. The history, sights and smells of China will never be taken for granted. I want my girls to be proud of where they are from and I will do my best to immerse them in as much culture, tradition and language as I possible can. I thank all of you for following our most wonderful life changing adventure. I thank you for the wonderful words of encouragement and support along the way. We will continue to post on the web page so that our family and friends can continue to follow the growth and development of our family. Love,JILL

A Lazy Day in Guanghzou -- March 5

Today was a relaxing day in Guanghzou. We did have a change in our schedule. Bruce, our CCAI Rep. called and told us that they have moved our Consulate appointment from Tomorrow to today. So, this afternoon at 2:45 we left to go to the U.S. Consulate. We did the swearing in ceremony this afternoon with many other families. I just wish the girls understood the significance of this small ceremony. It is now official, Kenzie will be a U.S. citizen as soon as we touch ground in San Fransisco on March 7. We actually looked into changing our tickets to come home tomorrow since we had the swearing in ceremony today but it wasn't going to work. Therefore, we have to kill one more day. But, to know that everything is done is a really good feeling. On a different note, Kenzie is extremely ticklish. She has the cutest little giggle and it is so contagious. At this very moment the two girls are playing on the carpet in our room laughing their little heads off. Today we walked around the island and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of China. I also forgot to mention that on March 3, two days ago, our group celebrated Kenzie's birthday. One of the mother's in our travel group, her name is also Kaleigh, also celebrated her birthday on March 3rd so we had wonderful birthday cake after all going out to eat at a Thai Restaurant. The pictures from tonight are from our little outing of sight seeing the Shamian Island and our hotel. Take care, Love,JILL

Days 8, 9, 10--Guangzhou

HI everyone!!! I am sorry that I am just now updating our blog since we got to Guangzhou. It has been crazy the last couple of days. Guangzhou is a much nicer city than Wuhan. Our hotel, the White Swan, is one of the best in the world. There are so many American couples here for the final stop of the adoption process. The U.S. Consulate is just a short drive from the hotel. There are also a lot of stores and souvenir shops just outside of the hotel. The hotel is located on Shamian Island, on the Pearl River. We have done lots of paperwork and Kenzie had her physical exam required by the U.S. Consulate. Let me tell you how good of a set of lungs this lady has! She can really belt it out there, and yes she let the doctors hear about it during the physical. Anyway, we survived and today we had the red- couch photos. I thought the girls looks so nice for the photos. This evening we went on a dinner cruise down the Pearl River. Tonight was the first rainy night since we have been in Guanghzou . Thankfully our dinner on the boat was indoors. There was also an observation deck. The rain let up enough near the end of the cruise so we were able to go out and take pictures. We really enjoyed the boat ride. The girls are really starting to enjoy each other. It is so neat to watch them. Every once in a while I will catch Kaleigh having a big sister lecture to Kenzie about things she can't do. For example, "don't take off your shoes or socks" ( This little girl does not like to wear either one) or, "When we get home Kenzie, you can not pull on Decker's tail. He doesn't like it." We love Guangzhou but are really looking forward to coming home. I am not looking forward to that long plane ride. It will be really interesting with two little ones, but I am ready to do it to just get home. I hope everyone is doing well and please continue to keep us in your prayers. Love,JILL

Day 7--Wuhan

Today we went on a tour of the Yellow Crane Tower. This tower dates back five dynasties. It has burnt down once and was rebuilt a couple of times. It was still raining off and on today. It was nice to get out and see parts of Wuhan today despite the rain. The first picture is of Drew and the girls with our CCAI Representative, Christina. Everyone in China loves the duo stroller. You don't find this kind of stroller here because of the one child policy. We have enjoyed watching peoples reactions to this stroller.

Kenzie is starting to show her true personality. She has a very sweet disposition. Kenzie can sit and entertain herself for a long time. She has the cutest little giggle and loves to talk baby talk. Tonight she ate so much I thought she was never going to stop. I guess she is making up for lost time. She had a total of four bottles and ate like a little pig at dinner tonight. It is amazing how fast these babies start to cope with everything. They are so resilient.

Tomorrow morning we will receive Kenzie's Chinese passport and then we will fly to Guanghzou. I have mixed feelings about leaving. In the back of my mind, I know there is a possibility that we may never come back here(although I hope to come back in several years for the girls to see their homeland). After all, this is both of my daughters' birth place. When I am out on the streets, I can't help but look at all the young women wondering if one of them is one of my daughters birth mother. I will be eternally grateful for China and Hubei province for the most precious gifts they have bestowed upon me.

I hope everyone is well and I hope my kids at Woodland Park Middle School are gearing up for the state assessment test. Take care everyone and please keep us in your prayers. JILL

Day 6-Wuhan (still!)

Hi everyone, the last two days it has been raining cats and dogs here in Wuhan, Hubei. I am starting to get a little bit of cabin fever. Today is our third day with Kenzie. Last night she has a really tough night. She would wake up about every 45-60 min. until about 12:30 last night then she slept until about 6 this morning. Currently, she is taking a nap. This morning has been a tough day so far, as well. She is starting to face reality of the situation and mourn the loss of her foster family. My heart really aches for her, to only try to comprehend what must be going on in her little head.

Kenzie is very small. I have her wearing size 6 months in clothes and they are swimming on her. She has two little teeth on the bottom right in the middle. She is currently cutting new teeth. She can take a few steps on her own if you hold both of her hands.

We were planning on touring the turquoise factory in Wuhan this morning but Kenzie would not stop crying so we decided to come back to the room. She fell asleep as soon as we got back to the room. I am sorry we don't have any new pictures to add at this time. We will add some old pictures from the last couple of days so you can still see our little angel. We finally found out what she likes to eat.....warm milk. She will not touch the formula mixture they told us to fix for her. She woke up from her nap and Drew added some warm water to some milk we got for breakfast and she gulped it down!! Now she is a very happy baby...and we are happy to figure out what to give her!!

Kaleigh is still handling this whole trip with flying colors. She has really impressed me. I am so proud of how well she is handling the time change, different foods and a crying baby. Kaleigh has made me proud!

Kaleigh Says HI!!!

Kaleigh wanted me to post a letter to all of her friends and teachers at both Just For Kids and PAL. She has had a great time in China and I believe this has been a great educational experience for her. She has really surprised me on how great of a big sister she is. She truly loves her little sister and mother hens her with everything. I am really proud of her. She wanted me to send a big hello to Ms. Bonnie, Ms. W, and Ms. Allen. She also wanted me to say hello to Tera, Abbie, Gracie, Andy, Jake, Diego, Mckinley, Emily, Evan, and Edward

"Gotcha" Day!!

We got Kenzie today! We were taken to a nearby hotel to get her. When we walked in, Kenzie was in the lobby with one of the orphanage staff. We recognized her immediately and she was handed over to us. She is a wonderful baby. She has been happy and rarely gets upset. She cannot walk yet, but can stand up while holding on to something. Kaleigh is so proud of her little sister. She constantly wants to hold Kenzie and play with her. It has been a long day. We have to get up early in the morning to go meet with CCAA officials to do paperwork, etc.

Day 3--Wuhan--Sun., Feb. 25

Hello everyone, today we arrived in Wuhan, Hubei. We left cool Beijing where we needed coats, to a very humid Wuhan. We are staying in a different part of the city than we did three years ago. I can see the Yangtzee River from our Hotel room window. We will receive Kenzie tomorrow morning at 10 A.M. It is always a great reminder when you walk into your room and see the little crib. It is just a matter of hours before it will be occupied. Kaleigh has been filling it with toys since we got here!!

I don't know how much sleep we will get tonight. It is just surreal to think the time is almost here. The last two years have been a really long wait. I really need to get some sleep tonight because I know it will be a very busy day tomorrow. For some reason it is taking me forever to get on China time. Three years ago, within twenty-four hours I had adjusted to the time change. This has been a totally different experience.

I also want to thank everyone for the emails and posts. It is so nice to hear from people back home. I hear that Colorado is getting snow.

We will post pictures as soon as possible tomorrow. Take care, JILL

Beijing Tour - Day 2 --Sat. Feb. 24

Hello everyone, I am going to make this post short and sweet. This is our second day of tours. They began at about 8 A.M. and finished around 6-7 P.M. We are starting to get real tired but it has been fabulous. One of the pictures is of the Chinese Acrobat Show. This was a wonderful experience and something we have never done in the past. Kaleigh slept through 90% of the show. We drove past the Olympic stadium where the opening ceremonies will be held. The Chinese people call this the bird nest. It is huge and is probably twice the size of the Olympic Coloseum in Los Angeles. They said that this is what it will look like on the outside and that there will not be any other type of covering on it. The Olympic Village and most of the venues are all pretty close to each other and we drove past most of them. Kaleigh was really excited about the Great Wall. She would tell people she was going to a big wall and she agreed that it was really big and hard to climb. We got quite a way up the wall but she did not want to come down. It really scared her so we had to carry her and let me tell you how much fun that was. And finally, there is a picture posted showing you Kaleigh and two little sisters in our travel group that Kaleigh has really enjoyed playing with. One of the two sisters is from Kaleigh and Kenzie's province of Hubei. We are having so much fun but we can't wait until tomorrow because we leave real early to fly to Kaleigh and Kenzie's province. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Today my heart is really aching for Kenzie knowing that she is spending the last few hours with the only mother that she has ever know. I hope that we will be able to comfort her in those first few hours. Love, JILL