BOY AM I BEHIND!!!!

WOW, DO I HAVE A LOT TO CATCH UP ON! SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE I WROTE LAST! FIRST, ZACH LOST HIS JOB AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER AFTER 9 YEARS AT UPS. THAT WAS A REAL SHOCK! THAT WAS ON MON, OCTOBER 6TH. ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH WE HAD AHNNA LEIGH'S 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY. A WEEK AFTER THAT WE LEFT FOR DISNEY WORLD. WE HAD BEEN PLANNING THE TRIP WITH FRIENDS FOR OVER A YEAR OR WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CANCELLED, BUT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AND WE WERE ABLE TO GO. GOD HAS BLESSED US AND TAKEN CARE OF US THROUGH THIS TRIAL SO WE REALLY CAN'T COMPLAIN. WE ARE MUCH BETTER OFF THAN MANY OTHERS PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST JOBS AND ALL OF OUR NEEDS AND CHRISTMAS PLANS ARE COVERED SO PRAISE THE LORD! WE'VE ALSO HAD THANKSGIVING, GOTTEN A CHRISTMAS TREE, & DECORATED IT! AHNNA LEIGH IS GOING TO BE SOOOOOO MUCH FUN THIS YEAR! SHE REALLY GETS IT! (THE PRESENTS AND THE TREES ANYWAY!) SHE ALWAYS GETS EXCITED AND SAYS, "YAY CHURCH!" SO SHE SHOULD GET THE FACT THAT CHRISTMAS IS JESUS'S BIRTHDAY! PICS FROM ALL THESE BIG EVENTS ARE SOON TO FOLLOW!

SHE IS SOOOOOO CUTE!

2 WEEKENDS AGO WE WENT T THE MOUNTAINS WITH ZACH'S FAMILY. AHNNA LEIGH WENT HIKING WITH US (IN THE BACKPACK OF COURSE), WENT SWIMMING & PLAYED A LOT!!!! SHE GOT REALLY ATTACHED TO ZACH'S COUSIN TRAVIS & HIS GIRLFREIND ELIZABETH. I'LL POST SOME PICTURES SOON, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M JUST GONNA POST THIS VIDEO CLIP! SHE HAS SUCH A BELLY LAUGH! ENJOY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IerM-T5IRdA

PRESCHOOL,ETC

WELL, AHNNA LEIGH STARTED PRESCHOOL LAST TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND! SHE IS SUCH A BIG GIRL! SHE DID VERY VERY WELL! I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER EXPERIENCE. SHE DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THAT I LEFT! I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT I WAS SHARING A MILESTONE WITH MY DAUGHTER JUST 1 DAU AFTER THE US & VIETNAM'S BILATERAL AGREEMENT EXPIRED. PLEAS PRAY THAT THIS SITUATION WILL BE RESOLVED & THAT ALL OF THE FAMILIES LEFT WITHOUT REFERRALS WILL BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN HOME SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. ANYWAY, ENJOY THE PICTURES!

REFERRAL, LIBBY LU, & BALLET TOO!!!!

WELL, THIS POST IS FULL OF ALL KINDS OF STUFF. I'VE INCLUDED AHNNA LEIGH'S REFERRAL PICTURE SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT THE OTHER DAY. SHE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE THE SAME CHILD. THE OTHER PICTURES INCLUDE HER FIRST PERFORMANCE AT CHURCH. HER GROUP IN BIBLE SCHOOL SANG "IF I WERE A BUTTERFLY". IT WAS SOOOOOO CUTE. IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THIS SONG YOU SHOULD. AFTER THAT THERE IS A PICTURE OF AHNNA LEIGH AFTER A TRIP TO CLUB LIBBY LU. SHE HAD A "ROCKIN' DIVE" HAIRDO WITH LOTS OF GLITTER & MAKEUP! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! SHE LOVED IT. THEN IS HER NEW HAIRCUT. THE SPOT WHERE SHE HAD PULLED HER HAIR OUT WHEN SHE WAS MUCH YOUNGER HAS FINALLY GROWN LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO EVEN IT ALL OUT. IT IS SUCH A CUTE LITTLE BOB. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST I'VE PUT 2 PICTURES FROM HER FIRST DANCE CLASS. I'VE MESSED WITH THEM IN PICNIK SOME & I THINK THEY LOOK PRETTY GOOD IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF! SHE'S TAKING THE "PRE-DANCE" CLASS AT "A LITTLE BIT OF BROADWAY" DANCE STUDIO. A FRIEND FROM CHURCH OWNS IT & THERE ARE A LOT OF FRIENDS FROM CHURCH WHO GO THERE INCLUDING AHNNA LEIGH'S FAVORITES, "ROE ROE" & "DODDLE". THAT'S MY FRIEND MELISSA'S GIRLS, ZOE & CAMDEN, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW. ENJOY THE PICS! I'LL UPDATE AGAIN SOON!

2 YEARS!!!!

I KNOW THIS POST IS PRETTY LATE. IT REALLY STINKS NOT TO HAVE A COMPUTER THAT I CAN GET TO EASILY. SO ANYWAY, IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE OUR REFERRAL. THIS IS NOT OUR ORIGINAL REFERRAL PICTURE. I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT ON THE COMPUTER, BUT IS IS OUR 2ND PICTURE. SHE WAS 11 MONTHS OLD HERE. IF YOU LOOK BACK INTO MY ARCHIVES ON THIS BLOG YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL REFERRAL PICTURE ON THE ENTRY FROM JULY 24TH LAST YEAR. JULY 24TH IS THE ACTUAL REFERRAL DATE. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH SHE'S GROWN! THE SECON PICTURE WAS TAKEN IJULY 4TH THIS YEAR. MY HOW THINGS CHANGE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS! ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL PICTURE! WE ARE SOOOO BLESSED. HOPEFULLY I CAN POST MORE SOON!

FAMILY, FUN & FREEDOM!

WELL, THIS WAS AHNNA LEIGH'S 2ND JULY 4TH AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN! WE HAD THE USUAL FAMILY COOKOUTS ON THE 4TH, BUT OUR CHURCH SERVICE TODAY WAS THE HIGHLIGHT FOR US. WE HONOR OUR COUNTRY & OUR SERVICEMEN & VETERANS EVERY YEAR AT OUR ANNUAL "GOD BLESS AMERICA DAY". AS DR. HARRIS, OUR INTERIM PASTOR SAID, WE WERE THERE TO HONOR OUR COUNTRY, HONOR OUR VETERANS, BUT FIRST & FOREMOST TO WORSHIP GOD. I WAS REMINDED AGAIN OF WHAT I HAVE BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE SERVED OUR COUNTRY & BECAUSE OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES. IT HIT ME REALLY HARD THIS YEAR THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR SACRIFICE MY CHILD, WHO WAS BORN IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY, WAS ABLE TO BECOME A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE WE ARE FREE TO TEACH HER ABOUT GOD'S LOVE FOR HER. I ALSO THOUGHT OF A MOMENT DURING OUR TRIP TO VIETNAM THAT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF OFTEN FOR SOME REASON. IN SAN FRANCISCO AS WE ENTERED THROUGH IMMIGRATION & AHNNA LEIGH FIRST SET FOOT ON AMERICAN SOIL- THE IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL SAID " WELCOME TO AMERICA LITTLE GIRL!" WOW- SHE COULDN'T EVEN COMPREHEND WHAT A WONDERFUL STATEMENT THAT IS! I AM BLESSED BY GOD TO BE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES & I AM GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO SACRIFICED FOR MY FREEDOMS. BUT MOST OF ALL I AM THANKFUL TO GOD FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE BORN HEAR! GOD BLESS THE USA!!!!!

MORE SUMMER FUN & STUFF

AHNNA LEIGH HAS ALREADY BEEN HAVING A LOT OF FUN THIS SUMMER. SHE REALLY LOVES BUBBLE RIGHT NOW. I GUESS THAT'S A TYPICAL 2 YEAR OLD THING. SHE HAS A CINDERELLA BUBBLE BLOWER AT OUR HOUSE, A DOGGY SHAPED BUBBLE GUN AT NANA & PAPA'S HOUSE, & A HUGE BUBBLE WAND AT NANNY & POPPY'S.

TODAY WE WENT FOR OUR VERY FIRST MOTHER DAUGHTER PICNIC. WE'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL PICNICS BEFORE, BUT NEVER JUST THE 2 OF US. I HAD A REALLT FUN TIME. WE SAT ON A BLANKET IN THE SHADE & ATE TOMATO SANDWICHES. WELL, I ATE A TOMATO SANDWICH AND AHNNA LEIGH ATE THE TOMATO & SPAT OUT THE BREAD & MAYONNAISE. EVERY SOUTHERN GIRL NEEDS TO LEARN TO EAT A GOOD OL' TOMATO SANDWICH SO WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT.

I'VE INCLUDED A FEW SUMMER FUN PICTURES: BUBBLE BLOWING, PICNICING, SLIDING & PLAYING WITH DADDY, AS WELL AS ANOTHER PICTURE FROM MY FIRST "PHOTOGRAPHY" SESSION. ENJOY!

PICTURES! IT'S ABOUT TIME!

WELL, I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO WORK WITH MY PICTURES. I USED PICNIK! I LOVE IT! WE TOOK AHNNA LEIGH TO THE MEMORIAL GARDENS TODAY & THE PICTURES TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF. ENJOY THE PICTURES. I HOPE THERE WILL BE MANY MORE TO COME!

PICTURE FRUSTRATIONS!

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO BETTER ABOUT POSTING ADORABLE PICS OF MY LITTLE PRINCESS, BUT I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING PHOTOSHOP DOWNLOADED. IF I GET IT ON THERE TODAY, I'LL POST SOME TONIGHT. UNTIL THEN, HOW ABOUT AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE IN HONOR OF INDEPENDENCE DAY? STAY TUNED!

SUMMER IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

WELL, SUMMER IS HERE & MY GIRL LOVES IT! SHE TANS LIKE EVERYBODY WISHES THEY COULD! COMPARED TO HER I LOOK LIKE CASPER. WELL, WE WENT ON A SMALL VACATION LAST WEEK. WE VISITED ZACH'S BROTHER AND SISTER IN LAW IN RALEIGH AND THEN WENT TO GREENVILLE TO VISIT HIS AUNT & UNCLE. THEY TOOK US TO THE NC AQUARIUM IN PINE KNOLL SHORES AND TO ATLANTIC BEACH. IT WAS A NICE RELAXING TRIP. WE GOT TO VISIT WITH UNCLE REID'S NEIGHBORS STEVE & HUE. SHE IS FROM VIETNAM & IS THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING FROM THERE IF ADOPTIONS GET STRAIGHTENED OUT THERE.
ZACH WENT BACK TO WORK TUESDAY AND WE WENT TO THE POOL AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY. WE SPENT A FEW HOURS WITH MY SISTER ERIN AND MY FRIEND ERIN (YES,2 ERIN'S) AND HER DAUGHTER EMMA. WE HAD A GREAT TIME & I GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES FROM OUR EARLY SUMMER FUN!

IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS SLACK BEFORE......!

WELL, NO PICTURES THIS TIME BUT I THOUGHT THE LEAST I COULD SINCE I HAD ACCESS TO A COMPUTER WAS CHECK IN. I HAVE NOT FALLEN OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH BUT MU COMPUTER MIGHT AS WELL HAVE. I HAVE BEEN LIMITED ONLY TO MY SMARTPHONE FOR COMPUTER AXCESS FOR MONTHS. SORRY! I WILL MAKE IT A POINT TO GO TO MY MAMA'S HOUSE AND BLOG. CHECK TOMORROW FOR UPDATED CUTE PICTURES. YOU WON'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH AHNNA LEIGH HAS GROWN! SHE'S SUCH A BIG GIRL!!!!!!