FIRST BEACH TRIP!

THIS SUMMER AHNNA LEIGH EXPERIENCED THE OCEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME. SINCE ZACH'S MOM AND STEPDAD HAVE A BEACH HOUSE SHE HAS BEEN THERE PLENTY, BUT IT WAS WAY TO COLD TO SPEND TIME ON THE BEACH. SHE DIDN'T MIND THE SAND AND SHE LOVED THE WATER, BUT WHEN THE WAVES COVERED HER FEET AND SHE COULDN'T SEE THEM, SHE WAS NOT VERY HAPPY. A WEEK AFTER WE LEFT A 7 YEAR OLD BOY WAS BITTEN BY A SHARK AT THE EXACT SAME PLACE WE HAD BEEN! ALL I CAN SAY IS I HOPE SHE LIKED THE OCEAN BECAUSE SHE'S NOT GETTING BACK IN IF I CAN HELP IT. NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN THE PUPPY DOG PICTURE. THE SECOND NIGHT WE WERE AT THE BEACH WE WENT SHOPPING. MY PARENTS, SISTER, AND I TOOK AHNNA LEIGH INTO THE DISNEY STORE WHILE ZACH AND MY SISTER'S FIANCE WENT TO GET THE CAR. SHE WAS SLEEPY AND CRANKY AND HER AUNT ERIN GAVE HER A PUPPY TO MAKE HER HAPPY. SHE SAID, "WOOF!" AND ROCKED THE PUPPY BACK AND FORTH. ERIN SAID, "YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO GET HERE THAT RIGHT?" SO I SAID I WOULD GET IT. WELL, MY DAD POINTED OUT THE STUFFED ANIMALS WERE 2 FOR $20 OR 1 FOR $15. SO, BARGAIN SHOPPER THAT I AM, I HAD TO FIND HER ANOTHER ONE. WE TRIED TO GET HER TO TAKE PLUTO, MAREI FROM THE ARISTOCATS, THUMPER, MICKEY MOUSE AND EVEN MULAN, BUT NO! MY CHILD WANTED TWIN DALMATION PUPPIES. SO, 2 DOWN 99 TO GO. (GET IT? 2+99=101, 101 DALMATIONS! HA HA!) IT WAS A GREAT TRIP! CAN'T WAIT TO POST FOR OUR NEXT TRIP WHICH IS TO DISNEY WORLD RIGHT BEFORE AHNNA LEIGH'S SECOND BIRTHDAY! SO IF I DON'T POST UNTIL THEN I'LL TALK TO YA'LL LATER!

YEAHY FOR BEST FRIENDS AND BABIES!

WELL, I'M A LITTLE LATE POSTING THIS. WE, OK, ALMOST 6 WEEKS LATE. BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! ANYWAY, ON JULY 30 OUR VERY BEST FRIENDS IN THE WHOLE WORLD WELCOMED THEIR DAUGHTER, EMMA, TO THE WORLD! WE ARE SOOOO HAPPY FOR THEM. WE KNOW SH E'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, BUT WORTH THE WAIT. AHNNA LEIGH ALREADY SEEMS TO LIKE HER BUT I THINK SHE THINKS EMMA IS A BABY DOLL. OH WELL,SHE'LL LEARN. BUT UNTIL SHE DOES WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER. RIGHT NOW SHE LOVES TO ROCK AND KISS BABIES, WHICH IS FINE, BUT WHEN SHE'S FINISHED SHE JUST THROWS THEM ON THE GROUND! ANYWAY, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE SUCH GREAT FRIENDS AND THAT OUR LITTLE GIRLS CAN GROW UP TOGETHER!

I'VE BEEN A MAMA FOR A YEAR?!?

I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THAT A YEAR AGO I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MY PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRL EVEN EXISTED. I KNEW THERE WAS A BABY OUT THERE FOR US, BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHO SHE WAS. WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR IT HAS BEEN! I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT REFERRAL PICTURE IS OF THE SAME CHILD. SHE HAS GROWN SO MUCH STRONGER, AND BIGGER. WE ARE SOOOO THANKFUL TO HAVE OUR LITTLE AHNNA LEIGH IN OUR LIVES AND WE HOPE SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH SHE IS LOVED BY EVERYONE! PRAISE THE LORD! GOD IS SO GOOD!

WELL, SHE HAD TO HAVE HIKING BOOTS!

WELL, SHE HAD TO HAVE HIKING BOOTS! A GIRL CAN'T GO HIKING AND NOT HAVE PROPER ATTIRE AND, OF COURSE, LOOK CUTE! WE WEN'T HIKING AT GRAGG PRONG, JUST PAST BANNER ELK IN THE MOUNTAINS. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND AHNNA LEIGH REALLY SEEMED TO LIKE IT. OVERALL, I WOULD SAY IT WAS A WONDERFUL FIRST TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS. SHE LOVES TO BE OUTSIDE AND EVEN THOUGH SHE'S A GIRLY GIRL ( MOSTLY BECAUSE I DRESS HERE NOW) SHE'S ONE TOUGH COOKIE! SHE'S NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING AND NOT AFRAID TO GET SWEATY OR DIRTY! SHE IS SOOOOOO MUCH FUN! IT WON'T BELONG BEFORE WE'LL BE CHASING HER DOWN THAT HIKING TRAIL!

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!

WELL, IT WAS AHNNA LEIGH'S FIRST 4TH OF JULY AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AND WE SPENT THE DAY AT THE LAKE AND THEN AT A COOKOUT AT NANA AND PAPA'S HOUSE! I CAN'T REALLY EXPRESS HOW GLAD I AM THAT SHE IS HERE IN A COUNTRY WHERE WE ARE FREE TO TEACH HER ABOUT GOD AND HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER. WE ARE ALSO BLESSED TO LIVE HERE WHERE WE CAN BRING A SWEET CHILD FROM VIETNAM TO LIVE WITH US AND BE OUR DAUGHTER! I DON'T THINKIT IS A COINCIDENCE THAT AHNNA LEIGH'S "GOTCHA DAY" (ADOPTION DAY) IS DECEMBER 7TH, PEARL HARBOR DAY. IT WAS A LIFE CHANGING DATE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY AND NOW IT IS A LIFE CHANGING DATE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR FAMILY! HOW BLESSED WE ARE! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

Check out my Slide Show!

HERE ARE SOM PICTURES OF MY PRECIOUS BABY GIRL!!!!!