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!!!!!!

WELL, IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE LU, KIM DONG BECAME AHNNA LEIGH CORRIHER! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! MY SWEET LITTLE BABY IS NOT A BABY ANYMORE. SHE'S A SWEET LITTLE GIRL! SINCE OUR "GOTCHA" DAY ON DECEMBER 7, 2006 SHE HAS GAINED 5 POUNDS AND GROWN 5 1/2 INCHES. THAT WAS AT HER 2 YEAR CHECK UP A MONTH AND A HALF AGO! I'M SURE IT'S MORE NOW. I'VE INCLUDED OUR FIRST FAMILY PICTURE THAT WAS TAKEN IN VINH LONG LAST YEAR RIGHT AFTER OUR GIVING AND RECEIVING CEREMONY AND A PICTURE WE TOOK TODAY-EXACTLY A YEAR LATER. I SAW THE T-SHIRT SHE'S WEARING THAT SAYS, "BEST PRESENT EVER" AND IT SEEMED ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE SINCE WE GOT HOME FROM VIETNAM ON DECEMBER 22 LAST YEAR. ZACH AND I ALSO DID NOT GET EACH OTHER A GIFT LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE FELT THIS GIFT FROM THE LORD WAS BLESSING ENOUGH! SO, "BEST GIFT EVER"?- TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN. TOMORROW IS AHNNA LEIGH'S BIG "GOTCHA" DAY PARTY. I'LL POST SOME PICTURES FROM THAT TOMORROW. HAPPY FIRST GOTCHA DAY BABY GIRL! YOUR DADDY AND I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DAY YOU BECAME "OFFICIALLY" PART OF OUR FAMILY AS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF OUR LIVES! WE LOVE YOU!