This picture will stick with me FOREVER! Hudson was doing so well walking down the aisle and then when he saw me he stopped and gave me the sweetest wave. It was one of the moments when a mother's heart swells with pride and also flashes forward 20 plus years from now when he will be walking down the aisle with a woman who will take the place of me as the most important one in his life.....as she should!
Waving at Grandpa taking pictures.

I just loved his stance here...such a little man!

My parents were one of two couples left dancing in the "Married the Longest Dance" with 50plus years!
The youngest and oldest nieces, Emma & Cherish

My Family!

Hudson Turns Four

September 13, 2005 was the day given to us as Hudson's birthday. Whether this is the exact date we will never know but today we are so grateful and 17 months after becoming his parents are still humbled that we were chosen to be his mom and dad. We think of his biological parents almost every day when we laugh at something silly he says or does, watch him dance to Mama Mia and Jai Ho, are on the receiving ends of his many hugs, kisses and "I love yous" or watch him sleep. We wish so deeply that we could meet them one day and introduce Hudson to them and thank them for giving us the opportunity to love this boy!! BUT...we know that is probably not possible and pray for them, especially today that they would have some sense of peace knowing he is so very loved and so very happy. He finds delight in the simplist things and daily will yell "I am so happy" over something as simple as asking if he could have chocolate milk and hearing "yes". Hudson has the greatest personality, an incredible sense of humor, a vivid imagination, is so smart, patient, and a great source of entertainment for whoever is around. We know he has inherited all of these charecteristics from parents other than us and we wish we could share him with them.

We had a simple party due to rain again (it rained last year too) but Hudson was thrilled with the whole day. He woke up yesterday saying "Happy Birthday" to Mark and I. We explained to him that my birthday is next and coming up so he has asked me several times today what I want and he would get me presents. SO sweet!! He did
get BIG MACK...we wish Nanny, Papa, Mema and Grandpa could have been here but were so glad that Aunt Cole, Aunt Erica, Becca and Whitley were able to come.

We love you sweet Hudson and are so excited to see what your year four brings!!!
The small bounce house in the garage

Hudson, Madi, Calli, Ty and Landry

..ahh...the difference in boys and girls...

Big brother Jordan

Cousins and big sisters (Katie, Whitley, Kailee, Becca & Madalyn)

This morning with Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes

What we have been doing lately....

I can't seem to keep up with blogging and I don't like it....We are in our third week of school and life is BUSY!!! My facebook status read this the other day...."Dentist appt for Hudson, then speech (a 45 min drive), then a tux fitting, a quick lunch, on to an audiologist appt., where we waited 1 1/2 hours for the dr. to say all was fine and left me NO time to do grocery shopping before I had to get back home and watch EIGHT vb games.....we finished up the night with a quick dinner at 8:30 and homework until bedtime. Most of you with school age kids can SO relate. I have good intentions to have a fridge and pantry stocked with healthy snacks and the crock pot going all day so dinner isn't bowls of cereal but I can't quite seem to get to the grocery store to make that happen. BUT..life is good and I can't complain. I am NOT forgetting my promise to myself to keep my life less complicated after my quiet winter/spring in MN and will probably cut Hudson's speech down to once a week. He talks non-stop and his therapist just told me he has way surpassed all the goals that were set for him and she needs to write all new ones...she is very proud of him. I have heard probably close to 100 times since Monday how he wants "Big Mack" from the disney store for his birthday which is in 11 days..he has been asking for the last 25 "is today my birthday?"...last year I asked those coming to his party to bring gifts for his orphanage. He had no idea what a birthday was and was thrilled with just balloons...well, he is probably officially "Americanized" as he knows HE will be getting gifts this year and is always giving us ideas as to what he needs and doesn't have....oh boy...

I have been taking pictures but am disappointed with the sport shots. I really need a bigger lens..(good b'day gift honey!) but at least our families can get the idea...and get a look at Jordan's SHORT hair...LOVE it!....

ANYWAY....In the midst of busyness I decided to paint cabinets so of course Hudson helped me. We removed some upper cabinets to open up our kitchen so I painted the bottom cabinets black. He did a great job and was so proud of himself. I still have pictures to post from our last summer fling but for now....

This first picture is of what Hudson does during soccer games....he has decided to take up long distance running and runs the track during the game. One night he ran FOUR laps which is a mile..he can run about half way around without stopping, then will usually stop for a few seconds and take off again...he is just about to go behind the players bench.(the blue speck to the right of the bench).I have instructed him NOT to stop and talk with the boys like he did the first night....don't want him to break the concentration. I probably should buy him a pair of running shoes. You would think he would drop after these runs but honestly the boy rarely slows down.

...and lots of soccer and vollyball...

What does it all mean?

I have much to post about since we have been busy the last few weeks but that means sitting down and editing pictures...haven't done that yet but I really wanted to get this posted before I forget the details as this also serves as a family scrapbook.

In one month from today we will celebrate Hudson's FOURTH birthday. NOT possible. In many ways he seems still so "baby" to us but then things like yesterday happen and we have to remind ourselves he is almost four.

He has always been sensitive but we are really starting to see what a tender heart he has. He has never been into TV or movies until recently. He was watching Finding Nemo for the first time about a month ago while I was getting ready and when I got out of the shower he was crying...He said "the mama is gone"....(I had forgotten how traumatic that first scene was..) and then more tears when Nemo got lost and dad was frantically searching....Oh, SOO sad...Another day it was Cars which is the only movie he has ever shown interest in. He has watched it MANY times but this day when Lightening gets left behind...TEARS...."Mack, pease come back"....

SO, yesterday...the girls call me as I am leaving work (I work one day in the office, the rest at home). "Hudson started crying and won't stop and he wants you". They put him on the phone and he is dong the crying where he can't stop"...K, break this mama's heart so I step on the gas. The girls have him outside when I drive up and he starts sobbing harder and throws his arms around me and buries his head in my neck....won't even look at me. He is holding a picture of Mark and the girls tell me he has been for awhle and won't let go of it. It was a picture from about 7 years ago and is of Mark in his brother's kitchen...all alone...??? (Why was the picture taken anyway?). When Hudson finally gets calmed down enough he shows me the picture and says "Daddy is all alone, where are you?" BREAK MY HEART!!! I told him "I was there" and he then really looks hard at the picture "NO, he is alone"...I told him I was taking the picture...more tears.....He really was so upset for about 30 minutes, wouldn't let me put him down. We always reassure him when we do go anywhere "We will come back" and the night before last he went to a soccer game with Mark. When he came home several hours later he ran in to me and said "I CAME BACK!"

Bedtime has also gotten difficult again....not wanting to be alone.. HMMMMM, so what does all this mean? A normal part of development? I don't remember this in any of my other three kids. Adoption issues???? I was just reading some adoption material last night and how at about age 4 they don't "get" it (that they were adopted) but they are beginning to understand time and space. Probably a combination of the two...
SO...any advice would be appreciated.

I am looking forward to catching up on blogs....I have missed seeing your families! School starts next Wednesday, Hudson started speech this week, Jordan's soccer games have started and Madi and Kailee will soon be having VB games...and lets not even talk about homework.....bye bye lazy days of summer!

The Hina's in Texas!

Our travel group waited un unusually long time for our TA's and during that wait there were six of us that became pretty close, emailing each other, sometimes many times a day, encouraging each other, praying together and we came to call ourselves the "gabby girls". It has been a year and four months since we parted ways in Beijing and Chicago. Last night Mark and I were able to have dinner with the Hina's, Dave and Amy (one of the gg's) and their darling girls. They have moved 40 minutes down the road from us, leaving the wonderful weather of California.


It was so fun to catch up with each other although we have kept in touch thru email and blogs. Their daughter Jocelyn was the smallest and youngest of our group. A year old when they met her in China she weighed just over 10 lbs, she was so fragile. What a blessing it was to see her jumping, climbing, and running around. Her big sister Cali takes such loving care of her Mei Mei and we are excited to spend lots more time with them. Hudson's sisters have been gone since Thursday and he was thrilled to have two girls to play with. They were an active bunch at Pei Wei but once again, SUCH a blessing to have such vibrant healty kids!!

We sure wish the rest of the Gabby Girls could have been with us...and our whole group for that matter!!!

Why do the Chinese kids have their eyes closed?

Jocelyn then...

...and now....
Checking out their fortunes

The Hina's are now Texans!!!

We are so glad you are here!!