Happy Halloween

My two little superheroes are just "flying by" to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!
They both had a parade and a party in school today and I am most certain they have already had a fair share of the sugary treats that come with this holiday.


Sarah surprised us with her choice of batgirl for her costume this year and then when she saw Wonder Woman, she thought that would be a great choice for her sister. Of course Reags was up for anything and said yes! They love their superhero capes and funky go go boots. As soon as they put them on, they begin to feel their super powers:)

We went out last Sunday afternoon to get a few quick pics because I know how chaotic the school parades and parties get.
It was chilly, but the sun was shining, so we ran out back to the edge or our property where they started to knock down the corn.
For some reason, they only did a few rows last week and left the rest standing.
One of our superheroes decided to wander in . . .


She started to pick and said she wanted corn on the cob for dinner.
We had to explain to her that this corn is not for eating, it is cattle corn.
That really did not go over too well with our little eater.

Tonight we are going to be doing some Trick or Treating, so I wanted to get my post up now while I had a few minutes to spare.
Feel free to link up if you are ready. See you all next week and try not too eat much candy.
~Have a Happy Halloween~

Three Years With Reagan

I am a little late in getting this up (a week to be exact), but as they say, better late than never, right?
On Friday, October 18th, we celebrated 3 years with sweet Reags!
It was on this day that I walked into the civil affairs office in Changsha and saw her sitting on the bench with her Nanny.
She was sucking those two fingers and the other hand was looped around her Nanny's purse.
I will never forget that moment. Marla and I were told that she had not arrived and since the room was empty, we were searching for the best bench to sit on in order to get the best light for photos. All of a sudden we saw this cute baby with super short hair, dressed in pink, and then the two fingers gave her away. We tried to talk to the Nanny, but she did not understand us. Moments later our guide Susan walked back in and confirmed it was Chen Wen Yi, our Reagan!


Reagan although somewhat relaxed and mild mannered compared to the other children in the room, was definitely in a state of shock.
She had no idea what was taking place, but she knew that it was all different and nothing was familiar, including the two blonde ladies that were holding her and constantly in her face.

The first few days with her were so incredibly emotional that it makes me cry to this day when I think about it. Reagan completely shutdown. Would not eat, would not drink, would not play, and did not show emotion. All she wanted to do is sleep. It was completely heartbreaking to witness.

By day 4, she gave us a glimmer of her personality, she squeezed my finger through the crib rails as she fell asleep that night, and even flashed a smile once or twice. She was starting to come around and all the worry I had been carrying around with me started to fade away. I knew we were going to be okay. My girl just needed time to grieve and time to adjust to what would be her new life beyond the gates of the orphanage in Chenzhou.


In 3 years, she has made amazingly huge strides.
Through the love of a family, she has learned to trust and show love in return.
She now knows what it is like to have a sister and a brother, and a mother and father who love her unconditionally.
Reagan is a ray of light that has blessed us immensely and I just can't imagine our lives without her.
There were many times throughout the 5 years of waiting, I did not know if we were ever going to make it to China and back.
By the grace of God, we did and I am forever grateful. Because of Reags, I am a better Mother and a better person.
Her life has opened my eyes and my heart to a country a half a world a way.
It is difficult to sit here feeling helpless when you know so many are waiting without families.
I would love to go back and every time I see the face of a child who is waiting, by heart gets the best of me.
At this time, going back to China to bring home another child is just not in the cards for our family, but what I can do and what I will continue to do, is share how much adoption has meant to us and how it has changed our lives for the better, in the hopes that others that are considering adoption, will take the leap of faith, just like we did.

Happy Forever Family Day Chen Wen Yi!
~We Love You~
xoxoxo

Linking up to Sunday Snapshots today, to see more, head on over to visit my friend Stef!

Apple Filled Trees

Because our first trip to the apple orchard was lacking apples on the trees, we headed out to another orchard last weekend.
AND there were apples GALORE!

We absolutely LOVE this orchard. It is about 25 minutes away from our home, but it is well worth it.
The farm is one of the biggest around and they have just about every variety of apple you could imagine.
On Sunday when we were there, we could pick Pears, or Jonagold Apples.
Since I am the only one that eats pears, we decided to go for the apples.

It was a gorgeous day and I think everyone in the area had the same idea, because the line for the bus that takes you into the orchard was LONG.
This is one of the best things about this place. The orchard is so large, they literally bus you directly to your picking spot.
And these are not just any ordinary buses, they are convertible school buses.
The girls giggle the entire time we are riding along.


I quickly snapped this with my iphone and posted on instagram while we waiting for the next bus.
You can see why the girls look forward to this part of the trip:)


When we got off the bus, we were directed where to pick.
It was pretty congested in our row of trees, there were about 30 other people out there picking with us, but there were plenty of apples to go around. Sarah and Reagan had our box filled with about 20 pounds of Jonagolds in a matter of minutes.

They are great baking apples..... now I just need some time to get in the kitchen and bake up some apple goodness.
Every year I make a to die for apple bundt cake.
I have posted the recipe multiple times over the years, you can find it HERE.
Anyone have any other favorite apple recipes?
I would love to try something new.
If you have a recipe, please share.

TGIF friends!!
Have a wonderful weekend.
It will be a busy one here....a week from today, I have a special group of ladies arriving for a very fun photography weekend.
Lots of preparing has gone into this weekend and I am already feeling anxious....so many small details and I want everything to be just perfect. If you are the praying type, we would appreciate some "good weather" prayers and also some prayers that everyone who is traveling to get here, arrives safely and without delay.
I will be sharing some of the fun things I have prepared next week!!