Wow, God is Awesome!!!!

Hello All,

Sorry no one has heard from us in a few days. I got sick this weekend, and didn't even attend church Sunday. The doctor prescribed some things to fix me up and I'm beginning to get better now. Connie keeps saying she's going to get blogging, but she's so busy chasing Lily Grace around that any little technical difficulty prevents her from posting.

We have been blessed way way beyond anything we deserve. They say that mercy is not being given what you really deserve and grace is being given everything you don't deserve. Well, with our little Lily Grace, God has certainly given us a healthy portion of grace!! And we are so humbled by what He has allowed us to do.

Speaking of healthy portions, boy can Lily Grace eat!! We've only found one thing that she doesn't like - sliced apples. Everything else we've set before her, she has gobbled up. When she finishes something, she holds her hands upside down as if to say "Where'd it go?" She puts her food in her mouth and swallows, then looks on the floor to see where it went. We took her to church tonight for family night fellowship meal and she really did great. However, half the church now thinks that we don't feed her at home since she cleaned her plate - three times! Then she ate cake for desert and went to work on the pastor's strawberry pie! We had to hide the green beans from her for fear she would split her dress open!


Check out the cross-stitched picture of Lily Grace that Tracie did for us and the fresh Lilies that Regina placed in her bedroom before we got home. Thanks


After dinner, a wonderful couple from church came up to us and asked if we would like to have their grandaughter's baby carriage. Of course, we said yes and so they went home to get it. When the Hudsons brought it back, Connie got real excited. It was an old-fashioned baby carriage (the kind with four big spoked wheels). That they would give something so special to them to our little Lily Grace says alot about their love of children. Turns out, their grandaughter was adoped from Bolivia - God is Awesome!!

Let's see. How's Lily Grace been doing around the house? Well, she's finally beginning to warm up to Little Cav (our cat). She even touched his nose tonight and squealed with laughter. Little Cav ran away frightened. She seems to know that this is her home now. I really believe the visit we had with the orphanage was of great benefit to her in realizing that we're now her family. I think that for her, seeing us together with her nannys and caregivers created a bond and linked us to them, making it easier for her to attach to all three of us. She doesn't seem to show any signs of longing for her previous environment. I'm not saying that's the right thing for everyone to do, but for our circumstances, it certainly seems like the right thing to have done. She's comfortable with me coming and going for work and with Austin coming and going for school. When I leave in the morning, she flashes me a big smile and when get home in the evening, she comes running with her hands held high wanting to be picked up. When Austin gets home, he immediately wakes her from her nap to play. Sorry momma.

She's sleeping well - better than me right now. Speaking of sleeping, my new bedroom is pink with a lavendar ceiling. And with dolls all around. The entire family has occupied my bedroom and refuses to budge. Oh well, they're bonding real well. Maybe when Lily graduates high school I'll get to move back into my bedroom.


Momma, can you show me how to throw a circle changeup?





Surprisingly, Lily Grace rides very well in a car seat. She's been in one about three or four times now and other than about 15 minutes after leaving the airport, she seems to be getting along fine. Austin keeps her company and keeps her laughing. Sometimes she sings while riding. She has ridden in her stroller up and down the street and seems to enjoy that just fine - unless you stop moving.

Austin is finally beginning to settle into more normal sleep patterns. For several days after we returned from China, Austin slept for 12 to 14 hours at a time. It began to worry us, but the doctor says that he's just readjusting. I wish I could sleep for 12 hours!

He has started school (7th grade) and is liking his classes and teachers. He took pictures of Lily Grace to school to show his friends and teachers. He went shopping in China to get some things for his friends at church - boys and girls - and presented them at church tonight. We're so proud of him.

God Bless You,
Love,
Green, Party of Four

More later,