Brad has been gone on business this week and I've been down with the flu. It has been a long week to say the least! As I sit here and type, I am listening to the girls play after they just got out of the bathtub and I love listening to their giggles and conversations with each other. Braylen just said, "Sit down you little blue bottom!" (Alea has Mongolian spots on her bottom, and yes, it is very blue!!) Last night we had major wind and rain. The girls were both very nervous at bedtime. I was prepared for a very long sleepless night. We talked about being brave and that Jesus would help us. Both girls were in Bray's bed and we were praying and asking Jesus to help us be brave. Braylen talked about other times she was brave and then said she didn't think she could be tonight. I asked her who made the rain. She said God. I asked her who made the wind and she again said God. I asked her who made her and she said God. I asked her who takes care of her and she said God. I said, "Do you think that if God can take care of you, if He can make you, the wind and the rain, that he can take care of the wind and the rain and you tonight?" She agreed that yes, he probably could. I had no clue how much Alea was soaking up, but we sang our little song, said our last prayer and kissed goodnight. I took Alea into her room and was getting her into her pajamas. The wind was really howling in her room and I thought to myself--she is never going to sleep tonight! I was pleading with the Lord to make it go away because I so much wanted to go to bed myself. Alea looked at me, then to her window. She said, "No be bave!" as she shook her little head back and forth! I said, "Oh, baby I know it's hard to be "bave" in a storm, but I know that Jesus will help you do it!" We rocked and rocked and rocked and sang every song I know with the name of Jesus in it!! I put her in bed and didn't hear a peep out of either of them until morning!!
I cannot imagine raising my girls without the faith I have in Jesus Christ. How would I handle these types of fears? I am so thankful that even on bad days (Alea was very much a handful today and did not take a nap) that I can find ways to be thankful for two little girls that changed my life forever! I cannot imagine life without them in it.
"Thank you, Lord for blessing me with these little girls. Help me be the Mommy I need to be for them. Help me be Jesus to them now so they will grow to know and love you. And one more thing, Jesus, help them go to sleep early tonight because it has been such a long day!!"
Happy Chinese New Year!! We invited friends who have adopted from China and Taiwan over to celebrate Chinese New Year. It was great to get all the little girls together, finally! We missed Kevin, Sarah and Hannah!! And we prayed that a very special one, still not home with her forever family, will be with us next year--Chloe Cooper!! 
You've heard of the Red couch photos, well we started the brown couch tradition at our Chinese New Year Party!!!
2009 is the year of the Ox, so we played pin the tail on the ox. Tonya, Isaac and Carmen got the closest, although we cheated on a few by turning the ox upside down!!! 
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