Happy Mother's Day

I guess I didn't realize how much time had gotten away from me since I posted last. We have been crazy busy and to boot we left our camera in Plano when we visited a week ago for our nephew's first communion so I have no pictures.

We had a great time visiting with Richard's family even if it was a brief trip. Pierce and his cousin Zachary who is 6 mths older are two souls that are bounded by some invisible thread. You have never seen two 2 year old boys that love playing together more. They share their trains and their food and console each other when one of them is sad. Its the sweetest thing and I wish we lived closer since most of Pierce's companions around here are of course little girls!

We also had a fun filled Sunday last week with the yearly Ranch Day at the McCormicks where the men vaccinate the cattle, the kids get to swim and ride horses, and the moms get to cook and hang out and chat! As usual everyone had a blast. Riley still asks when we get to live on a Ranch like the McCormicks. For some reason she just loves riding horses. For a prissy little girl she would not make a bad farm girl. She has even asked her Dad to take her fishing and camping. I am just picturing camping with our brood..humm maybe not so much right now unless of course there is a cabin with indoor plumbing!

The paperwork is moving along. We are waiting on two documents from the LA and NY consulates and we sent our Homestudy into the USCIS to start the long wait with them. The homestudy is also being reviewed by the agency for China's requirements and will likely need some edits before it is ready for the certification process. While we wait on these items there should be somewhat of a lull which comes at a good time.

Saturday night we hosted the Gilchrists and Bonfils-Rasmussen for a signing party/board meeting for the new non-profit we formed called Grant Me A Chance. While the ladies signed the official IRS filings for the 501 C 3 status the men were watching the children. I am not sure how long it took them to notice that there were six nearly naked children in the backyard covered in sand. We got a new sand/water box this week and it doesn't matter how many times you tell the 2-5 year old crowd that the sand does not go in the water side its an inevitable messy result. I guess they got so wet and dirty with sand that they just decided to remove their clothes to make the flinging easier. I think Ying Li, the 12 mth old newest addition to the Bonfils-Rasmussens was the only innocent one, and that's probably only because she can't walk yet!

Mother's Day was wonderful and the kids are almost as excited as their own birthdays. They picked out some purple tulips for me and gave me a sweet little Demdaco figurine of a mother and child called "Child of My Heart" with a little card that read:

Child of the World
Into my heart you came-
Bringing sun into my life,
Making family our name.

Richard found me a coffee mug that had you guessed it Four leaf clovers and Anchee Mins's new novel "The Last Empress". I got pampered with a Frappicino from Starbucks, brunch at Village Inn and a trip to DSW Shoe Warehouse for some new sandals and tennis shoes. Riley made the keen observation while we were there that there were lots of girls shopping in DSW but not too many boys. LOL! We rounded out the day with dinner at my Mom's house with most of my immediate family there to help all the moms celebrate.

We have a busy week ahead with a media event for Build A Bear, Riley's graduation from Kindergarten and the biggie Quinn's 4th birthday. Seems like not too long ago we met this rash covered little baby in Hefei, Anhui with the cutest mischievous smile and here we are almost three years later already. Where does the time go?

Holly