IT'S FATHER'S DAY !!!!

Well, Happy Father's Day to all you great Dads. I hope you have enjoyed your special day with your kids. Paul's day started off at church. Is there a better way than to start the day off with worship? I always feel like the Dad's get ripped off because our church always honors the Mom's with flowers but the Dad's seem to get little recognition. Anyway, Paul doesn't complain. He is now at softball(what he loves to do in his spare time) and then we are having dinner and a volleyball game with family. As far as Paul and Mikenna's relationship, some days it is going well and then some days she wants nothing to do with him. She will only approach him when he is on the ground. Sometimes we don't know if she is just playing a game with him or if she is still not ready to fully trust him. It is hard to tell because her emotions are still unpredictable and her language isn't far enough along to really express what is going on inside that little head of hers. As I wrote in my Mother's Day blog, I had a host of emotions on that day. I have to admit that I really haven't given much thought to how Mikenna's birth Dad must feel. Does he mourn the lost of his daughter? Does he and his wife regret leaving her? Have they had other children? Let's remember all our Dad's in prayer as they are such a vital part in raising our children and giving them a sense of security. Thanks Dads!!!!

Mikenna having some fun!

Mikenna is loving summer. She loved being outside in China and she longs for the nice weather when she can just be outside to play with bubbles, mow the lawn or play with friends. She is the happiest when she is allowed to be out and about. Here are a few pictures of her. Enjoy!

Welcoming Mikenna to the Neighborhood!

New Photos of Mikenna

Where has the time gone?

We now have been home 2 months and Mikenna has made so many adjustments. She is speaking English in 2-3 words per sentence. That is average for a typical 2 year old. She understood English shortly after we arrived but I think by 1 month comprehension was all there and then the speech followed. She has experienced a lot of new sights, foods and activities. We went to a minor league baseball game and she loved all the people, eating the junk food and at the end of the game, there was fireworks- she was mesmerized by them. She knows if the girls are gone that they are either at school or soccer. She is working on her ABC's and she has started to count up to 3. She is so smart (sorry that I'm bragging). She really remembers things that we say and she'll repeat it back to us. She loves to pray at dinner and I think that is the cutest thing that she has picked up from us. A big answer to prayer is that she no longer asks for her foster mom. While we were in China, she constantly asked for her and that broke my heart. I think this past month she hasn't asked at all for her- praise the Lord! I'm not sure if she has forgotten her foster mom, but I definitely see a difference in her attitude. She sometimes has problems sleeping thru the night but I'm not sure what causes that. She still is cautious around Paul, but she will play and goof around with him.(It's all men that she doesn't go to, not just Paul.) She needs to let him hold her and see that he isn't such a bad guy! Her personality has come out and she is a complete ham. If she knows she has peoples attention- look out for a show. I will try to have Paul attach some videos for you all to see a silly side of Mikenna. We will be going to Children's Memorial Hospital this month to have her ear checked out. The head of the dept. will be seeing Mikenna. (It is a female Dr., thank goodness.) We really do not know what to expect from this appointment. I just hope Mikenna will cooperate and that they can get an accurate exam. I am so thrilled that Mikenna is adjusting. Our girls are SOOOOOOOO in love with her and are still excited to show her off to their friends. We are all so fortunate to have one another. Summer is coming and I think Mikenna is in for a couple of months of a lot of attention. Have a great summer!