Thanksgiving in the frozen tundra of the North

We headed North to spend Thanksgiving with Amy's family in Northern Indiana. While it was indeed freezing there, it wasn't as cold as other visits have been. We were hoping for some snow for the girls' sake, but just got cold temps. instead.

Building block towers with Uncle Jeremy

Reading with Uncle Jeremy

Essie & Chloe with belated birthday presents from Uncle Andy & Aunt Caroline


The biggest hit of the weekend was having Uncle Andy spin the kids on Meemaw's new spinning toy.

National Adoption Day

ok, so this post is a day late, but this adoption caseworker was out working all day yesterday. So..."Happy National Adoption Day!" Since most people aren't familiar with this day, I've posted the history of this day below. For more information, visit the National Adoption Day website.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY
In November 2000, National Adoption Day was
launched as the National Adoption Day Coalition worked with law firms, state
foster care agencies, child advocates and courts to complete hundreds of foster
care adoptions in nine jurisdictions nationwide (New York City; Los Angeles;
Chicago; Dallas; El Paso; Fort Worth; Washington, D.C.; Omaha, Nebraska and
Columbus, Ohio).

As this grassroots effort took hold across the United
States, the number of events grew quickly, from 17 in 2001, to 120 in 2003, and
to 300 events in 2006 in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico.

Today National Adoption Day is celebrated nationwide as hundreds
events are held each year throughout the country to finalize the adoptions of
children in foster care, and to celebrate all families who adopt. In total, more
than 25,000 children have been adopted from foster care on National Adoption Day
during the last 10 years.

Bearded Ladies

Operation Christmas Child

Don't forget to drop off your shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child this week. The girls and I just dropped off 30 boxes that our church collected. Not bad for a little country church on a dead end road. Way to go High Bridge Union Church!

Essie & Chloe with the shoeboxes they helped pack

Sunday Drivin'

With the thermometer pushing 75 degrees, we decided yesterday would be a great day to go for a drive and enjoy what may be the last nice weekend for a while. We headed south without really knowing where we would go. We ended up on the Kentucky/Virginia/Tennessee border at Cumberland Gap. This is where Daniel Boone brought the early Kentucky settlers through the mountains. It was a very fun trip, and the girls did great on the three-hours-each-way car ride.

Chloe checking out the view from the Pinnacle Outlook

Essie and Chloe looking down on Cumberland Gap, Tennessee

The town of Cumberland Gap, TN, from above

Looking back into Kentucky (from Virginia)

Chloe & Essie

Looking over Powell Valley, Virginia - a long way down

Civil War cannon in an old Confederate fort

Chloe & Essie

Watching a chipmunk play down the mountain

Making mommy nervous (don't worry - it wasn't straight down)

Making mommy really nervous

"Don't worry, mommy. It's not scary."

Essie is queen of the mountain

Chloe & Essie

Chloe is in Virginia; Essie is in Kentucky

Family picture on the Pinnacle Outlook

Exploring some of the neat rock formations

Going through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel into Tennessee

(This is not how Daniel Boone came.)

Now entering Tennessee - our third state of the day

Way up there is where we were overlooking

This is the little town we saw from above

Going back through the tunnel into Kentucky

This may have been the girls' favorite part of the trip.

Both Hands

Yesterday,we helped out our friends, the Maas family, raise money for their adoption of 2 more children from Ethiopia, by helping a widow with some household projects. The girls and I become part of the leaf patrol and we cleaned up one of the biggest piles of leaves I've ever seen. I was very proud of them for helping and they would not take a break until the whole pile was cleaned up. Even after the other kids got destracted, Essie & Chloe kept working. The funniest part was when some other girls their age started jumping and playing in the pile and our girls got very upset because they were messing up their pile. I had to explain to them it was ok to play in the leaves and encourage them to do it. Once they tried it, they decided it was pretty fun indeed.

Read the article from our local paper on the event: http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/1020615.html

Check out this Youtube video of our day:

New Ellie

One of the best parts about my job is letting the girls tag along when I do post placement visits with kids their age. On Wednesday, we got to visit with "new Ellie" (old Ellie would be our friend who was adopted from Albania). It took all 3 girls a bit to warm up to each other, but as you can see, by the time we left, they were fast friends. Can't wait to hang out with you some more, Ellie!

Sleeping Beauty

Despite Essie assuring me that she is not sleepy, she has fallen asleep the last 2 days.

Sporting a princess crown in the car & with her favorite Carebear

The princesses go to church

The girls really like to get dressed up for church!

Picture of the day

Essie is one of the most thorough cleaners I know.

Bounce U

Last night, our church had a night out for the younger kids at Bounce U. The girls LOVED it, especially the giant slide. Unfortunately, they were so fast on it, I couldn't get a good picture. As you will see, a bunch of these are blurry, but it gives you an idea of the fun that was had by all.

Jenna & Jamie

Chloe, Jenna & Essie with Shelby giving a helpful push

The obstacle course

Our youth pastor David & Shelby's dad Kenny

Ababa & Chloe boxing

The whole group of kids

Chloe, Jenna, Essie

Essie's Homemade Ice Cream

After Halloween Specials

We love after Halloween clearance sales. The girls are sporting their new princess jewelry along with their yard sale princess dresses.

So yes, as you've probably noticed, the girls are WAY into princess stuff right now. Last week they were playing dress-up and I was cleaning the bathroom. They wanted to help so I sent them out to the living room to clean windows. Figured they're still a little young to be cleaning toilets, but I didn't want to diffuse their excitement about cleaning. And yes, Chloe's Cinderella dress is too small but they'd die if I got rid of it. They love that they both can wear Cinderalla dresses at the same time. As you've also probably noticed, I tend not to dress them alike. The funny thing is when they pick out their clothes, they tend to pick matching outfits.