Everybody needs a Luci.

She's a real lovebug!

She has been planning an anniversary dinner for John and me for a long time.  She told the boys that they had to help, because "it's a family activity!"

JT stayed around to help, and they cooked two different dishes from Luci's Disney Princess Cookbook.

Here they are whipping up Bayou Meatloaf and Gus' Mac and Cheeseburger (without the burger).

And the end result at dinner, with the "fancy decorations, Mama."

 It was all delicious.  Of course, I am saving the menu!  It is priceless.  Luci still spells everything phonetically.  :)

JT and Luci also frosted John's birthday cake last week.  Luci did all the putting together, and JT helped to frost it.

I must say, I'm loving how blogger has changed and lets you insert videos quite easily now.

Chaperone

Yes, we've been married for twenty-two years, but we still need a chaperone.  

Or, that's what we got anyways when our babysitter fell through.  Luci went to lunch with us on our anniversary date.

She got to hear a couple of stories about our wedding and where it took place.  Such sweet memories from the early years of our marriage!

Story One:

Our wedding was just for family, in an old church set on the campus of Boise State University.  The family was inside, waiting for the Bride (me!) and the Father of the Bride (Dad!) to enter. 

A young lady walked up to the chapel and tried to get in.  I asked her why was she there?  She said her friend was getting married at 11 a.m., and she wanted in to watch. 

I said, "I'm the bride, and I don't know you.  You're at the wrong wedding."

She left, a bit confused.

Story Two:

I wanted to get John a fantastic Christmas present a few years after that.  A local man, Ford Brown, made quite a name for himself making bird houses that looked just like Alabama historical places.  Quaint barns, little cottages, small shops.  I found out where he lived and went to his home with pictures of the little church in Boise.  I hoped he would make something not-from-Alabama, and have it done by Christmas (months away at that point). 

Happily, he said yes, but the price was way beyond what I could scrape up.  One hundred dollars!  I left, quite sad.

On Christmas Day, I got the best present ever from John...a birdhouse made by Ford Brown, to look just like our little wedding chapel!

 The day I got this sweet gift (that's JT):

 And where it lives now:

Thirty Days of Thanks

As always, I am thankful for the example that my parents and John's parents are. They have had long marriages and are all faithful to the Lord. And they are fun grandparents, just ask our kids. The photo collage shows John's folks on the left--John's dad Olen had a 56 year long marriage with Elrino (who passed away in 2002--you would've loved her, their photo is on the bottom), and is now married to Jeanne (photo on top)--what great folks they are. My parents are on the top right and of course I think they are tops. They've been married for 57 years now. Wow. I had to include the shot on the bottom right--John and me in younger days.

These photos are from photographs that are hanging in our "Hall of Fame" here in GreenHill.

Family Day!!

Today was the fourth anniversary of Luci joining our family! It was a great day full of good memories. One thing that struck me as unusual was this: Last night I gave Luci a Barbie "Chinese New Year" doll--dressed in a red dress, holding a red good luck envelope, and with gorgeous black hair. We had not talked about Luci's China mama much in the past few months. Luci looked at that doll and said, "She looks like my China mama." She also picked up the chopsticks at the restaurant today and said, "Chinese girls eat with chapsticks." Cute. She ate about half her meal quite nicely with the "chapsticks" before switching to a fork.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Never Forget

Girders in the shape of a cross, preserved from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, stand over the site of the attack.

Photo and caption borrowed from Moments of Silence Mark 9/11 Anniversary on msnbc.com

The Best Thing We've Ever Done

Three years ago, a little bundle of girl was handed to us. What a day! This is the best thing we've ever done--give a little girl a family. And in return, she is exactly what we needed.

I had a special little item for Luci that we got while we were in China, all saved for our Gotcha Day. Luci found it! So I found another gift: a fairy princess dress. She likes this better than the little bento box and chopsticks, anyway (it is very similar to this one). And it fits her fairy tale life.

I made Chinese food for supper, and we had a special pie for dessert. I asked everyone to say something about Luci. (For the boys, I specified that it had to be nice.)

John said that Luci is such a thankful child. John walked into the house with balloons and Luci said, "Thank you, Daddy!" several times. She says thank you quite often during the day, without any prodding at all. It is so sweet.

JT: "Luci's the cutest person in the whole wide world."

Bryan: "I'm glad we got you. Without you we wouldn't be in this house."

Me: I said that Luci meant hope for our family. We'd been through a lot, losing a baby and then searching for a child to be in our home. Searching for a place to build a new home and finding this perfect place, this happy house. Her story, and why we searched for her are stories full of hope.

Here are some highlights from today: Bryan presenting Luci with her gift.
Princess dresses are more appropriate for this child than that old bento box!

Three great kids!

What Lu Min Jie had on three years ago.
The pacifier was tied around her neck, and this outfit was so big! The sleeves and pants legs were rolled up more than half their length.
Kalyn and Kathy came over today. The girls had a lot of fun trying on different clothes. It was pretty funny, and not always G-rated. It was not hard to imagine them as teens, trying on each other's clothes. I'm so glad we know Kalyn and her family!
Kitty Kalyn
Her true character:

silly!

Happy Anniversary!

Dad and Mom

56 years
John and Susan

17 years