fall fun

Happy Autumn!

I'm scooting!

The face of a 3 year old.

The Birthday Gift.  "My Barn!"

Birthday party spread.

Hanging out in her bedroom with Aunt Jenna.

Qiao Qiao's family.

The always greatly anticipated opening of gifts.

Pink cupcake cake.

Lick off that icing!  Why even bother with the cake?

Cutie pie Tabitha.

Infamous Qiao Qiao

Lilian was asleep and missed the family shot.  Maddie couldn't stop stuffing her face for even a second.

Grandpa and Grandma Steiner's gift. 

 Opened the day before the party which was the day before the actual birth.

Picnic lunch with the Tompkins.

Great gift, Grandpa and Grandma!

Making Thanksgiving cookies with Christmas cookie cutters.

We took every opportunity to celebrate Madeleine's birthday this weekend.

Hudson's idea of fun.

Second most fun thing to do.

Finished product.  

The kids cut and decorated the cookies.  What a floury, fun mess we had.

Happy Halloween!

Old Chinese man, Baby Einstein, Princess.

Smokin' hot old Chinese woman with her princess.

Pirate Clinton.

Spiderman Peter.

The bounty.

Football match.  

We are the ones with the big fat one by our name.  

Final Score.

Fires are always fun to start after a game.

The foreigners in the stands.

smiles, paint and wounds

About a month ago Madeleine got her arm stuck between the treadmill belt and a ball that got sucked under the treadmill.  This is what it did to her arm.  Her arm is almost completely healed now and looks like it will have very little scarring.  A huge praise.  Thank you to all who prayed for her and us.

About an hour after the trauma.  Clear fluid is dripping off the wounds.

Displaying her "special blanket" that helped keep the dressing in place.  It's 2 of Phil's socks with the feet cut out.

A night or two after the incident.  Still pretty wet.

Brave face

Peppermint tea.  Madeleine's latest craze.

Here we are Papa!

Phil found this Ohio State blanket for sale in a shop here.

Hey, big blue eyes.

See my foot?

"Mom, Wiwian is the same as my blanket.  Both orange!  Get the camera!"

Art school.  Saving on paper.

Nana came and we took the bus!

Nana and her youngest girls.

Nana and her baby girl.

Where Lilian is, there is Maddie.

A Friday surprise was bringing Peter home with me (Julie) after my class that afternoon.  Maddie had no idea and was so happy to see Peter with me.  We made pizza and played outside after dark.

Art Stencil.  

Phil's great idea for wall art and he made it with Maddie's help.

She smiles!

Our nightly routine of reading books redesigned by Maddie to include both of us in our pajamas, lying on the couch, under our own blankets with a stack of books.