We've had fun around the house with Eric home for two weeks. He's very creative and plans a lot of fun things for Elle, like fort and tunnel building. Mostly we are just enjoying being together! I'm afraid Elle will be turned upside down when Dada goes back to work next week and me too. Eric is a full-time Dada and that brings a lot of joy to Elle and me! I can't imagine doing this raising a child thing without him!

Sadly, we said goodbye to the Bledsoes, dear friends who were just here for a month and recently returned to their home in the Ivory Coast. They are missionaries in Africa where God is doing big things. We are so proud of them, humbled by their sacrifices, and grateful for their Kingdom service. Love to you, Bledsoes!



Our dear friends, the Bledsoes.

Elle is bonkers about the guitar! She participated in a children's acoustic guitar concert at church earlier this month and now she can't get the guitar off her brain! She has regular guitar time each day now. She is also playing more with her baby dolls. I was doing some basement cleaning and found a doll carrier that I had when I was a toddler. Elle was very excited about strapping on her baby to be just like Mama. I actually still use the baby carrier with her. She's just 23ish pounds and if we're out and it's around nap time or if she just wants to cuddle, which is often, she always enjoys riding in the carrier and being close to me.



Making frozen, chocolate banana treats - yum!

Elle loves her veggies! Bell pepper, anyone?

Well the cousins, and Chris and Jocelyn too, arrived yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. I know they were glad to have finished all the details and feeling a bit more at ease with just the journey before them. Jocelyn said that 'it' has been hitting her in waves - she'd be fine and then all of a sudden her stomach would feel funny and twisted up. :) Pretty exciting for sure!

We enjoyed some chili, cornbread and apple crisp and then just headed to bed. We were all tired and with a 3 a.m. wake-up call (except for Elle and myself), everyone needed some good rest. Sleeping arrangements are always a little tricky with the C&J's. We have a 3 bedroom home and a very unfinished basement and seriously, count them, there are 6 of them! ;) What I love is that they are always up for whatever and our nights together here are 'cozy' and very similar to a camp out! This time we put Elle's crib mattress on the floor in our room, Ami in a pack-n-play in the guest room with C&J and then the three other cousins on blow-up mattresses on the floor in Elle's room. The kiddos enjoyed cuddling together before bed time and I enjoyed seeing them together, but Elijah was missing and there's still plenty of room left for him! How blessed we are with our family!

Elle and I stayed in bed, but Eric drove them up to the airport so he could bring their minivan back. About 4:35 a.m. I woke to wind gusts that were incredible!!! Never have I felt winds this strong, even when we've had tornados come within a 1/2 mile! Then freezing rain started pelting the windows too - I was just a bit uneasy but Elle slept through it. I was relieved that they had probably already reached the airport but what would this weather do to their take-off??

I called Eric and he was already heading back, but just getting hit with the wind. Around 7:30 a.m. Jocelyn called to say they had been sitting in the plane for two hours due to the freezing rains. At 11:15 a.m. I called and she answered from Denver where they had just arrived and did catch their next flight into San Francisco. The Osaka flight is delayed due to all the connecting flight delays. Please pray that the Osaka flight waits and they'll be able to catch it today!

For such an incredible adventure I guess you gotta have good stories to go along with it all, aye?!

So far the rest of our day has been low-key with a little finger painting thrown in thanks to Papa and Gram. But our thoughts are never far from CJMBEJA and our prayers are constant for them all, especially the 7th Wolfe!

We had a quiet day, just the three of us. We ate duck, cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce. It was all delicious!

Last night AA (Aunt Alicia) & Uncle Kevin came over after the Christmas Eve service for a light dinner and some gift giving. Elle adores them and always looks forward to our time together.

Elle had a great time opening gifts this year. We caught a 'whoa!' on camera - too cute! After our big meal, we had a superb nap and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing on the floor.

Tomorrow the cousins arrive before their big trip. We have been praying and anticipating their China journey to bring our sweet nephew, Elijah, home!

It was a beautiful day - celebrating Jesus and the hope we have in Him! Merry Christmas dear friends and family! Elijah, we are praying for you and longing to have you home!

It's a finger painting smock. :)

I know, I'm skipping Thanksgiving (which was really great) and a host of other cute Elle stuff that's gone on in the last month plus, but we must get to this.... The next best thing to being in China to finally hold your baby is having a friend in China finally holding their baby! Even BETTER THAN THAT is having TWO friends (and husbands too, so I guess that's FOUR) in China finally holding their babies!

At about 1:00 a.m. this morning, Scott and Laurie took Aaron in their arms and David and Amy held Elisabeth for the very first time. I met Laurie online a few years ago through our agency while we were waiting for Allison and Elle. We lived in the same city at the time and were an encouragement to each other through the process/waiting. David and Amy were in our travel group in our first trip to China and we had the privilege of being in the same room together when we received our daughters in our arms for the very first time. Laurie and Amy became online friends before this trip and now they have a lifelong bond. So neat how God crosses our paths and blesses us with dear, Christian friends.

Each family has an exciting, miraculous, God orchestrated journey that unfolded today. Now, they begin a new journey with peace that their children are safely in their arms and that He will continue to guide and protect.

Oh how today made me long for our return to China!

While Scott and Laurie were having fun with Aaron in China, Elle and I had the pleasure of a play date with their daughter, Allison, who is staying in town with her Grandma.

Allison is a smart little one! She's just three, but reading books and big words too, like 'ornaments'! Wow! She also was the sweetest guest and told me before she left that our play kitchen was better than Nana's and that she had 'a thrilling time!' (Actually, I can't remember now if 'thrilling' was the word she used, but it was something pretty close to that as it knocked me off my feet when she declared it with much passion!)

Elle was a sweetheart too. We had wrapped a 'HAPPY BIG SIS' gift for Allison and then placed it on the kitchen table, ready for Allison's arrival. Allison hadn't been in the house for more than a minute when Elle ran from the living room, climbed up on the table and came back to present it to Allison who still had her coat on! Elle was so excited about Allison becoming a BIG SIS. We got her a sock puppet kit which was a lot of fun! The girls picked out the sock colors, eyes, buttons, yarn, etc. And we glued too!

Later the girls played with the toy kitchen and had a picnic and tea party. They busied themselves with other toys too, like the slide and then they watched a Sesame Street Silly Song video that Elle is bonkers about. For lunch they had tacos and apple cake for dessert that Allison was bonkers about. Then we finished up the puppets and before we knew it, Nana arrived - bummer, the date was over!

What a great morning to celebrate Aaron and Elisabeth, finally 'home', and to feel a little bit closer to all that joy in having Allison (the BIG SIS) in our home. Oh, she told me that her Mommy and Daddy were getting her little brother in China to bring him home and she spelled Aaron's name. Oh yeah, she spelled Kate too!

Joy to you all, dear friends!

Enjoy some Elle and Allison pics from our very special morning! (Elle's going through a weird smile stage.)

Snack time!
They kept bringing me plate after plate of food. I ate as fast as I could!
Working on our sock puppets. Allison wanted a pink cape.

Allsion opening up her HAPPY BIG SIS gift.
Lunch was a great success!
Allison wanted to get closer to Elle during the video.
Elle wanted to get even closer. Allison said, 'She's hurting me.' :)
Before all the moving around! :)