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So excited to make a LONG OVERDUE trip to see my dear, precious friends-the Welch family-for several days!!!! On Thursday, I loaded up all the kiddos and made the 6 hour haul to good ol' Mississippi:) It was so good to be back to visit....and the kids are loving it...(maybe even more than me, but probably not;)

Our first night there, Julie's sweet parents kept ALL of the kids for us until Jerry got home to watch them at bedtime, so that we could go to the local adoption group in their area...{that is honestly another post in itself-SERIOUSLY}>>>BUT, while there, I got to meet several "blog friends" that I have made along the way! It was so fun to meet them in person:) Kim, that I posted about just a few weeks ago, just arrived home from China with her baby girl, Ansley. Just so happens, she lives around the corner from Julie...what a small world! Then, another friend I have followed for a long time is Alison (or Lovin' Much as I like to refer to her)...she is on the waitlist for her 4th child, Caroline Faith, from Ethiopia...feel like I have known them forever, when I really only just met them in person yesterday....here we are at the meeting...

Amy, Alison, Kim, me
Amy is waiting for a referral from China SN program....can't wait to follow along as she sees her daughters face for the first time...how exciting...it really is amazing how God works, moves and even uses people from all over through your journey. The common bond of Jesus and adoption creates a unique and instantaneous bond and it is really wonderful and humbling to be a part of it. How good He is to me....I will praise Him for all my days...
**Psalm 146:2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.**

First Day at the River!

Last Sunday after church, we decided to head to the river...the first time of the season....& ALiCe's VERY FIRST BOAT RIDE! She absolutely LOVED it and screamed the whole time..."Daddy, GO FAST!!!!!" We had a blast...the first of many fun days to come...hurry up, summer!!

The Evans are Home!!

Well, my sweet friend, Meia and her family got home from China last Saturday-they brought home Betsy, who is 5:) What a wonderful homecoming!! Todd is our pastor and their family was greatly missed while they were gone...glad to have them home safe and sound...I will post a couple of pictures, and will leave the rest for Meia to post on her blog! Since our orphan ministry began in November 2009, this is the 3rd child home from our church family....it is pretty cool to see the children start coming home after the long process...God is good!!


Another one home!!

Serious Business...

I love my Lucy.....

and man, do I love those hands....I love that she gets just as dirty as she can and never thinks twice!

You know, digging for worms is SERIOUS BUSINESS....

Alice's First Playdate:)

On April Fools day, Alice had her first playdate....several moms in our FCC group got our girls together...they had lots of fun!!!

Emma, Lily Mei, Alice and YouYou....such sweet and beautiful girls:)

Opening Day

Saturday, April 2nd, was Opening Day for baseball...Charlie had his first game and Max still hasn't played his first yet....here is the gang on Saturday....Alice's first ballpark experience....

It is a miracle--I caught them serious...

She would just watch and wait for everyone to clap...she is precious!

Charlie up to bat....

Max, my little Ranger...

This was Alice most of the time while at the ballfield...

I never got around to posting about it, but Alice got the cutest new haircut...it suits her spunky personality:)

She learned this from her brothers...on your mark, get set, GO!!

Then, this happens...a skinned knee:( She was crying her heart out and I was going to snap a picture. When I lifted the camera, out came the biggest smile...little monkey:)

She has the absolute CuTeSt smile in the world....how could I resist???

Lucy and her buddy, Vance...

A pouting Lucy with her leg stuck between the tree trunks...only her...she is definitely her mother's child;)

All in all we had a wonderful and beautiful opening day....Alice enjoyed her first of many outings there too....have a great day:)