Harold Miller Invitational

As some of you may know, Ty plays golf.  Well, that is an understatement!  He loves the game.  For the past two summers, Ty would golf anywhere from 5-6 days per week!  I can't complain......I know where he is and what he is doing!

The Fairfield Christian Academy has an exceptional golf team this year.  They played this past Saturday in the Harold Miller Invitational.  Seven teams.  I'm not sure where Ty placed, maybe 5th or sixth overall, but the team won!  Not only did they win, but the guys all shot 81 or better!

They have sectionals this Tuesday!  Ty is the one in the middle holding the team trophy.

Go Knights!

Golf and Planes

Dane

Ty

Kyle and Ty

Lily on the plane

Sarah on the plane with Cassie

Both Dane and Ty are playing golf for Fairfield Christian Academy.  After years and years of football, basketball and baseball.....this is the only sport left!  I must say that it is much different to be a fan watching golf than the other sports.  First, you have to be quiet unless there is a great shot...then clapping is appropriate.  Second, you have to stay so far away and you can't speak to the golfers.  This is good because I don't know anything about golf unlike the other sports where I have things to say from time to time!  Third, it is one of the only sports where you get a workout by watching!  I do enjoy walking the course WHEN I do not have the girls with me....great walk!  When the girls are with me I am slightly miserable and would be rich if I had a nickle for every time I said, "Shhhhh!"  Dane is on the JV team this year.  Ty golfs in the number two spot for the team.  One of the photos is with Kyle, the number one guy.  Both Kyle and Ty made it to state last year.  If all goes well, the Knights will send their entire team to state this year!  So far Ty has had some great games.  Such is the game of golf, he has had a few not so good days!  One of the more exciting ones was where he shot a 34, two under par at a match at Valley View.  On the ninth hole he pitched it in for an eagle!  One of those "you are allowed to clap" moments!

One Sunday our small group met at a hangar at the local airport.  One of our group members has a small plane.  We had a great picnic and everyone was given the opportunity to go up in the plane and get a birdseye view of Lancaster, Ohio!  I passed as I only get on planes to travel to destinations and not for enjoyment!  Tom took Lily up and our friend Cassie took Sarah up.  I did drive the golf cart around the airport!

First Day of School

Dane, Sarah, Lily and Ty on the first day of school!

Ty on the first day of his FINAL year of school!

Dane is way too cool for the ninth grade!

Lily at her desk in Mrs. Neff's class.

                                                     Sarah at her desk in Miss. Cassidy's class.

The 2010-11 school year began on August 23rd.  I haven't had a working computer in a while so I am late getting things posted.  The girls were excited to start the first grade at Fairfield Christian Academy.  Both of the girls were thrilled with the teacher they were assigned to this year.

Dane is a freshmen....yikes!  Tyler is starting his senior year....double yikes!

I have subbed a few days at their school so I get to see them on occasion....which is fun!

Fat Cat

Well, Sugar Bears Pizza is my favorite pizza in town, but they weren't open on the day of my birthday so we went to my next favorite..Fat Cat's!  As a kid, my dad always called me, "Fat Kat the water rat."  So, it was fun to think of my dad on my birthday!

Tom and Ty's trip to the White Mountains

As some may know, Tom and Ty love to do some serious hiking.  When Ty was 12 they hiked 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail through the Smokey Mountains.  They have done some other hikes along the way, but that was the big one.....six days, five nights.  This was their second big one.  Only this time they headed east to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  I don't know the miles, but the trip was cut short to four days. They camped in some primitive spots and saw a lot a great views.  Sadly, due to Tom spraining his ankle, they did not climb Mt. Washington like they had hoped.  No regrets though....it was a great time for both of them.  I love that Tom and Ty have this sort of time together.  It will make for great memories for Ty!  Ty talked Tom into driving through New York City on the way home!  They didn't even get out of the car, but they saw Lady Liberty, Central Park, Ground Zero the Empire State Building (I think.)

Glad to have my mountain men home!

Guangdong Reunion

Hannah and Lily

Lily, Hannah and Chloe.....November 2004

Red Couch Photo of 2004

Chloe, Hannah and Lily.  There were over 60 cribs in the Yangjiang SWI.  Our nine girls were spread throughout that room, but these three were cribmates!  Hannah was in the crib between Lily and Chloe.  Having been there twice, I'm thinking they probably rolled into each others cribs from time to time!

(See photo above from 2004)

Our lame attempt at re-enacting the red couch photo.  Left to right front row:  Chloe L, Lilianna, Lily, Jasmine, Joy, Chloe C.  Left to right back row: Ruthie, Kendall, Rylie and Hannah

(See Red Couch Photo from 2004 above)

This is a photo of the girls and the siblings that came along for the reunion.  Let's see...four siblings from China, one sibling from Ethiopia and four made in the USA.

Slow boat from China!

Lily giving Hannah a hug goodbye...well, it was one of many hugs goodbye!

This is Lily with Hannah and Joy

Every year we have a reunion with the families that travelled to China together to adopt in 2004...Lily's adoption.  Twelve families spent over two weeks together touring Beijing prior to travelling to Guangdong Province to recieve our girls.  The twelve girls met their families on November 1st, 2004.  Nine of the girls were from Yangjiang SWI and the other three were from...oops...can't remember that name.  We spent most of our trip at the White Swan on the seventh floor. 

It has been exciting to see the girls together!  It takes a few minutes for the girls to warm up to each other, but then they act like they have been friends on a daily basis!  I am really enjoying seeing these relationships continue.  Tom and I enjoy the fellowship with the adults that became friends through this special connection.  We share many stories from our travel days.

It is also exciting to see how the families change from year to year!  Some continue to add new family members!

Guangdong Families....we love you!  See you next year!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah turned six on July 7th.  We really wanted to avoid any real party so I offered her a day with a few friends.  She decided that she wanted to go to the Baltimore Pool.  She invited Anagrace and Gwen....of course, Lily gets to go as well as Gwen's sisters Megan and Lyndon.  And with Megan, Lyndon and Gwen came Lorissa....my friend.  I'll spare the pictures of Lorissa and I!  After a day of swimming, I took the girls to McDonald's for dinner.

Tom was out of town on the seventh, so we had her cake the night before.  I know....lame cake!  She did enjoy the scooter she got from us!  And she really enjoyed spending birthday money from Grandma!  Happy Birthday, Sarah Jo!

The Pledge by Lily Alexander (pause song at the bottom before you play it)

Lily was only three years old when we recorded this, but it seems appropriate for a day like today!

Three P's......party, park and parade!

Ty's golfer's tan!

While at the park, we painted nails!  Yeah, well....I don't do pink!

I didn't get many pics at TJ's graduation party...this is the display of photos.

Day at the park...Sarah trying to whistle!

Lily at the park...trying to whistle!

Just the three of us at a picnic at the park.  They wanted to go swimming but the weather was way to nice to spend swimming!

Waiting with the Payne family...for the Lancaster parade.

Who wears yellow on their children for the Fourth of July parade?  I guess I do!

Gotta read this!

The Geise family showed up at the Adoption Fair at our church several years ago thinking God was calling them to adopt from China.  On that day, God made it clear that it was actually Ethiopia.  Through that process, God has called them to move to Ethiopia..........an amazing read....read it!

Father's Day......a new home office for Tom!

Today was Father's Day.  We weren't sure what to get Tom for Father's Day.  He hates to have us spend much money on him so I knew we had to keep it simple.  He had some suggestions, but none of them hit me as much as the idea that I had!

First, I consider myself extremely blessed to have Tom as the father to my kids!  I have always considered him to be the best person I know.....and he hates when I say that....because he is also the most humble person I know!  This last year has been a challenging year for us in terms of parenting.  When I have been weak, he has been strong!  When I have emotional, he has been together!  When I have been angry, he had the voice of reason!  When I wanted to react, he helped me find restraint!  When I didn't know if I could love enough, he loved enough for both of us!  When I wanted to shut down, he stepped it up and showed up!  He has helped me be a better parent in some tough times!  I so love and respect him for who he has been...especially this last year!

Through this, we've also gone through some serious transitions with our church.  Tom served as the interim lead pastor during a tough transition.  When many would have wanted to run, he stayed!  He stayed because God called him to stay!  I'm so grateful to have a guy that seriously seeks the heart of God in all that he does!

He was recently called to be the Lead Minister at our church.  For twelve years he has served as the Worship Pastor and now he preaches just about every Sunday. Quite honestly, I enjoy his messages.  I have the privilige of hearing them several times each week as he prepares!  There are seven of us living in this 3-bedroom home.  Every space is taken up by either a person or the belongings of a person!  We don't have an office or den as a place to get away to read and/or study.  Tom has made the front porch a place where he reads, studies and prepares for Sunday mornings.  For several months now I have complained that our front porch looks like a bit of a Hillbilly porch!  The old ladderback chair looked cool, but wasn't comfortable for reading.  So he used it as a table and sat in a lawn chair.  Many mornings he sits there with his Bible, an assortment of other books and his laptop.  There are the occasional days where it is the newspaper!  On many Sunday mornings, if a neighbor would be out, they would probably hear in the distance the sermon that would be given later that morning at our church!  Many Sunday mornings, I get to hear it as I contemplate getting out of bed and getting ready for the day!  I admire this in him and consider it am blessed at seeing and hearing his heart....coming from the front porch!

So the girls and I set out to shop on Saturday morning!  Lily is proud to say, "We got daddy a new home office!"  It's a simple chair and a simple table sitting on a simple porch!  I'm glad it doesn't have that hillbilly look!  So, maybe one day he will have some fancy office where he can bring his hundreds of books out of the basement and placed on fancy bookshelves.  Until then, his front porch home office will do....Happy Father's Day, Tom! I like the view of the front porch when you are sitting there!

GRADUATION PARTY!

You are invited to TJ's graduation party!

Saturday, June 26

4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

The Chapel

Fairfield Christian Church

1965 N. Columbus St.

Lancaster, Ohio  43130

(Park in the corner lot of Whittier and Columbus and enter Door H)

I guess the tooth fairy is visiting our house tonight!

It is a momentous occasion in our home as Lily lost her first tooth today!  This tooth has been hanging around way too long!  Quite honestly, you would think after having experienced three kids who have lost many teeth over the years, you'd think I wouldn't be so wimpy...but I hate the look of a loose tooth!  I do have an issue with some of the folks out there that "represent" the tooth fairy!  Lily says, "Mom, the kids in my class got $10.00 from the tooth fairy when they lost their first tooth."  My response, "Lily, I don't think that tooth fairy knows our family."  She follows that up with, "Well, I hope the tooth fairy that knows us can leave me a dollar and a quarter."  Personally, I still think that is a bit much for a tooth, but I'm thinking our tooth fairy can deliver a buck twenty five!  That's a first tooth deal only!  The bummer part is that the tooth fairy is really tired and wants to go to bed, but I still hear voices coming from behind their bedroom door!  Hope they sleep soon because I would hate for the tooth fairy to fall asleep and skip out on her duties!  Wouldn't that be heartbreaking for such a momentous occasion!

One down, four to go!!!!!

TJ receiving his diploma!

TJ was hugged by three of the principals.

TJ with Grandma Flo (My mom)

TJ with Grandma and Grandpa Alexander (Tom's Parents)

TJ with Tom and I

Well, he did it!  TJ graduated from high school this past Sunday!  We were excited...and proud!  We will be having a graduation party on June 26th.....more information coming on that at a later date!  What's next for TJ?  On Monday morning he started a full-time job with a local concrete company.  We are proud of you, TJ!

End of Kindergarten

Sarah with Mrs. Davis.  It was fun to see how much Sarah adores Mrs. Davis!

Lily with Mrs. Oller.  Lily thinks she really rocks!

Sarah and some of her classmates.

Lily and some of her girlsfriends from Mrs. Oller's class.  This girl thing is wild!

The girls and I on a walk at Chestnut Ridge.

The girls graduated from kindergarten this past Thursday.  It was quite the celebration!  Most of you would be shocked to see how much these kids have memorized in the way of Scripture and songs!  Amazing!  It's been a great year for the girls.  Both of them loved their teacher and their friends.  Both Lily and Sarah have finished the year well and both are so stinkin' smart!  I'm very proud of them.

The big graduation takes place tomorrow....TJ will graduate from high school.  I hope to post some pictures tomorrow night.  It's been a wild year as the girls started kindergarten and TJ wraps up school.  God has shown himself to be extremely good to me and extremely faithful!