A Star is Born!!!!!!!!!!

What talent this little guy showed everyone this weekend as he performed in the high school musical, "The Music Man." Derek has been practicing for this weekend since this fall. He played the character Winthrop Paroo. His part was pretty big, and he had two solos to sing, as well. He did great!!!!! They performed 4 times this weekend (Thurs.-Sat.). Needless to say, he well deserves this next week being spring break! We ALL are tired!

We sure have had our share of sickness this winter. Daniel and Aslynn particularly have struggled with many viruses. They seem to catch any little thing going around, and there is a bunch of stuff going around. We hope to gain some strength over spring break, so they both can fight away any remaining germs out there! Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to stay strong, too! Ava has remained fairly healthy through it all. Only got sick once. Derek spent the week of the play at his grandparent's house, as we desperately wanted him to stay healthy for his performances. It worked!!!!!

Ava continues to progress in many ways. She endured babysitters galore this weekend, as there was no way she could have tolerated sitting through the play performances. She did very well considering! She was anxious for Derek to return home from staying at grandma and grandpa's house. She really missed him!

We continue to be thankful for all of you who show interest in our family. Your prayers are felt! If you haven't had a chance to meet Ava yet and you are this direction, please feel free to come by and say hello. We are much more flexible these days!!!!

Happy Birthday to us!

Aslynn and Ava both celebrate a birthday a week apart. Aslynn's is Feb. 26, 2003, while Ava's is March 5, 2002. We just had a big Princess party for them this past Friday! The girls had a great time! Ava handled the whole situation very well. We didn't know what to expect with this being her first big party. She did not seem intimidated by all the people, and she loved the presents. She is very protective of "her stuff!" Aslynn picked the theme of the party before we even went to get her sister. She was sure a princess theme would be perfect, and it was!

Our family has sure had a bunch of sickness in the last month. We are hoping when the REAL spring weather comes, we can wipe all these cruddy germs out of here and be HEALTHY! Derek performs in "The Music Man" at the high school this weekend, so we are hoping and praying that he stays healthy. He has taken up residence at Grandma and Grandpa Rohm's house to sleep at night this week just to be on the safe side. Less germs!

Ava is adapting to life in the U.S. pretty well these days. She is feeling more at home all the time. She and Aslynn are learning to play nicely with each other. Ava is a little shy and clingy in a public setting, but knowing what her real personality is like, that should not last very much longer. She can be very social. She is picking up English all the time, and she understands quite a bit, we think.

This next week is spring break! We are anxious to relax a little and enjoy some time together. Of course, the boys are just glad to not have any school! Hope the weather gets better for it!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. Without it, we wouldn't be where we are!

Settling in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well.......here we are! We have hit the two week mark of being home. Things are slowly falling into place. Each day, we see improvements in Ava. We still have many challenges, but most are very normal for children in this stage of foreign adoption. Aslynn and Ava are learning to try to get along as sisters. We still don't like to share (who does?)! Bedtime is quite a chore. The boys seem to be settled back into their routines and busy lives. This picture is our first day out to church. Ava isn't used to wearing a dress. I think she thinks I am forgetting something when I put one on her. :) Paul is back into his regular work schedule. I am not quite back into a routine yet, and I sometimes wonder if there ever will be one again!

We are so thankful for all of you who have been praying for us and this transition. W ask that you continue to pray for Ava, first. Pray that she can begin to understand what a family is all about, learn English quickly, and to respond appropriately to discipline. Pray for the other kids, as they continue to adjust to life with a new sibling, and that they can understand why Ava has certain behaviors. Pray for mom and dad as they try to deal patiently with their new daughter and that they can help her adjust to her new life in the easiest fashion. I will continue to try and keep this blog updated, as I know many of you are eager to know what is going on, yet shy to ask!!! :)