My sister's girls. They come to my house every day after school and always have. I love it!
My sister.
My sister on the left.
Right to left: My cousin, my sister and me. I'm wearing my genuine Smoky Mountain Indian necklace. We went there every summer. LOL
My sister and my brother.
So my sister in the middle in the blue. My Mom's sister behind her with all her family. I'm in the white. My Dad is sitting in the chair by my Mom's Dad--my Grandpa, who was one of the best Christians I've ever know. When you hear someone say "Well, he wasn't perfect" you pretty much know he was.
There ain't no thing like a Bret Bai Ling.
Lael: "Bret's everybody's favorite."
Brown legs and white feet. Farmer's tan from tennis.
Mike: "The only person Mom ever spoiled more than Boone is Bret."
That's funny seeing how different the two are! Bret the pleaser. The one that always tries to do the right thing (well, almost always). The peace maker. The great student without even trying. Hmmm... Boone's the... everything opposite. Ha! The I don't give a crap guy.
Bret is getting ready to graduate high school and start her college career! It'll be pure pleasure watching!
Lael and Lyric at Bret's induction into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS). Bret had already been inducted into the National Honor Society her Junior year. She took some Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes her senior year, which qualified her to be nominated for the NTHS as well.
Lael: "Mom tell Bret she has to go to my nurse pinning ceremony!! She says she would rather sleep in."
Me: "That's funny."
Lael: "It's not funny! She's serious!!" Me: "I know she's serious. Bret you have to go." Bret: "I'm going. I decided to go as soon as Lael said she was telling Dad."
Bret's referral pictures. I'll take that one! Love at first sight!! She was severely burned in the orphanage. : - ((((
This was the very first night we had Bret. We were at the wonderful White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. I loved "back in the day" when everyone adopting from China (and there were a lot) stayed there. Actually, Bret is from the Guangzhou orphanage. Home to close to a thousand orphans at any given time.
Bret came to her Daddy and me in some non matching, too small, too dingy clothes. I guess they meant something to her though, because every time I tried to take them off to give her a bath she started the saddest most pitiful cry you can imagine. She had just went through an hour of softly sobbing because she didn't want to go with us with the tears rolling down her cheeks. It
was one of the most mournful sights I had ever witnessed.
So,
what do you do?
When no coaxing or sweet talk would change her mind, Bret ate dinner at the 5 Star hotel in her non matching, too small, too dingy clothes.
The good news! When she saw all the fancy food--the anything she wanted--the eat till I can't hold any more. Well, let's just say Bret wanted to stay with us after that. And the next day when she saw the director who brought her to us, Bret wanted absolutely nothing to do with her.
The bad news. Bret ate so much that night she threw up--a lot. LOL
Finally got her old clothes off and into the tub!
I can get into this life... So this is what parents do for ya...
Bret meets Eliot.
Bret and cousin Eliot.
Your journey to become a hero begins when you grant God permission to have HIS way.
Stafan is 100 % athlete.
Voted best looking 8th graders on the track team. Well, if it was up to me they would be!! Mike: "Lyric do you like like track?" Lyric: "Mostly. But I hate meets. They make me run a race and is stresses me out."
My niece Darby.
Darby: "I did great! I beat some people!"
Happy Easter!! Our God is risen and reigning, and we're elevating the glory of our God and King, so everybody rise and sing!
Love the way Bret is telling Lael where she has to sit. LOL I'm sure Lael first told Bret to move. Ha!!
Bret: "You know the melty bunny you got Boone? He purposely sit on it. It's stuck to his new pjs. He does the strangest things. He had a noodle on his shoulder."
