Miss Guangzhou

That's what Mike likes to call Bret since she is from Guangzhou.


DSCN2465

Yesterday Bret was minding her own business, which she usually is, and I decided to annoy her... Bret never annoys anyone.




DSCN2475

Is it bragging if you're just repeating what someone else says? Probably. The other day Bret's school guidance counselor called about what classes Remi should take next year since she is still playing catch up from China. Bret got to know the counselor since about a year ago Bret was on homebound for a semester. I asked her how she thought Bret was doing having to wear the garment and being around her peers. She said "Bret is so smart, pretty and dresses so cute I don't see why she wouldn't do well. Besides, if anyone messes with Bret they'll have to deal with me." I never even told Bret that.

DSCN2477


DSCN2500



DSCN2481


DSCN2487


DSCN2495


DSCN2527


DSCN2521



welcome

We've taken Bret back to china twice. I think this was when we were adopting Cokie and I was "scouting" and spyed Arden.

Sorry in advance, because I started looking at old pictures and went down memory lane. I've been accused by the other kids of letting Bret by with stuff. The truth is Bret is a peace maker and rarely does anything to make me mad.



babybret



bret teeth



Lain Bret  Lyric


MommyandBret
This looks pretty sappy, but I know I didn't pose for it.

mommys girl
This was soon after we got home with Bret. I was worried about how I would bond with an older one. She was 4 1/2 y.o. and even though she only wanted Mike at first she TOTALLY melted my heart the first minute I laid eyes on her. The funny part was I had prayed she would like Mike better than me. I wanted him to want to adopt again. Bret was #4 and he said no more. Boy, did God answer the prayer! Mike would pick her up and she would give me a sly small smile and want me to move away. On the plane ride home out of no where Mike said "Maybe we will do this one more time." That was 6 kids ago.

DSCN1437


DSCN6385


DSCN8473


DSCN8330


DSCN5932


DSCN6009


DSCN6117



DSCN7057


DSCN7166


DSCN7190


DSCN5837


DSCN6645



DSCN4781



DSCN5699





Merry day after CHRISTmas!



DSCN0250

At about 4:30 CHRISTmas Day I decided we had too much food and way too many sweets, so I got the great idea that it would be silly to cut into this cake and not share the "coolness" of it. So, Becki and I along with some of our cute kids hopped in the car and drove it to a near by nursing home. I thought the women would get a kick out of it. Well, they didn't notice the cake at all. Instead they cooed and aahed over the girls. They told them they were pretty and liked their clothes. Becki and I decided we would make cupcakes and have the kids pass them out soon.

I have a friend that takes her kids every week and visits a nursing home. How cool is that?


DSCN0337

This is what Gabrielle wore to the nursing home. One lady said to her, "I love you." Gabrielle said "Aaah I love you too?" I do bet the older women liked this fur coat. I bet half of them had one. : - )))


DSCN0324


DSCN0310
Lael said "You should be taking them a Jesus Birthday cake!" I told her "Honey, if they haven't gotten it figured it by now they are in trouble!"--I'm just sayin'...


DSCN0309


DSCN0233


DSCN0288


DSCN0305

Back to the food!


DSCN0284


DSCN0245



DSCN0294



DSCN0293

Pretty! I can say that, because Becki made them. She even made the white chocolate snowflakes. They were red velvet cake with white chocolate frosting.


DSCN0289


DSCN0264



DSCN0342


DSCN0357


DSCN0348

Cokie is a carnivore and always has been. She also made a big deal out of wanting a big Hershey bar for CHRISTmas.


DSCN0367

I don't know where I heard of the pickle game, but I did. So we hid the pickle several times and the kids ran around the house searching for a pickle so they could win presents. The kids got a big kick out of it, so I think we'll make it a tradition!

DSCN0379
I bought a lot of t-shirts at Go Fish for surprises


DSCN0376


DSCN0380


DSCN0365



DSCN0361
Searching for the pickle.


DSCN0381
Lyric said she didn't care if she didn't get anything else, but she had to have a pocket watch for CHRISTmas. No clue where she got that idea.



DSCN0382
I was just now downloading this picture. I know Lyric's looks and I know my brother's. I asked her, "What was Uncle Roger saying?" Lyric: "Oh, he was just looking at my pocket watch and he said I should shoot the .... with my gun." I'm not going to say what Roger told Lyric she should shoot, but I will say Jeeves was trying to eat my brother up.


DSCN0268
I know shocking, but don't worry she loves Jeeves.


DSCN0345



DSCN0394


DSCN0383


DSCN0390


DSCN0183

Christmas morning we went to church since it is CHRISTmas and not just "Happy Holiday."

DSCN0192




DSCN0205


DSCN0201


DSCN0030
Since we went to church on Christmas and had company coming we opened our presents on Christmas Eve (the kids liked that too, but we're not going to make it a tradition).


DSCN0031


DSCN0032


DSCN0122


DSCN0123


DSCN0124


DSCN0131
As you can see Bret is equally excited. : - )



DSCN0048
OK, so she asked for these. They are those sparkling things you hang in your door.


DSCN0007


DSCN0012


DSCN0065


DSCN0105


DSCN0148

DSCN0026


DSCN0179
Lael liked Cokie's doll--I'm serious.



DSCN0041
Bret wrapped a lot of my presents and she was bummed, because she wanted this so I told her to write her name on it too. The perks of being the wrapper.


DSCN0084


DSCN0073
He was thrilled to hold these up--not.


DSCN0070


DSCN0055


DSCN0042


DSCN0043