Spencer is 15!

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It was just yesterday that Spencer was barely the size of a football and could be carried that way. Now, he is as tall as I am and is now eligible to drive. When did all this happen? I didn't even blink....

We took off after school on October 20th for a weekend of fun and celebration at Walt Disney World. Me, Huey, Spencer, Connor, Mikayla, and Spencer's buddy, Christian, loaded up the truck and headed to Orlando. This was our first stay at our vacation club resort, Saratoga Springs, so there was that added excitement, too. The two bedroom townhouse was perfect as we could play, swim, cook, and veg out at the house. Friday night we ate (and ate, and ate) at the ESPN Sports Club on the Boardwalk. We bought Disney's meal plan which gives you a HUGE allotment of food. (BTW, unless you eat like Shaquille O'Neal, you may want to skip the meal plan as not even the 3 hungry boys could eat it all).

Saturday, we were up early and headed to the Magic Kingdom. We hit Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, Stitch, the Orbitors and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority all before 10:15am. Waits were light, so we made the most of it. Then, off to Mickey's Philharmagic, Goofy's Barnstormer, and the Haunted Mansion (we ended up with the short, squatty ghost and the tall, emaciated ghost following us home). Thunder Mountain Railroad was the next plan. We all loved it, but Christian definitely looked a little pale. Now, he rode Space Mountain earlier and was fine. However, Space Mountain is dark on the inside, so if he was pale then, he was disguised. Anyway, Christian said Thunder Mountain was okay, but he didn't need to go again. (Mikayla's presence allows us to do baby swap which means the boys get 2 rides for the wait of 1). And, of course, we had to check out the revamped Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Captain Barbosa & Davy Jones appear once while Jack Sparrow appears 3 times. Very cool. (And yes, we know...no flash photography).

That afternoon we crashed for a while at the resort house before heading to Downtown Disney for some shopping and food. The Earl of Sandwich is a cool place to chow. The Lego Store is really wild. It has a huge dragon in the lake made out of Legos. There are also life sized tourists made out of legos along with Bionicles and dragons.

Sunday morning the boys took a quick dip in the pool, and then we headed for home. We had to pit stop at Toys R Us as Spencer received many generous cash presents that he felt compelled to spend. A Nintendo DS Lite and some games rounded out the weekend. Sunday night, we had the annual Sherouse Chocolate Cake and candles to punctuate the celebration.

Spencer, we love you. You, Connor, & Mikayla bring joy and focus to our lives. We cherish every moment with each of you...please remember that even when we are a little blurry eyed and exhausted. Happy Birthday, Kiddo! You are awesome!

P.S. The boys received their first report cards of the year. Spencer made A/B Honor Roll and Connor made A/B Honor Roll (all As and 1 B). Wow! Looks and brains, too! We couldn't be prouder of you both!

Final Post Placement Visit

Our little Mikayla's first 11 months with us....look how she has changed.

Today, our social worker, Cynthia, came by to complete our final post placement visit (PPV) for Mikayla. This is the 12 month PPV. While we were not worried, I do have to admit that completing this visit is another milestone in our journey. It is hard to believe that this little angel has been with us for almost 12 months already.

Being able to celebrate her birthday this last week with her was such a stark contrast to this time last year when we spent the day praying that Mikayla's birthday would somehow be recognized and acknowledged. While we were not there last year, she was in our thoughts (and, of course, in our hearts). We took some comfort in knowing we would be here for all the rest of her birthdays.

As we look back over the last 11 months, she has certainly grown both physically and emotionally. She has freely given us her trust and love, and we could not be more blessed.

We look forward to watching Mikayla grow. Each new day is one of discovery and adventure for her. Each new day is a day of joy for us because she is part of our lives.

God is good...all the time....and all the time...God is good!! We offer all praise and glory to Him for his indescribable gifts of Spencer, Connor, & Mikayla.

More Birthday for Kay Kay

Mikayla's birthday was such a fun, fun day that we just had to show some more snapshots of the party. The day was a bit chaotic, but in the end it was definitely worth it all. She certainly has come a long way.

Missy Kay Kay's Big Day

Mikayla's party.
From L to R: The cake; Daddy & Mommy had to help her with blowing out the candles; Grace & Sarah with their beautiful Mommy; Mrs. Carrie and her amazing daughter, Missy; Mikayla in her fairy wings and tiara; the bros helping with her gifts; and one more shot of the cake.

Mikayla is 2!

We celebrated Mikayla's 2nd birthday on Sunday, October 8, 2006. Even though her birthday is October 10th, we wanted to have a party for her that friends and family would be able to attend. Mikayla loves Dora the Explorer, so this was, of course, the theme. Mikaya is adorable the way she sings "Back pack, back pack." We had eleven children ranging from age 2 to age 15 present. Now, coming up with activities that kept everyone interested was a challenge, but we managed.

Mikayla totally got that this day was for her. She was so excited! She smiled, jumped, and twirled. Seeing her eyes twinkle was worth every second.

We have been so emotional these last few weeks as we remember this time last year. We were anxiously awaiting our confirmed consulate appointment so that we could leave for China. We had stared at the 3 little photos we had of her literally pixel by pixel and couldn't wait for the day when we would actually hold her in our arms. She has certainly come a long way from the little girl who had a blank stares and blank eyes but somehow knew she could trust us.

We are so very, very blessed to have this precious little girl in our lives! She hasn't been home a year yet, but it feels like she has always been here. We cannot remember our lives without her...

Happy Birthday, Missy Kay Kay! We love you more than words could ever express! Mommy, Daddy, Spencer, & Connor

Soccer Season Underway

Soccer is in full swing. That means practices, meetings, and games.

Spencer is a referee again this year. He is only wearing the hat of official though this season. Last season, he was a player and a referee. He decided this fall he would only referee and allow himself to be free to try out for the high school junior varsity team. (I am still getting use to the idea of having a child old enough to be in high school.) He does look very "official." Connor is a having a great time. His coach is allowing him to play forward and midfield, so he is trying to make the most of his opportunities.

Gator Football Season!

Yippee! We all live for Gator Football! This should be a good year for the Gators! It is Urban Meyer's second season as the head football coach, so the players and coaches should be better familiar with his spread offense.

Mikayla is looking totally adorable in her Gator cheerleading outfit. She can already do the gator chomp! That's our girl!

Just Sharing Our Joy

Mikayla is jubilant with her new Dora the Explorer Little Tikes car. We took her to Toys R Us and she tried out all the options. The boys wanted her to get the battery powered Corvette, but Mommy wanted something to help with her walking coordination.

As you can see, she is having a good laugh with Connor. Later in the even-
ing she was having a good sniff of her
blankie after her bath. She looks
sleepy (& precious).



And our future rock star is working on her percussion skills.....