July's Highs

I'm still not back in full-time blogging mode, but that's okay with me!  Now the adoption is finalized, ChinaBean has made it successfully through another heart surgery, my girls and I were re-united with Jamie after living three months on separate continents, and I am simply enjoying "being".

We are settling into school routines, I'm finalizing my schedule for helping out with some speech kiddos at school, volunteer responsibilities are resuming, and our family is just relishing being back together.  

Thanks for bearing with me as I took a break from this virtual scrapbook and journal!

June was a fun month for us, but July was even better.  Everyone was healthy and we were able to do lots of fun activities.

Great-grandpa had some things to show ChinaBean (and it didn't involve an Apple product)!

ChinaBean got the "all clear" and we started weaning her off of three of her meds.  She returned to China only taking her baby aspirin.  Yippee!

We played, a lot.  Inside. Outside.  With friends. With cousins. We played some more.

Well hello there!  Didn't you live in Suzhou at one time too?

At the local candy shop "on the square"

Okay, I played with friends too.  The spa, late night trips to Walmart, and saying hi to the "neighbors".  My friend Shannon (below) lives in Suzhou too and we just happened to spend some time in the US living across the street from each other at our respective friends' homes.  I called the street the Suzhou Respite Area.

Picnics on the patio with cousins

Time with the other great grandparents, Mom-o & Pop-o

4th of July! Complete with a parade, floats, candy and fireworks.

Have you ever seen a cuter little bug dressed in red, white & blue? She caught onto the idea collecting candy at the parade very quickly!

Poised and ready for some more candy to come her way.

Thanks to Jamie's cousin Josie, ChinaBean
got a nice frozen treat too.

EBean thought is was a bit hot on the float! I say
keep throwing that candy.

More visits from family.  I love my Aunts very much and I really love watching them as Great Aunts to my girls.  They drove several hours just to have lunch and the afternoon with my girls before turning around and driving home.  That's the kind of aunt I aspire to be.

And, finally VBS (vacation Bible school).  My girls asked for three things for their summer (well actually four...to take off their shoes and run through the grass): go to the American Girl Store in St. Louis, go to the Wisconsin Dells and go to VBS.  I am happy to say check, check, and check to all of their requests.  We ended our time in the US with a bang and a whole lot of memories!