HALLOWEEN

This year the girls were opposites...Ruth was the devil and Sara was an Angel...now I am not sure that they got the costumes mixed up, but maybe they both should have gone as half and half. NO, Ruth is not mad in the picture, she was acting her part.....

I stayed home once again while Jeff walked with the girls and their parents for a few hours. We have been going with the one family since Ruth and their daughter was in Kindergarten. We did have fun decorating the outside of the house with light, a witch that made a nose dive into the front yard, and of course the graveyard. I gave out about 35 pounds of candy and a lit of pencils, small puzzles, and goolie erasers.

Our dog Cooper also got into the swing of things, but he did NOT get any candy, just some lovin.

This is the "red couch" picture that the traveling group had the day before we left. We are actually in the lobby of the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. Before we went there, we thought that there was THE red couch, but it is one of many scattered around the lobby. In case you don't know, Sara is the big girl.

Sara's 2 year anniversary

Two years ago we were already in China and Ruth was home alone with my parents. Ruth's third grade class was following our daily itinerary that I left for them. My parents were taking care of the carpooling, soccer, and getting ready for Halloween.

After a few days in Beijing touring, we went to Nanchang to get Fu Jia Rui. When we arrived in Nanchang, we have only time to throw our luggage into the hotel and head to the Civil Affairs office where we would become a family of 4. It was warm there, and they kept the lights off to keep it from getting too hot. This time of year, all the buildings had already turned off their A/C's. We saw only babies, and watched as they were loving and with many tears on all sides delivered to their parents. We were told that Sara was running late and would be in soon, having come on a separate bus from another city then the babies. Then in came a woman with two young girls and a baby. I looked and asked if this was Sara. In their only photo we had of her, she had short hair...but then I noticed she was wearing the backpack that I has sent with the dragonfly sewn on it. I was wearing a matching dragonfly pin. She looked so scared.

After finishing the paperwork, we sat down and I showed her the magna-doodle and she began drawing pictures for me, and she was good at it.

We all traveled back to the hotel to get acquainted with our daughters. By that evening, and after a wonderful bubble bath, Sara was all smiles, writing in Chinese for me. You see her backpack behind her.

favorite picture

I took these photos when Ruth was at Camp this month with school.

MARKET DAY

Today was Market Day for Sara at school. During the semester, the kids earn stamps on paper showing dollar amouts, depending on their behavior. They also have withdrawls from their bank for less then stellar behavior, or not having homework done. Of course, those of you knowing Sara, she has the most of all 6th grade.

So on this market day, the kids get monopoly money representing their earnings and go shopping and selling. WELL, we have been making bracelets for weeks, and the night before the market, Sara said that one of her friends saw one of her origami stars she makes and said she would buy one for $100, so we are now making them. I can fold the paper plenty easily, but it is Sara who must put the 8 pieces together. Yes, she sold 9 of them for $100 each, but she did but a few things too. I manned the sales table and it was fun. We did not sell many bracelets, maybe they were over priced. I expect a price reduction next time, or the 2 times after that.

A new and old engagement . . .

Today my niece Jennifer got engaged. Her now fiancee Marc flew to CA where Jennifer is interning and proposed. It was so romantic. They went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. The staff was all in on it. One of them filmed the proposal on Marc's cell phone. Jennifer said that Marc excused himself to go to the bathroom and came back with flowers (must be a very fancy restaurant ha ha ha) and a small box. He said sweet nothings, non of which she heard the first time, and ask, of course getting a yes. Then he repeated the proposal and she did hear it this time.

Today is also the 14th anniversary from when Jeff asked me to marry him......how quick time flies.

Friends visit

We had company this past weekend, the best kind. I met Erin over the Internet in connection to our international adoption of our girls, Sara and "M". Erin's family live near us, some within a mile, and they were gathered together for the serious illness of Erin's grandmother. They graciously made time for us go get together. Of course, we had to hit the thrift store, and yes, Erin is a shopper just like me...I thought I would need to get her a second cart hahaha :)

The day they left, we met together along with another friend from FAR north of Dallas with their three girls, one here for a year, and enjoyed our favorite restaurant-China King.

As you can tell by the photos, little M is totally smitten by Sara. Ruth was hanging back since she was still so VERY tired from her camp with school....she did eventually catch up with her sleep and took enough Benedryl to calm the allergies. We, I mean she, did lose her pillow at camp and will be needing to buy a new one soon.

Ruth to camp

This morning Ruth left for YMCA camp with her 5th grade team. They will be home Friday afternoon. The weather is perfect and though her BEST friends are not on her team, many of her good friends are on her team and in her cabin, the team name is Loving A-the same as Sara's was last year. The adult chaperoning the cabin is one of her long time friend's mother, so Ruth should feel very comfortable.

Ruth is in the back, second from the left in the red with long black hair. Sara was so sweet and ran in to say "have fun sissy" before going on to class. Sara is looking forward to 2 days of being the only child....we will see.

Tonight Sara misses her sister so very much, she is sleeping in Ruth's room to feel close to her...they do love each other so dearly!