Dedication

This past Sunday, Feb 27, was Ginny's dedication Sunday at church.  Pastor Andy filled in for Pastor Mark who was out sick and led in that portion of the service.  It was a very special time, and we had family on hand to witness it as well.  Thanks to the Chiltons for these pictures.

It's Pee's job now.

To be honest, this isn't a sight we'd expect to be seeing this early.  But we've noticed even with Nathan that Peepers has changed a bit since Hunter died a few weeks back.  Peepers is a friendly soul, and his "special connection" if you will is with me (Chris) more than anyone.  Normally when the kids are running about, Pee will keep his distance.  Peepers has began not only staying in the area, but allowing the kids to pet him.  Tonight, Ginny (who still for some reason likes to run around au naturale here lately) apparently liked the way Pee's fur felt against her and kept trying to lay on him.  Peepers protested a bit at first with a whiny meow and wiggled a bit, and then stopped resisting as if to say "What the heck."  

We are weighing the options of another cat, and we had told ourselves we wouldn't.  Part of the issue about Hunter not being here is Nathan's loss.  Even with Pee's improved tolerance, Nathan lost a cat that was uniquely his in many ways.  Hunter's personality I'm sure can never be replaced, but we're hoping a fresh start with a kitten or an older cat that has had plenty of exposure to kids will maybe give Nathan a special friend again.  Call us crazy, but we are thinking about it.  

The long and short of it...

While the little guy was sitting on Sharon's lap a little while ago, it truly became evident just how "long" he has grown. So, I had to snap a picture.  It won't be LONG before he's as tall as Sharon (which isn't saying much - hehe)

Potty time help

Ginny decided that she needed to show her dolly how to go to the potty.

Fashion Coincidence

I posted this picture on Facebook over the weekend, but due to popular demand I felt I needed to share it here as well.  On Sunday at church, Ginny wore one of her new dresses.  Karys, another adopted Chinese little one from our church, had on the exact same outfit.  So, here's what this cute pair looked like:

Others have told me that it's only cute to do this if you're under 15. :)

Bathtubs & Brawling

A couple of fun home video moments we thought we'd share with everyone (although many of you on FB may have seen these already):  The first happened a few nights ago on the night we lost Hunter, so it was good for a nice laugh on an otherwise sad day.  When our backs were turned, Ginny hopped into a drained, but still sudzy bathtub, with her snow boots on.  Hilarious stuff.  

Below is a video shot just tonight at dinner.  Nathan has a habit of trying to pick a "fight" with his dad, and tonight, Ginny started to mimic the movements, so we hit record on the cameraphone.  Of course, in typical Ginny style, she tired of her brother's antics quite quickly.  

Our Story Featured

Ane Mulligan, a Ridgecrest friend and fellow Christian thespian (look that up in your dictionary, it's not a bad thing) hosts an adoption-focused blog, where different adoptive families share their stories.  Ane is a budding writer, was adopted herself, and this is a special passion of hers.

I shared with her a reader's digest version of our adoption story originally written for a grant application, and it is featured on her site at the moment.

Here's the direct link to the article:
http://adoptionshare.blogspot.com/2011/01/rev-chris-sharon-bridges.html