This Christmas

It was this time last year that Scott and I received pictures of Lia from her orphanage in China. It's hard to believe that only a year ago we were holding on to a promise of what was to come:

The sweet smile

The silly faces

The serious side

The love of shoes

And the joy of knowing her in all her complexities.

Merry Christmas little girl...we're glad you are here with us.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning brought the early pitter patter of little feet into our room with the anticipation of what was to come. After a few cups of coffee for the grown ups we were off and running watching them enjoy their gifts and each other.

I saw Lia kissing Santa Claus!

Taking a break from working on her sticker book to smile for the camera.


Santa's little helper.

Our little Steven Spielberg received his first video camera and is anxious to get started on his first feature film.

Caroline spent some time writing down verses from her new Bible in her journal.

Whispering secrets of what lay inside those pretty packages.

Father/son bonding over a new Wii game.

Lia's new baby doll which she LOVED. She carried it, rocked it, sang to it and even said it had a stinky diaper.

She's a good little momma.

The girls with their American Girl dolls:

Lauren and Kit

Caroline and Julie

I didn't realize until I saw them all together how much the girls look just like their dolls.

What's a Christmas picture without the usual Lia wink?

Oh, who's gonna clean up this mess?

Alex had 2 favorite presents: the one he's opening which was a box of Imaginext toys from Michael who loved playing with them when he was Alex's age. The other was a pack of super hero underwear. He immediately had to go change into the pair with Iron Man on them.

Lia had to take a call in the middle of opening presents on her "new" cell phone.

Ho, ho, ho. Alex's gift to Michael was a Santa hat.

All smiles on Christmas morning.

Or at least half smiles...it was early!

We are thankful for the joy of Christmas morning, the chance to spend our first Christmas with Lia, and most of all for the gift we were all given in Jesus...the great Light of the World.

May He fill your heart this season and always.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours...

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21