WALK THRU BETHLEHEM,
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Music City Christmas

It's been a very busy and wonderful few days. It didn't seem like that much... when we planned it. We began our Christmas road trip by attending our 3 hour China travel mtg. in Birmingham. It was very informative and very helpful, especially to meet a few other families in the same process/timeline as us for adoption. We were especially encouraged to meet a family that we will most likely travel with to China, the Brown's from B'ham. They have one child the same age as Whit and are adopting from China, their LID is the same as ours. We also met some other families with wonderful stories of God's greatness through their adoptions as well!  Thankfully Great Ma and PopPop played with the guys while we were at the mtg. and we were able to continue on to Nashville, arriving at our bedtime.

 We enjoyed fantastic family time, visited some great places and venues that we used to love while we lived in the Music City, and got to meet up with some sweet friends.

 ROAD TRIP... 

Franklin Mercantile (YUM)

Journeyed back in time at Dickens Christmas in downtown Franklin; pony rides, petting zoo, were greeted by the characters from Dickens novel, took a carriage ride, ate sugar plums & funnel cakes, and applauded street musicians, carolers, dancers, and a beautiful GoldenDoodle.

Admired our friends (V & A) recently renovated home

Saw the Rockettes kick it up at the Opry

Slide our way through Charlie Brown's ICE and Charlie Brown hugs

Water's Edge

Journeyed through, Walk Thru Bethlehem, a "real" live nativity at Woodmont (fish market, camels and baby Jesus!)

The boys received wooden ornaments made from wood, from Bethlehem and made muslim rag dolls like the ones that children had long ago in Bethlehem

CPK and perused Provence, hmmm :-)

Whew!

 If you ever have an opportunity to visit Nashville in December, we highly recommend visiting Opryland (It's Country Christmas celebration cannot be beat), Dickens of a Christmas in historic Franklin, and Woodmont Christian Church, Walk Thru Bethlehem.

 Our trip was wonderfully packed and memorable for the boys, Rob, and me. We hope that we're helping to build lasting memories for our family and reinforcing the joyous and giving spirit of the Christmas season and Christ's hope into our hearts and lives. 

 We're thankful for the gatherings of family and friends that we're blessed to be a part of and praying for our family, friends, and people that are far from home and enduring difficult times this season.

 A Very Merry Christmas to you and safe journey's throughout this Christmas season.

Love ~
Ginny

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ford's Fa la la la la La laaa La laaa

Today was a wonderful day with all of my guys. This morning was Ford's Kindergarten Christmas Concert and parent party. He did such a fabulous job, singing some and hanging strong. In the past he's been a little audience shy, but this year he stood strong throughout the program and even sang the Chubby Little Snowman in a 6 member group. So proud of our boy. Afterward, we had a fun parent party in his class and enjoyed the kids serving us all refreshments and receiving handmade ornaments.

Then, Rob took the boys and me to scout out Christmas ideas for Mommy. We haven't done it before because I usually don't ask for anything specific, but this year I thought I'd help them out with some good ideas. ;-)

Tonight, we had so much fun with some wonderful friends, the Pope's. Of course, we love to eat Chinese food, so we skipped over the Asian Bistro, YUM! You cannot believe the food that the boys eat including Whit, like Calamari, Stuffed Wontons, Lo Mein, Egg Rolls, etc. - It's Awesome. The people there are always so friendly, it truly is refreshing and welcoming and we even learned a few new Chinese words. Zai Jian - Goodbye.

Love ~ 

Ginny

Concert Cookie

Today, Rob, Graham and I had a special date lunch in celebration of his PreSchool Christmas Choir Concert. He sang so powerfully with all his heart. It's always fun to watch the kids sing praises to God and have so much fun, too! Well, most of the kids, there are usually a couple that seem completely overwhelmed with stage fright. We have had one of those in our family, too. :-)

Anyway, after the concert we went to one of our favorite Asian restaurants. When we were finished and all began to open our fortune cookies,.... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7! Rob and I read our fortunes, but something was amiss. Graham's was empty. It was strange and really bothered Rob, like Graham had no future.... :-0  Just kidding. We asked for another and another, etc. until Graham finally got one that had a fortune. It was very funny. : - }

Love ~

Ginny

Our Graham

Nara Bunny

We have all been getting more excited each day in anticipation of Nara Josette's arrival. We're already transitioning into an multicultural, American-Chinese family. It's evident in our hearts and interests, it's been an evolution since God laid adoption on our hearts just over six years ago. It's been an wonderful explosion of a journey thus far. We do not know where our path will take us, but we do know that as long as we look to Him, it will be 'our intended path'. Please keep us all in your prayers as our union with our daughter draws closer each day. Please continue to pray for our hearts to meld as one, just as they have for each of our children and each sibling for one another. We are praying for calmness and peace of heart to be a blanket over our family.

We've graciously been able to send Nara Josette a few care packages and hope to send a couple more before our journey to China. Many orphanages do not allow any contact following the referral until the day you 'meet' your child. We are thankful to be in contact with Nara Josette's orphanage and LadybugsNLove.com.

We took the boys to Build-A-Bear so they could choose a friend for their sister. They chose, Nara Bunny, and built her from scratch, including picking all of her clothes and recording a personal message. We made a new pic of our family and used it to make t-shirts for Nara Josette and one for her bunny.

The boys also chose birthday cards to send with bunny. Graham of course, chose Ariel because he loves princesses for girls. Ford chose a Barnyard singalong & recording card because he is our animal lover and we all recorded a birthday greeting, partially in Chinese. We know she received it because of our latest pictures from her orphanage (Truly another blessing God).

Wishing you all a joyous Advent season,

Love ~ 
Ginny

Brothers

Nara Bunny

Brothers with Nara Bunny

Gingerbread Men

A few days ago Rob brought home the makings for a gingerbread house and this afternoon we finally got to build it. The boys had been gleefully anticipating building the house. As soon as Whit's nap time arrived, Let's Build! I'm so proud of the boys for their creative and fun personalities, Graham even raised the roof all by himself   :-). It was a huge accomplishment to get the house built because they 'accidently' dropped many candies so they could Eat them! By the end of construction, we were all on a sugar high...

Wishing you and your families a blessed CHRISTmas season,

Love ~

Ginny

Our Gents

We've had some great times the past few months with the boys, young gentlemen. We swam, rode bikes, and horsed around lots. The boys are all so amazing and each of them are growing in all their own ways and personalities. We are definitely challenged everyday and made more evident of our brokeness and need for our Heavenly Father's guidance and grace. Thinking about our great need for salvation, reminded me of our children's needs for grace and love, too.

Today, we studied John 1 and it reminded me of God being our only light, even more so this time of year at Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birth.

Love ~

Ginny Our Gents

John 1: The Word Became Flesh

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.

³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

⁶There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.⁷He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " ¹⁶From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.