Some fun from Thanksgiving

Here are a few snapshots from Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful.  We went to Dad and Mom's and Jeff and Linda joined us, along with Justin, Brittany, and Kaden. 

 Justin and sweet baby Kaden

 Look at that little face.

 They rode the 4-wheeler til it was so cold

your hands might freeze off.

 The kiddie table

Leia didn't ride but she posed for the camera.

Princess Leia's Birthday Party

We have been super busy the last few weeks. It seems as if everything has happened in a blur since Thanksgiving. I never even got those pictures posted from Thanksgiving. We are going from celebration to another. We ended Thanksgiving with the attack of the stomach bug. It was horrible and went through everyone but Carson and only touched Leia lightly. All I can say is it is GONE. And it needs to stay away forever. We had barely recuperated from the stomach bug and begin preparations for Leia's first birthday party.

She had a wonderful birthDAY from morning til night. As you will see.

                                     

 Leia's birthday breakfast started with

homemade donuts.  "Yum Yum," she said.

 Logan trying to sneak one.

 Carson cleaning his plate.

 She seemed pretty satisfied with the

choice we made for her birthday breakfast. 

That smile says her tummy was super content.

 Her cake!

And macthing cupcakes.

 She had a Red Velvet Cake with

matching cupcakes.

 With a Little Asian flare and some

chopsticks to match.

 Wouldn't be a complete Asian Princess birthday

without Fortune Cookies.

 We also had Chinese Rice Cookies

and Chocolate Coffee Chinese Cookies.

 DELICIOUS!!

 ONE candle for the

PRINCESS.

A money tree to help

Caysen's brother or sister home.

Caysen's Note
(click on image to enlarge and read)

 Everyone had a fortune or two.

 Leia with her birthmother before we

left Taiwan.

 Nana and Leia

 Pappaw and Leia

 Mammaw and Leia

 Our Chinese Princess

 About to Release our Orphan Balloons

 We had 115 balloons to release.

You can read the card that we attached to her balloon

on this post.

 The wind was blowing like crazy.

Right before releasing these balloons David

led a prayer for all the orphans in the world

and that these balloons might reach someone

that would be touched by God to hear the

cry of the ORPHANS.

 There they go. 

 We saved Leia's balloon for last.

 And we watched it go up the sky all alone like

the little orphan that is all alone in the world

with anyone to call their own.

 Papa and Leia

 Getting ready for some cake.

 Ready...Set...Go.....

 There she goes!

 Mmmmmmm!

Not quite sure what to do next...

Leia loves her new car.

Opening her new backpack and checking

out the goodies Mammaw stuffed in it.

Yes...she HAD to have a bath at the church before

we could go home.

So cute!!!!

She finally got the hang of it.

She had an amazing party.  We had a beautiful balloon release that I pray touched someone somewhere.  it was so windy.  Who knows where those balloons could have reached.  As I watched Leia's balloon that we released last, all I could think about was that there was a single balloon flying all alone in the sky, getting farther and father away, til it was a small speck that you weren't even sure you could see.  And then it was gone.  That is so similar to that of an Orphan.  There are all alone in the world.  They don't have a Dad or Mom flying with them.  They are that balloon flying up in the sky alone.  They are far away and out of reality to most people.  They are forgotten and their cry is not heard. 

I thank God that mine and David's hearts heard the cry.  And we are so blessed to have the children we do, all 4 of them.  Leia is our 4th beautiful blessing.  The day before her birthday (as so many other days), I thought of Xio Chi all day.  I wondered what she was doing and what she was feeling.  Xio Chi is Leia's birthmother.  Taiwan is 14 hours ahead of us right now, so Leia's birthday happened almost a day earlier there.  I prayed that she felt peace on that day and that her heart knew that Leia was a happy little girl loved by so many. 

I have been telling everyone that Leia is not one, she is 12 months.  I am having a hard time that my baby is already a year old.  The time has flown by since she has been home.  It seems like just yesterday I was counting the days and packing like crazy to fly to the other side of the world.  And, no here we are her birthday come and gone.  She is such an amazing little girl.  From the moment I held her in my arms she conformed to my body.  She snuggled right it and it never changed.  She always acted as if she had been with me from the start.  She is a Momma's girl, and I will have to say I LOVE IT!!!!  That is an understatement. 

At 12months Leia can do all these things and so much more:

1. crawl all over the house as fast as your siblings run

2. smile, laugh, jabber

3. say Momma, Dadda, Nana, Bye, Love You, Night Night, Mammaw

4. wave Bye Bye

5. drink from a sippie cup with no problem

6. eat table food, well you never ate baby food

7. pull up on everything

8. splash like a grown child in the tub

9. scream as loud as the other children when you are happy and when you are not

10. sleeps 12-14hrs at night

11. takes 1-2 naps a day

13.snuggle right up in mine and Daddy's neck

14. love on your brothers and sister

15. Turn everyone's heart into a big PUDDLE

As Olivia would say, "Happy Birthday to our Chinese Princess Doll!"

From Our Family to Yours

Leia Liu - One Less

So, here it goes. Leia's first birthday will be December 11, 2010. I cannot believe that almost a year ago our baby girl was being born. In celebration of her birth we want to advocate for the orphan. Below you will see her birthday party invite. For those who will not be able to attend but would like us to advocate for the orphan we will be doing a balloon release. If you would like to participate and do not live close. You still can You will see the small card that we will be attaching to pink balloons. If you would like to participate you can email me at kalinaraboin@yahoo.com and I can send you the jpeg image. Simply print as many of the cards as you desire and attach to a helium filled balloon. We will be releasing the balloons at 3:30pm central time on December 11. We ask that prior to releasing the balloon(s) that you please pray for the orphans all over the world and that the balloon may reach someone that will allow their heart to be opened and hear the cry of the orphan. We are requesting no gifts for Leia's birthday. Instead, if you would like to make a donation in her honor, we will be using all of the money to give to another family who is starting the process to adopt their second child. You can send check or may make a donation through my website at www.makingfootprints.org and comment that it is in honor of Leia's birthday.