Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Carving!!

At the pumpkin patch- It was actually a pretty cold day! We had a great time on the haunted hay ride, gem mining (for those brave enough to sift through some COLD water), and hot chocolate and pumpkin cookies.

I didn't realize how blurry this picture was, but here are some of the pumpkin carvers.

We always have a little friendly, family competition, and here are a few of the pumpkins.

Just wait and see.....

If ANYONE ever reads this blog anymore, I wanted to share that soon the name will be changed from Cate Comes Home to Cai Comes Home. A very sweet and talented girl named Alexis is updating our blog. So, we will have a new look, a new name, and best of all another sweet little girl. I can't wait to share with you what we know about Cai, and I would like to do it when we are able to post her picture on our new blog. I will say that we have completed our Home Study and all of the appointments and paperwork that go along with it, and Ch*na has granted us Pre Approval to adopt Wu EnRong (Cai). Basically, they have said that with the information we have already given them, they will allow us to proceed with our paperwork and adoption. Now, we are having our Home Study reviewed by our agency so that everything will be perfect with no hang-ups later, it will then be sent to Columbia for state approval ( hopefully this will not take long), and then they will send it to US immigration who approves it and sends us the last piece of paper we need to make up our dossier. Our dossier will then be sent overnight to a courier in Washington DC who will take it to be authenticated there, overnighted back to us and THEN mailed to China. Whew! At that point we sit and wait for our L*OA. It is such a process, but SO, VERY worth it.
I have so many thoughts and feelings on adoption and orphans that I want to share, and I have read other adoptive moms who can speak of it so eloquently. I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving that God has called us and allowed us to adopt. It has opened our eyes to the plight of orphans and aside from the pure joy that Cate has brought our family, it has opened our eyes to the rest of the world. He took a regular,old,boring Mama and Daddy who live in a tiny community and showed us the rest of His children. Children who will never,ever be able to call anyone Mama or Daddy, who will never have a family. And that breaks my heart. Several people have said, well, you can't save them all. And it's true. But we can be a family to two more. And if asked, Why? I can't help but wonder, Why not? We would love your prayers on this exciting, sometimes scary, but wonderful journey.
"From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another." John 1:16

Caught!

Tomorrow is Pressley's Birthday so Cate helped me make cupcakes for him. More pictures later with the final product!

September Happenings

It has ,of course, been a long time since my last post. It feels as if we have been in school forever- Really it has only been about four weeks. Cate started 4 year old kindergarten and she loves it. I pick her up every day at 12:00. We have not had anything too terribly exciting happening around here since school, homework, karate and dance have started back. Next week, September 24, to be exact, will be Cate's one year Gotcha Day. It's so hard to believe it has been a year since she joined our family, and we are planning a special day for her. I have been a little emotional thinking about it, looking back at pictures, remembering the wait and then the day we met her for the first time. And thinking back on the past year and the changes in Cate and in our family. Words can't adequately express the magnitude of adoption, I don't think, and the life change that it brings individuals and families.

Summer Fun

Sporting new Henna tattoos in Myrtle Beach with friends

Cate's best cheeseball smile!!!

Our summer is flying by! It always does, though. We have enjoyed every minute of it, and looking forward to spending a week at the beach with all of our family soon. Cate loves the boat and loves the water! She is actually swimming by herself now. We are so proud- such an accomplishment from a little girl who was terrified of the bathtub 10 months ago! We are constantly amazed by Cate. I get really emotional when I think of the magnitude of adoption and the blessing she is to us, and how it all unfolded. I now look at each little waiting child's face and think "the only special need they really have is that they need a mommy and daddy," and just pray that they find their family. I told Greg last night that I wish we were one of those big ole families and that we could adopt again, but he turned a little pale!

Happy Easter!!!!

I'm hoping to get back into the blogging groove. Seriously. I have been trying to adjust to homeschooling, a broken leg ( not mine- Rion's), and baseball season. And never being alone (this accompany's the homeschooling), which is going great, but did I mention I am never alone? I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!!!!!

Happy Birthday Cate, Happy Chinese Year......

It has been too long since I posted last! We celebrated Cate's fourth birthday on January 24th with a family birthday party. We went out to eat and had a princess cake for dessert! Greg spent the day putting together Cate's new kitchen, and she loved it! She enjoyed opening every present. It's hard to believe that she is four years old. Mimi and George gave Cate a bicycle with training wheels- she loves it, but we need to work on the pedaling! And I think one of her favorites was a miniature broom and mop. She loves to clean!

We also enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year with two other families at a local Chinese restaurant. There were thirteen children and six adults! We had a great time.

Cate continues to enjoy going to school. They do lots of fun things and she loves tea party time! She is learning her colors and shapes. We think she is so smart!!! Cate just amazes me. Nothing fazes her- she takes everything in stride. She is so loving, and so patient with us when she knows we don't quite understand what she is trying to say! She loves her videos that sing in Mandarin.

Well, onto some pictures.......