"big sister from China"

We will be hosting a high school student from China this school year,she is from Ningbo China and will be in the 10th grade. She is very smart and speaks english quite well and of course mandarin. We are hooping that she can help us,well the kids with their mandarin and we can help her with her english. This of course is the goal,for her to improve on her English. She will arrive here Aug 7 in the eve,have a full day High school orientation and then all three kids will start school on the 18th. WE are exchanging email with our student and her mom and e are learning alot about her before she gets here. Her mom teaches Kindergarten in China and her father a manager of a large chemical company. We will keep you all posted as we get closer and of course thru her year here as she is a member of our family. The kids cant wait to meet their "big sister from China" and neither can we.

swim lessons July 2010

We are keepin these kids busy this summer...Laurel has had to be off from Gymnastics for about 3 weeks following her hernia surgery but boy the kids have been taking swim lessons for the entire month of July. They swim at the high school pool near home. They are doing well and LOVEING being in the waster. There is free swim after their class so now and then dad gets in and they all free swim together after class.

Zakary finishes Speech therapy July 2010

Zak has had a few speech therapists sine we got hom and has done soooooooooooooooooooooo well. He has loved his time with his last therapist,Mrs. Riden,he will miss her as he moves on to Kindergarten. We will see if he really gets one in the public school. lOL

New House JULY 2010

We have moved,we are in a much bigger house now,not too far from where we were. I officially HATE stairs though.and cant imagine living in a hoise like this as i get much older. WE are hoping that this is temporary and that in a year or so we will land in yet another more appropriate house,who knows where,perhaps stil lhere in California....Perhaps not

Laurels 5th "forever family day" July 4 2010

So here we have made yet another year,we can hardley believe that little miss laurel has been a part of our family physically for 5 whole years now. She was just the tiniest little thing on Jul 4 2005 when we got here and now she is still just a little thing but wow has she grown. She is the sweetest smartest sutest little butt you will ever meet and we are sure glad she is ours.
We moved the weekend of the 4th of July and didnt get to the parade in Danville as we usualky do on the 4th but we did get to Discovary Kingdom for fireworks with the Toyama family as we have done for several years now. It was warm and nice out,Stan had to work but i and the kids made our trek over there and had some dinner,rode some rides and were there to watch the fireworks after dark. Laurel says as we walked thru the crowds "are all these people here for my special day"? She has always felt that the 4th was all about her,and in a way....it is.
We love you little laurel,so glad you picked us to be your family.