6 Months in the USA!

Well today is the day.  We have 6 months in the USA.  Wow!  That ryhmes!  Must be a good sign.  We've had a busy week.  It started off with Cate and I going to Indianapolis to the Indiana School for the Deaf.  Cate has no hearing in her right ear.  We realized this back in August and saw an ENT and other specialists then but the school system was recommending that we take a trip to the ISD since they are the experts on this impairment.  It actually was a very fun day for Cate.  The staff at ISD were so wonderful with her.  They just loved on her and she really enjoyed the time that we spent there.  Thank you ISD ladies.  Here are some of the photos from that day.  Cate went through testing from 9:30 to 4:30 with some free time in their playroom which she really loved.

We have started Upwards basketball and Jeff is their coach.  We have practices on Tuesdays and our first game is this Saturday.  The kids seem excited for this even though we have no clue how the games will go.  They have devotions at half time and everyone plays in a positive uplifting atmosphere so it has to go great we think!  Here are some pictures from the recent practice.

Uncle Kirk & Aunt Jenni treated us to a hockey game and that was a big hit.  Josh had been to one before and loved it so he was excited to show Cate what it was all about.  Josh loved the game.  Cate loved the popcorn, the mascot, and spending time with Uncle Kirk & Aunt Jenni.  It was a fun evening.  Thanks Kirk and Jenni. 

Another big exciting adventure is we have joined the YMCA.  We have one close to us and thought the kids would really like the swimming pool. 

Cate loves the climbing wall and is up that thing in about a minute flat.  She is fast!
Go Cate Go!  Josh was great at it too but after the first time he wouldn't do it again.  I guess it wasn't challenging enough for him.  Cate loves it and does it everytime we go now. 

On Saturday morning Josh went to the grocery store with Jeff so Cate and I had some Barbie time.  That was fun for both of us.  She ate her breakfast with Barbie.  Of course she had to eat Barbie's meal too!

It's been a fun week and the kids had a 4 day weekend.  They were out of school on Friday for a snow day and then yesterday (Monday) was MLK day.  One morning we just decided we needed to have breakfast in front of the TV.  This is not routine for us!

We have reached a milestone with our 6 months mark.  We are moving on to the next milestone of 1 year.  Our "Gotcha Day" is July 17th!   Thanks for your continued prayers and for reading the blog. 
Choosing Joy,
Chris & crew

Back to routine...notice I didn't say normal.

What is normal really?  For us it has a whole new meaning from 6 months ago.  Can you believe we are nearing the 6 month mark with Josh & Cate in the USA?  Wow!  I can't really say it has flown by because we've had some challenges and some weeks have seemed pretty long but it is good to look back and say..."We made it to 6 months!"   That feels like a milestone. Our 6 months is actually January 17th so we are not totally there yet but we are close. 

This week actually felt normal almost.  We just got up and went to school/work each day and bed at night.  Nothing major happened so I don't have any new of pictures.  I guess if it is a week you didn't take pictures that might be the start of normal everyday weeks.  I guess that is good. 

But....I did go to Carmel to see Sweet Master Nolan and I have pictures of him.  Take a look.

Continue  Choosing Joy,
Chris

2011 ends and 2012 begins

This week has sort of been a let down since Christmas is over. Christmas was really great and filled with alot of family time. Josh & Cate handled it all well and we focused on the birth of Christ every chance we got. So now we move into the week after Christmas and there's not a whole lot of excitement going on.  We enjoyed our down time!  It was fun to have snow and the kids always enjoy outdoor time creating something with the snow!  We also did alot of  boxing with the punching bag, playing Mario Bros, watching movies, playing on the floor, and eating McDonald's french fries.  Plus we rode bikes almost everyday, even in the 20 degree winter weather.  Here are a few pictures from the week.

Our good friends, John & Kim Porter, joined us for a New Year's Eve celebration.  We always love seeing them and they do great with the kids.

Our family has grown by leaps and bounds in 2011 and we are excited to see where God leads us in 2012.  We received 2 different gifts of signs that read "Families are Forever" and we love this theme that keeps surfacing in our lives.  As the stockings continue to increase on our mantel we will continue to remain faithful to our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.  I pray you grow closer to Him in 2012 and are blessed by your obedience to Him.

Notice the "Clark" in the background?

Thanks for your support and for reading the blog. 

You are a blessing to us as we continue

Choosing Joy,

Happy New Year.