You've Come A Long Way, Lilly

I was thinking about that famous phrase today.  Lilly was so happy to see me and greeted me with a huge smile and outstretched arms, waiting for me to pick her up.  I thought back to that Monday morning at the Civil Affairs office in Wuhan when she came walking into the room.  Her little face was looking around wondering where am I and who are all these people.

We are so pleased with the way Lilly has adapted to her new world.  So many changes in such a short time.  Her forever family looks nothing like her birth parents or caregivers.  A new language that sounds nothing like the sing song Chinese language, yet she is already repeating so many words and is actually beginning to put 2 words together.  New foods so strange to her palate, yet she is loving boiled peanuts, all kind of fruits (today she had her first "Georgia" peach and she ate almost 2 of them, skin and all), watermelons, fresh green beans (thanks, Uncle Bill & Aunt Patsy), fresh squash, celery, fried chicken and beef jerky  (just like her brothers and Poppa).

Saturday she spent 4 plus hours with Randy & I while Mom and BaBa went to a wedding.  It was our first time for her to help Mammy bake a cake.  At first she wasn't sure about the standing in the chair in front of that strange machine.  Didn't take her long to get into the adding of ingredients and turning the mixer on & off.  We made a banana crumb cake...yummy!

Do I need to add the eggs?

Taste so good...banana cake!!

Easter weekend was the first time Heather took Lilly out to the pool.  Needless to say, I'm sure she had never seen a swimming pool.  All that water was just too much.  She sat very safely in Heather's lap until she watched the water bugs, Walker, Alaina and Ella.  After a time she actually got into the pool with me.  She held on for dear life, but let me swirl her around in the water.  Fast forward 3 weeks...Randy and I took her out there and she was ready to get into the water immediately.  Laughing, squealing, pouring water on herself and Randy....throwing water at him from a cup...she was not ready to get out after about an hour...Looking forward to having her in the water daily when Walker finishes school later this week.  I think by mid summer she will be swimming around by herself with her swimmies.

This is so much fun

My Poppa is so funny

So many more fun times to come.  It is so amazing to share "first" things in her life.  I feel so honored to have the opportunity to show what an amazing world God has created for her to live in.  Later in June, Alaina and Ella will be here for a week.  What a treasure to have all 5 granchildren together.  Looking forward to making memories...

Family time at Easter

Poppa & Ella at the playground

Hampton holding Alaina, Lilly, Walker holding Ella

Alaina at the top of the big slide.

As you can see it is hard to get 5 children ranging from age 15 to 2 to all look the same way and smile, but we tried.  Mainly it was just hard to get them to stop long enough to snap a picture.  Alaina was wiggling on Hampton who was battling a really bad sunburn via a day at the beach.  Ella wanted to sit on the seat and Lilly was just not sure what to make of all these blonde children.

The little girls all did really well playing together.  That does not mean there weren't some tears over sharing trikes and balls.  Ella was like but, that has always been my trike and I'm not sure I like sharing. Thank goodness I had the good idea to buy all new bubbles and bubble wands, goggles, swim mask, pool balls and dive toys for everyone.

Our Saturday started with Miranda & family going over early to meet Lilly.

JB & Miranda showing Lilly a toy from his Mom, Lee.

Ella, Alaina & Lilly

Poor Lilly we woke her up so she could meet more of her family before the shower.  So many changes and new things and people in her life.

After the shower (I'll cover that in a separate post) we changed into shorts and headed out to see Walker play baseball.  It was so hot, but we enjoyed the time outside and Miranda got to see lots of friends and their children.  In a small town everyone goes out to the ball fields to see the children play.

Walker hit it to the fence.

I just love baseball!

Watching the batter from first base.

After hot dogs, french fries and cokes for the kids, we stopped off for bar-b-cue sandwiches to benefit Dalton Luder and some pool time.  No pictures because Mammy was the only adult that braved the cool pool water.  As expected Lilly wanted no part of the pool at first, but as she sat with Mom and saw the other kids having fun she eventually let me take her into the pool.  Alaina and Ella are little water bugs and they had spent some time with LeeLee ( their other grandmother) and swam in her indoor pool.  It helps to keep kids in the water.  It was funny to me how Ella was not cold even though her lips were blue and her teeth chattering, but Lilly never shivered the first time.  Will thought he was going to have a quiet afternoon by the pool reading and catching some rays.  Not happening with 4 lively children around the pool.  Our day ended with steaks cooked on the charcoal grill.  Nothing better than having my family all together around the table sharing a meal.

No one had to be rocked to sleep that night, especially, "Mammy".