Spring

We have needed some fresh flowers at our house since spring got here, and Katie was happy to help choose them!

I helped to get the flowers ready for planting!

Besties

It's never a surprise to find these two together!

It's always a good day to hug a cat!

Finally

Katie really likes to watch Friends, so she was so excited when she heard they were going to have a reunion show.

I couldn't wait to watch the reunion show!

Do you like Friends?

Sharing News

When Katie got her books in the mail from the book fair, she had to call her friend to share the news.

I knew Abby would love my books, so I Facetimed with her to share.

Reading

It didn't take long for Katie to start reading her new book about cats!

It's hard to choose a favorite cat when they are all so cute!

A Gotcha Day Package

My friend, Noreen, is always so kind to send Katie a gift for her Gotcha Day each year.

I love to read Grammy Noreen's cards.

She always knows exactly what books I like. She knows I'm a cat girl, and I love learning about Malala! Thank you so much!

Another Fidget

Katie's last fidget arrived in the mail, which made her so happy. She bought this one to go on her backpack.

This will give me something to do when I'm waiting for my mom!

Star Wars

Katie recently decided she wanted to watch the Star Wars movies, so we watch one movie a weekend at Jennifer's house. 

My favorite movie-watching spot is right next to Aunt Jennifer!

Weekend Vibes

Sometimes when the weekend hits, you've just got to relax.

I just like to sink into the couch with my iPod when I want to relax!

Practicing

One of the things Katie bought with her gift card was a Rubik's cube. She has been working so hard on figuring it out.

This is a lot trickier than I thought it would be!

One Last Gift

The last gift I gave Katie for Gotcha Day was a necklace.

My necklace has my Gotcha Day date on the shape of China, and it also has my Chinese initials.

I love it!

Fidgets

After getting an Amazon gift card, Katie decided to buy herself some fidgets. She loves having something to do with her hands!

Thank you, Garyldine, Jim, and Aunt Jody!

A Gift from China

In China, jade is considered a lucky stone. It symbolizes prosperity, success, and good luck as well as renewal and longevity. For Gotcha Day, I always like to give Katie something that is important to the Chinese culture, so I got her some jade exercise balls that can be used to exercise your hands or they can just be used for decoration.

I always like to feel connected to China!

A Surprise

Katie was so happy to get home and find a surprise from Garyldine, Jim, and Aunt Jody for her Gotcha Day celebration!

I found my package at my front door!

I was pretty excited to see an Amazon gift card.

Thank you for everything!

Heading Out

Katie was so excited to go to Barnes and Noble on her Gotcha Day. She couldn't wait to look at the books and use her gift certificate.

I knew exactly what I was looking for, and I finally found the books I wanted. I read one of the books all in a day!

Gotcha Day Pictures

We always like to capture the moment in time when Katie celebrates her Gotcha Day each year.

We have the prettiest place by our house for pictures!

We were out on a cold morning though. I was excited to get this over with!

We've had a good ten years together!

"Gotcha Day" - Tenth Anniversary

It's that special day of the year. The anniversary of the day that I came face-to-face with Katie for the first time in the hallway of a hotel in Nanchang, China. I can still feel the feelings of that day, and it still fills me with a sense of luckiness.

Click here for Katie's 10th Anniversary Gotcha Video.

Sometimes

Katie usually finishes her school work fairly quickly on her school days at home, but sometimes her work takes a long time.

Sometimes my work is tricky and I have to wait for my mom to get home and help me.

Planting

Katie wanted to help me plant the flower she gave me for Mother's Day. She picked the perfect spot!

I loved this flower, so I wanted to make sure to plant it quick before it died in the cup!

A Lilac

A few years back, Katie helped my sister, Jennifer, choose two lilac bushes for her backyard. This last week, one of the bushes finally produced a flower.

Aunt Jennifer had to hold the plant, so I could smell the flower.

It smelled so good!

A SnapChat Mother's Day

Katie and I made sure to get a picture for Mother's Day!

We always have a good time together!

A Mother's Day Flower

Katie planted a flower at school to bring home for Mother's Day. She even designed a label for it!

I loved the flower that I brought home! Happy Mother's Day!

Playing Cards

Katie always loves a card game in the evenings!

Just a quick game of Crazy 8s is a great way to end the evening!

Sunday Hugs

What's Sunday without a hug?

General Washington and I love our hugs!

Finally

 Jennifer has been trying to get Katie to read the Harry Potter books for years. She has finally started reading book one with me and is loving it!

Aunt Jennifer bought this big book version of Harry Potter that has extra pictures in it.

Starting the Day

Katie is always good to start her day with a healthy breakfast.

Lately I love having apple slices with my breakfast. Yum!

Staying Safe

When Katie was with Libby, they decided they wanted a snack. They saw a piece of plexi-glass stored away, so they set it up while they ate their snack. 

We thought it would be safer to be close together without masks with the plexiglass!

Time with Libby

Katie goes to school on the same days as her friend, Libby, but with how everything is right now, she doesn't get to see Libby as much as she would like. Because of that, she was so happy when she heard Libby was staying after school with her for a bit.

No matter how long we've been apart, Libby and I always have fun when we get back together!

The Artist

Katie has continued working on her art skills.

I got through a lot of sketch books!

The Trees

We always love when the leaves return to the trees in the spring. Katie loves to find any birds or other wildlife that makes their home in the trees.

We have so many birds that love our trees!

General Washington loves to watch the birds too!

Valuing Friendship

Katie loves being able to FaceTime with friends, especially on days that she hasn't been to school.

Abby and I have so much fun together, whether it's face to face or on FaceTime.