blogging again!!!!!

so i'm blogging again!!  i've been thinking about this for OHSOLONGNOW!!!!! i just can't seem to find the spare time to sit down and update this blog, but i'm about to start...and i hope to REGULARLY.  i'd planned to update on our family of FIVE since the very last thing i posted was "WE"RE HOME"...and then it was like we fell off the face of the planet.  i am so so sorry to those of you who had been following along with our adoption process and then our trip to china!!!  i feel like i let you guys down.  I have so much to update on, and i plan on doing that...just not tonight.  so know that we're all doing GREAT, and i'll get to all that later on. (soon, i promise).  tonight, i have to speak out on something that's heavy on my heart.  i didn't do this on my facebook page, because people get so fired up and sensitive on there sometimes.  plus, i ramble...so.... i have more room here.

RESPONSIBLE PARENTING....

that's what's on my mind, yall.  and it stems from the absolutely HORRIBLE events of this past friday.  you know the one.  the school shooting....all those babies....and many teachers...dead.  that's all i can say about it.  my heart grieves for their families, friends, and the community at large.  here's where the "responsible parenting" for me personally comes in.  we chose to turn off the TV friday before my boys ever got home from school.  i couldn't stand for them to see/hear any of the images or information streaming thru our TV.  we had a very busy weekend with a wedding and two family christmas parties, so there was no TV time over the weekend either really.  i struggled whether to even tell them at all, but of course we'll drop them off at school tomorrow.  and all i could think about was how i know many of the kids there will have already seen and heard too much from the TV or radio at their own house/car. and our oldest son, kaden (who just turned 10 yesterday) would be blindsided by news of kids gunned down in their own classroom.  i just couldn't have that happen.  we chose to tell him ourselves tonight...in our own way...with just the most basic of details.  then his daddy prayed with him for those families who won't have their children with them at christmas this year.  so, let's all think about being responsible parents.  be your child's own best advocate.  inform your child of tough life situations on your own terms.....don't let them always learn from the TV.  sometimes things are best learned face-to-face...if that's at all possible for you. and maybe we should just ALL turn the dang TV off for awhile anyway.  what good can honestly come from letting your children see/hear all the videos, interviews, and details of this horrific event that are sure to come out in the next few days and weeks?  let's be responsible.  guard their hearts and minds.  that's all yall.  thanks for listening.

WE ARE HOME!!! - Pics of our trip...

So sorry we have not updated the Blog in a few days.  Updating Facebook and Skyping with friends and family along with everything else was all we had time for.  We had an awesome trip.  Below are pics from May 13-18 of our trip.  Enjoy!!  -  Kevin

May 13, 2012

Shopping Trip

Pearls, Pearls, Pearls....

Lane 

Lane and Boys 

Our Adoption Group 

May 14, 2012

Zoo

Golden  Monkey

White Tiger

Panda Bear

May 15, 2012

Pearl River Boat Tour

Kaden in the Magic Show

May 16, 2012

Banana Leaf Restaurant

We did not have this...  HA!!

Our friend David with "Mr. Security Guard" 

Singing Group sings "Beat It" by MJ

Pause the music at the bottom of the page

May 17, 2012

The Journey Home Begins

So, So Tired 

1 Hour Away from Home!!! 

Greeting Party