We are now waiting for the call that we can see her soon. All we know now is that the surgery went great!!! Her very large spleen was removed successfully with a laprascope! Praise God for answered prayers!!!!!! And, for the amazing team here at Children's!!

Thank you for lifting up Sienna Grace today! God is so faithful in the way He continues to watch over our precious and brave little girl! Praying she hangs in there as the pain meds wear off.. I will be having a slumber party with Sienna tonight!! Ready to do whatever she needs to get thru the next 12-24 hours and beyond!

More soon! THANK YOU!!!

I do not recall the last time "The Pearl" asked me to take her picture. But, she had a friend over today, and as you can see they were playing "makeover." So, of course I obliged!

Ainsley had a big time yesterday at a fun rollerskating, purse making, pizza eating, facial spa night, game playing, movie watching slumber party! I picked her and the birthday girl up at 10:00am and they looked pretty good for staying up late! They faded quickly after a lengthy play date over here.

Adjusting to 4th grade has been harder than Ainsley expected. She has more homework than she has ever had.. And, of course the accountability factor has gone up. She has been working hard to get in to the rhythm of her teachers expectations. She is making progress!!! She started with A+, A+ on her first two tests, so of course we were all excited!! Hoping she can keep up her grades, and the fun social side of things too.

She continues to grow in her role as the big sister. Of course there are challenges in being the oldest. Some days "the littles" challenge her patience.. But, I love seeing the ownership she takes in caring for them too.. We went on a walk tonight.. Sienna was riding her bike and approaching a steep hill. It was Ainsley that ran to catch up with her and make sure she didn't go to fast. And, then she stuck with her the rest of the way home making sure she made it safely. They may annoy her some days, but she loves those girls, and she would do anything to protect them. I love seeing it in action!

Ainsley is trying new things this fall... Volleyball, and voice lessons from her music teacher at school! She seems to be enjoying both! Her piano teacher has had some serious health issues, so we are praying she can come back soon.

For now, she is just trying to figure out how to succeed in 4th grade when she just wants to play all day! :)

You may remember that it took Sienna a while to love and trust her Daddy... We always assumed it was because it was Jeff that "extracted" her from the Civil Affairs office in Hunan on March 1st. She adored her foster mother, but it is clear to us now she was not very close to her foster father. So, it makes a lot of sense that it took her a long time to trust her Daddy!

Over time I have watched this relationship evolve into something very special. When she wakes up the first thing she asks me is, "where's Daddy." When she gets hurt, she asks me "to call Daddy." He is her go to guy! Her safety net. Her buddy! She doesn't love him from afar anymore. She LOVES him!

When Sienna had her first transfusion and dental surgery Jeff had to be out of town. She kept a chair open for him in her hospital room just in case he was able to come.. We texted him updates, and sent him pictures. He was the last person she talked to before she was taken from me.

Monday evening we found out that Sienna's Hbg (Hemoglobin) levels were at a dangerously low level, even for her. Jeff had just landed in Chicago when I got this news. Which meant the next morning we were heading to Children's for transfusion #2. One week earlier than we hoped. I texted Jeff the news. He never left the terminal, forty minutes later he was on a flight back home to be with his girl.

She walked into that transfusion appointment dressed in pink from head to toe, and so excited that her Daddy was there, her go to guy, her safety net, her buddy!

September 30th our precious girl will be having surgery on her spleen. One thing is for sure, she will not be alone.. She will have two people that love her more than we could have imagined possible six months ago. And, that special chair in her room will be occupied by one very special person, her amazing Daddy!

Just because my little MJ girl looked so cute today I had to post these...

Everyday I just smile as I see this child skip down the hall... (Most days lately in her pink cowboy boots.) Ruby is so joyful and full of life. I feel very blessed to have a front row seat! I just can't wait to see what God does with this precious child! I just know it is going to be something very special!!

Ruby thank you for reminding us everyday that life is priceless. That sweet words like, "Have fun at your meeting" make my day. Or how you can walk outside and enthusiastically say, "It's a beautiful day Daddy!" What you have learned about caring, sharing, and sacrifice in the last six months has been amazing. Your Daddy and I are so very proud of you! And, one thing we do know about you Ruby is that we can always count on you.. You will never let life's trials get you down. You will tackle the tough stuff with grace and a smile. You are a light sweet Ruby Mei. We love you to the China moon and back!

WE ARE!!!

Tuesday it all began.. Bible Study, and Pre-School. It is officially Fall for our family!

Not much has changed.. We were rushing to both events. But we made it, and the girls did great! They are in the same classes together which makes the transition to school so easy for both of them. And, we knew their teachers from previous years which always makes things nice for the kids... and the parent!

There is something very special about reminding Sienna and Ruby to take care of each other, and hearing them say, "We will Mommy!" Their friendship has really blossomed over the past few months. And, it gives me so much comfort knowing they have each other every day in school.

Early reports, are positive! They really enjoyed Day 2 at pre-school!! And, they are both looking forward to the day when their names get called for "Line Leader or Weather Watcher!" So cute!

*I got these adorable dresses at Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. And, I used Florabella's "Soft Color Pop" Action on these pics. I have decided PhotoShop is amazing!! Even when your ISO is way to high, like photo #1 here!!