Halloween Fun!!! And, other news ;)

My beautiful Juliet and precious ladybug

The White Family of 4 beside the Great Pumpkin!!

Such a lovely Juliet. . . her choice of costume!! Love it!!

Just us girls :)

Mama and her little ladybug :)

Daddy and his girls

Haha!! Love Daddy's expression!! Long trudge up a hill to this house!

Pumpkin fun!

The expression says it all. . .

Just love their smiles :)

No words. . . :)

My sweet AG

Well, our little Mei Li is doing "picture perfect". And, Anna Grace is every bit the amazing sister I ever dreamed she would be!! She is growing up right before our very eyes. And, her love for her little sister is not only beautiful on "her", but it is beautiful on Mei Li too. This little girl is blossoming and thriving in the love she is being given. Every day is a new adventure for this little one. . . and she is really taking to her new family like a duck to water. We are enjoying every little thing about our Miss Mei Li!!! Her little foot is responding beautifully to serial casting. She has one more cast to go on Monday. If you were to see her now, it actually looks strange because they are purposely "over-correcting" her foot so that it actually turns outward. It was curved inward dramatically when they started, and by overcorrecting, they are training those bones and ligaments and tendons to have a normal range of motion. On November the 11th (11/11/2011. . . Haha!!! I think that is good luck!! ;), she will have an outpatient procedure done at Children's Hospital to stretch her Achilles tendon. This is necessary to release to allow proper range of motion in her little foot. She will then be casted for a full 4 weeks, with a pin in her heel. Once they remove the 4-week cast, she will then wear day and night braces for 1 month. SO, by mid-January, our little Mei Li should be walking with a normal gait. Hallelujah!!! That is a miracle considering where she started. . . and only in 3 months' time!! If you didn't see her walk before this casting, take a look at her "Fay-gee-luh" video and watch her walk. Her outer left ankle was the bottom of her foot. We are thrilled!!!! And, we love Dr. Khorey!!!

Also, Mei Li has an appointment with the neurosurgeon on November 21 to assess the meningocele (fatty tumor) on her spine. It has not, at least yet, caused paralysis or incontinence, but the placement of it is concerning. And, it is quite large. I am very eager to have Dr. Blount take care of it. If it is continuing to grow, it could be extremely problematic. Please keep that in your prayers, if you would. But, we are thankful we have Dr. Blount!! We hear he is amazing, and we have been placed in phenomenal hands with every specialist who has cared for our daughter. I have no doubt that Dr. Blount will know exactly what our little Mei Li needs.

Halloween was so much fun for the girls. . . I struggled through because I was sick. But, even sick, it was impossible to not enjoy the evening watching both of them have such a wonderful time!! Anna Grace was a absolutely lovely Juliet and Mei Li was the cutest little ladybug you ever laid eyes on! :) Anna Grace taught Mei Li how to say Trick-or-Treat!!! And, she mastered it quickly!! AG decided her sister was like a little "jack-pot" saying "Trick-or-Treat" with her little Asian accent and her cute little costume. I think she was right! The candy poured in to them all evening!! :) Anna Grace is such a great sister, too. There were a few houses that had really steep hills or were too scary to take Mei Li up to the door. . . so Anna Grace would, all on her own accord, ask the people nicely if she could take a piece of candy to her little sister. She definitely dotes on her little sis!! And, Mei Li loves her right back. :)

Life is good!! Things are beginning to settle in. Anna Grace's homeschool is getting back into a stride (although days with Dr. appointments make it more difficult. ) We are so glad we started homeschooling at the end of June because we have needed this past month to catch our breath and learn a "new normal"---and with the onslaught of Dr. appointments. . . there hasn't been a real "normal" yet. Today, AG finished all of her work by noon!!! We were all dressed and showered and even met daddy for lunch. . . and now both girls are upstairs playing dolls together. . . or as Mei Li calls them "Wah-wahs. . . that is Mandarin for dolls" :) This is exactly why we decided to homeschool AG this year!!! She can focus and get her school done before lunch, and have time to bond with her sister in the afternoon. That would be much tougher to do if she was gone by 7 in the morning and home after 4. . . then, homework, dinner and bedtime. It is really important to us that AG and her sister have this time to bond and truly come to love one-another. And, it is a precious thing to see it happen!!! :)

But, I will admit. . . my time is not my own so much anymore. And, I have missed songwriting and singing. There is a season for everything, however. . . and this is a very precious one. All in due time. . . :) I believe the time to write will come again. And, maybe it will be even better than before.

Enough of my rambles. . . I hope you enjoy our fun Halloween pics! :)