tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89563776619801787962024-03-05T02:23:18.599-08:00One Step Closer To HomeBradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-72492592001907948982016-08-01T19:15:00.002-07:002016-08-01T19:15:35.745-07:004 Months HomeIt's been a whirlwind 4 months since Cooper has been home. The months leading up to his adoption went so slowly and now time is just flying! Cooper has been having a wonderful adjustment into our family and his new life. He is such a sweet, loving, full of life and curiosity, happy, fun boy. He has loved his siblings and they have loved him unconditionally without skipping a beat. It amazes me how things have just fallen into place. It seems like he's always been here. Really even though he wasn't physically present, I think he has always been here, in our hearts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejpqg5PRwIVWoVIId6qym4R8qCGHdcXacbNFDc4WS2L3tnBHrclF3m-tKB050B6AgnErhLZsSMyUroaebd9JeTCCyLjsgnPyafNatc_tInQ4izCSNDcDVtmjjxTLUUa-omogmHBF7Fpo/s1600/IMG_6918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejpqg5PRwIVWoVIId6qym4R8qCGHdcXacbNFDc4WS2L3tnBHrclF3m-tKB050B6AgnErhLZsSMyUroaebd9JeTCCyLjsgnPyafNatc_tInQ4izCSNDcDVtmjjxTLUUa-omogmHBF7Fpo/s640/IMG_6918.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So exhausted he slept until noon on his first day home!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAFziyFbU7HX-33nxX4KmE09GEt6zvK31EmfjtAuJ-MyzxhughINndlsBoV78Wo9chBXHQzXMHD70FMD2JpzoRj6LbcPlaTpkx7gueKA-PhzQ2cZxT7DUOqYaCoJYIHujTLAYKTkcye8/s1600/IMG_6919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAFziyFbU7HX-33nxX4KmE09GEt6zvK31EmfjtAuJ-MyzxhughINndlsBoV78Wo9chBXHQzXMHD70FMD2JpzoRj6LbcPlaTpkx7gueKA-PhzQ2cZxT7DUOqYaCoJYIHujTLAYKTkcye8/s640/IMG_6919.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Checking out the roller coaster </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYDg7y1YxfIy9j7c2vJm1uNek54QOxOEonWrWoYcF691oFg8Y3yMLhIbfPW4nMvroW9BCU-7K4Zv7uVFcMukqKFj6aNk-Sx_y5pXDcNp9nznKT0MebKNcVXw_kUiID1J50SNcuMcTuyk/s1600/IMG_6921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYDg7y1YxfIy9j7c2vJm1uNek54QOxOEonWrWoYcF691oFg8Y3yMLhIbfPW4nMvroW9BCU-7K4Zv7uVFcMukqKFj6aNk-Sx_y5pXDcNp9nznKT0MebKNcVXw_kUiID1J50SNcuMcTuyk/s640/IMG_6921.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Brady couldn't wait to have him try the bow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc8dbrcVMXWPiDgqcUvybngZEV2cNGHIzIyT7GzxZcXHuMlCOSiRAVU6LeJQJHy_KVXiYqR8YBJ7-3uxgpIiHpf3Wqt4fMPaDZmSP6om-VXA2FF3ovbcNHaSc5UhPyhn7919_rVgspPM/s1600/IMG_6925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc8dbrcVMXWPiDgqcUvybngZEV2cNGHIzIyT7GzxZcXHuMlCOSiRAVU6LeJQJHy_KVXiYqR8YBJ7-3uxgpIiHpf3Wqt4fMPaDZmSP6om-VXA2FF3ovbcNHaSc5UhPyhn7919_rVgspPM/s640/IMG_6925.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvIP70WjKMXyLg9pt99yWqdN9kN3FGZLFGb5Ud5ipk0_oMiMv0IvSqIVTbyi9XL8TAJ6lHYTs8DwuYYBYJh62Qab2e35izG0TUTvbeNXNKU_fmfPu15S26xf5GmVGtRFGJ9jdCP9FbLQ/s1600/IMG_6928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvIP70WjKMXyLg9pt99yWqdN9kN3FGZLFGb5Ud5ipk0_oMiMv0IvSqIVTbyi9XL8TAJ6lHYTs8DwuYYBYJh62Qab2e35izG0TUTvbeNXNKU_fmfPu15S26xf5GmVGtRFGJ9jdCP9FbLQ/s640/IMG_6928.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNiAnezM5T1u8jDkDXTvpkg24jCFCEK8yWHXh-ZbIAo82J5z3dJq2pg5LPH8zciDdNEyRdHQSr_b9t6MBb3mcFTlCyXSchV-5pcjRyRK4GwmqCbWUVFh-ym1YJlPAA0JCVbRqFLmGOE8/s1600/IMG_6941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNiAnezM5T1u8jDkDXTvpkg24jCFCEK8yWHXh-ZbIAo82J5z3dJq2pg5LPH8zciDdNEyRdHQSr_b9t6MBb3mcFTlCyXSchV-5pcjRyRK4GwmqCbWUVFh-ym1YJlPAA0JCVbRqFLmGOE8/s640/IMG_6941.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Meeting the bunny</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZhOPLAZsXMRjKeIohO0sxDzXSat-_6hCfV-ih9kB44M85hxXakw5rWQ7qlxxdS2aY6NEdUVtPr_fL8CM1sDBERojM16C1dkgUihvdhEwzUae6BQPpsPoKemgi5-UQBR3pxmR5D7A2fA/s1600/IMG_6978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZhOPLAZsXMRjKeIohO0sxDzXSat-_6hCfV-ih9kB44M85hxXakw5rWQ7qlxxdS2aY6NEdUVtPr_fL8CM1sDBERojM16C1dkgUihvdhEwzUae6BQPpsPoKemgi5-UQBR3pxmR5D7A2fA/s640/IMG_6978.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbWrsWyxyRKZG7cmAosx59KkXKB8AStjDTJvtyR4Wf0GdSzolASVd6DZn1e_R73mW_ueqY4twZjAfwq1leKiQghbfRkFp79OZtspVKiRtsKD7LyM_2qLU4riGosuETQNqt_Y_IevrzHg/s1600/IMG_6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbWrsWyxyRKZG7cmAosx59KkXKB8AStjDTJvtyR4Wf0GdSzolASVd6DZn1e_R73mW_ueqY4twZjAfwq1leKiQghbfRkFp79OZtspVKiRtsKD7LyM_2qLU4riGosuETQNqt_Y_IevrzHg/s640/IMG_6992.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hot dogs are a Cooper favorite</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8m46SchsEigjjf5q2QJl5QI1OzBwjJhY6-sKxXVhw-DZ1eUUBnrSZPBxPp2o3zGg9c33OqHziRp891_c2yzteLXyayWjJkU8Q9LMSXZ0QGdX-4YkFcti-iNso6XyGN-3s7WejEFEkAYs/s1600/IMG_6998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8m46SchsEigjjf5q2QJl5QI1OzBwjJhY6-sKxXVhw-DZ1eUUBnrSZPBxPp2o3zGg9c33OqHziRp891_c2yzteLXyayWjJkU8Q9LMSXZ0QGdX-4YkFcti-iNso6XyGN-3s7WejEFEkAYs/s640/IMG_6998.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He loves going for walks</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hMAqFtmoF48JnNOkoSNFFfMBerP-8MsLbSCQKJ_Pwe-uaq0wLvbrqAegQImdHILxpPO7fhokR25Lt_cIyJEGLbEpRGdQmOPANpWAufI8Sd0ERAkEAQalLS2Nko8D7-Yr6RvshO2OO1k/s1600/IMG_7014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hMAqFtmoF48JnNOkoSNFFfMBerP-8MsLbSCQKJ_Pwe-uaq0wLvbrqAegQImdHILxpPO7fhokR25Lt_cIyJEGLbEpRGdQmOPANpWAufI8Sd0ERAkEAQalLS2Nko8D7-Yr6RvshO2OO1k/s640/IMG_7014.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Having family visit</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNIPuz1cgLlA1gHGsZzD3lPSU34CKZ_mgpXYjZ2trqG9AgNcA2Q3Qvg5wGDPvXwAzOUD-WOCJVwG8YL60Mg2Vq7bdEXnZgg6FHNDddgyIPK_wG9UyHhVC5hISnCTNLoC1oym9CQrDYcQ/s1600/IMG_7059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNIPuz1cgLlA1gHGsZzD3lPSU34CKZ_mgpXYjZ2trqG9AgNcA2Q3Qvg5wGDPvXwAzOUD-WOCJVwG8YL60Mg2Vq7bdEXnZgg6FHNDddgyIPK_wG9UyHhVC5hISnCTNLoC1oym9CQrDYcQ/s640/IMG_7059.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Helping sis with chores</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz31yTJvKlqZZxTUVbmlpN8Iz8WX5EokvKdR4ojA5wOIT29xT4ZnsfZAFvrIC2pwh-tIUdSB3wR8MgxwIHZb26w_6U-3zuewpfX0VferUB3bsHAIMjX9u86C5DnnsJg0GBLlbQSPGrnsI/s1600/IMG_7067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz31yTJvKlqZZxTUVbmlpN8Iz8WX5EokvKdR4ojA5wOIT29xT4ZnsfZAFvrIC2pwh-tIUdSB3wR8MgxwIHZb26w_6U-3zuewpfX0VferUB3bsHAIMjX9u86C5DnnsJg0GBLlbQSPGrnsI/s640/IMG_7067.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Going to the movies</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpT04BqrBRSdkXmC_-HOawVoAu315UXcOa0TuBoaOQdkISiXI4hXMpYZ-FiG5P-onVt6D4-RB7dmgGyjs27Xqk36THtLr_iYtgTOC8ZuVV2JLy4w3RVwjKhhFTXA-47d72OhvoA-__mw/s1600/IMG_7092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpT04BqrBRSdkXmC_-HOawVoAu315UXcOa0TuBoaOQdkISiXI4hXMpYZ-FiG5P-onVt6D4-RB7dmgGyjs27Xqk36THtLr_iYtgTOC8ZuVV2JLy4w3RVwjKhhFTXA-47d72OhvoA-__mw/s640/IMG_7092.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Coop loves church and helps lead the music in sharing time every week</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhvstYcCjv3rWjM6PN0OcVQ37cbPXvRwcWipfOU2dWldqZ9rcNqx2de2OO0-t2F74-wNfO_WDApgSDRiHrAqtWG7JyZYQuGRxLUzrQzOxBUBKbMxKhoWx0vIntRXGV9hx8cznzhPcOIc/s1600/IMG_7755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhvstYcCjv3rWjM6PN0OcVQ37cbPXvRwcWipfOU2dWldqZ9rcNqx2de2OO0-t2F74-wNfO_WDApgSDRiHrAqtWG7JyZYQuGRxLUzrQzOxBUBKbMxKhoWx0vIntRXGV9hx8cznzhPcOIc/s640/IMG_7755.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He also loves his hand-me-down cowboy boots even though they are too big</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBALGlQHZ-eWMgfyEQ6yJCbb9urIRp9JOh8Lhd_VGjOfN6AU9Xlo6IrNR9ET7hP2gDopXI9vgwfBp9EiEwWGI2QD_Rs_ErDy3z6plT3o_1OKv4liW6EGzGlLrYLvdHB8XLHgEI7XeSpr4/s1600/IMG_7774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBALGlQHZ-eWMgfyEQ6yJCbb9urIRp9JOh8Lhd_VGjOfN6AU9Xlo6IrNR9ET7hP2gDopXI9vgwfBp9EiEwWGI2QD_Rs_ErDy3z6plT3o_1OKv4liW6EGzGlLrYLvdHB8XLHgEI7XeSpr4/s640/IMG_7774.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Still has a few Chinese habits we need to kick, like this and burping.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATyYrK6vf1TRfCNhRNpKFc-DTpVgJzF_KPMt22ljY6VXh1_IwubZi-smvXHoJQW_t3NvtsD8zaZcFUCwM-ez2b_ydHDc_mBpZNGzDuNgHWAKFOegXkx2fHyiJM2s-UIt-Mm1X3pNJc-w/s1600/IMG_7815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATyYrK6vf1TRfCNhRNpKFc-DTpVgJzF_KPMt22ljY6VXh1_IwubZi-smvXHoJQW_t3NvtsD8zaZcFUCwM-ez2b_ydHDc_mBpZNGzDuNgHWAKFOegXkx2fHyiJM2s-UIt-Mm1X3pNJc-w/s640/IMG_7815.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He adores music</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uERD2CHasOh8YJxUZBbwc2STtfdtCLbD3XgXTRrGWPRZEsIVmmoP-NiH58kyRlhnw6qEsbpzSDPabB5dQn2nl0NDMT2LZXuA-LHYSvbTAGWBkM1tlSA8quZKUVNmTA5UBOlKFP8yWHc/s1600/IMG_7865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uERD2CHasOh8YJxUZBbwc2STtfdtCLbD3XgXTRrGWPRZEsIVmmoP-NiH58kyRlhnw6qEsbpzSDPabB5dQn2nl0NDMT2LZXuA-LHYSvbTAGWBkM1tlSA8quZKUVNmTA5UBOlKFP8yWHc/s640/IMG_7865.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These two!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM4iAOhJbZ09xr_jg8_LRtN0XVAAi3XPEO1teN0yRw9_EjQv7RT65p1T4tYROGG0QcY8MN0IgjG6CjtUU8ZbMALra3M8OLZ5P_CB1c6rsIKils0Wd7Hn05I9k2_0p6r-_hxhAoYB-MZQ/s1600/IMG_7887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM4iAOhJbZ09xr_jg8_LRtN0XVAAi3XPEO1teN0yRw9_EjQv7RT65p1T4tYROGG0QcY8MN0IgjG6CjtUU8ZbMALra3M8OLZ5P_CB1c6rsIKils0Wd7Hn05I9k2_0p6r-_hxhAoYB-MZQ/s640/IMG_7887.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These three!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmoPhgLzOu7dWIfpNUKM4fi6-TMdMKcT0t9rxTzrVmE-ohlYOLOvr0xmHrYB-73Mw9-30VT2woFBywvl8wdVdPbxJtXwGL4EnqrTAXLcKGd0J_bUkopwC6Bz_aGsOWa0jRyKKJpYNImw/s1600/IMG_7889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmoPhgLzOu7dWIfpNUKM4fi6-TMdMKcT0t9rxTzrVmE-ohlYOLOvr0xmHrYB-73Mw9-30VT2woFBywvl8wdVdPbxJtXwGL4EnqrTAXLcKGd0J_bUkopwC6Bz_aGsOWa0jRyKKJpYNImw/s640/IMG_7889.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These four!!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKsWPMnC8JHvXc-m3k6YiO6HWGW__t84IBAfY3sF0lVDTpvzCJeV3TbTcPoHeoDxniaEL0dIlJC_-PCKZx-PH1hoarwV_znPUuo6F0sKPKfOqhHAVRR6NDCmvXpAV6PMkUbY7mcTAwg4/s1600/IMG_7919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKsWPMnC8JHvXc-m3k6YiO6HWGW__t84IBAfY3sF0lVDTpvzCJeV3TbTcPoHeoDxniaEL0dIlJC_-PCKZx-PH1hoarwV_znPUuo6F0sKPKfOqhHAVRR6NDCmvXpAV6PMkUbY7mcTAwg4/s640/IMG_7919.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loves his Dad!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLHqAYhQUg_K66OP_NuJX-njq9LetMHpZNVxjTZveAQN-89asi0GGO6peAqkSWZySqVYJ8Z9o5Dszd4PI-Iz16TiNaIq_5spCse8K3T-GqYQoFtGHuFR7v2rQAImTcKAFF6uXBHxfQIw/s1600/IMG_7930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLHqAYhQUg_K66OP_NuJX-njq9LetMHpZNVxjTZveAQN-89asi0GGO6peAqkSWZySqVYJ8Z9o5Dszd4PI-Iz16TiNaIq_5spCse8K3T-GqYQoFtGHuFR7v2rQAImTcKAFF6uXBHxfQIw/s640/IMG_7930.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWk4CdfQLNmHUtXUvFCsa7T-tFtqW8po2atLhrT3G_oE5Xkjux14k6ohO1mBbC4GuFXlwo_f35mXPlaCfpHaQbnYFrJVD10FDsw0IMjvMFwFXpAjxfRoqCgin4iQDSoTB0e5MFkO4wLo/s1600/IMG_7941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWk4CdfQLNmHUtXUvFCsa7T-tFtqW8po2atLhrT3G_oE5Xkjux14k6ohO1mBbC4GuFXlwo_f35mXPlaCfpHaQbnYFrJVD10FDsw0IMjvMFwFXpAjxfRoqCgin4iQDSoTB0e5MFkO4wLo/s640/IMG_7941.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZMSv8ToLIKgMJ34Aq_2ljIiR3j6Sfd7etBXH0ThlOvZnAFD0yKy-p8c0MsxXjZT0mYIKiJTeHCEnhol8ajQElxk9pm3kpQYf2HbhTR1iUk7DbDdgKxWUZFLUKOrzTv-Tboo8BfJ3hdw/s1600/IMG_8004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZMSv8ToLIKgMJ34Aq_2ljIiR3j6Sfd7etBXH0ThlOvZnAFD0yKy-p8c0MsxXjZT0mYIKiJTeHCEnhol8ajQElxk9pm3kpQYf2HbhTR1iUk7DbDdgKxWUZFLUKOrzTv-Tboo8BfJ3hdw/s640/IMG_8004.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loves being outside</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEgkjD8zJIze_FruI891TkwXtDbpEXi1ixA1jEvxramk2Iv-JXkebcCEsRT9NnaLD_vtfkSx2VxD3C7JvZlZnnBpFdTT7LT6FYwb1R4oBFcuvvGKBkFjaIbUz2J89K5UGEFcAElEJLp8/s1600/IMG_8177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEgkjD8zJIze_FruI891TkwXtDbpEXi1ixA1jEvxramk2Iv-JXkebcCEsRT9NnaLD_vtfkSx2VxD3C7JvZlZnnBpFdTT7LT6FYwb1R4oBFcuvvGKBkFjaIbUz2J89K5UGEFcAElEJLp8/s640/IMG_8177.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loves his sis!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeroNsem2ZgKYS1kGUc9erkThbydp7pt9I8Ddamq0cYMUQZpTs474OVKds9IXrk1fOWRnaB4VVkY02KF0npV0wZgOZVO0RnGOzpkU__s1o3eo1KBfZtWRaPuIkFdr1bqImtLPKlvZgyXM/s1600/IMG_8212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeroNsem2ZgKYS1kGUc9erkThbydp7pt9I8Ddamq0cYMUQZpTs474OVKds9IXrk1fOWRnaB4VVkY02KF0npV0wZgOZVO0RnGOzpkU__s1o3eo1KBfZtWRaPuIkFdr1bqImtLPKlvZgyXM/s640/IMG_8212.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Is already looking forward to starting preschool this fall</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGhiAvyBJXqaV8NT0Vg6_sPGQIWOxVrKJXiYw3hb0KDnsC-2UBXfTNnxaL8tIobAYKjEV3RoCpbMMsQqKFe8b3-ra9ndi3e_9MuFq62uI1IKSgfAlYjismRs8hDUd2QkyILYhE6qz-fI/s1600/IMG_8240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGhiAvyBJXqaV8NT0Vg6_sPGQIWOxVrKJXiYw3hb0KDnsC-2UBXfTNnxaL8tIobAYKjEV3RoCpbMMsQqKFe8b3-ra9ndi3e_9MuFq62uI1IKSgfAlYjismRs8hDUd2QkyILYhE6qz-fI/s640/IMG_8240.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Such an entertainer!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxfqyOJaIwJdxD-CuwO7q2AiC2J10uXUJlRNlbLw479MGeg2HNABb2s39Rk7ytQBZdhR6fVDDjHjZtiy1aTOlarkuoQj4XJWEaF9Nq7PMIK96DOgk8K8fk4g4gDd7XKWrr51EYxDNvHg/s1600/IMG_8252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxfqyOJaIwJdxD-CuwO7q2AiC2J10uXUJlRNlbLw479MGeg2HNABb2s39Rk7ytQBZdhR6fVDDjHjZtiy1aTOlarkuoQj4XJWEaF9Nq7PMIK96DOgk8K8fk4g4gDd7XKWrr51EYxDNvHg/s640/IMG_8252.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loves Uncle Ry!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUXdfu78J8KEzxSLxrxy5AS_fkMwmacBvoWsZLC0CNwRd_cXkh36RXvsYs2s9j4B0obvsgK0kUPB22f-kO2mM5eQBtXe9bMk9-lUND3EgN5VrFlJSz2nYUNWAeo3kLJFQcHXpDCJjeQ/s1600/IMG_8265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUXdfu78J8KEzxSLxrxy5AS_fkMwmacBvoWsZLC0CNwRd_cXkh36RXvsYs2s9j4B0obvsgK0kUPB22f-kO2mM5eQBtXe9bMk9-lUND3EgN5VrFlJSz2nYUNWAeo3kLJFQcHXpDCJjeQ/s640/IMG_8265.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs23VxSHUVGFo6L9GlTeqINTQmxycXJ66im0dOUUA2B5dT3StWLgdNfcDisRnDi5UIqeoExRwmUVWxZGEwRz50lg42tT2SE2cDeE7wLomPfx5VPyvwShmkXE3geuAOCxd4NXIBLR-sYaM/s1600/IMG_7618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs23VxSHUVGFo6L9GlTeqINTQmxycXJ66im0dOUUA2B5dT3StWLgdNfcDisRnDi5UIqeoExRwmUVWxZGEwRz50lg42tT2SE2cDeE7wLomPfx5VPyvwShmkXE3geuAOCxd4NXIBLR-sYaM/s640/IMG_7618.JPG" width="474" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Nash will do almost anything for his little brother</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHTBeWl3dkr5L8Izw5qZm74ztf4BHiKhasxG3S82gGOrwvjqCmF0bhdYFYyiKhgiOJ3sD6XO2R5vFmfbp3_luWeu-MGfGFQ9OMW2jF0Prqr74TzYRPtVr1Q-9nBaz93ETb2jzRbGbq4s/s1600/IMG_8282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHTBeWl3dkr5L8Izw5qZm74ztf4BHiKhasxG3S82gGOrwvjqCmF0bhdYFYyiKhgiOJ3sD6XO2R5vFmfbp3_luWeu-MGfGFQ9OMW2jF0Prqr74TzYRPtVr1Q-9nBaz93ETb2jzRbGbq4s/s640/IMG_8282.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Coop and Cohen</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV0a4_EbUrCDiuNLldOleRBBRnH3HovxP9e4yWaD3ReWQVmsWUzb4YR_U1K-mMuyExDy-1ar8Fzf16j_rCBRolF_dZkSDA5S-OL0_NfXPF6EfsjFfxYN_JPlkXZLvLGLBsDVQ2ETrkNk/s1600/IMG_8332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV0a4_EbUrCDiuNLldOleRBBRnH3HovxP9e4yWaD3ReWQVmsWUzb4YR_U1K-mMuyExDy-1ar8Fzf16j_rCBRolF_dZkSDA5S-OL0_NfXPF6EfsjFfxYN_JPlkXZLvLGLBsDVQ2ETrkNk/s640/IMG_8332.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Trouble makers!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsWD-emJ4A-WdTUrLtcDCk3gQ93XVdHXLMFeOo9ElBiUxXnBl2M1f25jYxOALLOERUWuBL9GVOXtYMcPOxxMvn7z6VYw1k5w_ujsuoLnLhTWsYDJCWA1o70x_NENoSNke9y0snuFN8UU/s1600/IMG_8463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsWD-emJ4A-WdTUrLtcDCk3gQ93XVdHXLMFeOo9ElBiUxXnBl2M1f25jYxOALLOERUWuBL9GVOXtYMcPOxxMvn7z6VYw1k5w_ujsuoLnLhTWsYDJCWA1o70x_NENoSNke9y0snuFN8UU/s640/IMG_8463.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Four wheelin' fun!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaXOE3GOLa5hFNG2qOWgVqIN9FOBEFsXmpu6up0bh-zw4HaixrnTvJtkBBgEnsy4-xY1kQBdyTuCj04-5-ybyzEoaFFwCBZG6CN4Cwn5SNAcnd_OPvTydoHxUk-DRefAms3iDqy57M9U/s1600/IMG_8568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaXOE3GOLa5hFNG2qOWgVqIN9FOBEFsXmpu6up0bh-zw4HaixrnTvJtkBBgEnsy4-xY1kQBdyTuCj04-5-ybyzEoaFFwCBZG6CN4Cwn5SNAcnd_OPvTydoHxUk-DRefAms3iDqy57M9U/s640/IMG_8568.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cleaning up messes isn't as fun as making them!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N2-tmiTlw7hDfovS6PftOpU6vK3iV9Q8sVn5fmOi8fKq4CHAULsakTb6yQt5j_v32HrRPuqxy3226wV3HPchdowDJPkLE8BIQS7yhg0rBuk45rOKm4yUMkCb7pwmVWzqfh0G8iiWWSw/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N2-tmiTlw7hDfovS6PftOpU6vK3iV9Q8sVn5fmOi8fKq4CHAULsakTb6yQt5j_v32HrRPuqxy3226wV3HPchdowDJPkLE8BIQS7yhg0rBuk45rOKm4yUMkCb7pwmVWzqfh0G8iiWWSw/s640/IMG_0067.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Haircut time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcWvb0hob2C_Ua2-KACj7z430BdJ-1y1vj6n4QTAOhUcGtzEO508LElsESfJM7aOP68EjkdxkETPRwoc-X5E0qbQTjs21-sD9HbUHwOp-Wj1HeRrAztnY_Cc0wEM3hR3cwUldhW7iza8/s1600/IMG_8633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcWvb0hob2C_Ua2-KACj7z430BdJ-1y1vj6n4QTAOhUcGtzEO508LElsESfJM7aOP68EjkdxkETPRwoc-X5E0qbQTjs21-sD9HbUHwOp-Wj1HeRrAztnY_Cc0wEM3hR3cwUldhW7iza8/s640/IMG_8633.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM1wD7W5LaehfvGhz6X13vXtGMYyAAxQq5U-UdGcXvedA4X0lrv4NxI1kA4A9ulc0hR1XaR90I3YMyY2yAjb5fEW-46FLY8p4u9NvjlL83bd1NmYUjrIG9mIIqo5ZTdyqxev8l_zUEXI/s1600/IMG_8639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM1wD7W5LaehfvGhz6X13vXtGMYyAAxQq5U-UdGcXvedA4X0lrv4NxI1kA4A9ulc0hR1XaR90I3YMyY2yAjb5fEW-46FLY8p4u9NvjlL83bd1NmYUjrIG9mIIqo5ZTdyqxev8l_zUEXI/s640/IMG_8639.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi1HIDrSX_iCU4MqhCKEClGYUt6vIpAzEGx5DlZmToxQ31rCG4gHZN2p9Tx_BP1rkThEESmf4jvjlvQHvC-0IQReWJNQ8F-n_cBS4yBvUy2xgUOyCuW31eqinME5BQnIcsmouLYKE7Ek/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi1HIDrSX_iCU4MqhCKEClGYUt6vIpAzEGx5DlZmToxQ31rCG4gHZN2p9Tx_BP1rkThEESmf4jvjlvQHvC-0IQReWJNQ8F-n_cBS4yBvUy2xgUOyCuW31eqinME5BQnIcsmouLYKE7Ek/s640/IMG_0240.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Coop was quite happy to learn that families can be together forever!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2uawbI_DrZpDbW04cpg5iMFdNvo8YpOejFO2e4VwbkAkCF3BbnTZU0sBPV69ncUVUFT4NWypHRFch9HuSkt_6zUDbtptrjrGP0EBTZIcg-rEYvu9XTTdk3PMvYOXLoVHLXE0YIW-ksk/s1600/IMG_8692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2uawbI_DrZpDbW04cpg5iMFdNvo8YpOejFO2e4VwbkAkCF3BbnTZU0sBPV69ncUVUFT4NWypHRFch9HuSkt_6zUDbtptrjrGP0EBTZIcg-rEYvu9XTTdk3PMvYOXLoVHLXE0YIW-ksk/s640/IMG_8692.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Everyone who has joined the Murray family in the last 12 months</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaJCCXrXi6OXMLw759qCE1H5XYWwiKa-ezTUdAmDbj9cU5e9uT8XNYLUbkPyN3TjeCAUM0Qr7LgMtO7NDeA5vmyt-RL0eq7ZzxpR2GtBj4btsHRrTB7jo1_laZt11z2r57bfoacX8fNg/s1600/IMG_8703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaJCCXrXi6OXMLw759qCE1H5XYWwiKa-ezTUdAmDbj9cU5e9uT8XNYLUbkPyN3TjeCAUM0Qr7LgMtO7NDeA5vmyt-RL0eq7ZzxpR2GtBj4btsHRrTB7jo1_laZt11z2r57bfoacX8fNg/s640/IMG_8703.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loves his Aunt Jo!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QUx-d28PXu0PgRyhY_Qczui3frDaJi1Jcvpc6TepuDmi8jRiz6RufN8emA4sDOlRidcdF1gsxf7aIcI02vqcAmidPDBG5ejWS0iqkjE_IEZUr2_XNb6tUADAb4NEC9UP6Sog21D2r2Y/s1600/IMG_8839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QUx-d28PXu0PgRyhY_Qczui3frDaJi1Jcvpc6TepuDmi8jRiz6RufN8emA4sDOlRidcdF1gsxf7aIcI02vqcAmidPDBG5ejWS0iqkjE_IEZUr2_XNb6tUADAb4NEC9UP6Sog21D2r2Y/s640/IMG_8839.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Not so sure about swimming</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wHo-WhvZLCyXWmrGpGJ_OL20vQDxOkn0CZmgBDaN6x6dfYQ60PZmsjmw9l5h-9XN4dKsb8lCBpOo3azXL-aFWNPPoG9q-1HG-wtu5zyvM9ehiGyGjg03_pFH6Xgim14cUzaXV7HhIU0/s1600/IMG_8856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wHo-WhvZLCyXWmrGpGJ_OL20vQDxOkn0CZmgBDaN6x6dfYQ60PZmsjmw9l5h-9XN4dKsb8lCBpOo3azXL-aFWNPPoG9q-1HG-wtu5zyvM9ehiGyGjg03_pFH6Xgim14cUzaXV7HhIU0/s640/IMG_8856.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Still loves the boots!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vdNwzPUkN84Tz1_afTcI3XY8ao1nL3Nhlz82Mzk76rh8tCF82bRE4e3L7RwYjDi8aixFeeKQ1gn7C4AoPodMLU2elG-GZ6J5J5TqYvyXU0y2ONsN6GNB20v_QTt2TMOSm9OXm4beV4o/s1600/IMG_8873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vdNwzPUkN84Tz1_afTcI3XY8ao1nL3Nhlz82Mzk76rh8tCF82bRE4e3L7RwYjDi8aixFeeKQ1gn7C4AoPodMLU2elG-GZ6J5J5TqYvyXU0y2ONsN6GNB20v_QTt2TMOSm9OXm4beV4o/s640/IMG_8873.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Has a great sense of fashion</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y06iwzF4YbeB_gzFN5S4CDeF5-5pvQncaONNPykVTy-XIjEwpoUpe7zZyfVbNYIASBFMSFjiSmaGaxAhdTHYrw6fR5MmKENxJOwjiv_3HnRnOcyVGGPsux4vAPU-geiCcyoXUgyMU98/s1600/IMG_8876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y06iwzF4YbeB_gzFN5S4CDeF5-5pvQncaONNPykVTy-XIjEwpoUpe7zZyfVbNYIASBFMSFjiSmaGaxAhdTHYrw6fR5MmKENxJOwjiv_3HnRnOcyVGGPsux4vAPU-geiCcyoXUgyMU98/s640/IMG_8876.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bathing with brothers is never boring</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0guLqst0p_LwiS2Le6hKKJrZ9StEe8uajqRyzs3DNJFGfs5BrsXLU2fcXurHNZ0DBWl19pheW2KzW-GmDBgSU10QQUq0_0L451yO4Xx7ZT1dfNn_yWsP1t8wFUDdxx9HLUqZtB-K12rE/s1600/IMG_8897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0guLqst0p_LwiS2Le6hKKJrZ9StEe8uajqRyzs3DNJFGfs5BrsXLU2fcXurHNZ0DBWl19pheW2KzW-GmDBgSU10QQUq0_0L451yO4Xx7ZT1dfNn_yWsP1t8wFUDdxx9HLUqZtB-K12rE/s640/IMG_8897.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No mom, we weren't in your lipstick! Why do you ask?!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8CNEfV6ytXn-gAuP9zKeMlFeicufbhnYpFuxJmJ44kKAK_YmcqlQEPng2p6Oi0MyJX1RdoUbJdPr0sLsg5MVgeEgJVqUz57GY141LerIGEhiXUQ9GydJAT6CnYIbeE-5Lhfarj0uPwc/s1600/IMG_8910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8CNEfV6ytXn-gAuP9zKeMlFeicufbhnYpFuxJmJ44kKAK_YmcqlQEPng2p6Oi0MyJX1RdoUbJdPr0sLsg5MVgeEgJVqUz57GY141LerIGEhiXUQ9GydJAT6CnYIbeE-5Lhfarj0uPwc/s640/IMG_8910.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Vacationing with friends</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ71q87vojVMsoVNRa8Lt_tZkua6pkDmgRk5Y9eBDIuClnbYhB_NwqgXO4dYQXd5NA8FXSN5-oI56UN2KBbumCgStYgvsL-kumzdmCiJH4LCkwSJoCnPLB5X1ixx2nMuRb66qsRcplDc8/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ71q87vojVMsoVNRa8Lt_tZkua6pkDmgRk5Y9eBDIuClnbYhB_NwqgXO4dYQXd5NA8FXSN5-oI56UN2KBbumCgStYgvsL-kumzdmCiJH4LCkwSJoCnPLB5X1ixx2nMuRb66qsRcplDc8/s640/IMG_0052.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Fishing, of course</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBf_6UAhoU-XlPFD5Mm4pwI9RL_vL_pDKdDNxEeSun1JYy8JqwdKx0E_Xsr5X-sXEfnRnSXUAqfvWlxMqg2cBHEmKev71ZQZN7SMsP5rH3Rjw_g4uuX6c7pDoHJqQV3ZXA57unB9Sacpo/s1600/IMG_8942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBf_6UAhoU-XlPFD5Mm4pwI9RL_vL_pDKdDNxEeSun1JYy8JqwdKx0E_Xsr5X-sXEfnRnSXUAqfvWlxMqg2cBHEmKev71ZQZN7SMsP5rH3Rjw_g4uuX6c7pDoHJqQV3ZXA57unB9Sacpo/s640/IMG_8942.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yellowstone National Park</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSKkuj0KmxQBZnsMtao7F462vOfV-1ck77iiRZ8Cww_myZKt8llcfMmgLeYP3Nlpi9Nw1meHl0Dcsx6H5mXiZIUIAnT6yBTHbky7JS0uoLF24_ESPrQN2hmssgYIOSZN1O5MQsZ4XXwU/s1600/IMG_8955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSKkuj0KmxQBZnsMtao7F462vOfV-1ck77iiRZ8Cww_myZKt8llcfMmgLeYP3Nlpi9Nw1meHl0Dcsx6H5mXiZIUIAnT6yBTHbky7JS0uoLF24_ESPrQN2hmssgYIOSZN1O5MQsZ4XXwU/s640/IMG_8955.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Loving all the attention!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBh-ENYl0-PEvJk9l5aMmHWmy6a-_df1QtvjCIOLNobb_VhYFhvPkTUKcmjVTvwh9mU5ENb0k1OTWOA4g8dBTgEJ9s1uKCce-1DHs5WibOQfvLHdG8UpyFRUft7LF40mqWG9tvdq4V3c/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBh-ENYl0-PEvJk9l5aMmHWmy6a-_df1QtvjCIOLNobb_VhYFhvPkTUKcmjVTvwh9mU5ENb0k1OTWOA4g8dBTgEJ9s1uKCce-1DHs5WibOQfvLHdG8UpyFRUft7LF40mqWG9tvdq4V3c/s640/IMG_0063.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Getting good at this family picture business</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6IzwleRKnnTR6obseXNQVtJlDa1yBoDf6mPyvhSm04zy4iyITB31SXU2f7dkkQnVYKE11VR-kB_bVRMx9oVXEQIjgxCfbYi06fyLLxPjySvsvFPTvQADXcHA6glaGhypV7D9p5FQEVA/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6IzwleRKnnTR6obseXNQVtJlDa1yBoDf6mPyvhSm04zy4iyITB31SXU2f7dkkQnVYKE11VR-kB_bVRMx9oVXEQIjgxCfbYi06fyLLxPjySvsvFPTvQADXcHA6glaGhypV7D9p5FQEVA/s640/IMG_0068.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ACukQycuYNaX8sISwAUkTLX5EuyFu6BZWdVMoV8hXfzq8X8KOctZkU_NkekyuqUYW72GhxoZx7opkIs1wIypDVa8KKiQSxDEL3ckKlUMthnhoVZKi90k8Vjmed7FXC6nD03rQaBnUrs/s1600/IMG_8969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ACukQycuYNaX8sISwAUkTLX5EuyFu6BZWdVMoV8hXfzq8X8KOctZkU_NkekyuqUYW72GhxoZx7opkIs1wIypDVa8KKiQSxDEL3ckKlUMthnhoVZKi90k8Vjmed7FXC6nD03rQaBnUrs/s640/IMG_8969.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Waiting for Old Faithful</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rQdXd4uSnLuGbdbFv626CDSaoLxDHXoK8RtBe-ZPT4alSIP1TaJY65P3FfWpQfJ5I8Gu6SehwKcn6QJEs0zXdzWUZgf3vusNzNnUk2FkzkhkbA63FIpgYF2X0NWmAIOZqikyzct0Nac/s1600/IMG_9003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rQdXd4uSnLuGbdbFv626CDSaoLxDHXoK8RtBe-ZPT4alSIP1TaJY65P3FfWpQfJ5I8Gu6SehwKcn6QJEs0zXdzWUZgf3vusNzNnUk2FkzkhkbA63FIpgYF2X0NWmAIOZqikyzct0Nac/s640/IMG_9003.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHkyPMpWld5VkMjlfUOJZZvqk5kPqeC_WRjao-9P1yvQyvBuQU126Ni17f7LICiz617RdOVY1Z3i4s1mYiteD03uU07BHVMNtzDII8QKTQ9BFKfhYQFLZ0tj6Ge7IcbmBUdfsfO-cf2M/s1600/IMG_9032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHkyPMpWld5VkMjlfUOJZZvqk5kPqeC_WRjao-9P1yvQyvBuQU126Ni17f7LICiz617RdOVY1Z3i4s1mYiteD03uU07BHVMNtzDII8QKTQ9BFKfhYQFLZ0tj6Ge7IcbmBUdfsfO-cf2M/s640/IMG_9032.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_c_zUrqzMCiHuzOVT6OagRlNaNo1Dezk98_SjrTv0UhRModJiLNEfxDHaurEANNnPQGZzL8PP9mr7oPGj0y4mV9LPoBxOQIEasb_J6DCosmJupBmstQzM5ncwNYJmpbhyphenhyphenBkViAJhRLc/s1600/IMG_9058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_c_zUrqzMCiHuzOVT6OagRlNaNo1Dezk98_SjrTv0UhRModJiLNEfxDHaurEANNnPQGZzL8PP9mr7oPGj0y4mV9LPoBxOQIEasb_J6DCosmJupBmstQzM5ncwNYJmpbhyphenhyphenBkViAJhRLc/s640/IMG_9058.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Homework time!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zBrnzdPi-VfvXn2EcEKOdm-zKphwI8LpE7RAzXYDLvBNyAoM8r8Qw_9wQzRwEPf6xE7NfXTNgSCFf5J95KGC6mD06HDmbTEmPDXo9KBPfVIzTrRiUda562raSQ1N3QD9NJs7wNAL3rg/s640/IMG_9070.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Who needs clothes when its hot outside?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV2Gr4PFRsn5PuRJcdrshdnUfgl44tzzvQjnm7VaozRWNXaN1WW9cy2rNYuZaASeVY3kPjoAxGuZmCrvMCcv57aHO_FoVIPVxAlwVU-ur0VXJ8EVadyjVJTPHWmAwBcPCdkU8AZocq-0/s1600/IMG_9090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV2Gr4PFRsn5PuRJcdrshdnUfgl44tzzvQjnm7VaozRWNXaN1WW9cy2rNYuZaASeVY3kPjoAxGuZmCrvMCcv57aHO_FoVIPVxAlwVU-ur0VXJ8EVadyjVJTPHWmAwBcPCdkU8AZocq-0/s640/IMG_9090.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Loves watermelon</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eecXpkhE8bFbHXZ13X9vbyKvWMD11_DSc-NXbNt5HHdJVNsPGOd0X0Vxpo_Ru0pFuDYEzRQjpq7pGMdlg4LWPWedNqyFhAthPJa6IGN6aiwA1frpcFjrFXDHgOFFgauUlYHgPPpQSNY/s1600/IMG_9191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eecXpkhE8bFbHXZ13X9vbyKvWMD11_DSc-NXbNt5HHdJVNsPGOd0X0Vxpo_Ru0pFuDYEzRQjpq7pGMdlg4LWPWedNqyFhAthPJa6IGN6aiwA1frpcFjrFXDHgOFFgauUlYHgPPpQSNY/s640/IMG_9191.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
More family visits</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nEyau326X3lISCDZ8bhJCv8avdvZbnDjofCUrzF19tYoak5q9hwOxyBaVQRA8gSMztAfO2oLyH1UW8kc4iI61ojxO9lkhCCx8a2XMy2OaP8H03TGhhNZBrL7VboFSZZ1YJ_WCWwiDxg/s1600/IMG_9215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nEyau326X3lISCDZ8bhJCv8avdvZbnDjofCUrzF19tYoak5q9hwOxyBaVQRA8gSMztAfO2oLyH1UW8kc4iI61ojxO9lkhCCx8a2XMy2OaP8H03TGhhNZBrL7VboFSZZ1YJ_WCWwiDxg/s640/IMG_9215.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Family vacation to NYC</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RqmxpDPmjHH5pQHuthS6aTyWtYzKAEgowAF2dNpOlKguAKVN2EiLK84i_px31PU0UGbszyQU6J0j2LfAS8tJPp_Q1LSw21HOq6o7c6fVOx50Nmf_2-6s_c4CPG7oeSb7_7QLJHP7BEQ/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RqmxpDPmjHH5pQHuthS6aTyWtYzKAEgowAF2dNpOlKguAKVN2EiLK84i_px31PU0UGbszyQU6J0j2LfAS8tJPp_Q1LSw21HOq6o7c6fVOx50Nmf_2-6s_c4CPG7oeSb7_7QLJHP7BEQ/s640/IMG_0217.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnKbhtRAJgWhapdoto-QW9PkEulKvik1rMGV0Ax1_0TpKxl2LqJHthZPT2gWYS4dpSwwqjjO04AZwulSMcZFoJsG2drMnskPBnWRlD1chFa4EEBUL3Js2OZQCs_cOUqpJiULifSB93QU/s1600/IMG_9252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnKbhtRAJgWhapdoto-QW9PkEulKvik1rMGV0Ax1_0TpKxl2LqJHthZPT2gWYS4dpSwwqjjO04AZwulSMcZFoJsG2drMnskPBnWRlD1chFa4EEBUL3Js2OZQCs_cOUqpJiULifSB93QU/s640/IMG_9252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Chillin' in Time Square</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9bMzziFTVI7jGOjyLFgZCM_wdjtj-s2U_13TT97KPbuAIrBr9j_oeX8Llb_V94eqYgcG_zpcBAGA-MnAuohBM1kuZeNZhQUrq5lbmYk9PTlB2JG0Exirfqo6znr7zpryFQm5Wox5QqU/s1600/IMG_9269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9bMzziFTVI7jGOjyLFgZCM_wdjtj-s2U_13TT97KPbuAIrBr9j_oeX8Llb_V94eqYgcG_zpcBAGA-MnAuohBM1kuZeNZhQUrq5lbmYk9PTlB2JG0Exirfqo6znr7zpryFQm5Wox5QqU/s640/IMG_9269.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsP9hu9JW07MlQpX8GDc9LQeXl62TOaYeqjW6o7MeQjf4dMZgADA09Utq75n8YHMjR8ISUd9kbNHieTICveTWP_wKZ3jHQ-mpD1zys4kU0kxhXX5AGiGQ91UjrXpUA3nz4kdXWGmX18o/s1600/IMG_9275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsP9hu9JW07MlQpX8GDc9LQeXl62TOaYeqjW6o7MeQjf4dMZgADA09Utq75n8YHMjR8ISUd9kbNHieTICveTWP_wKZ3jHQ-mpD1zys4kU0kxhXX5AGiGQ91UjrXpUA3nz4kdXWGmX18o/s640/IMG_9275.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yankees Game</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtulvpDI-WPw4BxUGziP44C9zjuqKzOnYF6TAc1pTJXIsYFtSJDl8ciL-AaaUGcLMVcia4CWpJnZ-IGsEzYhy86jmcNnRCPHyvl1-ezOgkpRu5zpxpHG241DP4XxEWY1zGTLL9vxn6Rdc/s1600/IMG_9299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtulvpDI-WPw4BxUGziP44C9zjuqKzOnYF6TAc1pTJXIsYFtSJDl8ciL-AaaUGcLMVcia4CWpJnZ-IGsEzYhy86jmcNnRCPHyvl1-ezOgkpRu5zpxpHG241DP4XxEWY1zGTLL9vxn6Rdc/s640/IMG_9299.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Riding the subway</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBvVUVAJ8YE5ZSIz1K62G1a6YNhw-T1Gd4VuPmoybrgLZi6mfxL68KdnAcl6tyZMqzSfqhmwzADfzgpyidDpOWCk6Ui5xet-Q9abMVOwE5-vxQKoI57XRjo0E5jfBqdx-pvGJw52L-lY/s1600/IMG_9329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBvVUVAJ8YE5ZSIz1K62G1a6YNhw-T1Gd4VuPmoybrgLZi6mfxL68KdnAcl6tyZMqzSfqhmwzADfzgpyidDpOWCk6Ui5xet-Q9abMVOwE5-vxQKoI57XRjo0E5jfBqdx-pvGJw52L-lY/s640/IMG_9329.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_WfCE492Taa73M9Nf1qtpo_ZxYXn8a5wrhcbzmhuKmkU4pDSsubVYbuWSXN-abNGXeOIm4ozy9vkNkKVJZ6OLOSbXYi-fOTdi3jhHRc0hI0-D3cdRBjczXDE3Li6aMnWBkrP8hXbphs/s1600/IMG_9336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_WfCE492Taa73M9Nf1qtpo_ZxYXn8a5wrhcbzmhuKmkU4pDSsubVYbuWSXN-abNGXeOIm4ozy9vkNkKVJZ6OLOSbXYi-fOTdi3jhHRc0hI0-D3cdRBjczXDE3Li6aMnWBkrP8hXbphs/s640/IMG_9336.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Freedom tower</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkLcolAdwxE4zxSfowOga8DKmlvEifbQjOPzcmnmrvDvVuGJ8yg8fJ_mBRWHWP0MKIWvzf1DG9RNxojb4YHONhMLhojWsmelvI9EZA4xwvgrNUXkZdFelXJPNMiOURsz1j87e4vz0E9w/s1600/IMG_9345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkLcolAdwxE4zxSfowOga8DKmlvEifbQjOPzcmnmrvDvVuGJ8yg8fJ_mBRWHWP0MKIWvzf1DG9RNxojb4YHONhMLhojWsmelvI9EZA4xwvgrNUXkZdFelXJPNMiOURsz1j87e4vz0E9w/s640/IMG_9345.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMn9aXUyxuHI6ejZ2MdcrxL9JnYXM9-WBN9TReVwbH2cwl7ta_rbAjz2LQZs6eYPTJP14OFhfDEJ7R7x6kGfGJr0j1LGD34iZ0fvQvm4BmfxHO38K0ZxmtkoRhLCpd9yem-9XLTjb-qU/s1600/IMG_9354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMn9aXUyxuHI6ejZ2MdcrxL9JnYXM9-WBN9TReVwbH2cwl7ta_rbAjz2LQZs6eYPTJP14OFhfDEJ7R7x6kGfGJr0j1LGD34iZ0fvQvm4BmfxHO38K0ZxmtkoRhLCpd9yem-9XLTjb-qU/s640/IMG_9354.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Found that he does love swimming in the kiddy pool</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CpSwCmaFTMqYIQQHV2S6DLhLoLHO_m5NzjcoMJh_vTOs_35VuLocvqG30RNQ29IXV8iHBSNPrkbqiWE4PhjeE3SFTH4Ts-B3THCsZWHhyk52Nemj5F8xys7PecpoY6xFO6SnqRSWi0Y/s1600/IMG_9427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CpSwCmaFTMqYIQQHV2S6DLhLoLHO_m5NzjcoMJh_vTOs_35VuLocvqG30RNQ29IXV8iHBSNPrkbqiWE4PhjeE3SFTH4Ts-B3THCsZWHhyk52Nemj5F8xys7PecpoY6xFO6SnqRSWi0Y/s640/IMG_9427.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Statue of Liberty</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC8ONywqeyhKSV3tA7shSem9folqvZJbsD_hyphenhyphensYRPU7H_84nEX181YTydJBAddAVDYGdwMuZSiWJD24ssjW73qrIQExqfbVyebn_-BsBR-MsFi6AnXhHU-ZykPwoswGrSdIUvndOJN3Q/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC8ONywqeyhKSV3tA7shSem9folqvZJbsD_hyphenhyphensYRPU7H_84nEX181YTydJBAddAVDYGdwMuZSiWJD24ssjW73qrIQExqfbVyebn_-BsBR-MsFi6AnXhHU-ZykPwoswGrSdIUvndOJN3Q/s640/IMG_0536.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nova Scotia</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33B0bIByFHUl5chdUqJUbIQ2tk4pPcHGBZz83NgiljOA0XLorT599VVoY3OKGYG9FDxQtHyVrhyphenhyphenAcfU_WZyxg-wAvW8n7iwgaCX8xQ_QmiQd5xsP2qtv2UT03yGOwU7FKmwByrwBFtpU/s1600/IMG_0556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33B0bIByFHUl5chdUqJUbIQ2tk4pPcHGBZz83NgiljOA0XLorT599VVoY3OKGYG9FDxQtHyVrhyphenhyphenAcfU_WZyxg-wAvW8n7iwgaCX8xQ_QmiQd5xsP2qtv2UT03yGOwU7FKmwByrwBFtpU/s640/IMG_0556.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So great to be a brother and have brothers!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNMJvwosarqOZC5ybxDz3uc7Vp9AIEnfJsJD7SR-0AU26TLcWEmcjVatj7zcRAuQvzRsK0spqMuLZUhAv1PDoHNmMSzve2d-wI7hOkFI-GGePE-Qq-7kzPrTZG9sKGTTBw7as-mgQfko/s1600/IMG_9538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNMJvwosarqOZC5ybxDz3uc7Vp9AIEnfJsJD7SR-0AU26TLcWEmcjVatj7zcRAuQvzRsK0spqMuLZUhAv1PDoHNmMSzve2d-wI7hOkFI-GGePE-Qq-7kzPrTZG9sKGTTBw7as-mgQfko/s640/IMG_9538.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Making friends</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_jV02jPbLBpQJaKD5f5_LUmbtHQAjnRv5Wj2o4L89S408dZTgxAwmJbrO2JmBLu_HYFdH5itSw3PpbjF8WDQijT1UiNPYr5oin0Tnjwfk4xNKG1cMZBWDIXm8dU1fDirhUo-Kz-mNg8/s1600/IMG_9591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_jV02jPbLBpQJaKD5f5_LUmbtHQAjnRv5Wj2o4L89S408dZTgxAwmJbrO2JmBLu_HYFdH5itSw3PpbjF8WDQijT1UiNPYr5oin0Tnjwfk4xNKG1cMZBWDIXm8dU1fDirhUo-Kz-mNg8/s640/IMG_9591.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Warming up to swimming</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSRaYKwDo6BA6-mWQ-a3AHRSNdZTNIXnWQXA5zqiFEABZ9GZOvk249K1f7p0cCOwitkkHfXiaovSRfrxYDnWIiKs1j7CB8DqBKUq2wOQyCOkIB1xtX-xHB31JslTl2pLu8Zc9EEsBs48/s1600/IMG_9618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSRaYKwDo6BA6-mWQ-a3AHRSNdZTNIXnWQXA5zqiFEABZ9GZOvk249K1f7p0cCOwitkkHfXiaovSRfrxYDnWIiKs1j7CB8DqBKUq2wOQyCOkIB1xtX-xHB31JslTl2pLu8Zc9EEsBs48/s640/IMG_9618.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Celebrating the 4th of July</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFCqosUGymC1fzXPC0wWwMrelMMA3KgHpYtPs8H2l9lowOQJZOMq1cbnBk4nlGRmpu9-He1mBsDyeRRNAkK8Nj0XCxeKMb8zcRRImKm3grWHJUm19eDaN2S3Mu-qISbJFKetYv40NpoA/s1600/IMG_7562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFCqosUGymC1fzXPC0wWwMrelMMA3KgHpYtPs8H2l9lowOQJZOMq1cbnBk4nlGRmpu9-He1mBsDyeRRNAkK8Nj0XCxeKMb8zcRRImKm3grWHJUm19eDaN2S3Mu-qISbJFKetYv40NpoA/s640/IMG_7562.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cooper has jumped on the band wagon, his favorite parent is Brady</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MBEqAPI7x-kXAOKjS0Hc4UkoF9OxQQpzeFNdzQHZ05bC9IRpkJPfCxnd7F0TrvL3h1RAwX4XpNO5JJcfGcI6k73pVr6vmEPyH7O_fn9tSlZQqAAb3xuumi25AskND9c9jfNiSwgFjBQ/s1600/IMG_9784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MBEqAPI7x-kXAOKjS0Hc4UkoF9OxQQpzeFNdzQHZ05bC9IRpkJPfCxnd7F0TrvL3h1RAwX4XpNO5JJcfGcI6k73pVr6vmEPyH7O_fn9tSlZQqAAb3xuumi25AskND9c9jfNiSwgFjBQ/s640/IMG_9784.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It wasn't us</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2fBkUsImbMu1YJxKwZ_njbkMsypGNu6eWrcfHcUiAXoXQorBDECRZoy_kCLTuM0vP-5UyfsXWnvGmDRuuMwlr3XXPy-xaLFoszjbp154esNQoAEsczp9v01HMPtG8QXY5EU0LEhLk90/s1600/IMG_9795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2fBkUsImbMu1YJxKwZ_njbkMsypGNu6eWrcfHcUiAXoXQorBDECRZoy_kCLTuM0vP-5UyfsXWnvGmDRuuMwlr3XXPy-xaLFoszjbp154esNQoAEsczp9v01HMPtG8QXY5EU0LEhLk90/s640/IMG_9795.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mrs. Cutler</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIKmkxM2rROS0J-dO2bV_7t-NfrAwahHB_isg6gnkp-O3-e2vjC9pSuPyqbM5M-MW9JeYyZnlbM-OnS2RzgZe5tQnNa-DCQ1XgLi5tz1dyC3wOi03zRjsyz7ygJAPuJ58d2uPzKUz_S8/s1600/IMG_9817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIKmkxM2rROS0J-dO2bV_7t-NfrAwahHB_isg6gnkp-O3-e2vjC9pSuPyqbM5M-MW9JeYyZnlbM-OnS2RzgZe5tQnNa-DCQ1XgLi5tz1dyC3wOi03zRjsyz7ygJAPuJ58d2uPzKUz_S8/s640/IMG_9817.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0akaqWTbOTKn_yLohK6mIoe9QJ8knISpg5RXDVzww63UF7OOIsAPL89Zxtf2cYsbvQNKcbSGhFMvmfb044BFQqtLrGmFtOzsH_u2tkKYvRcyf41nyXMq9fz9miUmbikocafz1c5Wk9M/s1600/IMG_9835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0akaqWTbOTKn_yLohK6mIoe9QJ8knISpg5RXDVzww63UF7OOIsAPL89Zxtf2cYsbvQNKcbSGhFMvmfb044BFQqtLrGmFtOzsH_u2tkKYvRcyf41nyXMq9fz9miUmbikocafz1c5Wk9M/s640/IMG_9835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Red Butte Gardens with Aunt Cynde</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMikuqyxNLcOwZsr8kqttfKVwvaMf89GvJ8yliY8wnoREuzg6AOT165kvkWGnWabe69H9kwvB7-YRVQaVaMAzoFISEq56r41DeG_a8XzwF97ev0BZvxShECIaNAsAPRAvHlm9E9mmHes/s1600/IMG_9847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMikuqyxNLcOwZsr8kqttfKVwvaMf89GvJ8yliY8wnoREuzg6AOT165kvkWGnWabe69H9kwvB7-YRVQaVaMAzoFISEq56r41DeG_a8XzwF97ev0BZvxShECIaNAsAPRAvHlm9E9mmHes/s640/IMG_9847.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Decker teaching Coop how to get a drink in the barn. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cooper wouldn't have anything to do with the horses.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj94xaw91okzcqMmv22xkmFdkgrJoi2TmftIXa9TqpBBooOwP2p_JN0oj6yjU0-Q0OEOFpO2FgjZbvsKDUqXKzDM9TZk92TjpPZQTQRKczfbusB5AroeCZZz-hgjb6hG20D0e47yJN5g0/s1600/IMG_0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj94xaw91okzcqMmv22xkmFdkgrJoi2TmftIXa9TqpBBooOwP2p_JN0oj6yjU0-Q0OEOFpO2FgjZbvsKDUqXKzDM9TZk92TjpPZQTQRKczfbusB5AroeCZZz-hgjb6hG20D0e47yJN5g0/s640/IMG_0757.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Collecting candy at the parade at G&G Murray's in Preston</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXudSZgJv0eo2U8YF6aq9j-sImlTSg17RoO8VEapho8C0mFeb_Lj0qcer5rlpGWBp5SsgaN_Wd0yKCYiQqH8BJvvwK4WgQdX-gpHVeP-4x1T3ix2DB6tDuaGxARbeRDBIvR2amH6mI5m4/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXudSZgJv0eo2U8YF6aq9j-sImlTSg17RoO8VEapho8C0mFeb_Lj0qcer5rlpGWBp5SsgaN_Wd0yKCYiQqH8BJvvwK4WgQdX-gpHVeP-4x1T3ix2DB6tDuaGxARbeRDBIvR2amH6mI5m4/s640/IMG_0769.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Watching the rides at the carnival, next year he might want to ride.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhsL8PZtpcI4jRDlhzl5-kVcpwmYHkkMgRVOr_yMwAC67c6DkBbpyT53CAtP5fnN7zvjhUNQCiZGq6kjm4ECu_gr4thakQMZp_-b5DUILGMqv6LdKNz1d_NxzCjW2jxifid63_c1JOGE/s1600/IMG_9917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhsL8PZtpcI4jRDlhzl5-kVcpwmYHkkMgRVOr_yMwAC67c6DkBbpyT53CAtP5fnN7zvjhUNQCiZGq6kjm4ECu_gr4thakQMZp_-b5DUILGMqv6LdKNz1d_NxzCjW2jxifid63_c1JOGE/s640/IMG_9917.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Grandma's Book Nook</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL_4RPuE9gBgzGjcOa5HXY3muGmnn01oQzeUTUWfyVDSW9LALdUxOSRcbajc2IyEAT_Ja9xV5qGQ7siSuRBRuNXkpDzR_tLOTcO-J787YhOAkeTonZJjF9otBmGnzFzFAkt2erI0PfNM/s1600/IMG_9931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL_4RPuE9gBgzGjcOa5HXY3muGmnn01oQzeUTUWfyVDSW9LALdUxOSRcbajc2IyEAT_Ja9xV5qGQ7siSuRBRuNXkpDzR_tLOTcO-J787YhOAkeTonZJjF9otBmGnzFzFAkt2erI0PfNM/s640/IMG_9931.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Water balloon fight</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoByyYfqIqckFAUys2q0ulnqjjma8GWx6B3FhM34BnXUayuE1OeuNmbmzKyy_OzpzH1IWNaKcEg0VhT3UfDjXRa8aYVich9LtqKcCCHxHMHPR9jtkhmLoyh6hWaqB75Yjwk2JigPLDGj4/s1600/IMG_9945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoByyYfqIqckFAUys2q0ulnqjjma8GWx6B3FhM34BnXUayuE1OeuNmbmzKyy_OzpzH1IWNaKcEg0VhT3UfDjXRa8aYVich9LtqKcCCHxHMHPR9jtkhmLoyh6hWaqB75Yjwk2JigPLDGj4/s640/IMG_9945.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Piñata time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fWKZ6YUkYkiNyZSujRxYDy6vMYYksCHmwfYNAvA_8sDTaEf1WmSKHvZMOLHbOrePUnKY_Lx9cqzrtWDVhQNwWrYaf-V6PXjGMTC0WoBFiLtiRXilm16pgmBa8Z2GQwID_0jNQTSUjYw/s1600/IMG_9947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fWKZ6YUkYkiNyZSujRxYDy6vMYYksCHmwfYNAvA_8sDTaEf1WmSKHvZMOLHbOrePUnKY_Lx9cqzrtWDVhQNwWrYaf-V6PXjGMTC0WoBFiLtiRXilm16pgmBa8Z2GQwID_0jNQTSUjYw/s640/IMG_9947.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Can't get enough of cute Emmy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsTqz1bVUJAC0i8_hNwDdukMcZ2JC4QBqTuRTCSVMYOkXISq9AQYBQr5w1VeZQNjNMTAp1atj8ot20pvNgxI1c9Vvi2xkFGChWfb98vue-wVJwSg4UgqOdLU2qR1iGS104TVUjEq1oj4/s1600/IMG_9963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsTqz1bVUJAC0i8_hNwDdukMcZ2JC4QBqTuRTCSVMYOkXISq9AQYBQr5w1VeZQNjNMTAp1atj8ot20pvNgxI1c9Vvi2xkFGChWfb98vue-wVJwSg4UgqOdLU2qR1iGS104TVUjEq1oj4/s640/IMG_9963.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Camping out in the backyard is so fun except when your parents forget to turn off the sprinklers! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He's lost 4 lbs since he's been home but not because he doesn't eat. He actually has a great appetite and has adjusted well to the food. He'll eat almost anything, except cereal with milk.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He is much a more active than he was at first.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He has more endurance and doesn't sweat as profusely as he used to.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Communication has been great.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We feel like he was blessed to be able to understand English very quickly.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In the beginning he would used a lot of Chinese words. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In fact Mason and Ridge now ask for a drink in Chinese, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
but Cooper rarely says Chinese words anymore.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
His expressive personality and body language have made it easy </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
to understand what he wants and needs.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He tries to say things in English and it is getting easier to understand some things.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think it safe to say Cooper is having the summer of his life!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So are the rest of us! We are so glad he is here!</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-30946944002866690102016-07-31T15:22:00.000-07:002016-08-01T15:22:57.440-07:00We Made It! Four months ago today on March 31st 2016 Cooper became a citizen of the United States and met his new siblings. What a great day! My talented friend Amy Kroff came to the airport and captured these fantastic pictures for us. I love to look at them and remember this sweet day. It wasn't really that long ago, but everyone has been growing and changing so quickly it seems like forever ago.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HDtJ275vwLDQUWD_v4gK-vtBdeoVl3qpWE6B5VrRndA_9H3SoVL4EAhrimytJjJLqbN79wPV6NoH7LcKls9j2TQ-u0tOAhXsLYHUVTxBzzadaSqAhSslAny6Sn1w-qvJx2s4lgRUsBQ/s1600/cooper-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HDtJ275vwLDQUWD_v4gK-vtBdeoVl3qpWE6B5VrRndA_9H3SoVL4EAhrimytJjJLqbN79wPV6NoH7LcKls9j2TQ-u0tOAhXsLYHUVTxBzzadaSqAhSslAny6Sn1w-qvJx2s4lgRUsBQ/s640/cooper-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Waiting...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbZjQE5BULIu90xInbPZnQhD9U4LdOw4X-VOnqjNvRIJxCXHMZ1LbV0fapsESgKe96C2AzaDtGLnmdxpcgicDJKCEfK3xZ4_hY75_fPFJOhRmflSFAX0l4YrVupp3WHGVPBwHkZTAj20/s1600/cooper-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbZjQE5BULIu90xInbPZnQhD9U4LdOw4X-VOnqjNvRIJxCXHMZ1LbV0fapsESgKe96C2AzaDtGLnmdxpcgicDJKCEfK3xZ4_hY75_fPFJOhRmflSFAX0l4YrVupp3WHGVPBwHkZTAj20/s640/cooper-3.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Waiting...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVouycHSWlRs8RKh-QXrSJwYVgRfd_PSD7Hw_IAGmTY6A3Eb1NUCfElYjUB-YEVDcsmWdY41FtyhM9jHQc8cXPJQi_F7Q4xLo41kVeJiqEefnLfv9tihFweNa0gxCBH24UnObTYY9O9Y/s1600/cooper-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVouycHSWlRs8RKh-QXrSJwYVgRfd_PSD7Hw_IAGmTY6A3Eb1NUCfElYjUB-YEVDcsmWdY41FtyhM9jHQc8cXPJQi_F7Q4xLo41kVeJiqEefnLfv9tihFweNa0gxCBH24UnObTYY9O9Y/s640/cooper-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Waiting...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCFpl-eTad25swT5pssVUy3dZNi6cuYLyPuh5id45DrfsTYrDId4J615iXmnV2TICQeL7SXrU_28ClGmruSGNFxi_8cLDEtWy7maScDOUNZPw1_qjfVbnLbJB9dD5m6De394Qaa5Rlr8/s1600/cooper-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCFpl-eTad25swT5pssVUy3dZNi6cuYLyPuh5id45DrfsTYrDId4J615iXmnV2TICQeL7SXrU_28ClGmruSGNFxi_8cLDEtWy7maScDOUNZPw1_qjfVbnLbJB9dD5m6De394Qaa5Rlr8/s640/cooper-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi-3dl0Z_q8XliqNYI6ERsKu6dAf6GAxpFV_gsHOLmQvOoENZNKmNTebwnFfs3EKfSNv1H7jZdf57WPXtvs8UlXAVkbicajCHuVbNyr47YYip6pMClCIVuD9s8LqO0BB4YntS0REDblA/s1600/cooper-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi-3dl0Z_q8XliqNYI6ERsKu6dAf6GAxpFV_gsHOLmQvOoENZNKmNTebwnFfs3EKfSNv1H7jZdf57WPXtvs8UlXAVkbicajCHuVbNyr47YYip6pMClCIVuD9s8LqO0BB4YntS0REDblA/s640/cooper-20.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8tj8QWmnQ0bEyqoa5znlAdCe0HX3_X2LjhDydtRAEZ51LTBzd_7jifSYZwPwLzkdp_Fu0u-NJ1kHpTlkjXyF50jyuV4JyHloyfkIf61uD-qcCnx1ZM2HOjWkKeTZP9V8UcPHIQX4Kpw/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8tj8QWmnQ0bEyqoa5znlAdCe0HX3_X2LjhDydtRAEZ51LTBzd_7jifSYZwPwLzkdp_Fu0u-NJ1kHpTlkjXyF50jyuV4JyHloyfkIf61uD-qcCnx1ZM2HOjWkKeTZP9V8UcPHIQX4Kpw/s640/IMG_7402.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Sneak peak of us getting off the plane.) </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After traveling for 24 hours straight Cooper was in a pretty deep sleep when we got off the airplane and woke him up in SLC.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOEAocpwEW3vax2-aOl5uhy_YKGwTSHB4Ayq5-fMyxDlqi8hj1rAxNS7aJcoM6GjCRN5BO5TXgcmqGGVclKAy8bXBW890HrGOuBDsVVnlsqyTxsZ7cMTfH-ylAtE3KokS_bmrmwDUqYk/s1600/cooper-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOEAocpwEW3vax2-aOl5uhy_YKGwTSHB4Ayq5-fMyxDlqi8hj1rAxNS7aJcoM6GjCRN5BO5TXgcmqGGVclKAy8bXBW890HrGOuBDsVVnlsqyTxsZ7cMTfH-ylAtE3KokS_bmrmwDUqYk/s640/cooper-22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And finally we made it! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2EYbnAaySmx9X25ZEcPE8rqEGDsbqxE7Z9iJ08IVEJ8fmyuj9490i5s1wcOIvm0ACCJLqvMBTAohBvxWpxUqmZbWX8MR8V8UKHRZdWmPb3VD5WxsOCrEbLs13oM6ZBk8G-AbCQV6I8k/s1600/cooper-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2EYbnAaySmx9X25ZEcPE8rqEGDsbqxE7Z9iJ08IVEJ8fmyuj9490i5s1wcOIvm0ACCJLqvMBTAohBvxWpxUqmZbWX8MR8V8UKHRZdWmPb3VD5WxsOCrEbLs13oM6ZBk8G-AbCQV6I8k/s640/cooper-23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mUHffVKOqCPWH-Nwo_hlM1i7li9Kelg5u58wavo3cxRWVaaX3udnXodLNnXBvLkHRhtUtzeTh_OiSrivuOcS1LBVqkFNfPEmtouoTcm8nu8eTg6jR35ifbZsd6qcueBKdAb8NSi3KSM/s1600/cooper-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mUHffVKOqCPWH-Nwo_hlM1i7li9Kelg5u58wavo3cxRWVaaX3udnXodLNnXBvLkHRhtUtzeTh_OiSrivuOcS1LBVqkFNfPEmtouoTcm8nu8eTg6jR35ifbZsd6qcueBKdAb8NSi3KSM/s640/cooper-24.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was so exciting to see everyone again! Two weeks can seem like an eternity.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nash was beyond excited and kept yelling "My Cooper!!" over and over.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoxMzZxQ5-VxrUI_6uSe71wzRk4KliyAbr3X_czF-yB2MGKD85JSzAswWcVPvAxwInxyAHp_8aPk_4Zfs7ReBBZP8ZS-2PLqB-chk0zHdH0LqOMeCsvd_xPlDV91qx3-MIvu66Bs_8SI/s1600/cooper-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoxMzZxQ5-VxrUI_6uSe71wzRk4KliyAbr3X_czF-yB2MGKD85JSzAswWcVPvAxwInxyAHp_8aPk_4Zfs7ReBBZP8ZS-2PLqB-chk0zHdH0LqOMeCsvd_xPlDV91qx3-MIvu66Bs_8SI/s640/cooper-27.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8HNjoNQE45x-vDo13zIpk-QEy1DrNMeaD_OzcCV_0fSPpupz665Ghl-tuZGRN0_JEtIzjoZBM9lVhOKz_7ysm_4bmJoGwTS0xc41cCAGjzTRjmCY25aBkRWA8mWg4x8NTuWwNeIs8X8/s1600/cooper-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8HNjoNQE45x-vDo13zIpk-QEy1DrNMeaD_OzcCV_0fSPpupz665Ghl-tuZGRN0_JEtIzjoZBM9lVhOKz_7ysm_4bmJoGwTS0xc41cCAGjzTRjmCY25aBkRWA8mWg4x8NTuWwNeIs8X8/s640/cooper-28.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cooper seemed pretty excited to see them too!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2lHhigDV4iZMdJxJ3cAKcDB40V93GTnyuzdJ6-Sd91YB4yKCGU4BYX-NnGUizUZBjF0csRVFoztIyswUThGFGzHu4vtGqjKnv79TzpBTfwKUMIfFw6DJYcmFTtShP0p5QajMlNAyHn0/s1600/cooper-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2lHhigDV4iZMdJxJ3cAKcDB40V93GTnyuzdJ6-Sd91YB4yKCGU4BYX-NnGUizUZBjF0csRVFoztIyswUThGFGzHu4vtGqjKnv79TzpBTfwKUMIfFw6DJYcmFTtShP0p5QajMlNAyHn0/s640/cooper-29.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy9h__trZPgB4rP6MouHHMk80LkqlEVe0sPpBBYWLTOthBSxFNMMAUEkaaFhZ1xUsMmS2QSLFHfLDAYEIYJT-lhCxhLAFNs8MRr83T3XOdy-wyYmjxMBj0BlZ4tJbSkRQSr0YVOUiU4Q/s1600/cooper-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy9h__trZPgB4rP6MouHHMk80LkqlEVe0sPpBBYWLTOthBSxFNMMAUEkaaFhZ1xUsMmS2QSLFHfLDAYEIYJT-lhCxhLAFNs8MRr83T3XOdy-wyYmjxMBj0BlZ4tJbSkRQSr0YVOUiU4Q/s640/cooper-30.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I love all these pictures and don't even have words to describe all the emotions.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjBF7IkW2-vQ-tC5hcYaYUNSGiowgtOvwFs6xxhbeH157bPo4SvSXP5GN7LDUaRoulsKYWf5ta0pLsY68Hn7TJso0FNSTp8G31IX48FeuqAXi2hG3FUq11EPd-mYcLWDX6YMGVUSkH68/s1600/cooper-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjBF7IkW2-vQ-tC5hcYaYUNSGiowgtOvwFs6xxhbeH157bPo4SvSXP5GN7LDUaRoulsKYWf5ta0pLsY68Hn7TJso0FNSTp8G31IX48FeuqAXi2hG3FUq11EPd-mYcLWDX6YMGVUSkH68/s640/cooper-31.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SbgVmyUwzJvcAVUztwG5EQJ6CsOM8fKXNmnkGF9Fd20ON_5qNuq9koS66tH5YkjGKu8wSAaIgwOJZ_0M5VTwCsj9RniZtHQ0mkR4A6BRKdlCgrdZ5yK_faBzYBp2kg7K_nFg185Qafo/s1600/cooper-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SbgVmyUwzJvcAVUztwG5EQJ6CsOM8fKXNmnkGF9Fd20ON_5qNuq9koS66tH5YkjGKu8wSAaIgwOJZ_0M5VTwCsj9RniZtHQ0mkR4A6BRKdlCgrdZ5yK_faBzYBp2kg7K_nFg185Qafo/s640/cooper-32.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxhwUDi69RS48QgkfahgWJbXRDXRuqirrV6nYldjda1AiO6ZIymXPK5wKhhSMKoQFQpKnVCQtOqUTGyor-ARVNf_khoO6FE3V8aoAsAjcLwxtrxuH47p4sFg0Gleja7SIBY-jwmZwXe4/s1600/cooper-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxhwUDi69RS48QgkfahgWJbXRDXRuqirrV6nYldjda1AiO6ZIymXPK5wKhhSMKoQFQpKnVCQtOqUTGyor-ARVNf_khoO6FE3V8aoAsAjcLwxtrxuH47p4sFg0Gleja7SIBY-jwmZwXe4/s640/cooper-33.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf0IZelYalzBcR7y4oqqn7ch3cmmVTfDOiMynAfLSgpy0BUOcfCPc2bh7HxjjfaTiH7-WA7Htm7vwtngQoqkFClYIPwOgN_O8BAJK4-SZV8LLIUhS6Okp60hBXk5qinoP5rsfB9SN0OI/s1600/cooper-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf0IZelYalzBcR7y4oqqn7ch3cmmVTfDOiMynAfLSgpy0BUOcfCPc2bh7HxjjfaTiH7-WA7Htm7vwtngQoqkFClYIPwOgN_O8BAJK4-SZV8LLIUhS6Okp60hBXk5qinoP5rsfB9SN0OI/s640/cooper-36.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cutest little Chinese American</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGelqHJfx9Lrt9hCEdbQonF3T3IF2SlOiQ357TYrc8TM09I2R8qtyXTnaZ_CZXW_sqqxLI2L4ogFWm7rfWFtzV0RUhCQi9JTuVT8i7yp-LHy9HKFW8qrY4BIyFTpbYjBvJF_ldNP1fa6c/s1600/cooper-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGelqHJfx9Lrt9hCEdbQonF3T3IF2SlOiQ357TYrc8TM09I2R8qtyXTnaZ_CZXW_sqqxLI2L4ogFWm7rfWFtzV0RUhCQi9JTuVT8i7yp-LHy9HKFW8qrY4BIyFTpbYjBvJF_ldNP1fa6c/s640/cooper-42.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5omwR-rl2Zc7HOq2TgT01SF5880HJ-CVZi1WJCgZZfmbYmd2h22HwzvvHIXb5CyBlFLOWi1QQFpNrv786bQZQU0qEyyU9wmOyonphB4hW5_uMgQjbJ4EKWiVx-_uC2xLgwhXGr21oCw0/s1600/cooper-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5omwR-rl2Zc7HOq2TgT01SF5880HJ-CVZi1WJCgZZfmbYmd2h22HwzvvHIXb5CyBlFLOWi1QQFpNrv786bQZQU0qEyyU9wmOyonphB4hW5_uMgQjbJ4EKWiVx-_uC2xLgwhXGr21oCw0/s640/cooper-43.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh1PtAVRxklZpPxAhB3B4Fo1JuEHjJzxgymsMNMGxyVhzwUFIvdgskDWQhBM7V2KIG-1FvZPt5PCcpQodeb6PlbjveGObbQE-gDd-yT0gw_-dxaEXKtT1YurBbrcFj0_9M9evqS_qUsM/s1600/cooper-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh1PtAVRxklZpPxAhB3B4Fo1JuEHjJzxgymsMNMGxyVhzwUFIvdgskDWQhBM7V2KIG-1FvZPt5PCcpQodeb6PlbjveGObbQE-gDd-yT0gw_-dxaEXKtT1YurBbrcFj0_9M9evqS_qUsM/s640/cooper-45.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNV6dnGAgJeQVVkpT1h144qyIv2RNRrciC3Z9NypHPSbZFQdCs9wamEd2-3BwP5lq3Trr6dw27WAc3vqg2yx69Es11xpmdQkvlr9tuts-FQHYjU1LM5S7WiJZqoDLj7lZOBMAuYQKejs/s1600/cooper-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNV6dnGAgJeQVVkpT1h144qyIv2RNRrciC3Z9NypHPSbZFQdCs9wamEd2-3BwP5lq3Trr6dw27WAc3vqg2yx69Es11xpmdQkvlr9tuts-FQHYjU1LM5S7WiJZqoDLj7lZOBMAuYQKejs/s640/cooper-47.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5OwkC9ln4M7dbi8VzQ2W3PRqgQ6WDYW7j1V-_Rj3eIXST08YSVGwob2eEWjNPWPcSOBqZiiYR0-ZZcHqTKma5ofs0xorj9vczKunHBJRyauMXbyDlkirFgNxHYomCFFatRXZ2Bviqrw/s1600/cooper-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5OwkC9ln4M7dbi8VzQ2W3PRqgQ6WDYW7j1V-_Rj3eIXST08YSVGwob2eEWjNPWPcSOBqZiiYR0-ZZcHqTKma5ofs0xorj9vczKunHBJRyauMXbyDlkirFgNxHYomCFFatRXZ2Bviqrw/s640/cooper-48.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICSnq69NgfKrtZT3nuxS2RQofHYL5cyUA-P3D5EWdyuKvwCV6xQVwo7zxvr66SViewBSyegmfHt7UneYQcRg3QYBls-TwMO68oCI9kzSppmCQ4GMQMDl5PFi7bD9BP3tU2m21nwuzstI/s1600/cooper-49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICSnq69NgfKrtZT3nuxS2RQofHYL5cyUA-P3D5EWdyuKvwCV6xQVwo7zxvr66SViewBSyegmfHt7UneYQcRg3QYBls-TwMO68oCI9kzSppmCQ4GMQMDl5PFi7bD9BP3tU2m21nwuzstI/s640/cooper-49.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These are a couple of my favorites. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bryn never forgot to pray for Cooper the entire 11 months we were waiting for him.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohczHKhPM8jKLf5UZsL-QCZ1ZDBEE6ngz1pDAnkwPtmo9NKnn6Tw6AUGlDJnNDsl6ORV_RGPixVxrQCTfDCVU2LJiEXe8pmiwagHdKfK9w5mUosdgMlDqSsNyBQftWAKs2iaXcvoUOF8/s1600/cooper-50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohczHKhPM8jKLf5UZsL-QCZ1ZDBEE6ngz1pDAnkwPtmo9NKnn6Tw6AUGlDJnNDsl6ORV_RGPixVxrQCTfDCVU2LJiEXe8pmiwagHdKfK9w5mUosdgMlDqSsNyBQftWAKs2iaXcvoUOF8/s640/cooper-50.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOQEcmCe7kkZ84kKbNN30heVqk9UZsmo525_Mdr8V6JSWTYnpfgdhekWwqluBhqMEXVI6VFjagl0hyphenhyphenHlNE7e7I7j-UENAGLS9zaxcidhBvs4n2NL3ZYGwpXm3SynpH3-efIWDucbYQc0/s1600/cooper-52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOQEcmCe7kkZ84kKbNN30heVqk9UZsmo525_Mdr8V6JSWTYnpfgdhekWwqluBhqMEXVI6VFjagl0hyphenhyphenHlNE7e7I7j-UENAGLS9zaxcidhBvs4n2NL3ZYGwpXm3SynpH3-efIWDucbYQc0/s640/cooper-52.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Knuckles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBMrS9xTSMDkQXKIBHKhde0vtFFfT5Viqj8YGJCFKGc5Y4Oi8xIu3-Cu42MWLCzC3sbx7wbdiJxAY01zyNFNelgQq-tfN7CrKIunUr3BYJTjcJUfVrZDhhBPmBCJ9RJFilVUb-yOqa58/s1600/cooper-54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBMrS9xTSMDkQXKIBHKhde0vtFFfT5Viqj8YGJCFKGc5Y4Oi8xIu3-Cu42MWLCzC3sbx7wbdiJxAY01zyNFNelgQq-tfN7CrKIunUr3BYJTjcJUfVrZDhhBPmBCJ9RJFilVUb-yOqa58/s640/cooper-54.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
High fives</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkym3ecym0HeKd7d7EnywDEfu1tAhG8QSw3ssSn0oX7fkffzlDeMKSBpe8te-5ECtiqhyQ5Mvz3jKjBA_Kdglv1fdwRu3VdySwdvuylZwDiDSJLghBwRHMfW1Xw6koosuGsc4yghhc0W4/s1600/cooper-56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkym3ecym0HeKd7d7EnywDEfu1tAhG8QSw3ssSn0oX7fkffzlDeMKSBpe8te-5ECtiqhyQ5Mvz3jKjBA_Kdglv1fdwRu3VdySwdvuylZwDiDSJLghBwRHMfW1Xw6koosuGsc4yghhc0W4/s640/cooper-56.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And lots of hugs!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAtO05jXZcDdKX67C-S3Y6IV5Z5baexqqi-lTeuSs20uHURgHI5M4aohQ6alXUuG0kFVp-CBYZUXaAA6agKqFnoedwsdIGViTFyzgGic-o29naOPcEUZJvG0VKI2T82PWHocBVi1ddos/s1600/cooper-58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAtO05jXZcDdKX67C-S3Y6IV5Z5baexqqi-lTeuSs20uHURgHI5M4aohQ6alXUuG0kFVp-CBYZUXaAA6agKqFnoedwsdIGViTFyzgGic-o29naOPcEUZJvG0VKI2T82PWHocBVi1ddos/s640/cooper-58.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0KP5dv8EsiQyvZkOcQ5V1XD2kbMrNRDIcFmF7hekOmBFp2G_vqC3E0-0rUYkdCXjrAF2qtt_bHBayaLxVyEc0uiYip5OIrioMZClx-Jv3rIX6dczORt34d2vdp1Is1hR2OzuJ881OV0/s1600/cooper-62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0KP5dv8EsiQyvZkOcQ5V1XD2kbMrNRDIcFmF7hekOmBFp2G_vqC3E0-0rUYkdCXjrAF2qtt_bHBayaLxVyEc0uiYip5OIrioMZClx-Jv3rIX6dczORt34d2vdp1Is1hR2OzuJ881OV0/s640/cooper-62.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK-q_qcgjBnqPzoQK8dmSDPpqS26cQ6jJ-6Sw3a5SHWc854k0C_mlQwtZskuJp7tpFUTVcMrJ3CvNxtiFim5t_Cdf7hHfvLCEDJqTL0qfbfjWuzHkZgxGcvLYTdyO0HE7r6hsvOrvDtY/s1600/cooper-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK-q_qcgjBnqPzoQK8dmSDPpqS26cQ6jJ-6Sw3a5SHWc854k0C_mlQwtZskuJp7tpFUTVcMrJ3CvNxtiFim5t_Cdf7hHfvLCEDJqTL0qfbfjWuzHkZgxGcvLYTdyO0HE7r6hsvOrvDtY/s640/cooper-63.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxG6NYiXWR240lngbGsRGQyVjXt08mqka9BprnaJQ-qqRJvbsZfzAMkcbXpX-Hpmsh1aLR371U8ZCshV0m4rw6HFtdo0jJi5WqRMmnbME7B80xkRyiT5hZs9VZd3LXT2l0VIflT8SHWo/s1600/cooper-65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxG6NYiXWR240lngbGsRGQyVjXt08mqka9BprnaJQ-qqRJvbsZfzAMkcbXpX-Hpmsh1aLR371U8ZCshV0m4rw6HFtdo0jJi5WqRMmnbME7B80xkRyiT5hZs9VZd3LXT2l0VIflT8SHWo/s640/cooper-65.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbgyrk7Tik9OkcVfGT9ujJ0Ev69WJ0El3Brca9-4N36IKjpmeYJXiG8dzlfRFTKuxKc4cRyPlXJWPkDFuQrwAGA2Wag0v9eQkqBEZ6cIxOhbsZch_-Qzs83RYBKF4oEFMt6ITW07qX30/s1600/cooper-68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbgyrk7Tik9OkcVfGT9ujJ0Ev69WJ0El3Brca9-4N36IKjpmeYJXiG8dzlfRFTKuxKc4cRyPlXJWPkDFuQrwAGA2Wag0v9eQkqBEZ6cIxOhbsZch_-Qzs83RYBKF4oEFMt6ITW07qX30/s640/cooper-68.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vmDfN6UlsX8CC-jseH4l148Y8XXcM5Ie0hpgD6KaicKsRud9u3Ywf0AjLj8TT5bbmr2gf10kYusF95JGaJ3lKe0I_BkGUSuwL3ztGC_Fd6TNyNKYf0HR6hAuCSPjD9hgR_XBUKs7Waw/s1600/cooper-76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vmDfN6UlsX8CC-jseH4l148Y8XXcM5Ie0hpgD6KaicKsRud9u3Ywf0AjLj8TT5bbmr2gf10kYusF95JGaJ3lKe0I_BkGUSuwL3ztGC_Fd6TNyNKYf0HR6hAuCSPjD9hgR_XBUKs7Waw/s640/cooper-76.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was the best loading everyone in the same car to head for home and our first night together!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NMTBG1atJ-ntYugDTj5Ezc_A0E2qmi_WU7E02P1gpDznk0e4jg-w7VbO6s9D9CmhbpSYJdxhahX3cYSDZSziNq0kN0UoVC7Jfm9dgt1leGBQ9XPjZjxLjWYuJI7W3cl8d8BeWA3kfpM/s1600/IMG_7404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NMTBG1atJ-ntYugDTj5Ezc_A0E2qmi_WU7E02P1gpDznk0e4jg-w7VbO6s9D9CmhbpSYJdxhahX3cYSDZSziNq0kN0UoVC7Jfm9dgt1leGBQ9XPjZjxLjWYuJI7W3cl8d8BeWA3kfpM/s640/IMG_7404.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Some friends made us a darling sign with balloons and everything! A spring storm rolled though right before we got home and ripped it a little but Cooper didn't mind at all, he loved it!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhuOm5Ky64OziYDHv1QPrCOP1AqFiLCjHKGPHDgNBvWSiViTIlJU9LGahFOawpkUvgKUSUMTXybgL5wPrek_tzznka111tZ6k00rU34ro-gm1eL5Ta4DNgqGAsKtrGWeg_dU9QVA3tjM/s640/IMG_7409.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Together at last! It feels so good!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUgYWOtyn5iz5Vo_X4kQ4DFC84Ts7B_Jd4LR8r9wXUsT-rZSbOnN0wXhpjQXtmjc7FPwQVlW1Yj325R7Tmy0JTATB2fyKBbUJqgPa5YdN2cP1cJKOIc3Lhj3AMQn2iRXIFr35tdVUVT8/s1600/IMG_6917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUgYWOtyn5iz5Vo_X4kQ4DFC84Ts7B_Jd4LR8r9wXUsT-rZSbOnN0wXhpjQXtmjc7FPwQVlW1Yj325R7Tmy0JTATB2fyKBbUJqgPa5YdN2cP1cJKOIc3Lhj3AMQn2iRXIFr35tdVUVT8/s640/IMG_6917.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-89723628327226535822016-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:002016-08-01T15:09:13.107-07:00Day 12 - USA or Bust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
March 31 2016. We arrived in Hong Kong late last night. Our train ride was supposed to be a quick two hour ride, so every time it slowed down in Hong Kong we would think we were there but then the train would pick up speed again and we'd keep going until three or four hours later we were all the way through Hong Kong, out by the water and the airport. I wish I would have taken pictures coming through Hong Kong, it looks like an amazing place, such a giant city. Someday we'll have to come spend some time here and check it out. But for now we're all anxious to get home! Our flight leaves this morning, in 24 hours we'll be back in the same day again only this time in SLC. Can't wait for Cooper to meet the rest of his family!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbEB3u5EkvA_oidxK_8yGAbHK8ysPo5opwNrZkrFVwMSWSljExtglyPWAvrSaNiKRt8dJzLkgCkl33s7X9xhTrKykvZcvnWrLQXsAjpn4VrzmMlik-bGE-pfxmNWmV9MHUa0GdLRPXtY/s1600/IMG_7396+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbEB3u5EkvA_oidxK_8yGAbHK8ysPo5opwNrZkrFVwMSWSljExtglyPWAvrSaNiKRt8dJzLkgCkl33s7X9xhTrKykvZcvnWrLQXsAjpn4VrzmMlik-bGE-pfxmNWmV9MHUa0GdLRPXtY/s640/IMG_7396+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh92lUEjTVlibaqulWzh_iFBmq9Ngpsg8SYZS87SAoiFWPEN7z80BT6fR_vrgpGngQFV1M2hdZAKq1mBkF0BEqKOFTb9M3MPTD-RPEyIQFgI_vrAG6FKIMxvPZkkU_5Cs_NoDUtyFU444/s1600/IMG_7398+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh92lUEjTVlibaqulWzh_iFBmq9Ngpsg8SYZS87SAoiFWPEN7z80BT6fR_vrgpGngQFV1M2hdZAKq1mBkF0BEqKOFTb9M3MPTD-RPEyIQFgI_vrAG6FKIMxvPZkkU_5Cs_NoDUtyFU444/s640/IMG_7398+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Good bye Asia! It's been fabulous!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk177Gvj_gRIfqVUUhHg0IcvlhZLZbAI39APfdGDwZNy3b9XUTx9Qok_j-YH_mxTznsH8cQZGAWDyXMsSZ4CdOCIIDs8w6nKGeT3SFKAhuyCwmafWRsgsUgc9WzcEv-xpkmG1a_ck1vwA/s1600/IMG_7402+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-32168650024147116042016-03-30T23:30:00.000-07:002016-08-01T15:05:35.680-07:00Day 11 - Packet Pick Up - Good bye Guangzhou Hello Hong Kong<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wednesday March 30th 2016. Our last day in China. Today we picked up our packet that will allow Cooper to immigrate into the US from the consulate! Then we said good-bye to Guangzhou and some of the friends we've met here and went to the train station to catch a ride into Hong Kong.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcet3w24XFfk8C0kaImG5hVKEzRrxRj0Yhv2fUcrHMJZBriwzN92KdTtwvLSkMub-IXGG2KTMwtOmRgpWAqFUq6RywVXYtkWDC-d1SSqmSHKghrbLa-n90MDQrV6Iqk1pY9odWwfivPXI/s1600/IMG_6903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcet3w24XFfk8C0kaImG5hVKEzRrxRj0Yhv2fUcrHMJZBriwzN92KdTtwvLSkMub-IXGG2KTMwtOmRgpWAqFUq6RywVXYtkWDC-d1SSqmSHKghrbLa-n90MDQrV6Iqk1pY9odWwfivPXI/s640/IMG_6903.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN9xPMeX_Nb0kXVOcJoiQygeQtR4mU1Inbb9HkuwJXf04_YnPZMowfxzbBHlbx_AJxHH4pOJjR084RBVBUIAJ0WoR5iMjKvXK-J9-rd5yVrgHu4YGkt50GqnQrBHvGxlV18hFSRfZJEc/s1600/IMG_6902+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN9xPMeX_Nb0kXVOcJoiQygeQtR4mU1Inbb9HkuwJXf04_YnPZMowfxzbBHlbx_AJxHH4pOJjR084RBVBUIAJ0WoR5iMjKvXK-J9-rd5yVrgHu4YGkt50GqnQrBHvGxlV18hFSRfZJEc/s640/IMG_6902+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We will miss all of the beautiful trees and parks and people in China.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z3bOKJjan6OxvKVSEsirEX8ZJ7TGB9X7sVZCsMgeJ9fZMsZ5A9M_PdmG8_CVS0hFPTmqTXk7RXhqJK9ytfLd6Rq0hTPTfbRhcCi6UwM7OaGXI5Pvz8ZulUqXNwF6O5aeEgnAIZN4qQ8/s1600/IMG_6905+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z3bOKJjan6OxvKVSEsirEX8ZJ7TGB9X7sVZCsMgeJ9fZMsZ5A9M_PdmG8_CVS0hFPTmqTXk7RXhqJK9ytfLd6Rq0hTPTfbRhcCi6UwM7OaGXI5Pvz8ZulUqXNwF6O5aeEgnAIZN4qQ8/s640/IMG_6905+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9a0duxJfoYdBRG5z899D3M44VtWWsCwmKOB7GvpLX00kakJju-X-fRZyCTbidhxBWu_1FV5GmDgNRv3iGmkT5tdQUw1Z2yGUj_u8MLBRFz4bTwnNgTvOedw-2e6LiwE0KoUbM7qPW66c/s1600/IMG_6913+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9a0duxJfoYdBRG5z899D3M44VtWWsCwmKOB7GvpLX00kakJju-X-fRZyCTbidhxBWu_1FV5GmDgNRv3iGmkT5tdQUw1Z2yGUj_u8MLBRFz4bTwnNgTvOedw-2e6LiwE0KoUbM7qPW66c/s640/IMG_6913+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I know I won't be missing these toilets!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkXvTcTQL_q6aOJJeP7Aw2n_IgL0gVftcbAnacqFmuj7XJa7ILP7DXIlRommJk5C0eozsqJxJllplljJC9JvNwcKkeO1J26spgHaYecmUDNeSASNh0wzxjUmfWQw9-ytjHQCbqA4seEc/s1600/IMG_7391+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkXvTcTQL_q6aOJJeP7Aw2n_IgL0gVftcbAnacqFmuj7XJa7ILP7DXIlRommJk5C0eozsqJxJllplljJC9JvNwcKkeO1J26spgHaYecmUDNeSASNh0wzxjUmfWQw9-ytjHQCbqA4seEc/s640/IMG_7391+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our translator, Connie in Guangzhou. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So thankfully for all of her help and everyone else at Heartsent Adoptions who has helped to make this experience remarkable!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-72548124615997237132016-03-29T23:30:00.000-07:002016-08-01T15:02:53.374-07:00Day 10 - U.S. Consulate Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tuesday March 29 2016. We picked up Cooper's medical records and went to the US Consulate to have our final interview and finish up paperwork.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKl1AVLY0bqvSK-r25UiG48pB2WlzvwV2pgoiZIy8JWKP6VggPIxSOfdWamQh8a6sZyrL1p39NKXfYiQwJYyUgGt0huUC-PzXcw0lxwBR_380XcPJhzlUfO16AUiRm-MVs3UG0oNTxls/s1600/IMG_7346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKl1AVLY0bqvSK-r25UiG48pB2WlzvwV2pgoiZIy8JWKP6VggPIxSOfdWamQh8a6sZyrL1p39NKXfYiQwJYyUgGt0huUC-PzXcw0lxwBR_380XcPJhzlUfO16AUiRm-MVs3UG0oNTxls/s640/IMG_7346.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We weren't allowed to bring anything but ourselves inside so we took a couple of pictures before we went in.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpLwnNTkIFH5Oo13NM8HVEDF6D1Ib7ZIJst48fb9GCe70i6oC3AdHFoYwein_eA2SsRPaIP5_UCS6UmgJdkfKlJpY67yVfHMNATXZUUhS0pSPpD0NpBuXIRbtxoHZLwCO3J98AaWfo2U/s1600/IMG_7350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpLwnNTkIFH5Oo13NM8HVEDF6D1Ib7ZIJst48fb9GCe70i6oC3AdHFoYwein_eA2SsRPaIP5_UCS6UmgJdkfKlJpY67yVfHMNATXZUUhS0pSPpD0NpBuXIRbtxoHZLwCO3J98AaWfo2U/s640/IMG_7350.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
There we huge long lines of people trying to get visas and things that they need to visit and/or immigrate to the United States. It was humbling to witness. We have absolutely loved China but are so thankful for the country we live in. Seeing the beautiful stars and strips flying made us a little homesick and super thankful for America. There is just nothing else like it. Truly it is the home of the free and we are so excited that Cooper gets be part of it. I just kept singing the Star Spangled Banner in my head and I kinda wanted to sing it out loud, especially the 4th verse. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVF8IeJjaE4dRvUXlS70C-AhPHFQnND7DKlKJrXMWbQYwEupUPmrOAz8Sof-M5yffDaMUt9jTRXvj1d4PP_alWI6rNO7q67DqJwyYdJbb-ulLj-9ZHRR1Y1GndGtKmPvfivu052oqjec/s1600/IMG_7352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVF8IeJjaE4dRvUXlS70C-AhPHFQnND7DKlKJrXMWbQYwEupUPmrOAz8Sof-M5yffDaMUt9jTRXvj1d4PP_alWI6rNO7q67DqJwyYdJbb-ulLj-9ZHRR1Y1GndGtKmPvfivu052oqjec/s640/IMG_7352.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love the United States of America! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Even if we are in the middle of a crazy presidential campaign crisis.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqNoiewqskWZXR5T8a6AIrYbKwSgZIjmFQF66rhAAu3UdJs59hCfGUwZhOT4i4NqHiaKcl_WZl5A6E4-tbVJu_E74YDpJjcVz-C6OmJcwHzeNq-k1CPdGZNo9n7ukAR42ixzqAhV2IyI/s1600/IMG_7358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqNoiewqskWZXR5T8a6AIrYbKwSgZIjmFQF66rhAAu3UdJs59hCfGUwZhOT4i4NqHiaKcl_WZl5A6E4-tbVJu_E74YDpJjcVz-C6OmJcwHzeNq-k1CPdGZNo9n7ukAR42ixzqAhV2IyI/s640/IMG_7358.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Love these twinners too!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkbstUQyNh8aBcxsLef4HoeXKLfo_ka_W88HtjeBqcnUM23gPGeyWQl1E-Gdwjz1LHVXf-BYT73AdjtG4PCP6CY5Y_l2HblSHRWEds1kgxUy8X0TDOJn9hpPiiflIp8uZe_E4m-x5lwI/s1600/IMG_7367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkbstUQyNh8aBcxsLef4HoeXKLfo_ka_W88HtjeBqcnUM23gPGeyWQl1E-Gdwjz1LHVXf-BYT73AdjtG4PCP6CY5Y_l2HblSHRWEds1kgxUy8X0TDOJn9hpPiiflIp8uZe_E4m-x5lwI/s640/IMG_7367.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We did some shopping and got a piece of jade that our translator told us Cooper needed for good luck. We also went to the pearl market and got Bryn a fake "pearl" bracelet.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRqt8volXmkmXEFc3HUXwn2B7Unas-rKwHB6OzV_nwE7ELlKbcLXbkkl-UjC_buNK5ECXc_Uk9xlpkf2GpBFAmifdnOUtOdznkV-CXAeLREV4ZlkAgXGR4_FjySwuuhqVBCf5t2ewL_Q/s1600/IMG_7368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRqt8volXmkmXEFc3HUXwn2B7Unas-rKwHB6OzV_nwE7ELlKbcLXbkkl-UjC_buNK5ECXc_Uk9xlpkf2GpBFAmifdnOUtOdznkV-CXAeLREV4ZlkAgXGR4_FjySwuuhqVBCf5t2ewL_Q/s640/IMG_7368.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tJLIT0bzVyHNtGLhrtzhx1NMeHV3uYta0n8tmWRNbsYpELcgltSr3IJsmORaGQwc1oKqWLAQetWMn8yMGWbTqMiXHtHm5VdGZJfUUV981BLYdm116f2BOqBt-g0tUyPpDKn5FLxn1l0/s1600/IMG_7369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tJLIT0bzVyHNtGLhrtzhx1NMeHV3uYta0n8tmWRNbsYpELcgltSr3IJsmORaGQwc1oKqWLAQetWMn8yMGWbTqMiXHtHm5VdGZJfUUV981BLYdm116f2BOqBt-g0tUyPpDKn5FLxn1l0/s640/IMG_7369.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had another great Chinese meal. Cooper had worked up a good appetite and went to town on the noodles and curry. Maybe I should learn to make this dish.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMoayG4XHDYWlspNKUl1qDIdsbN5Gm4hyphenhyphenVNmF45LIgLuntd5aEoCuZsplX37zUzIDCoNcaa5Zms4_IBPW-ctbxrE2zk0bOYlA4TIGy2jqr7Vw5iJ91F57dyjFnu3GEw0U5R_bjDf4gwU/s1600/IMG_7373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMoayG4XHDYWlspNKUl1qDIdsbN5Gm4hyphenhyphenVNmF45LIgLuntd5aEoCuZsplX37zUzIDCoNcaa5Zms4_IBPW-ctbxrE2zk0bOYlA4TIGy2jqr7Vw5iJ91F57dyjFnu3GEw0U5R_bjDf4gwU/s640/IMG_7373.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rxjAsWxmz12x3-3OJ9ef5Fhg5XZFJ2WXSFhp2hWDWpBGC5z1VSsV-Np4kSudHtTAO3xVXI4keOe3xS5FK-WfHzj3Wbo53-PhXiLHJqoTAiH0yMrO_YShXtGjS1se1bqQi0MwrMwcN3c/s1600/IMG_7378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rxjAsWxmz12x3-3OJ9ef5Fhg5XZFJ2WXSFhp2hWDWpBGC5z1VSsV-Np4kSudHtTAO3xVXI4keOe3xS5FK-WfHzj3Wbo53-PhXiLHJqoTAiH0yMrO_YShXtGjS1se1bqQi0MwrMwcN3c/s640/IMG_7378.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Before heading back to the hotel we stopped by Shamian Island. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It had a lot of western/colonial style buildings but our favorite thing was this cute little sculpture.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY0ey5QlCNY-3SKSdcGSDyd-BYhFFSotOoAFlywEjY0T9W-dlEzNhZldIVQtJ_UuHjWD1Qcotga37cKaQKuky_M4E8kGauF_xnaR-aiLIUOVld2oEzN-JzXQkygmNP6xVSrlWModAe4E/s1600/IMG_7388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY0ey5QlCNY-3SKSdcGSDyd-BYhFFSotOoAFlywEjY0T9W-dlEzNhZldIVQtJ_UuHjWD1Qcotga37cKaQKuky_M4E8kGauF_xnaR-aiLIUOVld2oEzN-JzXQkygmNP6xVSrlWModAe4E/s640/IMG_7388.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One more day closer to going home!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-2859328190891935192016-03-28T23:00:00.000-07:002016-08-01T15:00:38.536-07:00Day 9 - Safari Zoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nfu8p1MZ16brzvBAAk-gdhOQXN0CcZKdR5MVEm8SQqn2fRZ-HtaW1BR9ccRBX_m9D8rLTQNX5Cr4wVzSTH0NaJGAjjPA4qB6TjZ1sgyy4QbSWUYXlSABdjeC7Kr9as3y25a0ToL9sBs/s1600/IMG_7283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Monday March 28 2016. We spent the day at the Safari Zoo in Guangzhou. What an incredible and ginormous zoo! Its awesome and a little scary due to the lack of fences between you and the wild animals. Cooper liked looking at the animals as long as we weren't too close. He was a little scared to feed the giraffes but was happy to watch everything from the comfort of his stroller.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmirnrczxD7kwElQVtVFzbQmubTsCSH4rxovCyXL6QR-S02Py2JiZFgGXSl0DTntbfwZPXeSwn_nsEk6lFfCCPUfMKXD2TQ1v0ElLGxYAmjpTUtzc82ZOnvYBqxHVbW8fSvas6bfqjZ0/s1600/IMG_7283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmirnrczxD7kwElQVtVFzbQmubTsCSH4rxovCyXL6QR-S02Py2JiZFgGXSl0DTntbfwZPXeSwn_nsEk6lFfCCPUfMKXD2TQ1v0ElLGxYAmjpTUtzc82ZOnvYBqxHVbW8fSvas6bfqjZ0/s640/IMG_7283.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
We feet like we've been in China long enough to do like the Chinese so we purchased our first selfie stick.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTWYtQKm5aTNaWfsYXfGFQ5feEP6b3Jlsi-Yj54z2Jprow-RFJEXDqbGE6OB1ZNbPosvLMWEkcXaGkJtaczkZf7zs3JK6fWpB34osPHloEP9uwm7udxfhwTbUQWB_OIm_4-WfjNZpIAk/s1600/IMG_7285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTWYtQKm5aTNaWfsYXfGFQ5feEP6b3Jlsi-Yj54z2Jprow-RFJEXDqbGE6OB1ZNbPosvLMWEkcXaGkJtaczkZf7zs3JK6fWpB34osPHloEP9uwm7udxfhwTbUQWB_OIm_4-WfjNZpIAk/s640/IMG_7285.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then we were able to get some really great pictures like this ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEqCYWJTJny9HkGtRwUhaQJhoX1ufLuLuwQ9JlAA45Yg-1pASRtRFiaZp5usVlR0316yQkIRk0uFNTxiof4ypH8KOur5HJH4_Smt6ZJtSgT6b1lgCohC6hTHgi9UaebqqlN-eZIRC0Yg/s1600/IMG_7290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEqCYWJTJny9HkGtRwUhaQJhoX1ufLuLuwQ9JlAA45Yg-1pASRtRFiaZp5usVlR0316yQkIRk0uFNTxiof4ypH8KOur5HJH4_Smt6ZJtSgT6b1lgCohC6hTHgi9UaebqqlN-eZIRC0Yg/s640/IMG_7290.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0oWitXBNDsuYDoGLT_vod2Hv-R4odxko5TLsEIVQe2p8SZIu3I_SIHeja1M0zS252XdZTx8GwFfDu_hOaxSQXbcvljMvgOX4hQ-WB1Fq_Buv0xbsvc3-cyBjNu6D9kVdgPUpkHbDz4A/s1600/IMG_7300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0oWitXBNDsuYDoGLT_vod2Hv-R4odxko5TLsEIVQe2p8SZIu3I_SIHeja1M0zS252XdZTx8GwFfDu_hOaxSQXbcvljMvgOX4hQ-WB1Fq_Buv0xbsvc3-cyBjNu6D9kVdgPUpkHbDz4A/s640/IMG_7300.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_OskmpKQntrm9edXvfTysgQRcmvY7viWCDp3ULSB0fwkz6kSnsGiOS3llwe3i53GCs-1Oybhavy76VF5tuEl8rjYUb4gUcz6zT1M9YRh-yBVEYT2EF1Vlu7Pzdb7chleSxitkSa47FQ/s1600/IMG_7304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_OskmpKQntrm9edXvfTysgQRcmvY7viWCDp3ULSB0fwkz6kSnsGiOS3llwe3i53GCs-1Oybhavy76VF5tuEl8rjYUb4gUcz6zT1M9YRh-yBVEYT2EF1Vlu7Pzdb7chleSxitkSa47FQ/s640/IMG_7304.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This one is for Bryn, we know you love fake snakes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41D3dMUMhLlD2GUM9gygiwIK53fl17JAqL30twE1Qf5TLs1NaIzcWlCku9KDc4hn_S6oqTB7Y7KaY76aGUyqPJqWf-crngRZp1HTSU6kY2FhfCP_Ek8i0_wqvckDf9DtG32kSo4fSWW4/s1600/IMG_7315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41D3dMUMhLlD2GUM9gygiwIK53fl17JAqL30twE1Qf5TLs1NaIzcWlCku9KDc4hn_S6oqTB7Y7KaY76aGUyqPJqWf-crngRZp1HTSU6kY2FhfCP_Ek8i0_wqvckDf9DtG32kSo4fSWW4/s640/IMG_7315.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Brady posted the video of Cooper feeding these giraffes on his FB. It's was pretty hilarious.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oOsAK003TdgGgEQ2xIPaBVP3PFBJOoQ6RjzwgFUNRse7IfJtJueNQKgffqAoX53fOMd9vUpsPk5lqaaVw2gjhjasgSRIQYiOwTqKmS5W4cAr0LIyLf6JFz6S4zt4TTfg1YlYWxgEDhQ/s1600/IMG_7329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oOsAK003TdgGgEQ2xIPaBVP3PFBJOoQ6RjzwgFUNRse7IfJtJueNQKgffqAoX53fOMd9vUpsPk5lqaaVw2gjhjasgSRIQYiOwTqKmS5W4cAr0LIyLf6JFz6S4zt4TTfg1YlYWxgEDhQ/s640/IMG_7329.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Awh!! So sweet!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgOQJMDT9RlJ5rhKSMiwufQpxk-rWUd1ArEoL-hIc16ZjI001puZgC9Jn_ZUZxh0z2frsJiIm1IgAlEN7NlykGsp5vnGt0-b7CyO6FgV3uqsTuvc4zo1QZ1fEBfw2Tsbca3y1OcUJ_SU/s1600/IMG_7331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgOQJMDT9RlJ5rhKSMiwufQpxk-rWUd1ArEoL-hIc16ZjI001puZgC9Jn_ZUZxh0z2frsJiIm1IgAlEN7NlykGsp5vnGt0-b7CyO6FgV3uqsTuvc4zo1QZ1fEBfw2Tsbca3y1OcUJ_SU/s640/IMG_7331.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This elephant was having a great time spraying everyone.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s1600/IMG_7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s1600/IMG_7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s640/IMG_7337.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s1600/IMG_7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We all loved watching the pandas. Such fascinating animals!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihl-x0tqJN0qgbZ6pKPQCZPCFDqJldWDUbi9GQLrG0Ij3XQh7esJh-vRQJ_RT7T51nDUhTgp0ifVnpbFV7nHlP69yQaLaaFXDb5msAlEHj2o8FitccjGo4m94-RnlSQZ5uNoJH_LtpGc4/s1600/IMG_7335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihl-x0tqJN0qgbZ6pKPQCZPCFDqJldWDUbi9GQLrG0Ij3XQh7esJh-vRQJ_RT7T51nDUhTgp0ifVnpbFV7nHlP69yQaLaaFXDb5msAlEHj2o8FitccjGo4m94-RnlSQZ5uNoJH_LtpGc4/s640/IMG_7335.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s1600/IMG_7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b></b><i></i><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLI1A6CQI51GY8juNUrSRrnizNerhzM14dQUOHI83tJBW-ZSelQfFxEnJzmGfOA7SPHRc7issdnz3B1QQgOQL8S1CyKipgala1G8Eys8WYbJjl1FstKsPifjANFySwmGorkfqm5bHThM/s1600/IMG_7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2fS71FmagoRKZSfxEtHWaUH3OCTOnR6E2kzvZ5lsnViBUeZDjUN1fhsNJhfI1Ty7G2rjPIYqINp_bkkt-aKOWLjD40IUaqguqJQN5u5iwVmKJrW8WPIzpgncZGhgYvh8VXSgZKmKvdk/s640/IMG_7086.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was a great day with our cute chubby panda!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-56317288673192421642016-03-27T22:30:00.001-07:002016-08-01T14:53:00.338-07:00Day 8 - Happy Easter<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">March 27 Happy Easter! No Easter
bunny or eggs to find today but it was still joyful to celebrate the resurrection
of the one who makes redemption possible! We didn’t much on the schedule today
which made us a little homesick. We are really really really badly missing our
children at home but at least we’re getting some good bonding time with Cooper.
And at least we have Facetime so we can still talk to them and see their sweet
faces. Thank goodness for modern technology! We did have a really quick
translation/schedule/document appointment this morning with Connie. While I was
going over the paperwork Brady was trying to keep Cooper in the meeting room.
Finally Cooper had just had enough and had the saddest most adorable melt down
ever. His little face crumpled up and he stood there for a few seconds holding
still with a heartbreaking look on his face. A few tears started to fall and I
could hardly stand it. He’s been such a brave good boy! I wanted to run right
over and comfort him but Brady was too quick and scooped him up first. Luckily
he was quickly comforted in arms of his father, it was sweet. After we had
everything in order and prepared for our consulate appointment we decided to take
a walk to a nearby park. We took a few wrong turns in the underpass but
eventually found it. By the time we made it through the entry Cooper was tired
of walking. Like Nash he is a master at diversion when it comes to trying to
get somewhere by foot. Suddenly he had to use the bathroom, like five times
right in a row and when we didn’t take him he pulled down his pants right in
the middle of the side walk acting like he had to pee but of course he never
did. When he could see that excuse wasn’t going to work anymore he just flat
out gave up and sat down, not caring if we were going to keep going. Finally we
convinced him to continue walking by holding hands with both of us so we could
swing him. We could see more tears on the horizon so we decided it would be
best to turn around and go back to the hotel for lunch and naps. We all napped
and woke up feeling refreshed. In the evening we had Easter dinner with some
new friends who are also here adopting. It has been so enjoyable getting to be
here in Guangzhou with so many other families who are adopting. It reminds me
of when Nash was born and we started meeting people in the Down syndrome
community and felt an immediate bond to them. It is the same feeling within the
adoption community. I’m so thankful for this beautiful Easter day, for our
beautiful new son, for friends and family and for our Savior Jesus Christ who
makes happiness possible.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-x5Ez_vxjd5qOQY4qZyPU_VodpUW4sXazBm_koIfBUXwH8vJUYVWw9oClXIymMJSKPPzLMCM3BG6iv1Udklw86sSty8KI0Cu1R7ZU4hThqdIRLwUifX9pPJLFEVQ1qMZNOmxIkgObU3U/s1600/IMG_7244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-x5Ez_vxjd5qOQY4qZyPU_VodpUW4sXazBm_koIfBUXwH8vJUYVWw9oClXIymMJSKPPzLMCM3BG6iv1Udklw86sSty8KI0Cu1R7ZU4hThqdIRLwUifX9pPJLFEVQ1qMZNOmxIkgObU3U/s640/IMG_7244.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V6hfYHaEqLkcIrx9b7fo_TdJAMRpSGcCUt-AcXGD4kICOSLe9USVN2ZwujQlaIXLnVuvGDYHFleMgtkZf6KcQlnBcxW-AbFW8rtx9LXZqKVjJkE8LS41jnh7NxpwJpMDkyAetpMXeAU/s1600/IMG_6910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V6hfYHaEqLkcIrx9b7fo_TdJAMRpSGcCUt-AcXGD4kICOSLe9USVN2ZwujQlaIXLnVuvGDYHFleMgtkZf6KcQlnBcxW-AbFW8rtx9LXZqKVjJkE8LS41jnh7NxpwJpMDkyAetpMXeAU/s640/IMG_6910.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Cooper isn't a big fan of toast. He prefers steamed bread.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOH0gzg-84wIaZuNXra2-obLiq7zYgVjtPBYA3O_d9R43mu_cBBv02tXKLxakj4onRt_a3FVPNtP0VWBHoKkUFewEl0_x-X8D60kyvHBfyQyHDqTq0OziHIp9X6PfkohOQYgtKheeO-0/s1600/IMG_6879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOH0gzg-84wIaZuNXra2-obLiq7zYgVjtPBYA3O_d9R43mu_cBBv02tXKLxakj4onRt_a3FVPNtP0VWBHoKkUFewEl0_x-X8D60kyvHBfyQyHDqTq0OziHIp9X6PfkohOQYgtKheeO-0/s640/IMG_6879.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
That's it Dad! No more walking for me!<br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j1F12F-_sekvUMlC2Jzv8TIb5Q4haZhirLF-Ic0po3IFXagiuwUKgwgKTQn-J4uLNfpYgP3lWdPzd9Dc6i40A-jPv9Sic48gIK4_2XKWn1sQC1CY8UnTnmvrtleuIzbca4UK2xaNrfo/s1600/IMG_6882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j1F12F-_sekvUMlC2Jzv8TIb5Q4haZhirLF-Ic0po3IFXagiuwUKgwgKTQn-J4uLNfpYgP3lWdPzd9Dc6i40A-jPv9Sic48gIK4_2XKWn1sQC1CY8UnTnmvrtleuIzbca4UK2xaNrfo/s640/IMG_6882.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
I can't believe these people make me walk so far!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6K7Ra_Qkb6BMlVU_EYn4LbVlOmJfR-GK5kC3el0M6QCXomDfmp_XcI3DLqkfrqlUz5drN0l3Ffs81850ejiJa-4nGdA6KC4lLSUaPoIRVXNUoHXr_X-Zb_R79JF5a7sjgNNR0t-DSH_Y/s1600/IMG_6885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6K7Ra_Qkb6BMlVU_EYn4LbVlOmJfR-GK5kC3el0M6QCXomDfmp_XcI3DLqkfrqlUz5drN0l3Ffs81850ejiJa-4nGdA6KC4lLSUaPoIRVXNUoHXr_X-Zb_R79JF5a7sjgNNR0t-DSH_Y/s640/IMG_6885.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzfxIRNfBtgDRVFZO3-eXYx0qHfhMbAkuFAEj6-fBw_XadhoizyVgAINuNi3sLwOyzQvKToFDEWX5v6tlBhhOSuOJqoF6u2XE2RUTKgnTAsX7zwswcvMod87PSHFqjpWec_hSilX7LDc/s1600/IMG_6888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzfxIRNfBtgDRVFZO3-eXYx0qHfhMbAkuFAEj6-fBw_XadhoizyVgAINuNi3sLwOyzQvKToFDEWX5v6tlBhhOSuOJqoF6u2XE2RUTKgnTAsX7zwswcvMod87PSHFqjpWec_hSilX7LDc/s640/IMG_6888.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_nUisVpxk-fyufNWMCjFCuvU07cKflRy53GW2CdXnlzuKHcgtpLj7A0eA76aA_AlfOzQscIFA1CuTQqFOCpUyV8xEuHQafC1P5Kiu5CK1y-tDgAuMuRDhTikjgICndXG9mAg7W2Uaek/s1600/IMG_6892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_nUisVpxk-fyufNWMCjFCuvU07cKflRy53GW2CdXnlzuKHcgtpLj7A0eA76aA_AlfOzQscIFA1CuTQqFOCpUyV8xEuHQafC1P5Kiu5CK1y-tDgAuMuRDhTikjgICndXG9mAg7W2Uaek/s640/IMG_6892.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkruoBnuDH6DihUsrGiRtwSGhPiusFFOiK1N8UOowwBFHn1Jfl359ZGu0V4Zrp25BjmZD_gXrAv6sfG1qwY9FMXD9zN7Z8iPNuFB4fsTP24ZEobGUFzjfspDea9mNIrnmAnK8SmoP10w/s1600/IMG_7240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkruoBnuDH6DihUsrGiRtwSGhPiusFFOiK1N8UOowwBFHn1Jfl359ZGu0V4Zrp25BjmZD_gXrAv6sfG1qwY9FMXD9zN7Z8iPNuFB4fsTP24ZEobGUFzjfspDea9mNIrnmAnK8SmoP10w/s640/IMG_7240.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF9jR1KRnbs-tDs_xNubaa0ndmKipmIBOr3iZ-86PbkFfCxioZy56HUOcR7yihTdOPtUTiqogfzOcYDANvtsWZSYky4609nStLxiUOFIc8iWQWDODYoY_h920vxwmcLwL7s45E7iFyzU/s1600/IMG_7281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF9jR1KRnbs-tDs_xNubaa0ndmKipmIBOr3iZ-86PbkFfCxioZy56HUOcR7yihTdOPtUTiqogfzOcYDANvtsWZSYky4609nStLxiUOFIc8iWQWDODYoY_h920vxwmcLwL7s45E7iFyzU/s640/IMG_7281.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-51387639306597826872016-03-26T22:39:00.002-07:002016-08-01T14:51:09.750-07:00Day 7 - Medial Exam Day<span style="font-family: "calibri";">March 26. This morning we met up with a new friend who is adopting the sweetest little 11 year old girl from Hepburn, using the same agency we are. They are great! Our new guide, Connie came and picked all of us up at the hotel and we went to the consulate medical center for the children’s medical exams and shots. It was packed with people when we got there. Connie said that the center opens every Saturday morning for children being adopted so everyone comes at one time. We meet so many amazing, kind, friendly families while we were waiting between stations it was great. I could have stayed there all day watching these families with their children and hearing all of their adoption stories. Cooper did wonderful and was so cooperative at every station. He didn’t even cry when he got his TB shot. It was so inspiring to see all of the good going on. One family that I particularly loved meeting was a mom and a dad who were here adopting two beautiful little children. They had two of their older children, one of whom was adopted from China 12 years ago with them. It was so sweet to see the relationship between all of them. I loved seeing how caring, responsive, respectful and vibrant their teenagers were and how excited they were about their two new little siblings. After watching CNN this morning and hearing all of the bad news about our presidential campaign this experience was so good and uplifting. After returning to the hotel I took Cooper out to the little playground and taught him how to swing. Once he got the hang of hanging on and sitting in the swing he loved it. He catches onto things so quickly it amazes me. He has the best little squeaky laugh that goes perfectly with his darling dimple. He is quick to make friends with his bossy bubbly personality. When we went back to our hotel room he found a pen and spent the rest of the evening drawing on every square inch of paper he could find. He also “blows his nose” as often as he can. Not because he has a cold, just because he has a thing for paper. Any kind of paper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfKTpmsWZNdpJn_Za2MserAQIhp7LCn2F4GZ84xBfNIkfDw7T4CvPSbraoBfSd2_z9IfCmF_ee2b0PyHv7a1FHbNnGgUM9FoLfZO8tcQ5O4CRCRKF6gFBWWS-gIB1kaYrqdWpAL0jfVM/s1600/IMG_6863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfKTpmsWZNdpJn_Za2MserAQIhp7LCn2F4GZ84xBfNIkfDw7T4CvPSbraoBfSd2_z9IfCmF_ee2b0PyHv7a1FHbNnGgUM9FoLfZO8tcQ5O4CRCRKF6gFBWWS-gIB1kaYrqdWpAL0jfVM/s640/IMG_6863.JPG" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: calibri;">More pictures for his file.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoNbBp1xwaJZKGQmD5sdFIDiKFLs_CbNjW2JsbJVThq_6S6fh4C8eTsRtBlqYunuXytprSgkg8hf6CN7tup5tDAHs_8yu7it4VzGoOxt8MGfbjOkXH33ElKaP_AeqMZsM_NtZuvctB-g/s1600/IMG_6862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoNbBp1xwaJZKGQmD5sdFIDiKFLs_CbNjW2JsbJVThq_6S6fh4C8eTsRtBlqYunuXytprSgkg8hf6CN7tup5tDAHs_8yu7it4VzGoOxt8MGfbjOkXH33ElKaP_AeqMZsM_NtZuvctB-g/s640/IMG_6862.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The crowd waiting for their medical appointments</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUSSAIpNFrDrsfqBf8OkZkpfxrQF-rZL1rDkU8tnCmBRMKRgKsVuVPJ9qPInlYNSIhTqb3DO1jJmi6uCbznrXF5yfCAikKr-3gUlMi8sEOepTheotOERtXAyy1UZT4T2F-nzZKUfU_zw/s1600/IMG_7198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUSSAIpNFrDrsfqBf8OkZkpfxrQF-rZL1rDkU8tnCmBRMKRgKsVuVPJ9qPInlYNSIhTqb3DO1jJmi6uCbznrXF5yfCAikKr-3gUlMi8sEOepTheotOERtXAyy1UZT4T2F-nzZKUfU_zw/s640/IMG_7198.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We hope he is always this cooperative!</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_qSqzvAKG8HMhKErXfz696Axv9budEveu4DxdXubMt48_1h6TkBinN7Ju_p8GZdYSF3UVJ3jm2opTVweaY2Dyi1GWWETTxcDD5Egwi2TQaqeV7AJY1K8DOUSSs57cuD9k_dB4GlprQI/s1600/IMG_6854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_qSqzvAKG8HMhKErXfz696Axv9budEveu4DxdXubMt48_1h6TkBinN7Ju_p8GZdYSF3UVJ3jm2opTVweaY2Dyi1GWWETTxcDD5Egwi2TQaqeV7AJY1K8DOUSSs57cuD9k_dB4GlprQI/s640/IMG_6854.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNha8Ozwiql2z0tBmE1HAJLNNq75T0OSOq9JP09knSgpLKTgyteyx1bpq8qgJJJgf4xzimPlMLXxsxhB2ac74cYdV8tT76TaKso_00j6rEhW_LfxfL3YurRrus_i7ZBvq77GpWx7hfudc/s1600/IMG_6855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNha8Ozwiql2z0tBmE1HAJLNNq75T0OSOq9JP09knSgpLKTgyteyx1bpq8qgJJJgf4xzimPlMLXxsxhB2ac74cYdV8tT76TaKso_00j6rEhW_LfxfL3YurRrus_i7ZBvq77GpWx7hfudc/s640/IMG_6855.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Selfies make waiting more fun!</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YUJzGRbeKnJO5OohjlQUQJ0muTrT-ftl79e8Iwmnv1C3Sf9g2dXWUfL1Ov87_khYieBwm8hdSUOHqPfHXshglOa79ODrDMGzhhxYtzCVERtk3uaI_ISk6aHjIF6YtUYrPtDdfHzxZt4/s1600/IMG_6856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YUJzGRbeKnJO5OohjlQUQJ0muTrT-ftl79e8Iwmnv1C3Sf9g2dXWUfL1Ov87_khYieBwm8hdSUOHqPfHXshglOa79ODrDMGzhhxYtzCVERtk3uaI_ISk6aHjIF6YtUYrPtDdfHzxZt4/s640/IMG_6856.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9XNwDLQXCylK6E_-s4cY8Q2x1fnvxXGQOYRDY3SN8z6gPlxptfkZfkQ3u-300pchoQWDiBwEse0cqOjkDqneSJewfOcWXA_C8JspN60FBk425qhEk_N_e457mwX4vo-dNqGVGHLGV14/s1600/IMG_6860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9XNwDLQXCylK6E_-s4cY8Q2x1fnvxXGQOYRDY3SN8z6gPlxptfkZfkQ3u-300pchoQWDiBwEse0cqOjkDqneSJewfOcWXA_C8JspN60FBk425qhEk_N_e457mwX4vo-dNqGVGHLGV14/s640/IMG_6860.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He weighed in at 36 lbs! He's a solid kid!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhfYFopeMvAg0ccrHUHxoPdBJnnrrwY4i4Htwb0dqOUWXDyiceBpZUz1NUlOnxWZEy41EaKWSqneRZ1dv2_GEfoFfXauMTl8VKZYkZbK3icCZ-Jcfw6zNKX_ipCxejy3RqDAXL4ff-NQ/s640/IMG_6861.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfKTpmsWZNdpJn_Za2MserAQIhp7LCn2F4GZ84xBfNIkfDw7T4CvPSbraoBfSd2_z9IfCmF_ee2b0PyHv7a1FHbNnGgUM9FoLfZO8tcQ5O4CRCRKF6gFBWWS-gIB1kaYrqdWpAL0jfVM/s1600/IMG_6863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUWSrUePeU0LzWPR0S7btz07_m4OHnFIkx-TALKxj3kFMclvwTgod8m5uWkr-4SybDuhgbEpMzXt6RhP6B-hajzwIYMk6mDUgnttwgBSdXYEOacVAlY2dN-ymUp5SCVUo7AzXY7yqMA8/s1600/IMG_6866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUWSrUePeU0LzWPR0S7btz07_m4OHnFIkx-TALKxj3kFMclvwTgod8m5uWkr-4SybDuhgbEpMzXt6RhP6B-hajzwIYMk6mDUgnttwgBSdXYEOacVAlY2dN-ymUp5SCVUo7AzXY7yqMA8/s640/IMG_6866.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Back at the hotel garden</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAERH7RspqXjKOp86nHTV7N3lRImuwsoCW3RfjzZZ0wupOvNmfiNixVO-3nk572oeRrTWtPA3PMbNgrmvKwhQJeg-5YwWGBNdlVDBEJ2JhCn2OVLUvIc2mcKVh5VIxNg2MfD-0tQSoac/s1600/IMG_6869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAERH7RspqXjKOp86nHTV7N3lRImuwsoCW3RfjzZZ0wupOvNmfiNixVO-3nk572oeRrTWtPA3PMbNgrmvKwhQJeg-5YwWGBNdlVDBEJ2JhCn2OVLUvIc2mcKVh5VIxNg2MfD-0tQSoac/s640/IMG_6869.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd00Y_5nP319yVi2mmzTJUktP2cVONuq4pXyem-YylDhbz5Xu4wAJpElLhIThgRbW3NgfrOli5JXihxwG2PDG6f-V_8GwrKM0ZSycmrhPeBQMCjWH79itKq-dDPQoy9S8zZYjTzqFAiCs/s1600/IMG_6870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd00Y_5nP319yVi2mmzTJUktP2cVONuq4pXyem-YylDhbz5Xu4wAJpElLhIThgRbW3NgfrOli5JXihxwG2PDG6f-V_8GwrKM0ZSycmrhPeBQMCjWH79itKq-dDPQoy9S8zZYjTzqFAiCs/s640/IMG_6870.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The view out our hotel window in Guangzhou.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxBqfhKloAZs0pI0PyqlSqMxzrhFLQ8Wiscj7bUiMVV13dFQGHfZVxrT1cME5vi635vJ1nqxhaKx7996jvxhAaTB0zVLppegPPKkNeRkr3Lmbw-2-YE8Eg02TwruMFMT3pARRWUQ-2-k/s1600/IMG_6872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxBqfhKloAZs0pI0PyqlSqMxzrhFLQ8Wiscj7bUiMVV13dFQGHfZVxrT1cME5vi635vJ1nqxhaKx7996jvxhAaTB0zVLppegPPKkNeRkr3Lmbw-2-YE8Eg02TwruMFMT3pARRWUQ-2-k/s640/IMG_6872.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
More coloring</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg566UXqZoOfUdoaQ_L1Y5NwcquU4Z-LaDLopcVKphPMMzlipi5dtwP7jIqz1kvsJjOEsBki7LtvTCfJcfDBbhtyQnxyHkZ5ckhr6mKzoXkIi9a1J0RYwizBbamoxhdlf_e7XCuzYMVHWQ/s1600/IMG_6876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg566UXqZoOfUdoaQ_L1Y5NwcquU4Z-LaDLopcVKphPMMzlipi5dtwP7jIqz1kvsJjOEsBki7LtvTCfJcfDBbhtyQnxyHkZ5ckhr6mKzoXkIi9a1J0RYwizBbamoxhdlf_e7XCuzYMVHWQ/s640/IMG_6876.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cooper loves the flag the orphanage director gave him.</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-40108758153754656802016-03-25T22:37:00.000-07:002016-08-01T14:38:36.847-07:00Day 6 - Tianjin to Guangzhou<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">March 25 This morning Brady was
able to do quite a bit of work and take a nap (he still hasn’t adjusted to the
time change and stays up almost all night) while Cooper and I went for a walk
outside. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5450UnrlrLDjF17wrveKFTP57idUJ47sFAbyFThyphenhyphenDjfjTspXiZqBgE0XhhIv800vqn9ZuFrXFfsFcKA0LOgYyOdLHVhE_M_OFmmg3Vt_lguyVMzI8ZEsta60MFRfU46WNAGS0l7tpeY/s1600/IMG_6819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5450UnrlrLDjF17wrveKFTP57idUJ47sFAbyFThyphenhyphenDjfjTspXiZqBgE0XhhIv800vqn9ZuFrXFfsFcKA0LOgYyOdLHVhE_M_OFmmg3Vt_lguyVMzI8ZEsta60MFRfU46WNAGS0l7tpeY/s640/IMG_6819.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This afternoon we packed everything up, picked up Coopers new Chinese
passport and went to the airport to catch our flight to Guangzhou. It was a
little sad to say good-bye to Cooper’s city since it’s been his only home up to
this point. Tianjin has been good to him and to us as well, but the rest of our
family is waiting on the other side of the ocean and we are dying to see them!
We said good-bye to Vivian and made our way through the massive airport. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgSITPYIs1UEHGiQlGBHGSuA9NpSNGBwtaKMOUspVp302eTWJmAyQ1ka327_nER0PI3vzUJ57pv3SFoy-wuJA-WBrPdCGzcGwHqDUFh61pTaHghTr3Kp_eq3Ivn-MVyQOcfS1S3Rzy3U/s1600/IMG_7150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgSITPYIs1UEHGiQlGBHGSuA9NpSNGBwtaKMOUspVp302eTWJmAyQ1ka327_nER0PI3vzUJ57pv3SFoy-wuJA-WBrPdCGzcGwHqDUFh61pTaHghTr3Kp_eq3Ivn-MVyQOcfS1S3Rzy3U/s640/IMG_7150.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCdj7BWr37QpNZiKIv6d-WOotwo6vh0JGEMrVaUmAeen1G4r1sOD4ASzdVFQKncpeI1HhBJPth9lJvmsdDM1fOl4RFgC2kLPOdMOtdWAl3CwUhKtkKkDgZV7kPzjucNsn3vqBLJ2pIU/s1600/IMG_6830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCdj7BWr37QpNZiKIv6d-WOotwo6vh0JGEMrVaUmAeen1G4r1sOD4ASzdVFQKncpeI1HhBJPth9lJvmsdDM1fOl4RFgC2kLPOdMOtdWAl3CwUhKtkKkDgZV7kPzjucNsn3vqBLJ2pIU/s640/IMG_6830.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn1AvJyxK_fqdZ0y4EJZdQTEnYEwbvRz2aI1DBeDYGCetLFeM-sXZ7Jxjh-4lg-QEtyQAge_CGv9JFSoMjVZjHOUXT9sI40SRfYu-eaqTN9CpUnRV0l1l85WxeLcw-4iBqSITWED0m9E/s1600/IMG_7145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn1AvJyxK_fqdZ0y4EJZdQTEnYEwbvRz2aI1DBeDYGCetLFeM-sXZ7Jxjh-4lg-QEtyQAge_CGv9JFSoMjVZjHOUXT9sI40SRfYu-eaqTN9CpUnRV0l1l85WxeLcw-4iBqSITWED0m9E/s640/IMG_7145.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YhyTtqqsI1B7eh_oG4hvjPFiYgJbuB5KPu8Us8aXuKfLuH81NLVYTwRXN7Zrtnd1FEa8gocI_FGM_8IA99Fn_AiwPq0cgxy8YI4ZOhDlO3Bz0DNtlSfCQ3MUxfsRE2qtmGowaWw8MCY/s1600/IMG_7149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YhyTtqqsI1B7eh_oG4hvjPFiYgJbuB5KPu8Us8aXuKfLuH81NLVYTwRXN7Zrtnd1FEa8gocI_FGM_8IA99Fn_AiwPq0cgxy8YI4ZOhDlO3Bz0DNtlSfCQ3MUxfsRE2qtmGowaWw8MCY/s640/IMG_7149.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3Pc4JKIT8nc0CMe_LRC5baeu6QsveIIvBwZ8rHCTF0l-SxjGLvWtK3H3IAfebqeUXn4SqmnAZEr2L_89Or9nTgTIptLxPU02BnCK5AlqJjVT06-BG6VREXzg_5dZZvDBZ7hTcf16oaY/s1600/IMG_6832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3Pc4JKIT8nc0CMe_LRC5baeu6QsveIIvBwZ8rHCTF0l-SxjGLvWtK3H3IAfebqeUXn4SqmnAZEr2L_89Or9nTgTIptLxPU02BnCK5AlqJjVT06-BG6VREXzg_5dZZvDBZ7hTcf16oaY/s640/IMG_6832.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had some time to kill before our flight so Brady ordered us some food and played charades to negotiate one fork for all of us. Luckily I’m getting better at chopsticks and Cooper likes to use the soup ladle as a spoon!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAmghgezdjb28PsHupjlBZsOaX810eyf5Twzi3pFQgu_Ci2Ph_zy7XLv9Cej8EM39N0xD2ImkQ9l8aeyaGqSCt_o8dUYrZwmNuAX6F2fwaD0LayzWZWG5S_liq0pQia-ErGDC0U3VDJg/s1600/IMG_6834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAmghgezdjb28PsHupjlBZsOaX810eyf5Twzi3pFQgu_Ci2Ph_zy7XLv9Cej8EM39N0xD2ImkQ9l8aeyaGqSCt_o8dUYrZwmNuAX6F2fwaD0LayzWZWG5S_liq0pQia-ErGDC0U3VDJg/s640/IMG_6834.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl4SSTG-Y8umhyGRgeUEUVdUCPDvg9Ossp3YJf1t2DbR7BHnrHnxfHQeDpR_mtimKAlBp50sDkWI_z8q5czskGLRNr72bpS7ra3pePc2QEj2JKAeEqjfqSKIFPvwjcElM5IrIGbJqvZ4/s1600/IMG_7162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl4SSTG-Y8umhyGRgeUEUVdUCPDvg9Ossp3YJf1t2DbR7BHnrHnxfHQeDpR_mtimKAlBp50sDkWI_z8q5czskGLRNr72bpS7ra3pePc2QEj2JKAeEqjfqSKIFPvwjcElM5IrIGbJqvZ4/s640/IMG_7162.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiL5PpVDysyy74g-zkFwNSelD6kWgqiOzsYk8SxfyBe1Hvw9l-LpbZoduGnBkZZjoJIlLGd8DsGSxF62VSYZeQruBudoEndbkdDkJ7dOvYbi1qKDoIl_irjkRaSf5U21ERj-9dUldTjQ/s1600/IMG_7163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiL5PpVDysyy74g-zkFwNSelD6kWgqiOzsYk8SxfyBe1Hvw9l-LpbZoduGnBkZZjoJIlLGd8DsGSxF62VSYZeQruBudoEndbkdDkJ7dOvYbi1qKDoIl_irjkRaSf5U21ERj-9dUldTjQ/s640/IMG_7163.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Good Bye Tianjin!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bH4Q0-29kaLGOc_9uTiZ8ig8Z-4UNgI92-hptzLD4i2_Q8PjY_AzTKVYpciYWapJRqIalgxbV6gtbWFLdvLOqkBIYQrjB1P9dt9JjilJ80ud4dwjsKxxELI_voFLy-FBmq5cBovpT3E/s1600/IMG_6838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bH4Q0-29kaLGOc_9uTiZ8ig8Z-4UNgI92-hptzLD4i2_Q8PjY_AzTKVYpciYWapJRqIalgxbV6gtbWFLdvLOqkBIYQrjB1P9dt9JjilJ80ud4dwjsKxxELI_voFLy-FBmq5cBovpT3E/s640/IMG_6838.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Cooper pulled the
best faces during takeoff and then quickly feel asleep and slept for the rest
of the 3 hour flight. It was dark when we started to make our decent above the
neon lights of Guangzhou, the city glow was beautiful but it paled in comparison
to the giant full moon staring across the horizon at the airplane. That has to
be one of the rewards of working on an airplane, being up in the peaceful night
sky like that. It was awesome watching the moon change shades as we descended
through different layers of air. Guangzhou has a much different feel than
Tianjin. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDnDYT0VjYpdJqEffkC-y8p2twvPUvz3ch_clgbBojV6IE8mmDyEeYMs6NYIDqgQB4YhoI-6JSyIViiXOEXsGKSBljwXPbLlYTZeihOOx46Kmdqf-8Ccv6mTmuAiTMXaP9x5VAUrcxVs/s1600/IMG_6840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDnDYT0VjYpdJqEffkC-y8p2twvPUvz3ch_clgbBojV6IE8mmDyEeYMs6NYIDqgQB4YhoI-6JSyIViiXOEXsGKSBljwXPbLlYTZeihOOx46Kmdqf-8Ccv6mTmuAiTMXaP9x5VAUrcxVs/s640/IMG_6840.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the ride to the hotel it reminded me of Hawaii meets Las Vegas.
Palm trees, green vegetation everywhere, humidity and lots of neon lights and
brightly lit buildings. Cooper is full of energy and bouncing off the beds, I
think he knows we’re one step closer to home! It’s onward and upward we want to
keep this process moving forward so we can get back to the rest of our babies!</span></div>
</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-55830887348454763502016-03-24T18:54:00.004-07:002016-08-01T15:27:35.490-07:00Day 5 - Tianjin Eye<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">March 24. Cooper woke up this morning with a lot of energy.
His file had told us that he was “an active boy.” That was spot on. It also
said that he didn’t talk. That was dead wrong. He never stops talking! Of
course Brady and I don’t understand any of the words he’s saying but he has
great hand gestures and facial expression so it’s not hard to figure out what
he wants. Vivian can understand many of the words he says and I swear he
understands everything we say. He’s getting comfortable in this little hotel
routine we have. He likes to go to breakfast and have steamed bread and
spring rolls. He is overly independent just like Nash. He wants to do
everything himself and he doesn’t want mom to wipe his face ever. I took him to
the bathroom down the hall from the dining room once and now every time we go
in there he thinks we need to hit the bathroom to just for fun. Brady has been
teaching him how to run the elevator buttons so he likes to do that also. Every
time a phone is pulled out he smiles and poses. Sometimes he smiles so big his
whole face scrunches together and his eyes close. It’s hilarious. He has a
super strong will and is already testing us to see what he can get away with.
He loves having our full attention. Hopefully he’ll love the attention of his
siblings too when we get home. He’s woke up smiling every morning so far and
hasn’t even cried one time yet. It’s easy to love this squishy little boy.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb1hscYiCi-oxepDHzRd3HDsfGodHzzDmGpZIrt16CjMxkqY3kBm6ysYWacNUZ8feujfAh6pdeL-n5OL9vCjgjrfZ723Xn4NU_tB3F-qR9tq2Wo3jv89eKqxRVJdLm-HKXZtPhIldseQ/s1600/IMG_6723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb1hscYiCi-oxepDHzRd3HDsfGodHzzDmGpZIrt16CjMxkqY3kBm6ysYWacNUZ8feujfAh6pdeL-n5OL9vCjgjrfZ723Xn4NU_tB3F-qR9tq2Wo3jv89eKqxRVJdLm-HKXZtPhIldseQ/s640/IMG_6723.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjPastrCvMgJ9pzeLBeDdYViJKp00kUTL5h0a-lcl4JFMKkvtcON9cNNl7B88bMCY9P-RfUUc88LTXEdn8QehsD89ZDXqWXtLEMxYgKmoKIuP1InwMvzNvXGbIzcyIQXRmcZDu58o6UA/s1600/IMG_6825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjPastrCvMgJ9pzeLBeDdYViJKp00kUTL5h0a-lcl4JFMKkvtcON9cNNl7B88bMCY9P-RfUUc88LTXEdn8QehsD89ZDXqWXtLEMxYgKmoKIuP1InwMvzNvXGbIzcyIQXRmcZDu58o6UA/s640/IMG_6825.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXpqY88OIMWujKFMOu78nC9vJ05vlpRj4sjXPJL5Gf204qaxg74SIGTHDQYDSf4OCci1ctauU5JT4AZCgsYWBgWt5O6rvPDLUUN_LWQVBQ0pG7CvopvqOHMAcfvOongYg5ErSaVBTdpM/s1600/IMG_6912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXpqY88OIMWujKFMOu78nC9vJ05vlpRj4sjXPJL5Gf204qaxg74SIGTHDQYDSf4OCci1ctauU5JT4AZCgsYWBgWt5O6rvPDLUUN_LWQVBQ0pG7CvopvqOHMAcfvOongYg5ErSaVBTdpM/s640/IMG_6912.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFHbdQDyxA66SgZvtHpDkRoh_NBmSN2B4MvOcwrv9uiZ6cXx77y0AoVPkg3ON9tszYou2ag479ObsW8GpAynPOD6sP0qJtuq61wn1EjdA0CawaGkvbXvc9sPTI-4m1aCFYIE_x0VA5us/s1600/IMG_7052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFHbdQDyxA66SgZvtHpDkRoh_NBmSN2B4MvOcwrv9uiZ6cXx77y0AoVPkg3ON9tszYou2ag479ObsW8GpAynPOD6sP0qJtuq61wn1EjdA0CawaGkvbXvc9sPTI-4m1aCFYIE_x0VA5us/s640/IMG_7052.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After breakfast we met up with
Vivian to go do some more sightseeing. The highlights were riding the Tianjin
Eye and hanging out at the river. The Tianjin Eye is a giant farris wheel that
is built right in the middle of two streets that span the Haihe river. It’s the
biggest farris wheel I’ve ever seen and takes about 30 minutes to make one
rotation. Today was a very clear day so we had great view of the city from the
top. Buildings 360 degrees as far as the eye can see. Cooper was pretty nervous
about it and didn’t want to move from my lap. By the end of the ride he
was sleeping.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LchlqktMM96u709_jTwjg_cVg_u3ozyqkfo7SCldUX3cENbahxbk0oADlCf-XLkh2BP9ILvSQ0OdSWmDzGNRl2qeySOuxC7WbTBGcfrrlxGz1-G-yCR6hSLIlvdqbIvNFtt-iW84hU/s1600/IMG_6753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LchlqktMM96u709_jTwjg_cVg_u3ozyqkfo7SCldUX3cENbahxbk0oADlCf-XLkh2BP9ILvSQ0OdSWmDzGNRl2qeySOuxC7WbTBGcfrrlxGz1-G-yCR6hSLIlvdqbIvNFtt-iW84hU/s640/IMG_6753.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipELxtKVNRoA53nIeFJejD9MGzTAIrSmKiLIV7MTIIns413tanUxxOM990cPbmgIxw1IMJn2zKWmnKSrxmGNOebRiLd6qFbuY8lapAuCiGcVC-vWy3yrR7vT88GdKxt3XyOSyH-XHTtpY/s1600/IMG_6756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipELxtKVNRoA53nIeFJejD9MGzTAIrSmKiLIV7MTIIns413tanUxxOM990cPbmgIxw1IMJn2zKWmnKSrxmGNOebRiLd6qFbuY8lapAuCiGcVC-vWy3yrR7vT88GdKxt3XyOSyH-XHTtpY/s640/IMG_6756.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7tcUVJYQbhzDywGuSlqavTM7g5W35e2zti1P-iX3N-OCWnxyd_LeTnJw7yQe-zQVTcUyqR8G50wClCbZjFu-GNP5GUr8Uhbq89-QBibaUx8R_44YW_y4wumDGEJ0_-YcJg95H8rWsl8/s1600/IMG_6758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7tcUVJYQbhzDywGuSlqavTM7g5W35e2zti1P-iX3N-OCWnxyd_LeTnJw7yQe-zQVTcUyqR8G50wClCbZjFu-GNP5GUr8Uhbq89-QBibaUx8R_44YW_y4wumDGEJ0_-YcJg95H8rWsl8/s640/IMG_6758.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9WCksWjryG3n3pDUXV9k5oWX5cCiFJK5qEkIV782mdlCzbAl4kRHKjB7f88Ex4-Ok7LcDI4ocaKI8ySZ-WMkfbl1xWn88kof-JCfUH-7bkAGTguKdQz-emEJftBTkl0xdKCmWyQ-DZs/s1600/IMG_6760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9WCksWjryG3n3pDUXV9k5oWX5cCiFJK5qEkIV782mdlCzbAl4kRHKjB7f88Ex4-Ok7LcDI4ocaKI8ySZ-WMkfbl1xWn88kof-JCfUH-7bkAGTguKdQz-emEJftBTkl0xdKCmWyQ-DZs/s640/IMG_6760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKpC30Gy_Ra8WVxhMvgPSXdmmo5MZXcluwOo_cBFs7rqt92-s3MhnWw3h_xaB3rq6ir0p7KqC6MgipUggomzLHK-UJSzAOLj9lZmrMQp12TVJh6jTaBYvaWp7xo6z3249pdVT7rSnQAo/s1600/IMG_6764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKpC30Gy_Ra8WVxhMvgPSXdmmo5MZXcluwOo_cBFs7rqt92-s3MhnWw3h_xaB3rq6ir0p7KqC6MgipUggomzLHK-UJSzAOLj9lZmrMQp12TVJh6jTaBYvaWp7xo6z3249pdVT7rSnQAo/s640/IMG_6764.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6LkPxZadzxr93koGqyLij37Mtmp6IO0eB0l07fRQN0eKxamcry9mF-dar_GXmRc9RbtaJ-zyRU8QXuzi9r0b0W6-y_pMyJI5d2JKRl72zDQzox56VPzIdYzR6c0JYkmIZtx__tRKXfs/s1600/IMG_7115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6LkPxZadzxr93koGqyLij37Mtmp6IO0eB0l07fRQN0eKxamcry9mF-dar_GXmRc9RbtaJ-zyRU8QXuzi9r0b0W6-y_pMyJI5d2JKRl72zDQzox56VPzIdYzR6c0JYkmIZtx__tRKXfs/s640/IMG_7115.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa1Q1-w3m2bUzdJOZiYM7V8CTKmQnay9UmGIGVTHOfM4Gyv_Rvns8E9JfikjSKgzvaVtxGO7huRm8bcKUXU5szlvaDw5Z3q-vq0JotNTMijf6BD2a6ZIKIfVoXe1_RRKaAHdIWivNM7Y/s1600/IMG_7116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa1Q1-w3m2bUzdJOZiYM7V8CTKmQnay9UmGIGVTHOfM4Gyv_Rvns8E9JfikjSKgzvaVtxGO7huRm8bcKUXU5szlvaDw5Z3q-vq0JotNTMijf6BD2a6ZIKIfVoXe1_RRKaAHdIWivNM7Y/s640/IMG_7116.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After the ride we had fun walking down the river and learning about
all the happenings at the river. We watched some guys with nets pulling turtles
and fish from the river. We thought it was pretty amazing but Vivian told us
not to be too impressed. A little further down the river and we found the spot
where they were selling the animals to people to release in the river as part
of their Buddhist beliefs. The animals can’t survive for long in the salty
water so they fish them back out and take them up the river and sell them
again. One guy at the selling station really liked Cooper and let him play with
a turtle and catch some fish. He loved it. People have been very kind to us.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4l9TBleNC1U4NCar1Fhlz2y6JbOfAlplFyU0vx4YpYRMCjUgt1oUajYNcvM9S_M4YWD8J7sF5Yh7nhRbAe3QwAUFAyPkWvpF6kN7UfY1eg8TnJrGDbBoV_Y8DRxpAh1Mb9NnO3XfKuxI/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4l9TBleNC1U4NCar1Fhlz2y6JbOfAlplFyU0vx4YpYRMCjUgt1oUajYNcvM9S_M4YWD8J7sF5Yh7nhRbAe3QwAUFAyPkWvpF6kN7UfY1eg8TnJrGDbBoV_Y8DRxpAh1Mb9NnO3XfKuxI/s640/IMG_6767.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgqJokA6F915fdZYBOq_GdXEYQ8s-EgSQ59mP3u7t2Vty3MyDCAd1MUQJK7yVK73QJ7am-pI2UEUFT1Fi7zKk85da9ueu9PoLs0dfxzeJLkumFlaQg2pMRuNHJ6dRjDLseUZ5JTeZRqw/s1600/IMG_6770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgqJokA6F915fdZYBOq_GdXEYQ8s-EgSQ59mP3u7t2Vty3MyDCAd1MUQJK7yVK73QJ7am-pI2UEUFT1Fi7zKk85da9ueu9PoLs0dfxzeJLkumFlaQg2pMRuNHJ6dRjDLseUZ5JTeZRqw/s640/IMG_6770.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaFg9rGU_eMroBGSgKkpuiIbSB9_UEtYdReyGYwHoNeGDMc8od0pABofVLBXNfFHbNJfFrT5cn6_sXo-xHETfloyUO2II5wcjSNt0he6UwLsRD8IaBPIY8gis4tTkLnAPDGECMRawc8Y/s1600/IMG_6771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaFg9rGU_eMroBGSgKkpuiIbSB9_UEtYdReyGYwHoNeGDMc8od0pABofVLBXNfFHbNJfFrT5cn6_sXo-xHETfloyUO2II5wcjSNt0he6UwLsRD8IaBPIY8gis4tTkLnAPDGECMRawc8Y/s640/IMG_6771.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-TklQumwD3tqa09iPAfZTvSeSI6FPUFNVcYny68RbA_mDIcUMQ-7EQj1xaVWaCE8h_FyOOX0w5GzeFYK8dCBKkobLf1RYmL-fRzSjCydypsReBVIu8ooKZBeL_Ja6awxsJlD6BVt50k/s1600/IMG_6772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-TklQumwD3tqa09iPAfZTvSeSI6FPUFNVcYny68RbA_mDIcUMQ-7EQj1xaVWaCE8h_FyOOX0w5GzeFYK8dCBKkobLf1RYmL-fRzSjCydypsReBVIu8ooKZBeL_Ja6awxsJlD6BVt50k/s640/IMG_6772.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys6Nv31AaJ0arzRUIGXAVkOQJYdY5UwYd048q1862p0FJ1RJmdHayDFE9KLB29-RPOs6n3SdHvvdti43xpm0dFUcwjwWhRCbbKS1Ns8EN9MAp6f7FGbUaO8D804-nyBFGMJatswnpXq0/s1600/IMG_6777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys6Nv31AaJ0arzRUIGXAVkOQJYdY5UwYd048q1862p0FJ1RJmdHayDFE9KLB29-RPOs6n3SdHvvdti43xpm0dFUcwjwWhRCbbKS1Ns8EN9MAp6f7FGbUaO8D804-nyBFGMJatswnpXq0/s640/IMG_6777.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPZUZGtFBYDmaSrXLDs_41qzvC_baSZarfC2xLmvTUIwfegLoI3E93srFJoOTnoQkI4RNi6zgtKsjxy1Zva_X3e4zMNR4H56hbMMAxnURcZx3jb0oPIlK_WNwDwQSakojpXbUTQk_Tag/s1600/IMG_6779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPZUZGtFBYDmaSrXLDs_41qzvC_baSZarfC2xLmvTUIwfegLoI3E93srFJoOTnoQkI4RNi6zgtKsjxy1Zva_X3e4zMNR4H56hbMMAxnURcZx3jb0oPIlK_WNwDwQSakojpXbUTQk_Tag/s640/IMG_6779.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aDEH3j1A24K-Bj1ApsGIJkqKUPl_qazk9sNIhXowER8jLA2HBkS7HuZgDMV_WRMd2jFp6LB4WSAZYyFhn9tBaTTNqu8FFKSgSwTUigKv5DItXHWIHffGlKsMGsqk1tSi6ldTmckT7Gw/s1600/IMG_6781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aDEH3j1A24K-Bj1ApsGIJkqKUPl_qazk9sNIhXowER8jLA2HBkS7HuZgDMV_WRMd2jFp6LB4WSAZYyFhn9tBaTTNqu8FFKSgSwTUigKv5DItXHWIHffGlKsMGsqk1tSi6ldTmckT7Gw/s640/IMG_6781.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyk9hyVDPTvyu8omut71TfFENYZGMfwWR8wTs-5vsLfvG33mAHpxsXQPFGKyHzWb8GF08zswH7dfppPLRjNOtU71K0nV6RL8B16kGolAGqfQTOXCsi1Vc99_i-e3mehP2Qqh0k3zq9t4/s1600/IMG_6783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyk9hyVDPTvyu8omut71TfFENYZGMfwWR8wTs-5vsLfvG33mAHpxsXQPFGKyHzWb8GF08zswH7dfppPLRjNOtU71K0nV6RL8B16kGolAGqfQTOXCsi1Vc99_i-e3mehP2Qqh0k3zq9t4/s640/IMG_6783.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm0WshGiADj-A5STa31owrosQgyFXxa-UdJ4fn7NIX89EOTPUgXKhfl2oKnD5ZoD6fw9hmtJZDa_Re-Wrw4R2cFweqPGiRL_6o0JyjW0rPFtTqLskZsKXWYpnwJC4kAjggr1kjtH7X8s/s1600/IMG_6790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm0WshGiADj-A5STa31owrosQgyFXxa-UdJ4fn7NIX89EOTPUgXKhfl2oKnD5ZoD6fw9hmtJZDa_Re-Wrw4R2cFweqPGiRL_6o0JyjW0rPFtTqLskZsKXWYpnwJC4kAjggr1kjtH7X8s/s640/IMG_6790.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QM_jOUv5e2ql5Hh32CNSeGFh8bO8UXYjuesGi2F4CDCnGkujRVJRSA6c8Pvc5UaVejecaGIXdJIPXr_Jr_YOVPfTec0qGac1ZlbuiPYLbirUSeFVAc9QZVqGtLJLeJpfDDq7PFadnc/s1600/IMG_7096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QM_jOUv5e2ql5Hh32CNSeGFh8bO8UXYjuesGi2F4CDCnGkujRVJRSA6c8Pvc5UaVejecaGIXdJIPXr_Jr_YOVPfTec0qGac1ZlbuiPYLbirUSeFVAc9QZVqGtLJLeJpfDDq7PFadnc/s640/IMG_7096.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo0uehjQP2ntVXCaQU751zTQrOX5EdfN1xRhFkVEkAxDN5q_GnMfkBHNquCTC-NAFgJq7OhZ_sYQPz7LVP7CfvPvHyIxiLjQPxX78jEL1H2j1SUmzYmjovtxZ-BKspwaoDbqyuX7jNu0/s1600/IMG_7094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo0uehjQP2ntVXCaQU751zTQrOX5EdfN1xRhFkVEkAxDN5q_GnMfkBHNquCTC-NAFgJq7OhZ_sYQPz7LVP7CfvPvHyIxiLjQPxX78jEL1H2j1SUmzYmjovtxZ-BKspwaoDbqyuX7jNu0/s640/IMG_7094.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VLUDgjpyOu5RUGQ3Q0kGGVQz65E7LLpzST-4zkL9U4yJciK_NGL71tl4rR2S2orGWjBQq0FD1mCnqBuaub7WHIimoazQPOaSvL3usoiV3GJUkp5D4COFZ3siNNbK5Uf5-rkPwTYeX8A/s1600/IMG_7089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VLUDgjpyOu5RUGQ3Q0kGGVQz65E7LLpzST-4zkL9U4yJciK_NGL71tl4rR2S2orGWjBQq0FD1mCnqBuaub7WHIimoazQPOaSvL3usoiV3GJUkp5D4COFZ3siNNbK5Uf5-rkPwTYeX8A/s640/IMG_7089.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3imRXcuy3WnKVGYwqBJ_zQntWOqVs3YoqSdntko8vFu0JgJrAdXt6PX8tZhBFop03y8Q-G8UTr2FJgLilLJLVaa25eQbDuRT-Onebt_blB8MDj_fP4jPcbkiXHGz9UwAp6wzBtOtk1Tc/s1600/IMG_6749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3imRXcuy3WnKVGYwqBJ_zQntWOqVs3YoqSdntko8vFu0JgJrAdXt6PX8tZhBFop03y8Q-G8UTr2FJgLilLJLVaa25eQbDuRT-Onebt_blB8MDj_fP4jPcbkiXHGz9UwAp6wzBtOtk1Tc/s640/IMG_6749.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhzFLRaEdD9AAMW31BW5wLwNOf7zzhqVoNMW79YUqfniaceBULfoLm2Bko4IKXUTJUwQ7yuaNayukpZXlGt_CcgfkPDlAbJ91nHP9gEDb3xoVimkkmrd7zb8NqqS4ysspQpXgyrF5sCM/s1600/IMG_6747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhzFLRaEdD9AAMW31BW5wLwNOf7zzhqVoNMW79YUqfniaceBULfoLm2Bko4IKXUTJUwQ7yuaNayukpZXlGt_CcgfkPDlAbJ91nHP9gEDb3xoVimkkmrd7zb8NqqS4ysspQpXgyrF5sCM/s640/IMG_6747.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamLsHwY_FBEIGU1-ypYa-VzWm-aYvQVMXc4xrFHdc3RlyOUQ_kcuU2p4ttz3QYHIj0WWqEJFbLxtU95HEux9Tkzo6_u7rGq9oQm7Klrf8MYYwyw4R1_9zRWiIDIpG0YunGuS26RIjpek/s1600/IMG_6795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamLsHwY_FBEIGU1-ypYa-VzWm-aYvQVMXc4xrFHdc3RlyOUQ_kcuU2p4ttz3QYHIj0WWqEJFbLxtU95HEux9Tkzo6_u7rGq9oQm7Klrf8MYYwyw4R1_9zRWiIDIpG0YunGuS26RIjpek/s640/IMG_6795.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8HKjjUFKLrQYt6o8zw6FEsqXqITimmxiItTejh66XFUSV4szof9i68Vcs7AgjhCUG8Z8bz31vcse5vib5Hdj8a2nPl3j3R3ejkwMxQqe2ZCHrjELLEWcqLXct729n3GNifAfayPIKps/s1600/IMG_6797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8HKjjUFKLrQYt6o8zw6FEsqXqITimmxiItTejh66XFUSV4szof9i68Vcs7AgjhCUG8Z8bz31vcse5vib5Hdj8a2nPl3j3R3ejkwMxQqe2ZCHrjELLEWcqLXct729n3GNifAfayPIKps/s640/IMG_6797.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Cooper just unpacked every single thing that was left in the suitcases so I
better quite writing and go play with him. =) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-21521364484371162412016-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:002016-08-01T13:45:51.749-07:00Day 4 - City Tour Day<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">March 23. Today we got to tour some of the city. Vivian has
been such an excellent translator, guide and host. Her enthusiasm for China is contagious.
We love hearing her insight and have been so impressed with her loyalty and
devotion to her country. For example, we were asking her why they can’t use
Facebook and Google. She told us that the government thought long and hard
about this decision and that they did not feel it was right for their country,
so if they want to honor the decision then they don’t use those things. She
said it is easy to download a VPN and use them anyway, (now we feel guilty) but
that most people don’t because they are respectful of the government’s
decision. One thing that feels different here is the sense of community that
people have. Little community parks are all over and they are always packed with
people. The typical retirement age in China is 45, so in the morning the parks
are full of retired people and kids who aren’t in school yet. They come out and
dance/stretch/exercise to music together. I love watching it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga27Yb_s1_xDnEA_NOfqqOJHv-5jKBVDrnr3jVt5N2e_P_rmK4zkqvPA_eooyZ7yzqxNYN8FRmpjjpvJh6-ofP0L6VB_3A4fqQr7dbpvWxlEau_C80DQHeSdTMPckNDeaPb_H_2dyzyDI/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l7_HqleVEU8kg3HwccThsmh3Jm5chsj_4sOSLjeGPCdbFynEkbt2Rcz-ol7_LLyXvMQYIognfZTy0ZVoLU072uS585XQQnjIfR4HxFUbL3rWU_nHzDhvtQ3IIpEzhRR8gOUEF10TD1s/s1600/IMG_6800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l7_HqleVEU8kg3HwccThsmh3Jm5chsj_4sOSLjeGPCdbFynEkbt2Rcz-ol7_LLyXvMQYIognfZTy0ZVoLU072uS585XQQnjIfR4HxFUbL3rWU_nHzDhvtQ3IIpEzhRR8gOUEF10TD1s/s320/IMG_6800.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga27Yb_s1_xDnEA_NOfqqOJHv-5jKBVDrnr3jVt5N2e_P_rmK4zkqvPA_eooyZ7yzqxNYN8FRmpjjpvJh6-ofP0L6VB_3A4fqQr7dbpvWxlEau_C80DQHeSdTMPckNDeaPb_H_2dyzyDI/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga27Yb_s1_xDnEA_NOfqqOJHv-5jKBVDrnr3jVt5N2e_P_rmK4zkqvPA_eooyZ7yzqxNYN8FRmpjjpvJh6-ofP0L6VB_3A4fqQr7dbpvWxlEau_C80DQHeSdTMPckNDeaPb_H_2dyzyDI/s320/IMG_6804.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XWWpMAhuy4FI7GfvcIDBS0oHQz98M37jaXhUZCY-ZLXgyhc_wWW90bewSu6Aanp50O13k4ObP6EDHP-t60UVGL82dOnsXcP23wOWPK_oQZ2KpDJK8Qfe8UPDg-KNvWUD-FNBPB9KqBA/s1600/IMG_6808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlHhUUp6MW59hpShRYz-ZK_JIK8nkHQzsn8Ngt-PgS7YK6xIhL1RiqZPv0vqhViPyMJCJ2YY-swKcOZBK6vkIODFXTZANRhhuDG7BwkcJehF0ajBe2puyajaitSkaSikD_iuYxXEiEOg/s1600/IMG_6807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlHhUUp6MW59hpShRYz-ZK_JIK8nkHQzsn8Ngt-PgS7YK6xIhL1RiqZPv0vqhViPyMJCJ2YY-swKcOZBK6vkIODFXTZANRhhuDG7BwkcJehF0ajBe2puyajaitSkaSikD_iuYxXEiEOg/s320/IMG_6807.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XWWpMAhuy4FI7GfvcIDBS0oHQz98M37jaXhUZCY-ZLXgyhc_wWW90bewSu6Aanp50O13k4ObP6EDHP-t60UVGL82dOnsXcP23wOWPK_oQZ2KpDJK8Qfe8UPDg-KNvWUD-FNBPB9KqBA/s1600/IMG_6808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XWWpMAhuy4FI7GfvcIDBS0oHQz98M37jaXhUZCY-ZLXgyhc_wWW90bewSu6Aanp50O13k4ObP6EDHP-t60UVGL82dOnsXcP23wOWPK_oQZ2KpDJK8Qfe8UPDg-KNvWUD-FNBPB9KqBA/s320/IMG_6808.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91BJXR-WWH9ERO2IJ4k3ZDla2PtZgUvLwxzsYpGJ_wZSExSB5UJCIJTH1oq1mujRdhFOvz7l3v2dN0ZOjz4KU5eQ4uUsX0ka6f9Bv9GcIGVbYoehEG6hVwZm8tmuuxMkQGZym_SkjWBQ/s1600/IMG_6818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91BJXR-WWH9ERO2IJ4k3ZDla2PtZgUvLwxzsYpGJ_wZSExSB5UJCIJTH1oq1mujRdhFOvz7l3v2dN0ZOjz4KU5eQ4uUsX0ka6f9Bv9GcIGVbYoehEG6hVwZm8tmuuxMkQGZym_SkjWBQ/s320/IMG_6818.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXh0R4XUbR00NdT3UxE7GOnsECjpeRds_tWGMjgvgmYSu0f-cUSDXJMPf_RODI3L4ffAQ6CtOs6oM6H1hZyNGwWiov-wGRvbchyNHMXUnda8MrjgdDfnCIMlUnBAhqb0soli0UFYoMIoQ/s1600/IMG_6828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXh0R4XUbR00NdT3UxE7GOnsECjpeRds_tWGMjgvgmYSu0f-cUSDXJMPf_RODI3L4ffAQ6CtOs6oM6H1hZyNGwWiov-wGRvbchyNHMXUnda8MrjgdDfnCIMlUnBAhqb0soli0UFYoMIoQ/s320/IMG_6828.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hxhz1ZMUBO8VUCnxlX27FVC98pJCbuTXte0vuQ_pNhW9Zvo-KwgSbeAOhj7-nT9_e9A08uFzlldzcO3qeaTx2T4rxfiVegVtr0gMT-A9vV7ist_52VBVyL-E_Pqz1MPRP5FAxk1d8aA/s1600/IMG_7054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hxhz1ZMUBO8VUCnxlX27FVC98pJCbuTXte0vuQ_pNhW9Zvo-KwgSbeAOhj7-nT9_e9A08uFzlldzcO3qeaTx2T4rxfiVegVtr0gMT-A9vV7ist_52VBVyL-E_Pqz1MPRP5FAxk1d8aA/s640/IMG_7054.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Brady getting some exercise with his smog mask.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnavk03Li9V5hcv6rRSPHq-oaz2DbDYDcdqAkaIvXD9drW1yT6XjKAPUQPlF-hFgCOVTaUrA2JlynhhqrXfS2ujqINuIwMNtgxY0s9Nvc4tAit19PHIO9_vCRZ-rFn6AS0Q2Ao35CpUA/s1600/IMG_7056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnavk03Li9V5hcv6rRSPHq-oaz2DbDYDcdqAkaIvXD9drW1yT6XjKAPUQPlF-hFgCOVTaUrA2JlynhhqrXfS2ujqINuIwMNtgxY0s9Nvc4tAit19PHIO9_vCRZ-rFn6AS0Q2Ao35CpUA/s640/IMG_7056.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Typically grandparents
live with their child and his/her spouse. They take care of their grandchild when
he/she is not in school while the parents who are working age work. Everyone
goes home for lunch. Later in the afternoon everyone is back at the park.
Groups of women talking and lots of men sitting around in groups playing a game
that looks kind of like chess. Also around the outskirts of the parks there is a
little trail so many people walk laps around the park. When the kids get done with
school around 5:30 the parks are really hopping with people for another hour
but then they all go home for dinner and things quiet down. At our hotel we are
on the 22<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> floor, I love looking out the window at 6:30 to watch all
of the people streaming out of buildings and heading for home. Many walk but
there are also thousands of bicycles and scooters and of course lots of cars
too. Almost every bike is equipped with a basket and all of the scooters have
built in gloves stuck on the handle bars, and a built in blanket to keep them
warm during the cold season. We drove though some different parts of town.
There is an Italian section and a European section. We ended up at an old Chinese
market place around a Chinese temple. We had fun wandering through the market
place trying Chinese candy, looking at carvings made out of Jade, picking out
fans and souvenirs for the kids and of course people watching. Cooper seemed to
have fun at the market place too, he liked looking at what everyone was selling
and he especially liked it when we’d pass an animal. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEBTlHCXdgyFnrCM_3TnT9pnHYyOhqp7mEssnc0EffA5zMVrO8vMh7HygTvdvPWGXvWySygXEiByJGI0vpvR9GO-OdKOodpM44WjIVz95G_G0-6ww3wyKl5zpz8xdhuedRqn2HVrcc-g/s1600/IMG_6744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEBTlHCXdgyFnrCM_3TnT9pnHYyOhqp7mEssnc0EffA5zMVrO8vMh7HygTvdvPWGXvWySygXEiByJGI0vpvR9GO-OdKOodpM44WjIVz95G_G0-6ww3wyKl5zpz8xdhuedRqn2HVrcc-g/s640/IMG_6744.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkq7RnO1x3KIesW2PW9l2hVpryTWg20Awv02eFzPulV8SPvgjMZels4rVnajAtK4L-MLhWKAEEL9bnZBNm3mUYoBm11McHb3ayaFg3g4azVVf2CffZ4ew_IIn87YU2wztz_TPAsPCrkw/s1600/IMG_6734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkq7RnO1x3KIesW2PW9l2hVpryTWg20Awv02eFzPulV8SPvgjMZels4rVnajAtK4L-MLhWKAEEL9bnZBNm3mUYoBm11McHb3ayaFg3g4azVVf2CffZ4ew_IIn87YU2wztz_TPAsPCrkw/s640/IMG_6734.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI1hYy8jbBnrqrsnQCwwwwz2RUIPx8C7Mnb7ieCFjI-G-ibm6y1ziIqonziGxBulc8EwsstGV6glUbrb_11xiXqBEwBygntU3qXwNtCBhzLuaN1B4anFIbZQzWxtZNMhwvACZdT6Bdiw/s1600/IMG_6738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI1hYy8jbBnrqrsnQCwwwwz2RUIPx8C7Mnb7ieCFjI-G-ibm6y1ziIqonziGxBulc8EwsstGV6glUbrb_11xiXqBEwBygntU3qXwNtCBhzLuaN1B4anFIbZQzWxtZNMhwvACZdT6Bdiw/s640/IMG_6738.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgPKViZkNuBMihaVCpqkvUlN9dVghW5r7ePm8FjSVZ88HwKDl5l3pcJIvYy24nQog2KirRlYIm344cuDC6nHkvdisGNwuIdDK3bDHwdtTewLvi9HaIrBrzZyKd4lDYXZaQ7o3sdq_-bM/s1600/IMG_7064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgPKViZkNuBMihaVCpqkvUlN9dVghW5r7ePm8FjSVZ88HwKDl5l3pcJIvYy24nQog2KirRlYIm344cuDC6nHkvdisGNwuIdDK3bDHwdtTewLvi9HaIrBrzZyKd4lDYXZaQ7o3sdq_-bM/s640/IMG_7064.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlSU_W53N-oYOhDzJ-HBmwpSWrDwsahFENKbH45GEfzczaY_MV6CLkRIqYL7SOCPZFMys53yRMBpQ0U87R4XuppLu-7L1YNFUEJvQvTcH83wKMBJ_-QULl2ySb9wrj19FhhwvVOQKel0/s1600/IMG_7065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlSU_W53N-oYOhDzJ-HBmwpSWrDwsahFENKbH45GEfzczaY_MV6CLkRIqYL7SOCPZFMys53yRMBpQ0U87R4XuppLu-7L1YNFUEJvQvTcH83wKMBJ_-QULl2ySb9wrj19FhhwvVOQKel0/s640/IMG_7065.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIsHl5hguWAqhhDmZCJqFijC6HdgbkVXK0L5XnHcdN75gbI4tMBfiQkTqlpaVmxZ2_o7lj602hqYfpb3hxNFaFmzyNGI8mRc9ao7vOkuzF89yFIPZTEBAKPayvOdUVjUkKdaVzDVmDbA/s1600/IMG_7068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIsHl5hguWAqhhDmZCJqFijC6HdgbkVXK0L5XnHcdN75gbI4tMBfiQkTqlpaVmxZ2_o7lj602hqYfpb3hxNFaFmzyNGI8mRc9ao7vOkuzF89yFIPZTEBAKPayvOdUVjUkKdaVzDVmDbA/s640/IMG_7068.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsu81Hwo3rD9SQobCouso7t7t05qjAobUQXjvX3ubTyQqKi-hnd9UYaepKFAq3y3kfv2_kepTpgrh8q8_EUbwk4fngHBSUS-oufxKYJsMWrBxjY0jStnvog0nX2rsLM7ikyi4ByBjE9pA/s1600/IMG_7069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsu81Hwo3rD9SQobCouso7t7t05qjAobUQXjvX3ubTyQqKi-hnd9UYaepKFAq3y3kfv2_kepTpgrh8q8_EUbwk4fngHBSUS-oufxKYJsMWrBxjY0jStnvog0nX2rsLM7ikyi4ByBjE9pA/s640/IMG_7069.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbkikhoh2JpmviEVqeS_zLoh0NlyYVwDtY8nphyphenhyphenVkWl7mhJ1BBBqM6OCOeEqOmvgcaUEvT9LPOz-svLw6TM1MO4ukMmcgad3DJkVxncJqC5sxIpP4EJTBGN36OadRBIo1vF_CB1888Js/s1600/IMG_7072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbkikhoh2JpmviEVqeS_zLoh0NlyYVwDtY8nphyphenhyphenVkWl7mhJ1BBBqM6OCOeEqOmvgcaUEvT9LPOz-svLw6TM1MO4ukMmcgad3DJkVxncJqC5sxIpP4EJTBGN36OadRBIo1vF_CB1888Js/s640/IMG_7072.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCUvmodjymTuXCx43nTlNv6M2SSGDZ1eXQlSqCoLOiqSe59kwBAixDkBL2reBjd1y4uUWFNV0_9RZICv7PSEG2zZBpMmXhXFTb5Lhq6qbixCFg5j9f2_jjTI7p2DaHyD4Sanuh-lj66g/s1600/IMG_7074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCUvmodjymTuXCx43nTlNv6M2SSGDZ1eXQlSqCoLOiqSe59kwBAixDkBL2reBjd1y4uUWFNV0_9RZICv7PSEG2zZBpMmXhXFTb5Lhq6qbixCFg5j9f2_jjTI7p2DaHyD4Sanuh-lj66g/s640/IMG_7074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWvMd5ndvaAa7y2PURruQwoHVSAX8Ke5ExChByVUL6vXqOS3sx5WC_zjjUppXANyrNwpaSO1bN6Ct8k0spbTLJrrsp9GA7RXfR6Xy2KyRRVV-ZP_4qZ0riPQqs0QLF3g7umAugzuCGkQ/s1600/IMG_7077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWvMd5ndvaAa7y2PURruQwoHVSAX8Ke5ExChByVUL6vXqOS3sx5WC_zjjUppXANyrNwpaSO1bN6Ct8k0spbTLJrrsp9GA7RXfR6Xy2KyRRVV-ZP_4qZ0riPQqs0QLF3g7umAugzuCGkQ/s640/IMG_7077.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a9zZ-ONESTOMaGtaxXaTu992PzUxKFrprLsrSpbi5hSbL87htN53l3twJhb1WwzqwfWmVa1zqZeCzBkFEKQ3-So3GQs_ycolIA4asjaUqkVyJ2GbaEu_Y_2HGtDRDHPBcgdGcHTr4yc/s1600/IMG_7081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a9zZ-ONESTOMaGtaxXaTu992PzUxKFrprLsrSpbi5hSbL87htN53l3twJhb1WwzqwfWmVa1zqZeCzBkFEKQ3-So3GQs_ycolIA4asjaUqkVyJ2GbaEu_Y_2HGtDRDHPBcgdGcHTr4yc/s640/IMG_7081.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1ykE8kDguDTi-FMU1OgE0-vY5-qjA_BYGfSOcL3Qi-LL-mcRla6dZjqo6WUXimUWe9cd4sJ-JF5MhKMt2Hv0NkThaNQ3-HQB8KhGUstTgYaEtDKmBS-23tSyXE930EdlX0deXHNrg8k/s1600/IMG_7083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1ykE8kDguDTi-FMU1OgE0-vY5-qjA_BYGfSOcL3Qi-LL-mcRla6dZjqo6WUXimUWe9cd4sJ-JF5MhKMt2Hv0NkThaNQ3-HQB8KhGUstTgYaEtDKmBS-23tSyXE930EdlX0deXHNrg8k/s640/IMG_7083.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the evening Cooper and I
went over to the park. He love playing on the slide. A group of kids around
Brynlee’s age kept come over and staring at me. They would say “hello” and then
laugh and run away. Finally one of the boys got really brave, he said, “Hello,
do you speak English?” I said yes. He said “How are you? Do you like my shirt?”
I responded and he ran away but it broke the ice. The whole group started
showing off their English for me. It was so cute. They told me their American names
and they knew a lot of words and sentences about their clothes and the colors
of their clothes. I don’t think they could understand much of what I said
though. It was pretty funny. We were having a good time but it started getting
pretty loud when they all started chanting a rhythm about a tall man and a
short woman together. An older lady came over and said something to them in
Chinese and they all stopped and ran off. No one really has biological cousins or aunts
and uncles here, so maybe that is another reason why the communities seem to
be so connected. I don’t know but I like this place. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHWO5BlAZvIYcldpPd6EO5qoBLLvAuMYvpAWoOFFN0isEKrGoYyKGKTksYmBCaLMIioS_y8QMqLfabByaFrC-W1gVHWl64RUR9yU5jOEgUfkE4BuobByyETaE-lsVIe9BAXzrhhvW3k0/s1600/IMG_6811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHWO5BlAZvIYcldpPd6EO5qoBLLvAuMYvpAWoOFFN0isEKrGoYyKGKTksYmBCaLMIioS_y8QMqLfabByaFrC-W1gVHWl64RUR9yU5jOEgUfkE4BuobByyETaE-lsVIe9BAXzrhhvW3k0/s640/IMG_6811.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N00wfJw4n_LEdGHQh0vwLE5gKoFHQi6y0E5EQhHN0DHwuwlBKIRrEzL-JzrZnW4xevbjsdZWhftjhrTkt4_EdntR1Mxd6ZSruLLQ8Ul3yU3xuHPKUgKLG8KsPkd21c_rtt6jeib_Aag/s1600/IMG_6812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N00wfJw4n_LEdGHQh0vwLE5gKoFHQi6y0E5EQhHN0DHwuwlBKIRrEzL-JzrZnW4xevbjsdZWhftjhrTkt4_EdntR1Mxd6ZSruLLQ8Ul3yU3xuHPKUgKLG8KsPkd21c_rtt6jeib_Aag/s640/IMG_6812.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-52431294222983392832016-03-22T15:24:00.000-07:002016-08-01T13:40:15.690-07:00Day 3 - Paperwork Day<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tuesday March 22. We woke up early and were able to Facetime
again with our sweet kids at home as they were getting ready for bed. They love
seeing their new brother and are so excited for us to come home. Nash tells us,
“bring my Cooper home”, Mason blows us kisses, Ridge teases his dad about not
practicing baseball and Bryn gets us up to speed on all the other happenings at
home. We miss them and wish they could be here but are glad Grandma is there to
take care of them. The weather today is cool and overcast. At least it seems
overcast. Sometimes it hard to tell the difference between cloud cover and
smog. Our first stop is at the office of the notary, or the place where they
keep “the family books.” Every person has their own page in their family book.
Cooper’s page is in the book of abandoned persons. It has the record of the
details of where and when they found him, the search for his parents and the
newspaper clipping with his photo, the information from his finding and it asks
for anyone to come forth with any information that can help him locate his
family. After 60 days, no information was reported so there was another short
paragraph from the newspaper saying that he now belongs to the Children’s
Welfare Institute of Tianjin.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6rYTNqXNWipA7O_KD1YO15qJyyhe9eReLqWytqFWnbHPpYdTILyNX6PU7wpMOZXN0IJOu_OJETjbjGumHMBWHBglA8urWnwIzAByvOMx640ZqLHH5kvQrAYc_5JTH859RcMhwLObVnw/s1600/IMG_6918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6rYTNqXNWipA7O_KD1YO15qJyyhe9eReLqWytqFWnbHPpYdTILyNX6PU7wpMOZXN0IJOu_OJETjbjGumHMBWHBglA8urWnwIzAByvOMx640ZqLHH5kvQrAYc_5JTH859RcMhwLObVnw/s640/IMG_6918.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q-R9rBrTEyh7Wre7wkMnBYDUe_QTTMqIDajqvbt9iOfkx8eMs0t3S3fANnrureimlH_Kg6oct0u5wHJXnuetk-9twi6S0G212ryqaq2aAQUVHS25Aj4xyLL0BvLXlxl1k-Xc8heIJCg/s1600/IMG_7005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q-R9rBrTEyh7Wre7wkMnBYDUe_QTTMqIDajqvbt9iOfkx8eMs0t3S3fANnrureimlH_Kg6oct0u5wHJXnuetk-9twi6S0G212ryqaq2aAQUVHS25Aj4xyLL0BvLXlxl1k-Xc8heIJCg/s640/IMG_7005.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd97G6FLFpDG_P4nGCsKxA-IJkJxA4UhgfV29iYPZXjqrbekXbJTJ8FfrcX46oivoh7lEB6c9DP384I1h89Bycrcyon2d6BpxaIlIDvmbin_Sub7QgjHd8rF8WywFi5Tp3_uoFjwEe5E8/s1600/IMG_7009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd97G6FLFpDG_P4nGCsKxA-IJkJxA4UhgfV29iYPZXjqrbekXbJTJ8FfrcX46oivoh7lEB6c9DP384I1h89Bycrcyon2d6BpxaIlIDvmbin_Sub7QgjHd8rF8WywFi5Tp3_uoFjwEe5E8/s640/IMG_7009.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Today the notary office takes our first official family
photo. Brady and I with cute Cooper standing between us. We sign and
fingerprint more papers. The director from the orphanage comes and signs more
papers too. We wait and they move Coopers page (and change his name) from the
book of abandoned persons to the book of adoptees. They give us a paper with
our picture on it and an official seal. The adoption is now “final”and legal.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidseW7IDI7eWbhqC-RMWjuVCf4ndNc2f_LI1uQPnJD4QtJ1_yDisgjsi9juLKZ2QWGf-SAE9QyBa_YPJ_ddIMiv1N2Bd3rRvhgSejqK0c2t-i1qkudgqJOZ5PrelF5zNf7sT6CzdtRjdI/s1600/IMG_7459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidseW7IDI7eWbhqC-RMWjuVCf4ndNc2f_LI1uQPnJD4QtJ1_yDisgjsi9juLKZ2QWGf-SAE9QyBa_YPJ_ddIMiv1N2Bd3rRvhgSejqK0c2t-i1qkudgqJOZ5PrelF5zNf7sT6CzdtRjdI/s640/IMG_7459.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Zhang Tong Jiang is now known as Cooper Michael Murray in the family books but
our work isn’t done yet because now this cute little Chinese citizen with an
American name and American parents needs to immigrate and become an American
citizen too. We leave the notary office a gift. Then it’s off to the police
station where we begin the process of obtaining Cooper’s passport. It’s a busy
crowded place and I don’t understand anything anyone is saying but Cooper
smiles for his picture and he makes friends with a cute little girl who shares
her treats with him. The Grandma proudly tells our interpreter that the little
girl is also American Chinese. We’ve been getting lot of stares and I’ve been
wondering what people think. I like this lady a lot for being so kind and
accepting. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Z4n9RPcS8vPtbIUEdPbB2TLTo7u2B-1e0rwGHtV2keSLYKxAgHveotsIvolW-CDJsrIqLbkEB1yVHVXZij5GJYPLbNqr4ZfIQvfHGL8k1zE1jbBdtDE-jA8yACr-IaJy3_GLcC_sm8/s1600/IMG_7181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Z4n9RPcS8vPtbIUEdPbB2TLTo7u2B-1e0rwGHtV2keSLYKxAgHveotsIvolW-CDJsrIqLbkEB1yVHVXZij5GJYPLbNqr4ZfIQvfHGL8k1zE1jbBdtDE-jA8yACr-IaJy3_GLcC_sm8/s640/IMG_7181.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP6fvxRSor4SGzfdnUOX7m1G8gnLvlBHELq7tU-mrz298s_j8BHgeaPI6X8dCtlOD25EOGGbnnH6AnJFD-40yATFQG3K2SLilUJChjDqQ8Y19z0pnxx1CQLBheR0nwnhaB-7S8QFeZAA/s1600/IMG_6712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP6fvxRSor4SGzfdnUOX7m1G8gnLvlBHELq7tU-mrz298s_j8BHgeaPI6X8dCtlOD25EOGGbnnH6AnJFD-40yATFQG3K2SLilUJChjDqQ8Y19z0pnxx1CQLBheR0nwnhaB-7S8QFeZAA/s640/IMG_6712.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg297UgJl9qLg4EzueoEfUOkbC4QSvEdKijF3Rg0vhC_iNdFGkezWvRxkBuF6xiZ6RCYgPZpRbldbOvuO_FcbAPB8xTNX5aZn0o-9Rx26a_81IfI2a_EtrxOcx58CRl5KL5hyphenhyphenKh39b8guo/s1600/IMG_7023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg297UgJl9qLg4EzueoEfUOkbC4QSvEdKijF3Rg0vhC_iNdFGkezWvRxkBuF6xiZ6RCYgPZpRbldbOvuO_FcbAPB8xTNX5aZn0o-9Rx26a_81IfI2a_EtrxOcx58CRl5KL5hyphenhyphenKh39b8guo/s640/IMG_7023.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO8n77DS13eRoiwFtBt_XpdgcGRvnAMcSVqVVkD-AhTl09CYiPPb-OYq95nd0bOQpX-NHcOxQ5unzuFFzO9tqSbNrLZ-7KAXMi_OKKpdX8lwIEv3Mudtt7sCLCPoMa1gDtcqQV8WL0Po/s1600/IMG_7026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO8n77DS13eRoiwFtBt_XpdgcGRvnAMcSVqVVkD-AhTl09CYiPPb-OYq95nd0bOQpX-NHcOxQ5unzuFFzO9tqSbNrLZ-7KAXMi_OKKpdX8lwIEv3Mudtt7sCLCPoMa1gDtcqQV8WL0Po/s640/IMG_7026.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our next stop is at another government building. This place is
also old and crowded and reeks of heavy thick cigarette smoke. They take us
into a room with a giant wooden circular table covered in heavy clear plastic
to protect it. We sit down at the grossly oversized table to look over
paperwork and make sure all of the dates and spellings are correct and that all
of the translations into English are cohesive and proper. They have copied parts
of the adoption paperwork into 9 different booklets. We check them all and
don’t find any mistakes. We sign more papers. I smile as I think of the
hundreds of papers we’ve signed. Our adoption coordinator told us in the
beginning that the Chinese love paperwork. She wasn’t exaggerating.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iMVzGYQml0DdnR_ZWnZe592MYQgOsC-i2vd7931KxNrowKSjOJvBDUXknRt4FgtcCYVok1EiJTI8Zy59CD1x5mMlDUG73uby9Ipb2J4ANUj13s8IqPcWYYB9Re-jdv0Q5x38H-eMy9g/s1600/IMG_7032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iMVzGYQml0DdnR_ZWnZe592MYQgOsC-i2vd7931KxNrowKSjOJvBDUXknRt4FgtcCYVok1EiJTI8Zy59CD1x5mMlDUG73uby9Ipb2J4ANUj13s8IqPcWYYB9Re-jdv0Q5x38H-eMy9g/s640/IMG_7032.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFjBRRHucOW15wJeCKA7kDsTxNpR25qr8Y_ar8HieaTLzvuN8v3IEDE_e-pVEBPW0dIQ8S8fTeF1YccIbBZR8QpamoEapsk2y5At5yOSNOdNWn3EdzdWR77NeEZRggcIxCusUORyOQTA/s1600/IMG_7036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFjBRRHucOW15wJeCKA7kDsTxNpR25qr8Y_ar8HieaTLzvuN8v3IEDE_e-pVEBPW0dIQ8S8fTeF1YccIbBZR8QpamoEapsk2y5At5yOSNOdNWn3EdzdWR77NeEZRggcIxCusUORyOQTA/s640/IMG_7036.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now our
interpreter tells us it is time for the interview. The lady helping us with the
paperwork asks us two questions, “why do you want to adopt?” and “are you aware
of your son’s medical diagnosis?” We smile and answer. No smile in return this
lady is strictly business but I guess we pass the test because they say we can
present our gift and leave. I hand her the gift bag and then she smiles. I think
word is getting out that we brought Katie Bee honey for all of the officials
and they are pumped! We climb back into our van taxi and slowly make our way
back through the bustling streets to the orphanage where we met Cooper. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It seems
like we’ve been through a time warp since being there just over 24 hours ago.
This time as the overcast sky is trying its hardest to let out a few drops of
rain the building doesn’t look as bright and inviting. Cooper needs to use the
restroom so they take us into part of the orphanage where the children are. We
can hear them having a class. Cooper and I go into the restroom and Brady,
Vivian and the director go into the class to wait for us. The restroom is cold
and uncomfortable but Cooper doesn’t seem to mind. I look around at the tiny
toilets and sinks, the wet clothes hanging to dry and it becomes apparent that
as much as the nannies love the kids, they still don’t have the amenities of a
home or family. Suddenly I am glad that we didn’t get a tour of the orphanage.
I have a lump in my throat as we wash Cooper’s hands and met the others back in
the hall. The classroom door is closed and I can’t see the kids but I hear them
talking and laughing and I wish we were bringing them all home. We take the elevator
up to the offices and make our donation to the orphanage and pay the
announcement fee. We take the elevator back downstairs and walk out of a
building with a few of the children and nannies who are leaving to go somewhere
in a van. They are happy for Cooper and wish him well and say good bye. We
climb back in our van, the smoky air is suffocating. I see a couple small drops of rain on the window. I
want it to rain, I think please let it pour. Let it pour and wash this dusty
city clean. It doesn’t. Vivian and our taxi driver are excited. Vivian was able
to get the exact location of Cooper abandonment from the family books. It is
close by and they are taking us there now. After making several wrong turns we
pull up at the gate where he was found. It doesn’t look like a factory gate. It
looks like a thousand other gates we have passed. I watch Cooper. He is happy
to follow us around and smile for pictures. I try to imagine the scene in that
spot 3 and ½ years before. There are too many what ifs and maybes. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKUTmNZJhLlTxA5FGlBJWC4MuU8W-WC8qxX4JxUcgWmn-8KcO2_vTMgfmL2VJX5U55_oifXKUfIq-35NUiURe7Ow8H6jM8z0sEqhR5kjZU3ut7ZRBfqeBP6SWY86AIjJIhoGW0tr9hyphenhyphen0/s1600/IMG_7042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKUTmNZJhLlTxA5FGlBJWC4MuU8W-WC8qxX4JxUcgWmn-8KcO2_vTMgfmL2VJX5U55_oifXKUfIq-35NUiURe7Ow8H6jM8z0sEqhR5kjZU3ut7ZRBfqeBP6SWY86AIjJIhoGW0tr9hyphenhyphen0/s640/IMG_7042.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht065rqHeU3Rfpc1DhqLyr4WOiRSahCCzEi4nHmmK7zzwwQklHWf0Xp1dg6d48h6XejWkCD2zP1phiE97Dpzhdp8nfqurtJV6JT-ruLohHkzJLmXZbEkWkX7ZpmagC5AVzKh_cgW7wEw4/s1600/IMG_7046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht065rqHeU3Rfpc1DhqLyr4WOiRSahCCzEi4nHmmK7zzwwQklHWf0Xp1dg6d48h6XejWkCD2zP1phiE97Dpzhdp8nfqurtJV6JT-ruLohHkzJLmXZbEkWkX7ZpmagC5AVzKh_cgW7wEw4/s640/IMG_7046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I really
can’t imagine it. But as we get back in the van, I remember the starfish story
and the hopelessness starts to leave. The sun comes back out and the van heats
up. By the time we reach the hotel Cooper is sweating and sleeping peacefully
on my shoulder.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKIF_1m12HYBEZuyxoGZUVryYbzSssXBcEN7nb3o7lSr7XW3rKzJ105W7zl5m_UTHWiHJUt4JCoEnMl5rlJuSpT287rNJeImhfWd6U_nasAA3w_CqlMFVE6OkRxRkURxe29Ug7G4e3Jg/s1600/IMG_7178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKIF_1m12HYBEZuyxoGZUVryYbzSssXBcEN7nb3o7lSr7XW3rKzJ105W7zl5m_UTHWiHJUt4JCoEnMl5rlJuSpT287rNJeImhfWd6U_nasAA3w_CqlMFVE6OkRxRkURxe29Ug7G4e3Jg/s640/IMG_7178.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-68308418236972330092016-03-21T17:12:00.000-07:002016-08-01T13:54:16.803-07:00Day 2 - Meeting Cooper<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Monday March 21, 2016 we were finally able to meet our
son Cooper. It also happened to be world Down syndrome day which was a fun coincidence.
It was a pretty surreal experience but just for the record I’ll attempt to
describe it. Brady and I had been anticipating this day so long we were really
excited but felt unexpectedly calm and peaceful. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3pKLG2FFV5LHprcWgCkL9bVggdkcwuN2_mIU-3CcL5Pm_U4AR9N_Ht0LjNyg7pgU1huFVI8Azm37UxSh4oV1YrcplP7MxtcEwCqbB2VgqSynYRBAfReEK-ZTXDgMiwtcAMpaEm_5Ru4/s1600/IMG_6911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3pKLG2FFV5LHprcWgCkL9bVggdkcwuN2_mIU-3CcL5Pm_U4AR9N_Ht0LjNyg7pgU1huFVI8Azm37UxSh4oV1YrcplP7MxtcEwCqbB2VgqSynYRBAfReEK-ZTXDgMiwtcAMpaEm_5Ru4/s400/IMG_6911.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ce1pUVpGTElsngyw1nd1W7iuhTzdme80MbWVPShw8ndhPnA6aeno_MQ0Fz_RiYXO0Kp0OnkTv02XTpipHEq_fpiz4jedf23wVoA99hpIvFVrNPmjoseI4PGsRYoXUXJ69KBPRkUDqyA/s1600/IMG_6685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ce1pUVpGTElsngyw1nd1W7iuhTzdme80MbWVPShw8ndhPnA6aeno_MQ0Fz_RiYXO0Kp0OnkTv02XTpipHEq_fpiz4jedf23wVoA99hpIvFVrNPmjoseI4PGsRYoXUXJ69KBPRkUDqyA/s400/IMG_6685.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We enjoyed watching all of the
people and crazy traffic during the taxi ride to the orphanage. There is always
so much going on in this colossal city its a little hard to soak it all in. Our
van pulled up to the gates outside a brightly colored building and honked. The gates
opened and in we went. We walked quickly through the cool crisp smoggy air into
the bright old building. All the walls were white but not bare. They were
covered with pictures of groups of smiling children in brightly colored frames.
It made me happy to see all of the bright colors and the pride they took in displaying
the pictures of the children. Inside the meeting room they had a nice welcome
sign for us up on the big screen.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTY_7KvEkYi-koadPRpJKulE1MdLUkQZlkvc4u_mx-3Eih0UTUVQXq4vzA29DbUpzSwZX5d_xdc5MWy8KeBAELvMnSqplXe-Thpai1DZmqYgUEt2s8DT4iig8pJJTgWITeM9MAGyYxAU/s1600/IMG_6689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTY_7KvEkYi-koadPRpJKulE1MdLUkQZlkvc4u_mx-3Eih0UTUVQXq4vzA29DbUpzSwZX5d_xdc5MWy8KeBAELvMnSqplXe-Thpai1DZmqYgUEt2s8DT4iig8pJJTgWITeM9MAGyYxAU/s640/IMG_6689.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We signed and fingerprinted more papers and then
meet the director of the orphanage. He told us our son wasn’t there, his orphanage
was actually 40 minutes away from there but they said he was on his way. We had
thought we were going to his orphanage but apparently the meetings take place
at the main orphanage which wasn’t where he was. The director told us that he
knew our boy though, he said Cooper had participated in a dance at a recent
festival they had and that now everyone knew him because he stole the show. We
had only been sitting there for a few minutes when all of the sudden in walked
our boy and his care taker. He was dressed up nicely in a couple layers of warm
clothes and looked much older and bigger than I had expected. I bent down in
front of him and he showed me his car while his nanny told him I was his mama
and Brady his papa. He was sizing us up but he didn’t look afraid so I scoop
him up and set him on my lap. He was anxious and willing to let me starting
playing with his car with him. Brady tried to join in on the fun too but Cooper
wasn’t so sure. It only took a minute of dad running the car up and down his
arms and over the top of his head and Cooper thought he was okay too. We sat
there and held him and played with the car while we asked questions to the
nanny with the help of our wonderful translator.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd2VFBZExvZTcAoRSlfdLIuRTJeCJLS9oqGmzogwN-YIfxWAAOtc58Vx_whfvzU45PS1BSJuqb9sj4THXEsfIsILRj5MqMBzhBWOoOzpAIEeIThWs2yF5Ze4kqr3TNQx7sH2SzuNjRYE/s1600/IMG_6690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd2VFBZExvZTcAoRSlfdLIuRTJeCJLS9oqGmzogwN-YIfxWAAOtc58Vx_whfvzU45PS1BSJuqb9sj4THXEsfIsILRj5MqMBzhBWOoOzpAIEeIThWs2yF5Ze4kqr3TNQx7sH2SzuNjRYE/s640/IMG_6690.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl1mQ793RLOdxaOsOHkTb64McPQccTjACEUC543bOgZVRSq_7vFWtYZnkC8zvmp25tEvRBOxGf_nlIkhX7kQjehkrB1gd-rnRNZNYWTeJD5PRcYOp_suZsSY6AblCyrYK3OXe4j7oas8/s1600/IMG_6717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl1mQ793RLOdxaOsOHkTb64McPQccTjACEUC543bOgZVRSq_7vFWtYZnkC8zvmp25tEvRBOxGf_nlIkhX7kQjehkrB1gd-rnRNZNYWTeJD5PRcYOp_suZsSY6AblCyrYK3OXe4j7oas8/s640/IMG_6717.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Again we were happy to hear
how well the staff had cared for and loved our son.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRKhMiS30VVeEAt_99-Vean8Rj1fPjk5kq3-R2B_Noiip-gV75-f1XS-OLQsUwh93OB6wlpGD171f2JlYX2qygiNVWVK9h7ui2Hw_Xf_LMGXYMc5KHuazVeHfZB6Qq85SJG1QVhFaP08/s1600/IMG_6716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRKhMiS30VVeEAt_99-Vean8Rj1fPjk5kq3-R2B_Noiip-gV75-f1XS-OLQsUwh93OB6wlpGD171f2JlYX2qygiNVWVK9h7ui2Hw_Xf_LMGXYMc5KHuazVeHfZB6Qq85SJG1QVhFaP08/s640/IMG_6716.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ik1tV1nYrMdDq9zuZADAa08oyaqh8HDGHdC_K7RvfbnduhRmQ0XMRXhJGIFzHLGixX3QnmUF_Tb7XQuLS2Jiitg1VyRY7p2r5rnKQtnlFiy6a9ohknOCBkEqlGvVzt3SjstPCWuWNI/s1600/IMG_6941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ik1tV1nYrMdDq9zuZADAa08oyaqh8HDGHdC_K7RvfbnduhRmQ0XMRXhJGIFzHLGixX3QnmUF_Tb7XQuLS2Jiitg1VyRY7p2r5rnKQtnlFiy6a9ohknOCBkEqlGvVzt3SjstPCWuWNI/s640/IMG_6941.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We exchanged gifts, took some
pictures, and gave hugs to the caretaker and just like that she was gone. Cooper
didn’t seem to mind but I saw some sadness in the caretaker’s eyes as she
quickly left. The sadness was quickly gone through because as soon as she
walked out another woman, the head director of all the orphanages and her
assistant walked in. They were all smiles and cheerfulness. She greeted us
graciously and told us what a star and a treasure our boy is. She presented us
with a plate with a painting on it that represents a drop of the Haihe River which
runs though and gives life to Tianjin. She said this is so he can always remember
where his life started. She also presented us with a nice photo album that has
all the pictures they have of Cooper in it. She wanted to open it and show us
the picture of him in the dance at the festival. It’s darling! When Cooper saw
the book and all the pictures of himself he got so excited! He took the book and
looked at every page just pointing to himself and saying “me, me, me” in Chinese.
He made sure everyone in the room saw his book and he was just eating up all of
the praise and attention everyone was giving him. It was sweet to see his
confidence and charisma.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxqPiCgUsCO_14xPF18ezsaJOEWgmnbU3a9fcNOs9GuQ28ZLoUbdB1itwXLeVSK8pOLdEONdyN0brpM7mv4v68wsai6onwh1M1YyUBB1FJ2jHSnv2uH8T0-BKpHbyu99dQ7bb8A4kC_A/s1600/IMG_6692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxqPiCgUsCO_14xPF18ezsaJOEWgmnbU3a9fcNOs9GuQ28ZLoUbdB1itwXLeVSK8pOLdEONdyN0brpM7mv4v68wsai6onwh1M1YyUBB1FJ2jHSnv2uH8T0-BKpHbyu99dQ7bb8A4kC_A/s640/IMG_6692.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Again we exchanged gifts with the orphanage directors,
took pictures and said good bye. Then we were off for our 24 hour “harmonious
period.” First we had to stop at the bank to exchange some money. An hour into
it and Cooper was sweating to death in his double layer of clothes so we took one off and he was
still just as happy as a clam.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAU6VNUeWWHdMPsvNdxpmnks1CpHRQOaUg8txwEZ_HwiTkm18BkcDqFxqG6A2LXS5XW5N479TP9RK-O7rjeemedGNwEaIqHR0GVqhkLjt2CyLTattsCGg2g38RRsWo4HMDGr7zIzTbwI/s1600/IMG_6953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAU6VNUeWWHdMPsvNdxpmnks1CpHRQOaUg8txwEZ_HwiTkm18BkcDqFxqG6A2LXS5XW5N479TP9RK-O7rjeemedGNwEaIqHR0GVqhkLjt2CyLTattsCGg2g38RRsWo4HMDGr7zIzTbwI/s640/IMG_6953.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Finally we made it back to the hotel and into
our room where it was just Brady, Cooper and I. We thought at some point he
might realize how different this was and get scared or sad but the crazy thing
is, its not really that different. We feel like we’ve know him forever. We are
amazed how much he is like Nash and we can’t stop smiling about that. We had
some pizza for lunch, he took a nap, we went to the park, and on a nice walk
where he pointed out everything that he thought was interesting. At bedtime he
went to sleep smiling and hugging his Idaho potato. We really couldn’t have
asked for a better day! We want to sincerely thank everyone for their prayers.
It’s been nothing short of a miracle!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6H3Ie58qdk4l2N8oyIHr_gaWNT4A9ITT8B-HJyOS2XfrOzJEoyZ67nhj29pmGlhhFIOxrLfKOw1QLzlCFABWooORRVcyZsICdPIk2zz_z8O_a99a_EYLkauKbHMoBdCRtXZEJmo4tGw/s1600/IMG_6701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6H3Ie58qdk4l2N8oyIHr_gaWNT4A9ITT8B-HJyOS2XfrOzJEoyZ67nhj29pmGlhhFIOxrLfKOw1QLzlCFABWooORRVcyZsICdPIk2zz_z8O_a99a_EYLkauKbHMoBdCRtXZEJmo4tGw/s640/IMG_6701.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm0xqgbZDENAZlabF-ICB3ymoHp9OAKhAr4GPsNfbuzOCDSjJx1ZymQNLoadQjaTt3CT_Q3pTP5fnZXjcjGQxOqF39r5aAGJZq_2YYVeXohHtl2OpE8O5PxXVwwGA3VCCftrrt-hh_FE/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm0xqgbZDENAZlabF-ICB3ymoHp9OAKhAr4GPsNfbuzOCDSjJx1ZymQNLoadQjaTt3CT_Q3pTP5fnZXjcjGQxOqF39r5aAGJZq_2YYVeXohHtl2OpE8O5PxXVwwGA3VCCftrrt-hh_FE/s640/IMG_6703.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cBTFW98hEPfVNZ9aRIIe168sSQbL3SvqdRVSZOAxc3NB7NOxJ0Bx6HCaAnbLZC8nLbviyDrcV8uvH1jCy45-EaRft7Dx88iM-NAFAkYrKBIIyJSw5QJlraGgotKVy2ajKis5q3FYbZ0/s1600/IMG_6718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cBTFW98hEPfVNZ9aRIIe168sSQbL3SvqdRVSZOAxc3NB7NOxJ0Bx6HCaAnbLZC8nLbviyDrcV8uvH1jCy45-EaRft7Dx88iM-NAFAkYrKBIIyJSw5QJlraGgotKVy2ajKis5q3FYbZ0/s640/IMG_6718.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyDbCXNvHfdf-nytZaIDPARwaMD67QWWwXRPEGwJ8tOGLOQkRwjnQQZxUEmcT6tA6uLsesXW1QCxaTu32-H3XUNvaCn8DyYJ2sSsS7FTr3c0PBN_X2N9CNyhyB8EgBBJw9G276oPMdw0/s1600/IMG_6710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyDbCXNvHfdf-nytZaIDPARwaMD67QWWwXRPEGwJ8tOGLOQkRwjnQQZxUEmcT6tA6uLsesXW1QCxaTu32-H3XUNvaCn8DyYJ2sSsS7FTr3c0PBN_X2N9CNyhyB8EgBBJw9G276oPMdw0/s640/IMG_6710.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Washing away the orphanage life.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIX8-qTrPIUwcRqY32deSG5MPboah6nHKn4iZNZUxgGqq3FUKQy1jTVrj0_3-Y47dttsZ-IlKzKYwhz2ydBApdbwhbKy6jODisuXTunru3D8te0TnWq1H2TlgHGNIjqG5COf4vtmEALI/s1600/IMG_6728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIX8-qTrPIUwcRqY32deSG5MPboah6nHKn4iZNZUxgGqq3FUKQy1jTVrj0_3-Y47dttsZ-IlKzKYwhz2ydBApdbwhbKy6jODisuXTunru3D8te0TnWq1H2TlgHGNIjqG5COf4vtmEALI/s640/IMG_6728.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Gotta love that smile!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbdiYNfZt5gnt7J5Wis2fym-O17BtXexvWId87YR2DjQzQKZfi1p-p-u-y-6gW5b27Qv1ET1C0oGvTaHxR9f0ecr7p1MYYGKkA4mkNGZU6ey-sAToQkP_BujzyH8iKt1kvyJJlfenQNE/s1600/IMG_6720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbdiYNfZt5gnt7J5Wis2fym-O17BtXexvWId87YR2DjQzQKZfi1p-p-u-y-6gW5b27Qv1ET1C0oGvTaHxR9f0ecr7p1MYYGKkA4mkNGZU6ey-sAToQkP_BujzyH8iKt1kvyJJlfenQNE/s640/IMG_6720.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-12471797669867651822016-03-19T05:29:00.000-07:002016-08-01T13:31:48.937-07:00Day 1 - Exploring ChinaChina is incredible! We love it! Brady and I got up early this morning and walked down to the Forbidden City. At first there weren't many people out on the streets but as time went on the streets became more and more crowded. We went inside the gates to see the palace but the best part was just watching all of the people. So many people! Lots of old men sitting around smoking and enjoying the morning sun, women laughing and talking, young people with selfie sticks taking pictures, kids with giant headbands and brightly colored coats. It was fun walking through the old streets back to our hotel. Right now they are just coming out of their winter season and you can see buds starting to appear on all of the trees. In a few more weeks it will probably look different with all of the green out. Back at the hotel we met up with our guide. Her name is Vivian. She is from Beijing and works with our adoption agency. She has been so great to let us ask her questions about China all day long. It's nice having someone who can explain things to us in English. We drove through the city to the Great Wall on the out skirts of Beijing. It was amazing to see. We hiked up to the highest point of that section. The steps are steep and uneven so you really have to concentrate on where you're going. Our legs were shaking by the time we got back down. We had lunch a nice Chinese lunch of fried rice and chicken then went back into Beijing to the train station. It was the craziest train station we've ever been in and once again we were glad Vivian was there to help us. The train ride to Tianjin is a great way to see how the metropolitan area melts into the agricultural land. When you first leave the station you pass building after building of high rise apartments. One thing that I thought was funny about these apartment buildings were all of the wire cages that are popping out around the windows. Many of them were filled with junk. We asked Vivian about it and she said that is how they make their living space bigger. They put a chain link compartment out around their window and then they can store stuff out there. Once we got past all of the high rise buildings, the landscape was very flat and there were fields and ditches everywhere. Many of the fields had many people out working in them. It looked like they were planting something. Every once in awhile there would be a small village with about 100 or so little cinder block type homes. Vivian said this is where the peasants who work the fields live. It was fascinating to see how dramatically the lifestyle changes the further you get from the city centers. I thought the country side was beautiful and was glad we got to see a small glimpse of it before we pulled back into the robust city of Tianjin. Tianjin, what a place! There is a big river that runs though Tianjin so back in the day it was a harbor city with lots of colonial influence but now with the big population boom of the last few decades they have added tons of sky scrapers and modern buildings. The city has a unique mix of old and new, poverty and wealth. Such a fascinating place. The best part about it is that this is our son's city and in the morning we will get to meet him! We're so excited! Hopefully he likes us!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMRA9gHW47-w_9ZFwd0f4L-zbtrKMxtQUecXOpbt2Z-HshagOJi-G32dOoo8sxuyUTjAuAUBfoR4FOuYchD9sfMahgkIwhgwOH04PjoyT7cng9_EXRo77O0eZDALFvPqjZnmK7ShJg3Y/s1600/IMG_6659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMRA9gHW47-w_9ZFwd0f4L-zbtrKMxtQUecXOpbt2Z-HshagOJi-G32dOoo8sxuyUTjAuAUBfoR4FOuYchD9sfMahgkIwhgwOH04PjoyT7cng9_EXRo77O0eZDALFvPqjZnmK7ShJg3Y/s400/IMG_6659.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lovin' the Chinese food!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8kdXs8z6vBmhXhpa_tq2UfhZsv2QFO07-V76_XeiwRf-tMLBUuAlqyhHWMNYptQ8ExuiEuDjii5Ia8A__K0xa_e0-qC2tFwzlrC1oMKibj7sstC6VniOvw0ztszEOc_rIyCons4F56k/s1600/IMG_6683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8kdXs8z6vBmhXhpa_tq2UfhZsv2QFO07-V76_XeiwRf-tMLBUuAlqyhHWMNYptQ8ExuiEuDjii5Ia8A__K0xa_e0-qC2tFwzlrC1oMKibj7sstC6VniOvw0ztszEOc_rIyCons4F56k/s400/IMG_6683.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We arrived at the Forbidden City early in the morning. The sun was trying to rise through the smog.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4ZbFDQRycWezfSK2GeXS5rLx0wmzaoRHor6jSXWDhe7-KIQwci2EzWdVqGMYvL1aI-USshkKXVojvFe2TOM8Ore2hcQuW0AG2H2YYmfI2LzuO1KDETHypFG53WeJWZ2Ldd8r4NagyIs/s1600/IMG_6684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4ZbFDQRycWezfSK2GeXS5rLx0wmzaoRHor6jSXWDhe7-KIQwci2EzWdVqGMYvL1aI-USshkKXVojvFe2TOM8Ore2hcQuW0AG2H2YYmfI2LzuO1KDETHypFG53WeJWZ2Ldd8r4NagyIs/s640/IMG_6684.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPnjrTXf32vANuA1uzNcL8p301deSrAk1RszVEO13FaRcgA-goO7YGU1f7bJwf5KIzOtTA24bc28VZ_YNqEbLyH1hfZ36AN0xYAJO5gEicJa-JewxxYtIqbsSWW8UwF76IHdrqIq8A90/s1600/IMG_6845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPnjrTXf32vANuA1uzNcL8p301deSrAk1RszVEO13FaRcgA-goO7YGU1f7bJwf5KIzOtTA24bc28VZ_YNqEbLyH1hfZ36AN0xYAJO5gEicJa-JewxxYtIqbsSWW8UwF76IHdrqIq8A90/s640/IMG_6845.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycTdYq-LBGc2LoEAXQohLKIu6ryI02NwF-aiOwNICHntIJjoowHYSXHPpRcecadccAvEoIe77N6w8we4e2sHO6tExkfWEHkSos-GqkED8Md9fT2Hnee7tmZVCqI5sqI4MKMaocrEBrAw/s1600/IMG_6857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycTdYq-LBGc2LoEAXQohLKIu6ryI02NwF-aiOwNICHntIJjoowHYSXHPpRcecadccAvEoIe77N6w8we4e2sHO6tExkfWEHkSos-GqkED8Md9fT2Hnee7tmZVCqI5sqI4MKMaocrEBrAw/s640/IMG_6857.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitewKwBXvnGHflszP54QUu4UuNO-lF9TbIJcXZxmsuWnY0OylTU_HlEWuC3Nz4ai8S-WDgIEW4zw_TUewOtPuqR3TgwCQJusyVNBBwNrfuWYUqIWSy1QFVzZ4xwLOIx8LmsqX4yN23GkM/s1600/IMG_6843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitewKwBXvnGHflszP54QUu4UuNO-lF9TbIJcXZxmsuWnY0OylTU_HlEWuC3Nz4ai8S-WDgIEW4zw_TUewOtPuqR3TgwCQJusyVNBBwNrfuWYUqIWSy1QFVzZ4xwLOIx8LmsqX4yN23GkM/s640/IMG_6843.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Walking back to the hotel we passes hundreds of these mopeds equipped with blankets and hand mittens.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyksu7vgjZlbagQ8knapzpD9CdRsebdBX4mBiHWlJnuw-usNKVkXi73SvIls7qr8XY3qmeCJ51GityzqfCe74SSb-Y1oMqF2AIChd7zRmgzedZe7sYFFWSfAh7ZsWJ1yLhPJ30JAt6wQ/s1600/IMG_6660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyksu7vgjZlbagQ8knapzpD9CdRsebdBX4mBiHWlJnuw-usNKVkXi73SvIls7qr8XY3qmeCJ51GityzqfCe74SSb-Y1oMqF2AIChd7zRmgzedZe7sYFFWSfAh7ZsWJ1yLhPJ30JAt6wQ/s640/IMG_6660.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Great Wall of China</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8RcJVp6Ub7qlrCY3qgiVHk_yhALNjuPwirzdgPJl8bDMVuKIR1tsqpZ6vhJrcMFwW8BLzKWc6hVadg3COKGbFADDZWgHdUbg9p84VjAcLdWibCH8RjM97wfKl75nUqTQbasVPk0LYpY/s1600/IMG_6661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8RcJVp6Ub7qlrCY3qgiVHk_yhALNjuPwirzdgPJl8bDMVuKIR1tsqpZ6vhJrcMFwW8BLzKWc6hVadg3COKGbFADDZWgHdUbg9p84VjAcLdWibCH8RjM97wfKl75nUqTQbasVPk0LYpY/s640/IMG_6661.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucXkKxfg7gm3c2tKc6BTrRFMO3c1NTQF7IG6WPl3TEd7rzH8nQJxYln7bW2PTR_Ej2-bRzLjiAvqHID0e8fnWYuuBGMvqRok14tMnx0qfESy1wwEPAUJUq2SLfVk9vUdOQ30ArbvY0Ww/s1600/IMG_6662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucXkKxfg7gm3c2tKc6BTrRFMO3c1NTQF7IG6WPl3TEd7rzH8nQJxYln7bW2PTR_Ej2-bRzLjiAvqHID0e8fnWYuuBGMvqRok14tMnx0qfESy1wwEPAUJUq2SLfVk9vUdOQ30ArbvY0Ww/s640/IMG_6662.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7T9OLcR4vjEs1q7WKQvICMwg5cMNpc0YnOefVxnFPzU6sPpJgVCWeTOmaxAhbKXw7lUYomYL4ec4XZW1uEiOsTubvsROef17-7i-uTMKVKd079oxf0RNN7XXdeWk09xdOdFlMnrcdA/s1600/IMG_6663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7T9OLcR4vjEs1q7WKQvICMwg5cMNpc0YnOefVxnFPzU6sPpJgVCWeTOmaxAhbKXw7lUYomYL4ec4XZW1uEiOsTubvsROef17-7i-uTMKVKd079oxf0RNN7XXdeWk09xdOdFlMnrcdA/s640/IMG_6663.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We packed Spuddy Buddy up there to get some RODS pics with him.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ-AAutkHpa4BGamayqArfeIDqDBeANeA3qMtsld76F3n4E38LJHmpBgDXrDVLgtAYYGrYIIIMiib_d3k1-o_Vs0Uhqe11nZZ_TjjnI37XBsmGIeBoe24_Kq67Z5gT4k9qjJMlXF1lrE/s1600/IMG_6665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ-AAutkHpa4BGamayqArfeIDqDBeANeA3qMtsld76F3n4E38LJHmpBgDXrDVLgtAYYGrYIIIMiib_d3k1-o_Vs0Uhqe11nZZ_TjjnI37XBsmGIeBoe24_Kq67Z5gT4k9qjJMlXF1lrE/s640/IMG_6665.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M_pA4Y54kc2sfjzgbCNlQWqwd57a0B5m0NXYGrwIZYKQNQEgI7HNIljVZna0lE05U9Q23-ouNGy1TONblAbGTvntcqfVuqWiK6h6Xx45NmgE-e3HAnEcBCZBpYAsYkF91R8myitMTvA/s1600/IMG_6666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M_pA4Y54kc2sfjzgbCNlQWqwd57a0B5m0NXYGrwIZYKQNQEgI7HNIljVZna0lE05U9Q23-ouNGy1TONblAbGTvntcqfVuqWiK6h6Xx45NmgE-e3HAnEcBCZBpYAsYkF91R8myitMTvA/s640/IMG_6666.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Pretty incredible where this wall goes and how it was made.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2yvBuPAT1Eh8q4DrPx2WLFo4MBxOfQ1YVjurnVo-TnqNmnH5n9GI0slfI19tE51sAW1YggA1BJKdXRBj7EOUH_ZXzWJ-cCyxBlP0sbDqF4bjNbUsTm0nOBy_JfpXri4MyBRE-GrtU-E/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2yvBuPAT1Eh8q4DrPx2WLFo4MBxOfQ1YVjurnVo-TnqNmnH5n9GI0slfI19tE51sAW1YggA1BJKdXRBj7EOUH_ZXzWJ-cCyxBlP0sbDqF4bjNbUsTm0nOBy_JfpXri4MyBRE-GrtU-E/s640/IMG_6677.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9ne6p3r73VmYGxax19_qqFPcSDdhLCIEWe3Ce-yXunbk2ohEa590R4-NTCHjcRmwd7R0IrDjGPJiFXjTmL8IeN5u_mNwM39j4ro7cfalG3B8OCu-2H5g72aePNRsDxf9qmtoVtDss50/s1600/IMG_6678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9ne6p3r73VmYGxax19_qqFPcSDdhLCIEWe3Ce-yXunbk2ohEa590R4-NTCHjcRmwd7R0IrDjGPJiFXjTmL8IeN5u_mNwM39j4ro7cfalG3B8OCu-2H5g72aePNRsDxf9qmtoVtDss50/s640/IMG_6678.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Out at the great wall we were above most of the smog. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can see a thick layer of smog down in the valley.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsiV-HUVKSJWY-vReyaM9JGD_mcnETzewSxvjPVjFGqwiIXp-RBA8fzysvAFEftkJy4fEAPSfYx6cE8xMvmMUbyYdyz8aG7CSaoMUI95_E-sK37jWq01Rr-McTnHc9bJGz7nHiZ4PmO4/s1600/IMG_6679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsiV-HUVKSJWY-vReyaM9JGD_mcnETzewSxvjPVjFGqwiIXp-RBA8fzysvAFEftkJy4fEAPSfYx6cE8xMvmMUbyYdyz8aG7CSaoMUI95_E-sK37jWq01Rr-McTnHc9bJGz7nHiZ4PmO4/s400/IMG_6679.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoZLH7YOAJnwMub93bQqlF_66qDXIR5kXaCNrSI6o5Glc5THC3Fk6jUXYN0P7lbZ2TW3dUSPrly1bO4IsLpL7OhpijmzH4Vc1Gfv34vBWwl_u12-OfUHaGkSdhISd_gW-TuKfiV63W8g/s1600/IMG_6680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoZLH7YOAJnwMub93bQqlF_66qDXIR5kXaCNrSI6o5Glc5THC3Fk6jUXYN0P7lbZ2TW3dUSPrly1bO4IsLpL7OhpijmzH4Vc1Gfv34vBWwl_u12-OfUHaGkSdhISd_gW-TuKfiV63W8g/s640/IMG_6680.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r6sVXopVZqRayoWRuf3idd-FSU3Yk6g7Z10_F5behkeVxlQpHXOqgShdj-h01HADnWDE7dz_-naPh6RrI9uuQrx5z9ODLbw67wYvTJYjOAzdNKt6Z5gdPdK7GHC5Vt5VLTJYmMkIMOY/s1600/IMG_6681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r6sVXopVZqRayoWRuf3idd-FSU3Yk6g7Z10_F5behkeVxlQpHXOqgShdj-h01HADnWDE7dz_-naPh6RrI9uuQrx5z9ODLbw67wYvTJYjOAzdNKt6Z5gdPdK7GHC5Vt5VLTJYmMkIMOY/s640/IMG_6681.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYOwqLVDd3qxbqzC8YDSdoVlZ1fOgAsj_Dti7yPfIT2e3f4maSgQEiOKTcGDDY9OMtVZSLHnGQJOsXck-jJg5VO5Ie60lRN7ADcw7j5cI3uNVZG-owjBGUnfZ7NkEsOppy_ud3LMLqyY/s1600/IMG_6859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYOwqLVDd3qxbqzC8YDSdoVlZ1fOgAsj_Dti7yPfIT2e3f4maSgQEiOKTcGDDY9OMtVZSLHnGQJOsXck-jJg5VO5Ie60lRN7ADcw7j5cI3uNVZG-owjBGUnfZ7NkEsOppy_ud3LMLqyY/s640/IMG_6859.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCJ2VO3Cs-FgdKbbTIwUQ3nJDjfX_TrvMG-Dz_LmV5GFlJwgWBfDPH1ly8zwUKUEqtcR2DsA0Twh45vWtYFokbeXF601zHJcb6QUE5kASen6Cn8Yg8HJx0RHVSOxm9O9h6nKs54NMnEU/s1600/IMG_6668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCJ2VO3Cs-FgdKbbTIwUQ3nJDjfX_TrvMG-Dz_LmV5GFlJwgWBfDPH1ly8zwUKUEqtcR2DsA0Twh45vWtYFokbeXF601zHJcb6QUE5kASen6Cn8Yg8HJx0RHVSOxm9O9h6nKs54NMnEU/s1600/IMG_6668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCJ2VO3Cs-FgdKbbTIwUQ3nJDjfX_TrvMG-Dz_LmV5GFlJwgWBfDPH1ly8zwUKUEqtcR2DsA0Twh45vWtYFokbeXF601zHJcb6QUE5kASen6Cn8Yg8HJx0RHVSOxm9O9h6nKs54NMnEU/s640/IMG_6668.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYuhii92WpzmGAzx41bgsyRlZGIDTkpnwb8Ft0LIRXmYS34I3cLEjakZVjc7B0TZ5eQLvLSirDySCu-pPD_0v4J8-X3zYRj-gaNTo2S5AkqqC2hdA15wDVNIpmkhG0mL6h0K6RZt-dZk/s1600/IMG_6893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYuhii92WpzmGAzx41bgsyRlZGIDTkpnwb8Ft0LIRXmYS34I3cLEjakZVjc7B0TZ5eQLvLSirDySCu-pPD_0v4J8-X3zYRj-gaNTo2S5AkqqC2hdA15wDVNIpmkhG0mL6h0K6RZt-dZk/s640/IMG_6893.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0-cSAexMzB1K4p4Gb-pg2m-zjEumCwjM3sBn8-YmYJF-AsDxiiX11GcZhOdDjXLoJ271g8X-xZ1g75eBvFsqr3KuPFk0baIBM4iNtKJn-oIlSrpFtMjI1giQr9km7T8DdjAt4i36y4g/s1600/IMG_6897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0-cSAexMzB1K4p4Gb-pg2m-zjEumCwjM3sBn8-YmYJF-AsDxiiX11GcZhOdDjXLoJ271g8X-xZ1g75eBvFsqr3KuPFk0baIBM4iNtKJn-oIlSrpFtMjI1giQr9km7T8DdjAt4i36y4g/s400/IMG_6897.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Train station</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN-0JQKQveJw7sSy2qaJMHdLCySGfqrg3xApau2TVeq8_oNfZJO3_trAif0GrDvvkuQGh0jUVbwPrxS_NGWXF5nqxziaJa4_D0yqRi0mfjl57c8MKTl_7tNVmm8fMPjcC-xgYk1AUPY0/s1600/IMG_6676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN-0JQKQveJw7sSy2qaJMHdLCySGfqrg3xApau2TVeq8_oNfZJO3_trAif0GrDvvkuQGh0jUVbwPrxS_NGWXF5nqxziaJa4_D0yqRi0mfjl57c8MKTl_7tNVmm8fMPjcC-xgYk1AUPY0/s640/IMG_6676.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Arriving in Tianjin</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9KRbAbDrryRmzjOJxJc1OSIb8LzbeoRRkG166CUSiZbsUV8QxgTowJj7lXBrinLzRSWuKbdxPgsOXTrQV0Mid5nkqhQfo1yGWdMmgF0RbKRZtLRq5w0h2lC-L5EzCAMKBbhw-GVt0I8/s1600/IMG_6671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9KRbAbDrryRmzjOJxJc1OSIb8LzbeoRRkG166CUSiZbsUV8QxgTowJj7lXBrinLzRSWuKbdxPgsOXTrQV0Mid5nkqhQfo1yGWdMmgF0RbKRZtLRq5w0h2lC-L5EzCAMKBbhw-GVt0I8/s640/IMG_6671.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Looking down at the park from our hotel window.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXrjWs67g8FK8AwAYdOhSP-2YRcdgXL8P6U0RZRg_l-EcDS11g4sMjgMoW2DQPUMyANH8E3QG0ezMyc13FjsTq0bUrnZVQqKXAYRhRpjvn6nCnPCFR4ax41UyCMrTXWKJHh5_TjwQm7M/s1600/IMG_6672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXrjWs67g8FK8AwAYdOhSP-2YRcdgXL8P6U0RZRg_l-EcDS11g4sMjgMoW2DQPUMyANH8E3QG0ezMyc13FjsTq0bUrnZVQqKXAYRhRpjvn6nCnPCFR4ax41UyCMrTXWKJHh5_TjwQm7M/s640/IMG_6672.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
View of Tianjin from our hotel window.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN-0JQKQveJw7sSy2qaJMHdLCySGfqrg3xApau2TVeq8_oNfZJO3_trAif0GrDvvkuQGh0jUVbwPrxS_NGWXF5nqxziaJa4_D0yqRi0mfjl57c8MKTl_7tNVmm8fMPjcC-xgYk1AUPY0/s1600/IMG_6676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycTdYq-LBGc2LoEAXQohLKIu6ryI02NwF-aiOwNICHntIJjoowHYSXHPpRcecadccAvEoIe77N6w8we4e2sHO6tExkfWEHkSos-GqkED8Md9fT2Hnee7tmZVCqI5sqI4MKMaocrEBrAw/s1600/IMG_6857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYOwqLVDd3qxbqzC8YDSdoVlZ1fOgAsj_Dti7yPfIT2e3f4maSgQEiOKTcGDDY9OMtVZSLHnGQJOsXck-jJg5VO5Ie60lRN7ADcw7j5cI3uNVZG-owjBGUnfZ7NkEsOppy_ud3LMLqyY/s1600/IMG_6859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1667386343"></span><span id="goog_1667386344"></span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-87672672704715912332016-03-18T15:39:00.002-07:002016-08-01T13:31:03.660-07:00One Step Closer to China<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We’re finally off and we couldn’t
be more excited! It’s strange how similar child birth and adoption are. There
is just no easy way to add to your family. It’s always a miracle! None of our
children’s births ever went like we planned. Growing a family is always a good
faith building exercise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This morning Brady received a text saying that our flight
from SLC to Seattle had been delayed just long enough that we wouldn’t be able
to make our connecting flight to Beijing. He called Delta to see what options
we had. They said we could wait and fly out on the 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not happening. We are in what I would call
“the labor” phase of this adoption. And everyone knows that during labor you
don’t mess around. You just do what has to be done and you do it quickly. Brady
explained the situation and just about went through the phone when the guy at
the other end wasn’t going to do anything to help him. I just smiled when I
heard him say, “You don’t understand! We’ve been working on this for a
year. We have to catch our flight to Beijing today!” After being transferred
and explaining the situation again and after exerting a little more pleading,
patience, persistence and money, he was able to get us on an earlier flight.
Good bye last minute plans to be completely and calmly ready, hello race to the
airport. Like I said, it’s the labor phase, always exciting! We are blessed to
have such a great team of people helping us! Now that we’ve made it onto our
first flight we can take a deep breath and try to enjoy the experience. That
brings me to my next train of thought…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCc0lTDjwLlEfvpifug2fPZbI4s-3GYgHvgDfw_kdW42wLKT7Aev7hXcr05_AkzmaCwdkG2I6nh_VgQcXiCMCP5mcW8NOuCpfFg3aHsayLtRqsHOVwyKitGtUhawDC1hZ7jf6POdUWhY/s1600/china+pictures.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCc0lTDjwLlEfvpifug2fPZbI4s-3GYgHvgDfw_kdW42wLKT7Aev7hXcr05_AkzmaCwdkG2I6nh_VgQcXiCMCP5mcW8NOuCpfFg3aHsayLtRqsHOVwyKitGtUhawDC1hZ7jf6POdUWhY/s320/china+pictures.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER1YS4Z-lXAY_MuK4NbiLySqD4O8v2k6AkjHfLk7iGd330oHuB6C-mU5FcHAiCwM9cVar0fnng5DOya_PftQp_aaCf0YM5Pc4isBd3upOLGe_Vhg5Ez99sY6sPpR8y-lE7mAqNUa3B6g/s1600/chinan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER1YS4Z-lXAY_MuK4NbiLySqD4O8v2k6AkjHfLk7iGd330oHuB6C-mU5FcHAiCwM9cVar0fnng5DOya_PftQp_aaCf0YM5Pc4isBd3upOLGe_Vhg5Ez99sY6sPpR8y-lE7mAqNUa3B6g/s320/chinan.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Love.
Isn’t love cool? It’s the only thing that I can think of that grows and gets
bigger and stronger the more you give it away. I wish I understood better what
love is and how it works but I do know that it is directly interconnected to
God. For the past few weeks Nash has been randomly singing one of his favorite
primary songs, “I Am A Child of God”. He has his own version and it goes like
this, “I am a child of God and so are my parents, kind and dear.” It has moved
me to tears more than once hearing his angelic voice sing these truths because
he is right and I know he his. I have always believed that God is the creator
of us all and that He loves all of his children but though this adoption
process I have come to recognize that truth in my heart more strongly than ever.
I know that God does love His children and He has a plan for every one of us on
this earth. There will always be trial, heartache, and adversity to overcome
but I honestly believe that without that we wouldn’t be able to experience true
joy and happiness. I can’t wait to give Cooper a little more love. Not just
from myself, but from God because we are his hands on this earth, and from all
of the family and friends rooting for him back home.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK0Kfc-qcYr7T9HaT5UfNFR2qvLoR8mYZBqrWKtwqRMsAp4yXK8yGRAkY4cWKLF85FG1k-N4mU67hAGXlnIA9jmfvgC_xljQjJztaG-DZJPFAEM1lsotoXViLl2WeERYou8WZQKyt6qY/s1600/china.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK0Kfc-qcYr7T9HaT5UfNFR2qvLoR8mYZBqrWKtwqRMsAp4yXK8yGRAkY4cWKLF85FG1k-N4mU67hAGXlnIA9jmfvgC_xljQjJztaG-DZJPFAEM1lsotoXViLl2WeERYou8WZQKyt6qY/s320/china.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2so1zKqQq_fwobOi0CpGJ271yhEjURlo_Nlp3Sq9b6ARZ7S96Jlc4YDLp7fDOz-OH56mA9iWCJ7MWZuQHYCnwbPy3gXkR1Zm74y4gudmGWfdSGDgc8mbxqsehHiBfWUZFwXew3fj1ds/s1600/IMG_6837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2so1zKqQq_fwobOi0CpGJ271yhEjURlo_Nlp3Sq9b6ARZ7S96Jlc4YDLp7fDOz-OH56mA9iWCJ7MWZuQHYCnwbPy3gXkR1Zm74y4gudmGWfdSGDgc8mbxqsehHiBfWUZFwXew3fj1ds/s320/IMG_6837.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-90777704880037748982016-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:002016-02-22T09:21:10.240-08:00Introducing...Cooper Michael MurrayWe're dying of excitement today! Exactly one month from today we will have the newest member of our family, Cooper Michael in our arms! It feels like its been an extremely slow and long adoption process but now that we have our flights booked, final appointments in China scheduled, and things prepared for Cooper to come home its hard to contain the excitement we feel. <br />
One question that Brady and I have been asked frequently over the last several months as we've told people about our adoption is, "How did you decide to do that?" or "What made you decide to do that?" We're never quite sure how to answer because we can't really pin it down to a specific moment, event or experience. For some reason Brady and I began talking about adoption even before we started talking about marriage. We had both had different experiences in our lives that had left us with favorable impressions of adoption. After we got married and began our own family, we continued to have experiences that left us feeling like adoption would be an even bigger part of our lives even though we didn't know where, when or how. We continued to be blessed with special opportunities to be involved with the adoption community as our family grew. Last spring Brady and I both began to have those quite promptings or feelings that it was time for us to look into an adoption of our own. After a quiet peaceful weekend listening to and pondering counsel spoken by prophets we love, and after counseling with our children, we felt prepared and ready to begin the adoption journey for our family. Trying to find the right child for our family was difficult but as we sought God's help we received the inspiration we needed to be guided to a sweet little three year old boy who has Down syndrome in Tianjin China. We saw this picture and couldn't help but smile at this cute little boy showing off his balance.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEa_rmhiEaQyLL4y0nRiN-tQFim46TNaC41dZGCioddumE_UYS7mDP35xTRCLaFZSMwT2Navo4G0FbTTlrfy_Pu2e3FR8F8O-HCsMPujDKAWcOzJDD84I7QUwhytivNBWwtdMBvw91yNs/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEa_rmhiEaQyLL4y0nRiN-tQFim46TNaC41dZGCioddumE_UYS7mDP35xTRCLaFZSMwT2Navo4G0FbTTlrfy_Pu2e3FR8F8O-HCsMPujDKAWcOzJDD84I7QUwhytivNBWwtdMBvw91yNs/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We inquired and were given his file which we reviewed. We were also shown several more pictures.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5Dag5BscU10NPnA19DOt1R-HOyA1Dd6o0NFqJEil1epK67POw-otmywRi2hyphenhyphenARvdQ8izASaVKwRvFvkHI0r5FMr_kSqvlLfO5lxyTRD5qy72dH-eygJBM2PvvR2MspTskrFTqTq9GyU/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5Dag5BscU10NPnA19DOt1R-HOyA1Dd6o0NFqJEil1epK67POw-otmywRi2hyphenhyphenARvdQ8izASaVKwRvFvkHI0r5FMr_kSqvlLfO5lxyTRD5qy72dH-eygJBM2PvvR2MspTskrFTqTq9GyU/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06NwjDw4uCZnU9FcgzIjUQNir5BSlP5FV2JvJrkmyLn2nb17hGCKI3BZFyhEvpTY_S0L_UVhLN1q1THBo2k1v8IFy_kVyBdoYvkXtRjuFfiJMVR7OlH0EbJwLkamZAoRDqZBUxGNF_eg/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06NwjDw4uCZnU9FcgzIjUQNir5BSlP5FV2JvJrkmyLn2nb17hGCKI3BZFyhEvpTY_S0L_UVhLN1q1THBo2k1v8IFy_kVyBdoYvkXtRjuFfiJMVR7OlH0EbJwLkamZAoRDqZBUxGNF_eg/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3A5EG_cm8z74sAed49ObKYS2k4WhWg3Jj_87ZiUQ_PfoIvGiV8beUe4rZ9tASBaODQF5knPJoazNhIot14PPMHNIlJO_rROR1gZJZA8vyeGhaOINwZ9j7-Ts37SpngjmrU90D3gDdpY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3A5EG_cm8z74sAed49ObKYS2k4WhWg3Jj_87ZiUQ_PfoIvGiV8beUe4rZ9tASBaODQF5knPJoazNhIot14PPMHNIlJO_rROR1gZJZA8vyeGhaOINwZ9j7-Ts37SpngjmrU90D3gDdpY/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl6C1HsIPlxXMVG-wht8TxUfVKjmGDV6OU-yLF-WBfDCCMcPQJJrTz_P-_65r2T1hD249l2V0CQ_thuy-F_nouebd3d_zITwogBoejmhsrM5pN5U6QFVlkozcqno4jCJ1BkK6K5IIsbQ/s1600/new+1.7.15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl6C1HsIPlxXMVG-wht8TxUfVKjmGDV6OU-yLF-WBfDCCMcPQJJrTz_P-_65r2T1hD249l2V0CQ_thuy-F_nouebd3d_zITwogBoejmhsrM5pN5U6QFVlkozcqno4jCJ1BkK6K5IIsbQ/s320/new+1.7.15.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqIsC6fUlVBUv5bjEgi5YCJnHKXydIfJzlzox8qSMjMcL-zEhH49V1bWYdTu-4-3WY2S9igiYWTAvHCLA60Lek5UNCsE0iiJZN_0PBsHeYeQe4ANHH1LS2EjYkc99O0TNLIpUk2pdKNs/s1600/w7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqIsC6fUlVBUv5bjEgi5YCJnHKXydIfJzlzox8qSMjMcL-zEhH49V1bWYdTu-4-3WY2S9igiYWTAvHCLA60Lek5UNCsE0iiJZN_0PBsHeYeQe4ANHH1LS2EjYkc99O0TNLIpUk2pdKNs/s320/w7b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRqfpmoxImZbfSSs347kBC5y-2CYgDzm5TIkS-f6SczFY4uwJOVRssNQe-xkYrIjryzLAMl29XcMGP192gJDnBaoNXn-JORXHhUhIaTG1XYwJQZ_eAFLocG3aDKSUc0eNFKpsa9-yf1I/s1600/w7c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRqfpmoxImZbfSSs347kBC5y-2CYgDzm5TIkS-f6SczFY4uwJOVRssNQe-xkYrIjryzLAMl29XcMGP192gJDnBaoNXn-JORXHhUhIaTG1XYwJQZ_eAFLocG3aDKSUc0eNFKpsa9-yf1I/s320/w7c.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
We were smitten and so excited at the possibility of having him in our family, not just Brady and I but the children too. We kept looking at his pictures and couldn't stop talking about our brother/son in China. Every time Nash saw his picture he would get so excited and say, "Look! It's me!" We wrote our Child Care Plan and Application to Adopt Letter as quickly as we could and sent it off to China. On May 5, 2015 we received our Notice of Approval back from China which gave us the green light to go ahead and begin the legal/paperwork part of adoption. We were also able to send our little Zhang Tong Jiang a small package of treats, toys, and a photo album of us and his new home. And in return the orphanage sent us some updated pictures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHfm_ebcrzYI6qA-tltPTZRCpuMCJwgVByu-wrJ0tfEfI6yCIdeCu4BAy_10kTNexPcguLqNfP6bsH_CobVmrVqtFIdPYmKXoVLDnswSJ_tD_3nqG-YXBU2bvPOYWVJMjeUfht6DnO08/s1600/DSC01175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHfm_ebcrzYI6qA-tltPTZRCpuMCJwgVByu-wrJ0tfEfI6yCIdeCu4BAy_10kTNexPcguLqNfP6bsH_CobVmrVqtFIdPYmKXoVLDnswSJ_tD_3nqG-YXBU2bvPOYWVJMjeUfht6DnO08/s320/DSC01175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99jZUPpBwjjVh7PuZXe1xAiDULDuJPc0tvpILwOujvYyjNXKbHjt1N6QJubRCkrxREKlUtXD40lXrIAK66sZYhLWmESoEK60bt9CBhG8HOdSzxaiUxsed5md516MnI-z7YTuMCdljDoM/s1600/DSC01185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99jZUPpBwjjVh7PuZXe1xAiDULDuJPc0tvpILwOujvYyjNXKbHjt1N6QJubRCkrxREKlUtXD40lXrIAK66sZYhLWmESoEK60bt9CBhG8HOdSzxaiUxsed5md516MnI-z7YTuMCdljDoM/s320/DSC01185.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciRtBzW93IcxYDcI3bsLA0MJGY5xJV-UdEeusRdaj1mB4cXeeR7sUNL-cfn7SazXs2yYanQD1kuKsB_JdKaeZgH_MKN6jA1iR18yFx40gSMfPelL1Drq6nWvI4kTF9XGfLRINJtMUZSc/s1600/DSC01182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciRtBzW93IcxYDcI3bsLA0MJGY5xJV-UdEeusRdaj1mB4cXeeR7sUNL-cfn7SazXs2yYanQD1kuKsB_JdKaeZgH_MKN6jA1iR18yFx40gSMfPelL1Drq6nWvI4kTF9XGfLRINJtMUZSc/s320/DSC01182.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMV2WOAXgxe2P9RTwXF-nNkbp-HSjBZy-FEYIPsiM0bUABOgJSyIq1d7R8qgcBrj0TMoGGFLWjd5xop8YcDCUcTYzWmWDGpzbQxrQ7j03iLqRiWVaBKkvVrrj1NMwVNDtiG1M6U6wTF90/s1600/DSC01177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMV2WOAXgxe2P9RTwXF-nNkbp-HSjBZy-FEYIPsiM0bUABOgJSyIq1d7R8qgcBrj0TMoGGFLWjd5xop8YcDCUcTYzWmWDGpzbQxrQ7j03iLqRiWVaBKkvVrrj1NMwVNDtiG1M6U6wTF90/s320/DSC01177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He is darling! Of course we wanted to do everything as quickly as possible even though our agency told us to plan on 12-14 months. We worked as quickly as we could on our home study and dossier prep. It feels like it takes months for certified copies of birth and marriage certificates, medical reports, police clearance and criminal history records to be all properly notarized and authenticated. We felt like we were making good progress and had all of the certified documents and home study ready to submit by the end of July. Then our next step was to submit paperwork and get fingerprinting appointments with the CIS, Civilian Immigration Services, so we could get approval for Cooper to be issued a visa to come to the US. This was like running into a brick wall. It took months longer than we had hoped and there wasn't anything we could do about it. It was hard to know another birthday without his family had come and gone when he turned four in December. We had hoped to be able to do a Skype call for his birthday or Christmas but it never worked out. We did get more updated pictures and a short video though.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZ9vulPDXgyochD4yg_KneWFJOk5KkFZHRpvRZoCLleQUn-g11IOzuSO25XOdrZt_KtgjsiWRF0R-7joothk0NEu4_fJjuxYpitzq5sZ7tC870_ve4rP7mRn3WiR1tFaJzV7AVfVxoYU/s1600/cooper1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZ9vulPDXgyochD4yg_KneWFJOk5KkFZHRpvRZoCLleQUn-g11IOzuSO25XOdrZt_KtgjsiWRF0R-7joothk0NEu4_fJjuxYpitzq5sZ7tC870_ve4rP7mRn3WiR1tFaJzV7AVfVxoYU/s320/cooper1.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBdsO_TMT2G018KM3Eyyo9hSYE5WoCZU1SeidvWokujfoi_HUndDZWe6F8hBGGJnVNdAMCe17NnFGkeeGSg-lFdKZCFSRvLXCaug9Z8S_C0trkqaAaEf6-ukEW_z3ZNPid0Nutjxymck/s1600/cooper2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBdsO_TMT2G018KM3Eyyo9hSYE5WoCZU1SeidvWokujfoi_HUndDZWe6F8hBGGJnVNdAMCe17NnFGkeeGSg-lFdKZCFSRvLXCaug9Z8S_C0trkqaAaEf6-ukEW_z3ZNPid0Nutjxymck/s320/cooper2.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9mSTIV8juR_tAgMyLdINB2BrkqyCHNLDuBymNo_TjgDuy081C4-_BjUWFgFwKf2eO5rAmiNSLPl3Mq5LZRi5zPTOw7f3XA6hiGT3hzkKzKvpbg4Kp3XZT4W71xFW2GRfOOwXtM4jEYM/s1600/cooper3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9mSTIV8juR_tAgMyLdINB2BrkqyCHNLDuBymNo_TjgDuy081C4-_BjUWFgFwKf2eO5rAmiNSLPl3Mq5LZRi5zPTOw7f3XA6hiGT3hzkKzKvpbg4Kp3XZT4W71xFW2GRfOOwXtM4jEYM/s320/cooper3.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwlQ-bUGn9NIke_cFo8B8CLJA7ehaUkQEce6BNBsPbbIWg6sCc1oOO_zfht6fIA60DyKNip0UY7DFzW8FO6d0pmN6qFJsr-VfHPbxW2ZhYiyW0oCekRGtsf_koUUG4wZO4HrSbA0mMdM/s1600/00024.MTS" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwlQ-bUGn9NIke_cFo8B8CLJA7ehaUkQEce6BNBsPbbIWg6sCc1oOO_zfht6fIA60DyKNip0UY7DFzW8FO6d0pmN6qFJsr-VfHPbxW2ZhYiyW0oCekRGtsf_koUUG4wZO4HrSbA0mMdM/s400/00024.MTS" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Christmas day we were all just dreaming of next year when we'll be celebrating with Cooper. Finally the dossier and every piece of paperwork had been stamped, and translated and passed back and forth between our countries enough times that our final approval and permission to travel came in January. Another month and a half of working with our adoption agency, getting our visas and consulate appointment and planning the details of our trip and we'll be traveling in March!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We know its going to dramatically rock Zhang Tong Jiangs world when we show up and he suddenly becomes Cooper Michael. We'll take him from the only life he's ever know into a completely different one. New language, new name, new people, new places, new food, new routine, new experiences, everything will be new. Naturally we are expecting that it will take time and patience as he processes and adapts to his new world. We are not afraid or worried. We know there will be bumps in the road but it doesn't matter, we just love him. He's not alone and we're not alone. We are expecting to continue to see miracles as he experiences the love of his new family. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Love is a powerful force.</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-38123092323280552692013-12-01T16:07:00.001-08:002013-12-01T16:07:43.090-08:00I Love This Video!Take a moment to watch this short video. It brought back a lot of memories of the day when Nash was born. He's such an integral part of our lives and considered such a blessing that I think I forgot what those first few days were like for me after he was born. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-jZoPggEfVQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-75150511232346379622013-11-20T19:44:00.000-08:002013-11-20T19:44:35.680-08:00More Than Winning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last month in October the children and I were invited to a soccer practice with team Shazam! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This team of 10 and 11 year old girls had been having an incredible undefeated season. Their coach, David Child wanted to teach the girls that they could do a lot more than win games together. He came up with the idea of having these girls put their talents and efforts into working together as a group to raise money for the RODS orphan Lark. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
They invited us to come to one of their practices so they could meet Nash and learn a little more about what RODS does to try to help orphans with down syndrome find families. The girls were so excited! They gave us the warmest welcome and made my kids feel like they were famous. Brynlee, Nash and Ridge had so much fun getting to know these sweet girls while running around the soccer field. Nash was heaven with all of their attention!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KXtCNYYFp_x6e174iNJQfvNITkuQAOtGXpI5I_NI_FvP_i-d9odWuNmV9HD6s70SWKVm1_iHWTBaKnFGThbQHKLCpETfTUvnBj1uXPfkOHLTF1L20rGWx_f94xhlhsCuXPMWcOZkJw0/s1600/soccer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU6jfOJZY0cHIlIMLRINQYf-UpBKNcZol8pxohkeBAx1gtyUjRqsf3Mv0Yzhi7U33VGW5ADIiyC-_gFFzvRGoeXXxzCRHvJUz-geilYhQYNKSY_5WrYHCoVNbXJx61oFUYLP1y26W1ME/s1600/soc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU6jfOJZY0cHIlIMLRINQYf-UpBKNcZol8pxohkeBAx1gtyUjRqsf3Mv0Yzhi7U33VGW5ADIiyC-_gFFzvRGoeXXxzCRHvJUz-geilYhQYNKSY_5WrYHCoVNbXJx61oFUYLP1y26W1ME/s320/soc.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBB3HDWguWGes-HS42-a7ZdjG-qSUzQAzmNngv46ACHm1ttoYWFO3JFZnUDBmJfaJVYU1Np_zPfkO1NhnuICM1FgycA1eA-oaf3-FffP7N7N0m0hW0SUJQKL-WZNqK1w6uvhd-RlyExg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBB3HDWguWGes-HS42-a7ZdjG-qSUzQAzmNngv46ACHm1ttoYWFO3JFZnUDBmJfaJVYU1Np_zPfkO1NhnuICM1FgycA1eA-oaf3-FffP7N7N0m0hW0SUJQKL-WZNqK1w6uvhd-RlyExg/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
At the end of practice their coach brought the team together and they told us their goal of raising $1000.00 for Lark during the month of October as a team. That meant each girl had an individual goal of raising at least $100.00. Their coach also encouraged them to create awareness by telling as many people as they possibly could about these orphans while they were fund raising.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I left the field in awe of their kindness and enthusiasm. I knew these girls were a whole lot more than good soccer players and I couldn't wait to see what they would do!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPk32Ue25xWBZeBX2JyDGLYepmX3B4SQqPLVM6HqAfAhYQzodUem9hjXx_sx0XjrlV_MoVbIgDUz19EcDE05hYD1uHywWkflM34XtmXVjwcasf6w9L1Dwdx0Dda-5_IgbNIp6bIrAi0U/s1600/soccer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPk32Ue25xWBZeBX2JyDGLYepmX3B4SQqPLVM6HqAfAhYQzodUem9hjXx_sx0XjrlV_MoVbIgDUz19EcDE05hYD1uHywWkflM34XtmXVjwcasf6w9L1Dwdx0Dda-5_IgbNIp6bIrAi0U/s320/soccer.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Now fast forward to November when they invited our family to come to their end of the season celebration. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs6UmL10_rf3EL1vnQ3Z8tuMkDC4oigH-MmSUO990Ev4UapC58dUQin6cBux2TRGrJK9cSvoD4f98BxoY5c5JtGXDQqlIpcUKCUD77sG4GLFYU82CRhbOOngwM1itnlAn_bvKrv3Q6J0/s320/2013-11-09+16.06.17.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Once again they fed us, made us feel welcome, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg9y3DdVATqAt4M5ttv1FOUH2hH02LzLJ15muRWG1AOYmAmgH0mdGwddzgZMGQoAbuKeHpfomOlsnW_mimoew3gUAFALb7Ooh6U1qVj3gFMIxIhUxi4SuyynmVCZgMocy-FfaizuL2Ic/s1600/2013-11-09+16.06.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg9y3DdVATqAt4M5ttv1FOUH2hH02LzLJ15muRWG1AOYmAmgH0mdGwddzgZMGQoAbuKeHpfomOlsnW_mimoew3gUAFALb7Ooh6U1qVj3gFMIxIhUxi4SuyynmVCZgMocy-FfaizuL2Ic/s320/2013-11-09+16.06.23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
and had Nash laughing like a mad man!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dTMTTyD8EwSLchXVVJ74mgwBF7lmW_hm3IGMjldSNcEsffUu8sblO1VE06SW6HC1FM2WNPM9G9INS-QuRgRRlJs7FHJcJznw7ncqpiP8igS2NnXf2jx6plhMKTEg_tPl7EzFR-52BVU/s1600/2013-11-09+16.10.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dTMTTyD8EwSLchXVVJ74mgwBF7lmW_hm3IGMjldSNcEsffUu8sblO1VE06SW6HC1FM2WNPM9G9INS-QuRgRRlJs7FHJcJznw7ncqpiP8igS2NnXf2jx6plhMKTEg_tPl7EzFR-52BVU/s320/2013-11-09+16.10.12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
Their coach put together a fun video of their season and then he spoke about the effort the girls had put into their fundraising. It was touching to hear some of the stories...One of the girls had gone from door to door almost every day after school collecting mostly 1 to 5 dollar donations and had raised over $500.00. Two girls had gone to a high school football game together where they found $72.00. They turned the money in but after two weeks no one had claimed it so the money was split and given to them. Both of them were happy to add their $36.00 to the collection for Lark. One of the girls and her little sister entered a pumpkin carving contest, they both won $5.00 which they insisted be given for Lark. These wonderful dedicated selfless girls dug deep and reached outside of their comfort zones which helped them to more than double their initial goal of $1000.00!</div>
<div align="center">
They presented RODS racing with a check for $2105.00!</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G0Ksucp84zjgzLZXzJG0RU1bIOCScvMxCGvfWelw7Fip5Ec5WWGDaNHJaHaJY911eZvZHRCJbfZWErfEfQYQ9bT0OrNri4ysTSxXs8vBgtVyF-6zaE3GN3EA3bkSPX2hBiqIeU8MszE/s1600/2013-11-09+16.52.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G0Ksucp84zjgzLZXzJG0RU1bIOCScvMxCGvfWelw7Fip5Ec5WWGDaNHJaHaJY911eZvZHRCJbfZWErfEfQYQ9bT0OrNri4ysTSxXs8vBgtVyF-6zaE3GN3EA3bkSPX2hBiqIeU8MszE/s640/2013-11-09+16.52.43.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How incredible and inspiring! A team of twelve 10 and 11 year old girls raised over $2000.00 in one month to help a little girl they have never met! I love that you can see the look of joy and accomplishment on their faces in these pictures. These girls learned about so much more than soccer this season. I am sure this is a season they will never forget! When they come together again next season Lark will be home running around with her family! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thank you team Shazam for helping bring Lark one step closer to home! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And a huge thank you to your awesome coaches, Dave and Alan! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What great role models you all are!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Go Shazam!!</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9yqeOZ0dzRZmQo-ATlpP2krBOXgzjVAHpJCzP_q3hIvjbpL_1J5lf0vhMOBL-Eh5IWvaqDMYYFO4Ids142idnRA4WqPHdmoKMq_Gno60CJ4dOXK1rRVYzAQtMPBu7acqfDNQ_GgQV8Q/s1600/2013-11-09+16.53.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9yqeOZ0dzRZmQo-ATlpP2krBOXgzjVAHpJCzP_q3hIvjbpL_1J5lf0vhMOBL-Eh5IWvaqDMYYFO4Ids142idnRA4WqPHdmoKMq_Gno60CJ4dOXK1rRVYzAQtMPBu7acqfDNQ_GgQV8Q/s640/2013-11-09+16.53.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-27821509666019894812013-10-06T11:45:00.000-07:002013-10-06T11:45:10.186-07:00The Innocence and Strength of Our Children<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Here's another great event that took place a few weeks ago. I met Jed Grunig 11 years ago. We became friends and have stayed in touch ever since. Jed joined RODS this year and had a wonderful idea on how to raise some funding for our RODS Orphan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br />Jed is the principal at Bridger Elementary. Here is a summary of the event.</span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Cambria;">RODS Fundraiser -- </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Bridger Elementary</span></em></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>Bridger Elementary school is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a K-5 school located in Logan, Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The school serves a population of students that has 85% of students
receiving free lunch, and 50% minority students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>As a school we set a goal to raise a total of $2,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We felt it was important that we not only
raise money for our focus on Leadership, but to also raise money that would go
to helping others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of our faculty
didn’t think we would be able to reach our goal, but we set out to get it done.</em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>To raise the money we first formed a committee of teachers
with representatives from each grade level, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a parent representative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We first
came up with a list of incentives that students would receive if they brought
in different amounts of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried
to pick things that would be highly motivating for students, and would add much
to our expenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is a list of
prizes:</em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><em>
</em><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: currentColor; margin: auto auto auto 0.45in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: center;">
<em><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Prizes</span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>Bring in<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>Earn<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">$20.00<o:p></o:p></span>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>Chic-Fil-A Lunch<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>&<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">$11.00<o:p></o:p></span>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>Spirit Sleeve<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>&<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>$8.00<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Silly String War<o:p></o:p></span>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>&<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">$5.00<o:p></o:p></span>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Aquatic Center Family Evening </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">(Family of 5)<o:p></o:p></span>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><o:p><em> </em></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35.6pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>&<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.85pt;" valign="top" width="143"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><em>$1.00<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.55pt;" valign="top" width="541"><em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em> Wii dance party</em></span></div>
<em>
</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>Whatever amount a student brought in more then $1.00 they
would receive all the prizes bellow that number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, if a student were to bring in
$11.00 they would get the Spirit Sleeves, Silly String War, Aquatic Center, and
Wii Dance Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>Our expenses were $500 to rent the aquatic center, $1 per
can of Silly String, and $4 per pair of Spirit Sleeves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PTA donated half the cost of the Aquatic
Center so we actually only had an expense of $250. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chic-fil-a donated the cost of the lunches. </em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>The committee then planned an assembly that was designed to
get the kids excited about the project and teach the students about the prizes.
Helping them get familiar with RODS and the work we are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brady came and did a great job showing
pictures and video that really inspired the kids to do a great job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the assembly a group of Harley riders,
and Hot Rod Cars did a drive by, showing their support for what we are doing
and to the students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They parked their
cars and motorcycles on the playground and allowed the students to take a close
look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group also got us started by
donating our first $100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>After the assembly the kids were SUPER excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised though by what they were
excited about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of students told
me they weren’t excited about the prizes, they were excited about helping the
kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>We had volunteers from the PTA go around each morning to
collect the money and we would count it in the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tracked our progress on a big
“thermometer” we created and updated it daily.</em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>The first couple of days we did pretty well, but things
really started picking up when we sent home RODS pass along cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gave the students something to give to
their friends and relatives that they were talking to about the fundraiser that
showed it was legitimate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>It also helped when we started passing out the Spirit
Sleeves that got the kids really excited.</em></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>A 5<sup>th</sup> grade girl that was given up by her mom a
year ago, and is now under the custody of her 20-year-old sister was very
inspirational.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t have $20.00 to
donate so she built a lemonade stand and worked for a week, making $28 all of
which she donated to the fundraiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had families bringing in money that I KNOW didn’t have $20 they could afford to
give, but they wanted to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several
days I cried as I counted the money in my office after school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking about the sacrifices these kids were
making was very moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>Another student told her teacher that he would donate $1 for
any student that couldn’t bring in any money so that their whole class would be
able to go to the Wii Dance Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><em>I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of my school, staff
and students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These kids, most of whom
have so little at home were so generous and caring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hit our goal almost exactly!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After expenses we were able to donate $1,000
to RODS!</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQQ-zKrw-8iqOqU8aKOD33I4HmSM5o43Om5RJGQdgw71EC-4NhXaTqHrMjZdH_vzfJ5j8GoySO-QMTBvxAf7PkHG-zCK11Ck2hR4M5s-gjZK64-I2atXOqH0t_xj9dpXNZp1vUl9v-Mw/s1600/jed1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQQ-zKrw-8iqOqU8aKOD33I4HmSM5o43Om5RJGQdgw71EC-4NhXaTqHrMjZdH_vzfJ5j8GoySO-QMTBvxAf7PkHG-zCK11Ck2hR4M5s-gjZK64-I2atXOqH0t_xj9dpXNZp1vUl9v-Mw/s640/jed1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqsCGhFQ6LeeHXAfJILG-YSjq6JJfiop435OvAFpb9fT2KgMzH4w4aGakajj7-fQgTnZF0oSCBpUfTPu5o-utz6Lf03IRlGyLJ-eEdVZwCnbOCxv1vKXBY5ndnJYFef9VApcVGTtHuX8/s1600/jed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqsCGhFQ6LeeHXAfJILG-YSjq6JJfiop435OvAFpb9fT2KgMzH4w4aGakajj7-fQgTnZF0oSCBpUfTPu5o-utz6Lf03IRlGyLJ-eEdVZwCnbOCxv1vKXBY5ndnJYFef9VApcVGTtHuX8/s640/jed.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEmyOWRsdwYFg0cy-tqiBo4okxfIvweSoFqnb3qQaszMsqkQE_CSfbKlpAJgUN9lqFip_oFzagIsU_THeym8z2zKd79fOHpoexA6wWlaeAv8sg6l2pKLcSIB0b2e40QOYcJeNFDqeHiI/s1600/jed2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEmyOWRsdwYFg0cy-tqiBo4okxfIvweSoFqnb3qQaszMsqkQE_CSfbKlpAJgUN9lqFip_oFzagIsU_THeym8z2zKd79fOHpoexA6wWlaeAv8sg6l2pKLcSIB0b2e40QOYcJeNFDqeHiI/s640/jed2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSahm20jeRIFzmfx4VMLRNMupON1yEs1GCahdVYzmPzIoet1y_K19km9YJdsPq1EBFzEi1anzL_RZvVXGFp8LC1PyCa4RLlVbBIkEs0XpRABLfF9MH30uWVZ4SneqRE0ykc6nrIF4nFLY/s1600/jed3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSahm20jeRIFzmfx4VMLRNMupON1yEs1GCahdVYzmPzIoet1y_K19km9YJdsPq1EBFzEi1anzL_RZvVXGFp8LC1PyCa4RLlVbBIkEs0XpRABLfF9MH30uWVZ4SneqRE0ykc6nrIF4nFLY/s640/jed3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-17557998082071398322013-10-06T11:34:00.004-07:002013-10-06T14:09:06.922-07:00Angels Among Us...A few weeks ago we had our annual race in Meridian. One of the race participants had a special surprise prepared for us that day.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year Brooklyn McKenzie had a dream not unlike many grade school kids, which was to go to Disneyland. She had a plan on how to do it as well. She would pick berries from the family garden and make jam and jelly to sell. It was sure to work!<br />
<br />
Shortly after her endeavors started she made a decision that most kids wouldn't, she decided to forego the dream of Disneyland and instead raise money for a little orphan who has Down syndrome in South America she had never met so that he could have a family and so that he could someday go to Disneyland too. <br />
<br />
Brooklyn labored all summer picking the berries, making the jam and then going door to door telling the story of this little orphaned boy and what she was doing to help. One jar at a time she started to make a difference. The difference was small at first then it grew. By the time she was done, she had collected $562! After her story ran on KSL, a couple in St. George donated enough to make it $842! <br />
<br />
Here's another amazing part of this story. As a team, RODS has been raising funding for months for Vaughn, but we weren't quite there yet. Our goal was to raise $15,000. After having dozens of athletes all over the country racing all summer we had made it to $14,500. That's when I got a call from Brooklyn's mom. <br />
<br />
She put the phone on speaker and handed it to Brooklyn. I heard an innocent little voice tell me what she had been up to. She even recited the script she had prepared to help promote the jam. In the end she told me the amount that she had raised. Chills came over me as I knew that this was just enough to get Vaughn over the $15,000 mark! It seemed fitting that a 7 year old would be the one to get our little 7 year old orphan to the goal.<br />
<br />
This experience has reminded me of something I firmly believe which is...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.<br />
<br />
Because of Brooklyn's example, we have made her an honorary member of RODS. Brooklyn's example as well as some other experiences and suggestions from team members I have had recently has spurred on the thought of starting a Junior RODS team. There are many kids that could make a difference similar to Brooklyn. This would be a great experience for them and for us to take part in. <br />
<br />
I have a feeling that Brooklyn's work is going to turn out to be something that neither her or her family could have imagined. Again, by small and simple things are great things brought to pass...<br />
<br />
Thank you Brooklyn McKenzie for following that ever small voice that whispered to you "That Vaughn needed a family more than you needed to go to Disneyland." Because of your willingness to follow this prompting you truly made the world a better place!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAZb4QDtq68cG1l7XiKpEFJ2zaOXWuoXSAXA-m5huJogQdukdz-tgdeC87VL607ZBtBRGygewNPK_Xeya7Flop7itd4C3whP3ecL3OdUp5RpwDiOPeszw4NkZaUR4CrHSd7GFGslKqNA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAZb4QDtq68cG1l7XiKpEFJ2zaOXWuoXSAXA-m5huJogQdukdz-tgdeC87VL607ZBtBRGygewNPK_Xeya7Flop7itd4C3whP3ecL3OdUp5RpwDiOPeszw4NkZaUR4CrHSd7GFGslKqNA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.ksl.com/api/jwplayer/player.php?file=http://media.ksl.com/1379987974-2038182989.mp4&image=http://media.ksl.com/1379987974-2038182989.jpg&width=640&height=360" width="640">
</iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UQd0URevHdbXblfT_vtwlmZCjg4QgvYGI7SuXEUeMys3jTGvs_wRKqcV747lFcsIctCqSOu1x34MIfqZFHa5P8Qzh1RJFTJ9ps-jqvftnoSb9DuNnYkOFQaKc4rl81FyuH4Haiqd_yw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UQd0URevHdbXblfT_vtwlmZCjg4QgvYGI7SuXEUeMys3jTGvs_wRKqcV747lFcsIctCqSOu1x34MIfqZFHa5P8Qzh1RJFTJ9ps-jqvftnoSb9DuNnYkOFQaKc4rl81FyuH4Haiqd_yw/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-38431123074786620472013-09-29T17:35:00.000-07:002013-09-29T17:45:46.416-07:002nd Annual RODS Race for Vaughn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've had some incredible fundraising events over the last year and a half. As I look back at all the different ideas I can easily pick out the RODS Fun Run as one of my all-time favorites. That's why I was a little bummed when my career took me down a different path that didn't include me living in Meridian earlier this year. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I moved from Idaho to Utah I knew that the likelihood of being able to do another community race in Meridian probably was very slim. With my new job, the move and everything else we had going on with RODS it just seemed like it was going to be too much for me to handle. At least that was my mindset until later that summer went on I got a phone call from Angela Redding to talk about doing another race.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As many of you who may have followed this blog over the last 18 months have come to find out, Angela Redding is a RAINMAKER when it comes to events. She was the brainchild behind the snow cones for Kona campaign. She also organized the Tyler Stenson concert last year as well as was a major part of the first RODS Fun Run. So when Angela called to talk about organizing another race despite the fact that I lived in another state I listened. It only took a few minutes of conversation to convince me that this was a great idea. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I knew from the onset that I wasn't going to be able to attend the event. This was hard for me but I've also come to the realization over the last few months that the only way this organization is going to grow to it's fullest potential is if individuals like Angela are given opportunities to take the ball and run with it with or without me. And run with it she did!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Similar to last year, Angela decided to do some "multi-tasking" for the race. "In addition to saving orphans, why not help a young man out with his Eagle Scout Project", she said. That young man's name is Jonny Holm. He did a fantastic job in taking charge and organizing this race alongside Angela. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In addition to Angela and Jonny's efforts, there were some incredible people in the community who stepped up and volunteered their time and talents as well. Special thanks (in no particular order) to Docena Holm, Tracy Coltrin, Randy Stenson, Kerry Stenson, Shauna Jenks, Chelsea Rippy, Tiffany Erickson, Leah Stenson, Sheena Lindholm, Carrie Paternoster, Alexis Jorgenson, Lori Jorgenson, Kim Redding, Michael Nelson, Maria Hoagland, Becki Goodwin, Brian Preece, all the timers, Erin Larkin, Rachel Jessen and the activity day girls signs and especially to ALL OUR RACERS WHO CAME OUT FOR THE BIG DAY!!! As well, I'd also like to send a special thanks to FRANZ, our special guest who once again was the life of the event!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'd also like to thank all of those who sponsored the event. If you have any chance to use any of their professional services, PLEASE DO SO! These individuals are the reason why there was so much good that was accomplished during this race!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzeELIKOreQZkZRTv3zSM_nxKkpGGhRj8L8uqBrxuiD-snni8MCgSamGceuJFmAuyLSTpqweY_X0Sl4puwtqucIIb5avZOu-0IVA7lvPYLoyR_kx-Vyub-bXRIdqNXDHUs-MPY7NNlGg/s1600/viewer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzeELIKOreQZkZRTv3zSM_nxKkpGGhRj8L8uqBrxuiD-snni8MCgSamGceuJFmAuyLSTpqweY_X0Sl4puwtqucIIb5avZOu-0IVA7lvPYLoyR_kx-Vyub-bXRIdqNXDHUs-MPY7NNlGg/s640/viewer.png" width="494" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the end, this event played a major part in RODS Racing reaching our ultimate goal of raising $15,000 for Vaughn, a young orphan in Columbia who has Down syndrome. This money will go towards the adoption costs in bringing Vaughn home! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One housekeeping item is the race shirts or better yet, lack there of. We had over 60% percent of our participants sign up less than 8 days before the race. We LOVE the participation but it put us in a bit of a pickle with race shirts that had been ordered. The good news is we have a big order in for more shirts that will be done the week of October 10th. As soon as we get the shirts we'll be in touch to get them to you. Sorry for the delay!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
RODS Racing has continued to grow in a way that nobody could imagine just a short 18 months ago. My son Nash was the original inspiration for RODS. However, that inspiration now comes from so many others as well. It's individuals like Angela and all the other volunteers for the race that personally take on the call to action to do something outside of their comfort zone with the intention to simply do good in the world that make RODS Racing what it is today. It's because of these selfless acts that a young boy has a chance at life now. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For that I want to say one last THANK YOU to each of you for being who you are and doing what you do for Orphans with Down Syndrome. Here's a few pictures from the days events. You can see all of the race pictures at <a href="http://www.hisheena.smugmug.com/" target="_blank">HISSHEENA.SMUGMUG.COM</a> Huge thanks to Sheena Lindholm for volunteering her professional photography services for the event!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Keep training and keep up the great work! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Brady</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MFQgH_kdeOS4fAqzqWxAtmJrR69ZOuaibbg8zNoEOvntvLegXgP54-U0xWEikdBeu6Ws04GjvzR9e_NRG83qJq8LW9aMMHXJC49ZDc00DfodoPfoTOGXEKvAV6sBFqH_Z9cKtLwSps0/s1600/IMG_0004-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MFQgH_kdeOS4fAqzqWxAtmJrR69ZOuaibbg8zNoEOvntvLegXgP54-U0xWEikdBeu6Ws04GjvzR9e_NRG83qJq8LW9aMMHXJC49ZDc00DfodoPfoTOGXEKvAV6sBFqH_Z9cKtLwSps0/s400/IMG_0004-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtZtKgktv8Li4K8OzFAnzI2yNfS1S-UiVy5o5iSp10ZkEND8eT2d1K07DXzMXztGblfXa4YWRIUSiAuEwLF5tHq3tYrnYcy_lxfTVVu6Htiixg3B12k_5nqLyQhlJdRx6JLVxbc5QuA4/s1600/IMG_0013-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtZtKgktv8Li4K8OzFAnzI2yNfS1S-UiVy5o5iSp10ZkEND8eT2d1K07DXzMXztGblfXa4YWRIUSiAuEwLF5tHq3tYrnYcy_lxfTVVu6Htiixg3B12k_5nqLyQhlJdRx6JLVxbc5QuA4/s400/IMG_0013-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8iOqy_QytumRh5MtL1O8zEp8EjB3PoN6my3scBvoEMBagayrIfFYMmtd6ixmcJIOj5jK38QHvTmxa4jfDA7glhcT-LuiWImtyXbuT-HT30nuomn9LyENQC-MZC6MbueyHYEMTBoQJMM/s1600/IMG_0017-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8iOqy_QytumRh5MtL1O8zEp8EjB3PoN6my3scBvoEMBagayrIfFYMmtd6ixmcJIOj5jK38QHvTmxa4jfDA7glhcT-LuiWImtyXbuT-HT30nuomn9LyENQC-MZC6MbueyHYEMTBoQJMM/s400/IMG_0017-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WLHj_MjJtw9kDFlN_dEGqlRdvXdHKUBizCUwZJDKoswC46WCrCv84pwgRHEr7Zlvv1D7bzYX1q9oHJhqS9gXoF8WpC5ZhN2sf015ZExHr04yp8nBESDwrrn5-FRZhMIgWMd_xgkyWx4/s1600/IMG_0028-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WLHj_MjJtw9kDFlN_dEGqlRdvXdHKUBizCUwZJDKoswC46WCrCv84pwgRHEr7Zlvv1D7bzYX1q9oHJhqS9gXoF8WpC5ZhN2sf015ZExHr04yp8nBESDwrrn5-FRZhMIgWMd_xgkyWx4/s400/IMG_0028-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXMVy4XKo3Y_Q9allmBcNRg4OnRddX08zZyTt1iZx_WAtW5z1NzGyXuiT6hWDa3cV_ncyLD6cnbVcoIhdX5-Z2YX7kSiwy3LrjJQ9Dk0xk1ePRREYeCcI0-TXf8ama96TtIUrl8RCKvs/s1600/IMG_0051-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXMVy4XKo3Y_Q9allmBcNRg4OnRddX08zZyTt1iZx_WAtW5z1NzGyXuiT6hWDa3cV_ncyLD6cnbVcoIhdX5-Z2YX7kSiwy3LrjJQ9Dk0xk1ePRREYeCcI0-TXf8ama96TtIUrl8RCKvs/s400/IMG_0051-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIU7kS77Do1MOxRFUKps6ewryP1YrTAzkXMjlQkLvW3mijBqGbQP5XxHHDtlr40ZqOAu-yYa01EG0SzAD3wpVe7HJSJ7eK9fq4aJVLOdNI2x_8JnWqDvLtzk5xzlFul7T9-FUmsquz_U/s1600/IMG_0059-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIU7kS77Do1MOxRFUKps6ewryP1YrTAzkXMjlQkLvW3mijBqGbQP5XxHHDtlr40ZqOAu-yYa01EG0SzAD3wpVe7HJSJ7eK9fq4aJVLOdNI2x_8JnWqDvLtzk5xzlFul7T9-FUmsquz_U/s400/IMG_0059-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4ATgkj-ZKlLfz-TaFRkNUoPIS1LpTJZ46BpSWgO2w3CgrX_eUzsnGhkVesaVrupYV2xJj3URR4TGlM_r6a8PtC78nGvRk8SyRaZgxJx2Ipc08uJnwhgiYyzqRNfeQNbRQ4OTiasuxQ/s1600/IMG_0097-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4ATgkj-ZKlLfz-TaFRkNUoPIS1LpTJZ46BpSWgO2w3CgrX_eUzsnGhkVesaVrupYV2xJj3URR4TGlM_r6a8PtC78nGvRk8SyRaZgxJx2Ipc08uJnwhgiYyzqRNfeQNbRQ4OTiasuxQ/s400/IMG_0097-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaxF2I8JvA3h6pKxE-laW-Ojjkibj9xN-_D6NypSpc2yB95h20zSdPHeVNDhW57lIHet-ygLoa7psH2_iQUgUL2ANwiouG5B8N_1H1rfJFlvJjENaBPQeP8p9KPOBtHC9moHsplx3AYw/s1600/IMG_0107-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaxF2I8JvA3h6pKxE-laW-Ojjkibj9xN-_D6NypSpc2yB95h20zSdPHeVNDhW57lIHet-ygLoa7psH2_iQUgUL2ANwiouG5B8N_1H1rfJFlvJjENaBPQeP8p9KPOBtHC9moHsplx3AYw/s400/IMG_0107-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTLwcp3Nk2XNnN0aI6YKxxQkxP3J_Gd_4_LADb02SxblWZ7GSWF1FYBFMoEDRhnQ3EsLS01fL8ev1-Oecl0maPwVtA57cPMBNrv2lUpOVuMwLHl7HoVvai5Ih_fgs5tJjiV98aAgH07U/s1600/IMG_0129-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTLwcp3Nk2XNnN0aI6YKxxQkxP3J_Gd_4_LADb02SxblWZ7GSWF1FYBFMoEDRhnQ3EsLS01fL8ev1-Oecl0maPwVtA57cPMBNrv2lUpOVuMwLHl7HoVvai5Ih_fgs5tJjiV98aAgH07U/s400/IMG_0129-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrHg941_EZ6AWpwEd7KpTZ9Z_NHOsZkcV8DK1qOxXE-i3y3YCGmMWdMQS29NPjmDt9_4KvxPPeoXIqO0Osrh4byGBdoh745h_8rGqcJGj37TYbcKJLcmold9vX6G-D5HBBYEF8nUHB2g/s1600/IMG_0133-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrHg941_EZ6AWpwEd7KpTZ9Z_NHOsZkcV8DK1qOxXE-i3y3YCGmMWdMQS29NPjmDt9_4KvxPPeoXIqO0Osrh4byGBdoh745h_8rGqcJGj37TYbcKJLcmold9vX6G-D5HBBYEF8nUHB2g/s400/IMG_0133-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjFesnU263QXg9SD9Zp1QWc2ghkEdIRm3LPx4CsTE0DBWYtQ1YuETj6yzqSmtAKi60IKN1SMKbjGwS-RNLKHom_CGDYRG-fcWb-7HWkL_CJcT-hxMNLMLsxH50J6y3aZ3H-5BaSOU1_M/s1600/IMG_0167-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjFesnU263QXg9SD9Zp1QWc2ghkEdIRm3LPx4CsTE0DBWYtQ1YuETj6yzqSmtAKi60IKN1SMKbjGwS-RNLKHom_CGDYRG-fcWb-7HWkL_CJcT-hxMNLMLsxH50J6y3aZ3H-5BaSOU1_M/s400/IMG_0167-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJ_q2e9bCbq8vYnJ6SdLk_lxpxfJXHwvnKHujArhGU8uigP7YCmil6d6wDeZY5n9GRoh-ac464aWf4Y5QT2QDSVMjraaSUgg_YmFdeXw7oiHE4KeXHCJkqLZPy4d5SBb-w-yRveofa0M/s1600/IMG_0172-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJ_q2e9bCbq8vYnJ6SdLk_lxpxfJXHwvnKHujArhGU8uigP7YCmil6d6wDeZY5n9GRoh-ac464aWf4Y5QT2QDSVMjraaSUgg_YmFdeXw7oiHE4KeXHCJkqLZPy4d5SBb-w-yRveofa0M/s400/IMG_0172-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyixOgqsE6UDR_Unuy1SXIze3FuM7avAw4Sk6EYLWmjpgN5FCWiX0RPVR_dhO08fFSR4e-X9jRmd6O44ReV0VW9SzZMOs6vmoBRmfU20cKrlNiRKsCAuvTFn3R357Io-avXEA8UlQlak/s1600/IMG_0180-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyixOgqsE6UDR_Unuy1SXIze3FuM7avAw4Sk6EYLWmjpgN5FCWiX0RPVR_dhO08fFSR4e-X9jRmd6O44ReV0VW9SzZMOs6vmoBRmfU20cKrlNiRKsCAuvTFn3R357Io-avXEA8UlQlak/s400/IMG_0180-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYkxOFCUU89ybxD2uVa9PwIG5AXUwgI2hHGSr3oB_Dl3iWbAlQ2-IWb4MIHBFCJb8JqG-MRr1jdajYQnzMXhRSsFcwBDUVVVH3cHHfQwm85Qc4qbG-GncFhJRt_7jzpx-FFrPo5IeHYo/s1600/IMG_0185-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYkxOFCUU89ybxD2uVa9PwIG5AXUwgI2hHGSr3oB_Dl3iWbAlQ2-IWb4MIHBFCJb8JqG-MRr1jdajYQnzMXhRSsFcwBDUVVVH3cHHfQwm85Qc4qbG-GncFhJRt_7jzpx-FFrPo5IeHYo/s400/IMG_0185-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAsJrYbTy1zjPZwBGtcljexYonrB2S1jZRjsQETn4DbuU5Qkldo8NsBqOKX4wQxikjhazeqpZdd-ZNyp9eOODjkw-Dz_Ea-2jmmfX1Nj1Xt9Mv0zJ2dbIgOnslkFW2A-QoxLHLqhHR9M/s1600/IMG_0194-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAsJrYbTy1zjPZwBGtcljexYonrB2S1jZRjsQETn4DbuU5Qkldo8NsBqOKX4wQxikjhazeqpZdd-ZNyp9eOODjkw-Dz_Ea-2jmmfX1Nj1Xt9Mv0zJ2dbIgOnslkFW2A-QoxLHLqhHR9M/s400/IMG_0194-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XgkHMAUVhbNDyDR4OA7JSJuQgKaAIcAe3eiepxYKNuaSlafdHC81d5XOcCuWHQcB84Tn9y6NasOGk8kx_9yF2bOF_lggyEv6Iqs-RuuAkg9Ej7fvCIU8K3ppFNZlpKlo5bIjyrSdHoQ/s1600/IMG_0256-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XgkHMAUVhbNDyDR4OA7JSJuQgKaAIcAe3eiepxYKNuaSlafdHC81d5XOcCuWHQcB84Tn9y6NasOGk8kx_9yF2bOF_lggyEv6Iqs-RuuAkg9Ej7fvCIU8K3ppFNZlpKlo5bIjyrSdHoQ/s400/IMG_0256-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX240Thrke-pKn9BYyO_TRJMrrIdiRiTbg6fTRyBx0ThMlcRMcVE42fxREoL_jdACABBl70ClksM8lx8FkCKksoTq4JE98q_jXvwAZxYAIJOqFNcPNmCfW6Y2sHdmHSJWF8bDoiQCpXAo/s1600/IMG_0423-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX240Thrke-pKn9BYyO_TRJMrrIdiRiTbg6fTRyBx0ThMlcRMcVE42fxREoL_jdACABBl70ClksM8lx8FkCKksoTq4JE98q_jXvwAZxYAIJOqFNcPNmCfW6Y2sHdmHSJWF8bDoiQCpXAo/s400/IMG_0423-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRBajA8QAdPtoOdlKN8Y3E2PhkA5xV3DKW0YpjBNytjlUQv3ReBXVTmfek6O-7l8t3YCbL3fAvPX70SDcP2DttKymrUzUmtkkwzD0EPzBEXq96VXQuMv9nLCQ4bqGvdolNKeA5lqHuuA/s1600/IMG_0428-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRBajA8QAdPtoOdlKN8Y3E2PhkA5xV3DKW0YpjBNytjlUQv3ReBXVTmfek6O-7l8t3YCbL3fAvPX70SDcP2DttKymrUzUmtkkwzD0EPzBEXq96VXQuMv9nLCQ4bqGvdolNKeA5lqHuuA/s400/IMG_0428-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj7Le5YPE4-o5z9PhQeecpZFr9n-l_vIFHBFOBr_uH2_i8DG9lUSTNdtRGDvrKtS0Qv5B1kUMMddC6uIPL3IV0bR_pSC3XpPY2F7izaDtl1YqbSA9Z5fNTcR_TDUqv6djPu0GzGtiQFM/s1600/IMG_0437-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj7Le5YPE4-o5z9PhQeecpZFr9n-l_vIFHBFOBr_uH2_i8DG9lUSTNdtRGDvrKtS0Qv5B1kUMMddC6uIPL3IV0bR_pSC3XpPY2F7izaDtl1YqbSA9Z5fNTcR_TDUqv6djPu0GzGtiQFM/s400/IMG_0437-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkr5hR2kIMBTpOamgEwEJPFmBnRoLhikDWfxKqdeZzmqBefTFm7ClfHX3qJGeZm36HrjZGbkVqtXxKEz4Wl6l7yUEhWUAzZ0pvoj_-MLeinW8LaNU6NPkMueW8aeEqukWTcuz4ulW8R90/s1600/IMG_0440-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkr5hR2kIMBTpOamgEwEJPFmBnRoLhikDWfxKqdeZzmqBefTFm7ClfHX3qJGeZm36HrjZGbkVqtXxKEz4Wl6l7yUEhWUAzZ0pvoj_-MLeinW8LaNU6NPkMueW8aeEqukWTcuz4ulW8R90/s400/IMG_0440-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8JpBCYuwwfV8GQo7FhMEDARWW4XIipkvx04fU0EYfX_oYvtszIWog7yA7d8cuF4BDI7zqMgvZL-uvE7uBIAnoWISBfdPn3y2HxbmqojsBov7vQbgwdtIlcSVNnuXC0t30RUTlKmZ82A/s1600/IMG_0441-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8JpBCYuwwfV8GQo7FhMEDARWW4XIipkvx04fU0EYfX_oYvtszIWog7yA7d8cuF4BDI7zqMgvZL-uvE7uBIAnoWISBfdPn3y2HxbmqojsBov7vQbgwdtIlcSVNnuXC0t30RUTlKmZ82A/s400/IMG_0441-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXTqi7zI3QCHgatqtLQzBu1IVwh1VXn9Mi44y00L3m3YbwK7rlJ7fe8DepITyMjlNGmQAqBVF096WVl-H7wynWd_sjeQtkBT7pwOFO6MUPO1lo7i9zf2QH8dSjC1CRp6nkXbqigTvMaw/s1600/IMG_0447-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXTqi7zI3QCHgatqtLQzBu1IVwh1VXn9Mi44y00L3m3YbwK7rlJ7fe8DepITyMjlNGmQAqBVF096WVl-H7wynWd_sjeQtkBT7pwOFO6MUPO1lo7i9zf2QH8dSjC1CRp6nkXbqigTvMaw/s400/IMG_0447-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78WalVwDtkv2aHbhMJaIeBSf55lLf2nEVtcMFtUajeACoFJj0jQBog8pFlkzF4RzB-dAy4ljpBqcyNK7U_PWq3Vx2xzhacl9VKgm-nkPQW7aLDb3lk1Z9bXztUb8y3ANq1WX1cREXeEk/s1600/IMG_0450-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78WalVwDtkv2aHbhMJaIeBSf55lLf2nEVtcMFtUajeACoFJj0jQBog8pFlkzF4RzB-dAy4ljpBqcyNK7U_PWq3Vx2xzhacl9VKgm-nkPQW7aLDb3lk1Z9bXztUb8y3ANq1WX1cREXeEk/s400/IMG_0450-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdcLIG_4nHTJm68HHbr6NSbdcMW1uPFOi5FPWiIz4yj8Q4eew3b2CeTqffug2QgOjR4LGUvY4H3BCKCiBbE_HzMyQkdbcRtMDTfqAruYx6vHq-Qjw0_Tu-JsDFRSOwc_olB87hsUm52c/s1600/IMG_0468-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdcLIG_4nHTJm68HHbr6NSbdcMW1uPFOi5FPWiIz4yj8Q4eew3b2CeTqffug2QgOjR4LGUvY4H3BCKCiBbE_HzMyQkdbcRtMDTfqAruYx6vHq-Qjw0_Tu-JsDFRSOwc_olB87hsUm52c/s400/IMG_0468-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzKivJxEDKA-p2rJaFNKO3XoZriS2f7y-LZD8-sTlKti_CuLBJYa2i2bHM-gxY9_XDBsWSVI6XV5YCpdV3pZUMxH0lClpHVeMg5scPMjDV_sUsKLt2wEApVdYi1cjDheLnmoKgp7OiVc/s1600/IMG_0472-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzKivJxEDKA-p2rJaFNKO3XoZriS2f7y-LZD8-sTlKti_CuLBJYa2i2bHM-gxY9_XDBsWSVI6XV5YCpdV3pZUMxH0lClpHVeMg5scPMjDV_sUsKLt2wEApVdYi1cjDheLnmoKgp7OiVc/s400/IMG_0472-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsmpDWgr3OJqAi_98Yytj7-fa1LtyTPsua0j9nvRXoNrWb2Xuz9jOvK7bEiT_SDUFip4dIsZ4ywQdkTdCkbN9hRj0Vuc03QkgJkJn1_CMqVYKZVwe8s5gR2-vAR8-JJnRCJr-QdKd4tk/s1600/IMG_0484-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsmpDWgr3OJqAi_98Yytj7-fa1LtyTPsua0j9nvRXoNrWb2Xuz9jOvK7bEiT_SDUFip4dIsZ4ywQdkTdCkbN9hRj0Vuc03QkgJkJn1_CMqVYKZVwe8s5gR2-vAR8-JJnRCJr-QdKd4tk/s400/IMG_0484-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5FLsrndU2B0tg5iy2Fc4nk7sFXNGJf5jf70qlGCPsIqv_3s5_t4w8OLlH-aQw1HZJOpWuTVvITGMPCue7bYuLZ8HG041QVN6ca1denjB8_r1yGuDXnlfLZELzRQ5Eu5Au-A2Qn2-rRc/s1600/IMG_0493-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5FLsrndU2B0tg5iy2Fc4nk7sFXNGJf5jf70qlGCPsIqv_3s5_t4w8OLlH-aQw1HZJOpWuTVvITGMPCue7bYuLZ8HG041QVN6ca1denjB8_r1yGuDXnlfLZELzRQ5Eu5Au-A2Qn2-rRc/s400/IMG_0493-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDmtnCWrvD1Id3AkwwnEvPumUJFuak-LoYcXz0qHkR1qi_bl8pNMWLjb0Nc1ucHjKkG_8dcJRrQEvOt7ct7IvvsXkqJa8TtF5BkVKGmNEkQLOav10RE3eClxln7Ozf4SEhxiGNxjkQG0/s1600/IMG_0510-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDmtnCWrvD1Id3AkwwnEvPumUJFuak-LoYcXz0qHkR1qi_bl8pNMWLjb0Nc1ucHjKkG_8dcJRrQEvOt7ct7IvvsXkqJa8TtF5BkVKGmNEkQLOav10RE3eClxln7Ozf4SEhxiGNxjkQG0/s400/IMG_0510-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeZTT4xv1mH4QaQGNLhran5-trZX5zNpneXQire6ehfV_bLEFuuOV4UiZItBs2utG3oJhr3LaC16aJ4qaIJBrURKdo4n-QVC2CB90_Mi_bQoph6BeLqcY_LscQLoKktTZLbDMaLc9ei4/s1600/IMG_0519-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeZTT4xv1mH4QaQGNLhran5-trZX5zNpneXQire6ehfV_bLEFuuOV4UiZItBs2utG3oJhr3LaC16aJ4qaIJBrURKdo4n-QVC2CB90_Mi_bQoph6BeLqcY_LscQLoKktTZLbDMaLc9ei4/s400/IMG_0519-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7upV-k-HKDBhMos7nIPy0jAGuLoMaYHReTksDxoIU09AH_iLFSsTOlKU7bwm7taUXKtEy8kNCFvmDsn8Wlr_27doNt3eBa3D9Qh6MVIk6ZYuTGRKb0lqpMoBykVrqi1g8tcEe4yd-WBo/s1600/IMG_0523-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7upV-k-HKDBhMos7nIPy0jAGuLoMaYHReTksDxoIU09AH_iLFSsTOlKU7bwm7taUXKtEy8kNCFvmDsn8Wlr_27doNt3eBa3D9Qh6MVIk6ZYuTGRKb0lqpMoBykVrqi1g8tcEe4yd-WBo/s400/IMG_0523-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwAI05R4fKxS_Dcjhw-49pWbGsIe8D8mmMPsGLYxSSoCq6IqWxeZDYqJTzOAmfQSPizMmTpIsvWweI5kPcd4hw_5TdETbPRb5KF5BWAeQ9CuzauVgXfqi4rGHCfd-ycDLK51FsY5k_PQ/s1600/IMG_0529-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwAI05R4fKxS_Dcjhw-49pWbGsIe8D8mmMPsGLYxSSoCq6IqWxeZDYqJTzOAmfQSPizMmTpIsvWweI5kPcd4hw_5TdETbPRb5KF5BWAeQ9CuzauVgXfqi4rGHCfd-ycDLK51FsY5k_PQ/s400/IMG_0529-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOhuh_gSppUeiBAzUBGb0Xpt6sTVe1N8UrF68m0Vw3f6YeY6dgKG_QK1_woEHuClAva_cAUIRKEKKZN8TnAFu4YkDOU5ap9_snoj3EDoc4t6HGSs57_jbsN9ySbpJa1dWsGLI66j0QH4/s1600/IMG_0532-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOhuh_gSppUeiBAzUBGb0Xpt6sTVe1N8UrF68m0Vw3f6YeY6dgKG_QK1_woEHuClAva_cAUIRKEKKZN8TnAFu4YkDOU5ap9_snoj3EDoc4t6HGSs57_jbsN9ySbpJa1dWsGLI66j0QH4/s400/IMG_0532-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8C-6i15S6GOhUYjXsLVKR_H6ddcmZLXJ7R1Rl9fN75uTBANJdSf2AzrIbdaI8Jvay_hjv_ZXmgqz5h_RLlhWkAfShQzJ-fUWTJmGwXM-B1jkgRiXrY4HvFd5Wb-swcsSH2RACO-rEio/s1600/IMG_0541-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8C-6i15S6GOhUYjXsLVKR_H6ddcmZLXJ7R1Rl9fN75uTBANJdSf2AzrIbdaI8Jvay_hjv_ZXmgqz5h_RLlhWkAfShQzJ-fUWTJmGwXM-B1jkgRiXrY4HvFd5Wb-swcsSH2RACO-rEio/s400/IMG_0541-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpWvstsld_in2dmrJksfZdN55TvtN1lbjeqOfxuk1uVg5_w8Ij6G1zJtrbZeUXF_xJQRcDUuZqx9YX5HnItPptXaHBR7ovkys92mi_0MYaevvf9_DCn4uHa0BOVmUWHOTx5dtaeBDMlg/s1600/IMG_0561-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpWvstsld_in2dmrJksfZdN55TvtN1lbjeqOfxuk1uVg5_w8Ij6G1zJtrbZeUXF_xJQRcDUuZqx9YX5HnItPptXaHBR7ovkys92mi_0MYaevvf9_DCn4uHa0BOVmUWHOTx5dtaeBDMlg/s400/IMG_0561-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wKrDw8_3P5mqN2qATUr6X5vonxDgZvZc47PQZPCP6x058spW6DJ4AGLBuQdvMes52L3l0J8HB9jqx2mPWwYgfFknRjoTlZXvMs8BKUuchcOxRCvykdibT0ym2jd2dKSZZep_vlU_qJc/s1600/IMG_0589-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wKrDw8_3P5mqN2qATUr6X5vonxDgZvZc47PQZPCP6x058spW6DJ4AGLBuQdvMes52L3l0J8HB9jqx2mPWwYgfFknRjoTlZXvMs8BKUuchcOxRCvykdibT0ym2jd2dKSZZep_vlU_qJc/s400/IMG_0589-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQwzQo7oJO_cqBPohdERnI2aMj5KleSsGIebv-veOuUbTASYIf5rb9a2jxyqOr7_fq3gZ7KYoUHLUroqIQLt5YNchyphenhyphenrRTBAKgYi8amoXf3OduaJ56I8_ibpkXbQ5zJ0d9DGRygqEI0IQ/s1600/IMG_0594-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQwzQo7oJO_cqBPohdERnI2aMj5KleSsGIebv-veOuUbTASYIf5rb9a2jxyqOr7_fq3gZ7KYoUHLUroqIQLt5YNchyphenhyphenrRTBAKgYi8amoXf3OduaJ56I8_ibpkXbQ5zJ0d9DGRygqEI0IQ/s400/IMG_0594-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhKlksGoGu1XpVBl_SR1Qqe0Gnp82jxYH3TKjgzUkP6KV8eRJ86SEZ7d7R459M0DDSX6hZ-K5bTa54AcfDBxbe6E9WJGzsZakthTCHTPwcP2saeuio6FGV6uM2b1-Tab5UwQsRxshm4A/s1600/IMG_0599-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhKlksGoGu1XpVBl_SR1Qqe0Gnp82jxYH3TKjgzUkP6KV8eRJ86SEZ7d7R459M0DDSX6hZ-K5bTa54AcfDBxbe6E9WJGzsZakthTCHTPwcP2saeuio6FGV6uM2b1-Tab5UwQsRxshm4A/s400/IMG_0599-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvMVZsCq_Sru5ihEPf9TQ-_RH-5EwT5p9ZqAYhoCHaR-7_JpFxj6TseMd3uTf67CzlRHCjLyPDz3QoSQgG0EAuZvJJotPn_kgIDiTs20OTdWktQ23tPRWOcGck7ugeCPnc6201bv2nc/s1600/IMG_0610-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvMVZsCq_Sru5ihEPf9TQ-_RH-5EwT5p9ZqAYhoCHaR-7_JpFxj6TseMd3uTf67CzlRHCjLyPDz3QoSQgG0EAuZvJJotPn_kgIDiTs20OTdWktQ23tPRWOcGck7ugeCPnc6201bv2nc/s400/IMG_0610-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBujWUM3txL_rUE6UHXWgvp5m4FUBo9-fWnlEa4wxEkwu6dD84Jtq5BarbKnF8fiG0Sp4gMyR-wslXwp7jGFuEWBN7Hwq3j8bxSlSF3nOSngB0WZWlN-vSIyz5Bqy5gqm7YUNDQYTBHxk/s1600/IMG_0618-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBujWUM3txL_rUE6UHXWgvp5m4FUBo9-fWnlEa4wxEkwu6dD84Jtq5BarbKnF8fiG0Sp4gMyR-wslXwp7jGFuEWBN7Hwq3j8bxSlSF3nOSngB0WZWlN-vSIyz5Bqy5gqm7YUNDQYTBHxk/s400/IMG_0618-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ-qw2zGQcL3uJAPtTkK50bCA0thKluOcCN_lirmGo2x01JRRqNi7sEMIgA5sN6lmHpYCUCfGfRe943ZdBpiJnptsDecauKEHnzGzdxyNfH8RW9Kkljd0uz1dBM25Bot25ljRZje358Y/s1600/IMG_9850-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ-qw2zGQcL3uJAPtTkK50bCA0thKluOcCN_lirmGo2x01JRRqNi7sEMIgA5sN6lmHpYCUCfGfRe943ZdBpiJnptsDecauKEHnzGzdxyNfH8RW9Kkljd0uz1dBM25Bot25ljRZje358Y/s400/IMG_9850-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW5OEsGXmKLocPefXTQCt8__1MgrAkXOy-JI25-PeuRd7COv7N0blNqfF0HCMDiThCS_Jz12UcUYFJ7W6wbgY4FaFqDWViW7Ix241_1d7wVvzKbCkBaPg14c4TH2CBx9VZR9YAuOj21M/s1600/IMG_9869-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW5OEsGXmKLocPefXTQCt8__1MgrAkXOy-JI25-PeuRd7COv7N0blNqfF0HCMDiThCS_Jz12UcUYFJ7W6wbgY4FaFqDWViW7Ix241_1d7wVvzKbCkBaPg14c4TH2CBx9VZR9YAuOj21M/s400/IMG_9869-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAqmSmaBXZg4fTvpyJFLZuHoVq_AA4yZw-7I1O3gHIhdAO-3KhXQPD5ey2eO9-9upksVmjT3dMmU77SsCVPMXrlnvpx9dHfZGdhgePCPmki7F-LHngFjNlwi4Sf79Wsju3HBEuaoiw18/s1600/IMG_9921-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAqmSmaBXZg4fTvpyJFLZuHoVq_AA4yZw-7I1O3gHIhdAO-3KhXQPD5ey2eO9-9upksVmjT3dMmU77SsCVPMXrlnvpx9dHfZGdhgePCPmki7F-LHngFjNlwi4Sf79Wsju3HBEuaoiw18/s400/IMG_9921-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgcjLBFCuFWN117grdPLYkwkql6CJaM3cVj5_Xp60Z9lYto8meGLt5PfPTCq-Ib2HFN2Hc9MjW-pGK08jJ-Bq2MFtdtmB2bgnPpHOf5fd7dQCRbo6npM2HL_uPWyE_3H-d1n_DpOLFOg/s1600/IMG_9910-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgcjLBFCuFWN117grdPLYkwkql6CJaM3cVj5_Xp60Z9lYto8meGLt5PfPTCq-Ib2HFN2Hc9MjW-pGK08jJ-Bq2MFtdtmB2bgnPpHOf5fd7dQCRbo6npM2HL_uPWyE_3H-d1n_DpOLFOg/s400/IMG_9910-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNEGnhHIIE742eFRgwCRGzgBKhvFEsjLu8-vXH8pRhlkWTv5TQgclQM5037JDf1LXBeiZtp992wotHLO33fQWxQrnV8mhYOkbTRieLSHPo_EEe-AG-tI2WgP21uTp3y-V-VFGHKrs9sM/s1600/IMG_9928-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNEGnhHIIE742eFRgwCRGzgBKhvFEsjLu8-vXH8pRhlkWTv5TQgclQM5037JDf1LXBeiZtp992wotHLO33fQWxQrnV8mhYOkbTRieLSHPo_EEe-AG-tI2WgP21uTp3y-V-VFGHKrs9sM/s400/IMG_9928-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl1Ochb6Jqzg7N1P0O0cFbQMBYcLmwAjz1mQca-p0UA4jDkw8flV3CJI_pa9HbjEOW6ZhkRmd9OZMayBsm1CbmQylhvYoFX1UFao2NjPR1xDNXUvx_C5DOym7zt8HDDKh-ivdmql-6wI/s1600/IMG_9935-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl1Ochb6Jqzg7N1P0O0cFbQMBYcLmwAjz1mQca-p0UA4jDkw8flV3CJI_pa9HbjEOW6ZhkRmd9OZMayBsm1CbmQylhvYoFX1UFao2NjPR1xDNXUvx_C5DOym7zt8HDDKh-ivdmql-6wI/s400/IMG_9935-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMyT1DSukUSTK3t8Dq0g2fxYJ4z_SfkVK0uby3zEsYTU4zt-_IEOVIVC_ZDYrJqsUGx_GUEkuSju6gCbYbxW3fVoYrAJPdJ2Z3so18rKqAbyC9RquDcSG2yymZ6Qtu6K2lQsbdFx6iLA/s1600/IMG_9944-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMyT1DSukUSTK3t8Dq0g2fxYJ4z_SfkVK0uby3zEsYTU4zt-_IEOVIVC_ZDYrJqsUGx_GUEkuSju6gCbYbxW3fVoYrAJPdJ2Z3so18rKqAbyC9RquDcSG2yymZ6Qtu6K2lQsbdFx6iLA/s400/IMG_9944-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0FAFJvykOk3u0DiIb-quZm6HQ5p6eXXMau_3kqJANmB1JZwxV9_Q79MJcx1vWSx9mae-VVGtztnujcgr2oMdzOBVyqq2v_2mvA3Qx7l-uclCuZZnMRh8k38TDMMRXXxmCQeS8l6bFSI/s1600/IMG_9948-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0FAFJvykOk3u0DiIb-quZm6HQ5p6eXXMau_3kqJANmB1JZwxV9_Q79MJcx1vWSx9mae-VVGtztnujcgr2oMdzOBVyqq2v_2mvA3Qx7l-uclCuZZnMRh8k38TDMMRXXxmCQeS8l6bFSI/s400/IMG_9948-X3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-8426195054781809022013-09-08T15:00:00.000-07:002013-09-08T15:00:35.826-07:00Golfing for VaughnEach year our company has their annual golf tournament. This is a good opportunity for our advisors to have a chance to bring their clients or others with whom they have a business relationship to the course and enjoy a morning of golf. For this year's tournament I decided to do something a little different. I felt like this would be a good opportunity to not only have an enjoyable day of golf with our clients and friends but as a firm also try and help Vaughn inch closer to the goal of $15,000 raised for his adoption.<br />
<br />
The idea came when I was visiting with one of our advisors about the tournament. He suggested that we do a fundraiser where we had Nash be involved somehow. That's when it hit me. Why not put Nash and I on a par 3 and "help" the teams that come through in hopes that they will be willing to help Vaughn reach his goal of $15,000. So that's exactly what we did!<br />
<br />
We setup on hole 14 at Old Mill Golf Course. We put these two signs out explaining what our intentions were for assisting each group that came through. We had Andrea and Ridge there as well as our Director of Operations, Teresa May to help out. The weather was great and the typical excitement and anticipation of a golf tournament was in the air.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanihEghjxzrJqM0q8BmiaySejO5bAUW53TyKD6_M3HXMDikw_FNt58kPVHENA_V65V2ZELHYsR4AB8VXEyv0_SRxUqb_FeVQclgjLHB3tA1Rx4UOWOEM4tsOsUPLrb_RkxcMsUkZ6plQ/s1600/IMG_4720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanihEghjxzrJqM0q8BmiaySejO5bAUW53TyKD6_M3HXMDikw_FNt58kPVHENA_V65V2ZELHYsR4AB8VXEyv0_SRxUqb_FeVQclgjLHB3tA1Rx4UOWOEM4tsOsUPLrb_RkxcMsUkZ6plQ/s640/IMG_4720.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So this is how we were planning on helping out. The tournament was a 4 man scramble. Each player hits and whichever player had the best shot the rest of the team moves their ball there. That's where the boys come into play. When everyone was gathered around the best shot, I'd have the boys toss the ball towards the hole in hopes that we would get the team closer. Where ever the toss ended up the team had the choice of playing from there as if that was their original shot. In return, we asked that they make a donation to Vaughn for the assistance they received.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGX9kZDvCfHLvb7tCJiSSR0ZV39JC9-TA1-8fRSGV7DcDUUbXfpEiVMn1OBXTabrwM9yVI-W-9UKrLlEnm8L4bbM8GLTA4wtcQLGabCEAvR8Y-BCdrgFvwGM3vAl-ijV3QmSu5S-5O-E/s1600/IMG_4705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGX9kZDvCfHLvb7tCJiSSR0ZV39JC9-TA1-8fRSGV7DcDUUbXfpEiVMn1OBXTabrwM9yVI-W-9UKrLlEnm8L4bbM8GLTA4wtcQLGabCEAvR8Y-BCdrgFvwGM3vAl-ijV3QmSu5S-5O-E/s640/IMG_4705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
I have to admit, I was a little worried on how this would work out. I worried whether or not the boys really could have enough touch to get them closer. I also worried whether the boys could last 4 hours. I'm happy to say that they did amazing!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTkZonbh_LKOBeNClYszqNwIFGMDKzyyxXngpUhOZmTb1urCIDXQXMLePIni0cozaIUNud-flMU0Fta7MSvcs13m7RBw5iPB4ayUrZrrqAc6tp5mc4jQfJSbIwqyPtfeU5w0NtCKipes/s1600/IMG_4678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTkZonbh_LKOBeNClYszqNwIFGMDKzyyxXngpUhOZmTb1urCIDXQXMLePIni0cozaIUNud-flMU0Fta7MSvcs13m7RBw5iPB4ayUrZrrqAc6tp5mc4jQfJSbIwqyPtfeU5w0NtCKipes/s640/IMG_4678.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's a few of the highlights. One of the groups hit a great shot and were less than 10 yards from the hole. With everybody watching, Nash lined up and eyed the hole. He rolled it at just the right speed and from the release it looked good. The ball slowly rolled right up to the hole and as luck would have it, went right in! The team erupted and Nash went into major celebration mode. He took off running around the green with his arms like an airplane yelling that "he did it!". Everybody loved it! High fives and hugs all around. Nash actually had two "hole in one's" on the day!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINujOmiDUfNfGwyWf31DmZ0YBGKX_blc27EHQARWGBMY3caOdP52ptw2vUdh_K8wZzCRKWUja2Mz09twJvBrD_Qad3GqswC_XjVX-173VkKjLh5MRS5VDwcIXID1xiKZRosVN7a3gumY/s1600/IMG_4693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINujOmiDUfNfGwyWf31DmZ0YBGKX_blc27EHQARWGBMY3caOdP52ptw2vUdh_K8wZzCRKWUja2Mz09twJvBrD_Qad3GqswC_XjVX-173VkKjLh5MRS5VDwcIXID1xiKZRosVN7a3gumY/s640/IMG_4693.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBaOUIXpLgbYxanU88Q7kqb2nr1fpEaWqEkZpTcKB8Y6wvY4jfBX5ZlU7DyEjPfQj2vU9JEgO7Z0O46e_Y5a6Jx0o-ipk79aOk4jyP2MD15s578bORgvFioXB6T1Kt255syjFTWcjSaA/s1600/IMG_4658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBaOUIXpLgbYxanU88Q7kqb2nr1fpEaWqEkZpTcKB8Y6wvY4jfBX5ZlU7DyEjPfQj2vU9JEgO7Z0O46e_Y5a6Jx0o-ipk79aOk4jyP2MD15s578bORgvFioXB6T1Kt255syjFTWcjSaA/s640/IMG_4658.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n68XXp-mv59Y-rQUQOmuoZtAxzBdUPeOvinErGsYQPtHO-jOxagfszDOjItzG93VzNkbnFowvvtCD-Tu0iA6VAvuBSqvO_T1EYRX4FrfXFvEiqBcbildaNYQEiuA24ux3RfErCHveX4/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n68XXp-mv59Y-rQUQOmuoZtAxzBdUPeOvinErGsYQPtHO-jOxagfszDOjItzG93VzNkbnFowvvtCD-Tu0iA6VAvuBSqvO_T1EYRX4FrfXFvEiqBcbildaNYQEiuA24ux3RfErCHveX4/s640/IMG_4662.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BN6NMqCHPeHaotoJoer82goeT0YWILsTguTYwUDOE2d73cu_ANUizyKqucZgQn0wHSW4PH-s2nswsfYMhFC6mIKkDD_3bWiHK8QxHAQOMebxMcjEZtZkVJ8XcdNVa0udp3DS30yxW5k/s1600/IMG_4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BN6NMqCHPeHaotoJoer82goeT0YWILsTguTYwUDOE2d73cu_ANUizyKqucZgQn0wHSW4PH-s2nswsfYMhFC6mIKkDD_3bWiHK8QxHAQOMebxMcjEZtZkVJ8XcdNVa0udp3DS30yxW5k/s640/IMG_4664.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnTKe2tXM378qnMnFN4I4Vzysu4oCnKP-e8focSrf8b-8al7iJdD-8BDTxtvi87weEl-mtUAOry8RN_QuOBeMc7_rJzdsmL1V5xB2iNvCZIEGeZxn8BDIeZNdIZ9iQEw72Z1mIvA7MYU/s1600/IMG_4697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnTKe2tXM378qnMnFN4I4Vzysu4oCnKP-e8focSrf8b-8al7iJdD-8BDTxtvi87weEl-mtUAOry8RN_QuOBeMc7_rJzdsmL1V5xB2iNvCZIEGeZxn8BDIeZNdIZ9iQEw72Z1mIvA7MYU/s640/IMG_4697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The second highlight was a group that was playing well, but for whatever reason had 4 not so good shots on this hole. The best shot was off the green a ways. Not only that but there was a huge drop on the green that really made it hard to play it right. You would have had to hit it just right and let the ball roll down the hill and turn towards the hole. Nash took the ball and threw it overhand as hard as he could. The ball landed perfectly, rolled down the hill, made a big turn and stopped 12 inches from the hole. Once again the team erupted and Nash went into his airplane celebration victory lap.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6OXk8xK95SX1TN4OVOnF2Mar3W1TBK-J0_oGO913WHkeveC7ePsQjcxU_JJJWGn5alY_yTmZQjevPDKa0a7yVn3npI_EiwEel5IO4XagANgFO_4jcU8MzKRqnAC9j79PaEOuF2tbGyo/s1600/IMG_4683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6OXk8xK95SX1TN4OVOnF2Mar3W1TBK-J0_oGO913WHkeveC7ePsQjcxU_JJJWGn5alY_yTmZQjevPDKa0a7yVn3npI_EiwEel5IO4XagANgFO_4jcU8MzKRqnAC9j79PaEOuF2tbGyo/s640/IMG_4683.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsF0mlil3v4mgQcO1tHxpVEDd_xzhroCnSLp8lZFY7UFjClUxe7D4PpPMA5wiHwIbka1J1gaBShIjEozQA9rGnKLwbxMYBkgtOmOc4BS57w85NUb6CywjW6bayedNbzclZeR4Pgok3Yg/s1600/IMG_4685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsF0mlil3v4mgQcO1tHxpVEDd_xzhroCnSLp8lZFY7UFjClUxe7D4PpPMA5wiHwIbka1J1gaBShIjEozQA9rGnKLwbxMYBkgtOmOc4BS57w85NUb6CywjW6bayedNbzclZeR4Pgok3Yg/s640/IMG_4685.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX143FoO8WnuzD7g6NqpJKpWlkDcFX-AIPraeOcipXjK_SX9ESBTJg11OenwH_56V1eAdQEYebKTV-LuJutEMOWsnBAOp6lkyNtJxf1xn_X9zJaFapeCUvPUjRAvIxgz3uZAnlPhhKA0/s1600/IMG_4709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX143FoO8WnuzD7g6NqpJKpWlkDcFX-AIPraeOcipXjK_SX9ESBTJg11OenwH_56V1eAdQEYebKTV-LuJutEMOWsnBAOp6lkyNtJxf1xn_X9zJaFapeCUvPUjRAvIxgz3uZAnlPhhKA0/s640/IMG_4709.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GKBGelz2RNP-eFzV-CiVee6iH74qWktgDIeBk8RFQZr-XjlQygS2ZOqkQE2HPcI40qhd0D1_g-zMWEOjyPWvcMjw8Ic8MOg6vabDPVi0WdyXZV4go6CleK2kghD09oYrgP_DiomE1so/s1600/IMG_4699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GKBGelz2RNP-eFzV-CiVee6iH74qWktgDIeBk8RFQZr-XjlQygS2ZOqkQE2HPcI40qhd0D1_g-zMWEOjyPWvcMjw8Ic8MOg6vabDPVi0WdyXZV4go6CleK2kghD09oYrgP_DiomE1so/s640/IMG_4699.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
When we had everybody back at the club house I felt it was important to really try and help everyone understand just what their donations would do for a little orphan. I showed a picture of Jaymi Bonner and told her story about how she had spent the first 5 years of her life in an orphanage. Because of a loving family willing to take a huge leap of faith and many people rallying around them to raise the needed funding, she was now home. Then I had Jaymi and her mom Jeana walk out to the surprise of the group. It was fun to get to see everyone's expressions as the story unfolded right before them. <br />
<br />
On the day, we raised $1,014. It's possible that more donations will come in as well as everyone had an addressed envelope where they could send a donation to RODS Racing. That brings us up to nearly $13,000 of our $15,000 goal for Vaughn.<br />
<br />
It's so fun to get to involve the wonderful people that I get to work with in the cause to help these special children find a home. It's also very rewarding to get to do this as a family and see how each one of my family members can contribute in their own way. Or in Nash's case today, in a BIG WAY! <br />
<br />
I'm already brainstorming for next years tournament. How cool would it be to have Vaughn be our special guest...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIW2cfdQd7ZUs3aLsOCCGoppK7Qb7l5qXcGzYdlPyRD10r4f1Emv-ymQ9vjw4PdveM7Shlw5QMvZvkgnVvgH5MsctirMrxXx0Nbvi5_lFbo0tQrcRZ8WCyZ2e8VIiQwXfYQIAhukKgIWc/s1600/IMG_4677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIW2cfdQd7ZUs3aLsOCCGoppK7Qb7l5qXcGzYdlPyRD10r4f1Emv-ymQ9vjw4PdveM7Shlw5QMvZvkgnVvgH5MsctirMrxXx0Nbvi5_lFbo0tQrcRZ8WCyZ2e8VIiQwXfYQIAhukKgIWc/s640/IMG_4677.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-63055021416855325892013-08-25T18:39:00.002-07:002013-08-25T19:21:45.825-07:00Utah Half Ironman Race ReportYesterday marked my last race for the 2013 season. It's been a slower season schedule wise due to the move and new job. The good news is I'm already signed up for 3 big races in 2014. My hope is that Andrea and I get to do at least one of these races together. <br />
<br />
This particular race is called the Utah Half. The swim takes place at the Utah Lake Marina. The bike takes you through some of the farming country around the south part of the lake. The run is a gorgeous route along the running trails of Utah Lake Marina. The transition area is in the same area for both the bike and the run which is great! <br />
<br />
I've always heard that Utah Lake is shallow and can be a little murky at times but I wasn't 100% prepared for what it would be like. It was a non wetsuit swim because the water temps were above 80. There were around 350 athletes participating in the race. Throughout the swim it was crazy to see athletes standing in waste high water right next to you when they wanted to take a break. I sometimes wondered if I might be faster just walking the swim. Maybe that's my trick to a faster swim time! The final 200 yards you actually did just that. The water was thigh high so we all just started trudging towards the finish. It was kind of funny because you couldn't run because the water was too high on your legs but you didn't want to just walk either. After all this was a race! So you see a long line of athletes slugging along in the water. <br />
<br />
When I got on the bike all systems were check and it was time to go. This course was flat and fast! The biggest climb was going over the freeway ramp. I loved the bike! I could see that I was kicking out some good splits and my legs felt great so I just kept pushing it. I averaged 251 watts on the bike and 22.5 MPH. I finished in 2:22:34. A new personal best for me. <br />
<br />
The run felt great out of the gates then I slowly started to slow my pace. I knew I wasn't going to have a stellar run because I haven't got the miles in that I normally would like to have the last few months of training. There are no shortcuts to trying to put together a good race. You just have to grind out the training and if you do you will almost always reap the benefits. <br />
<br />
One thing that is amazing to me in each of these races is what goes through your mind during the run. Every single time about half way through the run you hit a wall. There's different stages of "the wall" but in every case you have to mentally tell yourself to just keep going. Logically it seems to make sense to stop and walk for a while. Your legs hurt. You can't breath. It's too hot. You're thirsty. You're feet ache. Your jersey is rubbing your arms raw. You don't know why you do this to yourself. You can feel a blister starting. You think you're going to throw up. And on and on the list goes. Here's the thing though. These are the defining moments of a triathlete. These are the defining moments in life. How we mentally push through these temporary setbacks are what defines the very person who we are. So we push forward. One step at a time. One mile at a time and just as it always does....the finish line appears! <br />
<br />
Many times along the way when things seem like they will never get better we receive help from others. This comes in many forms. Yesterday I had some special help just when I needed it. I was at mile 9. This is when you're so far into the race that you are dying but you still have to run another 4 miles which seems like an eternity. It's the death zone really. I was running down the trail and I see a person walking towards me. Even at that distance I instantly could tell this was a person who had Down syndrome. As I approached him I could see that he was in his early 30's just out for a morning stroll along the walking path. He probably didn't even know there was a race planned that morning or just how much of a boost he would give me. As I passed him our eyes met and we exchanged smiles. This was all I needed to put things into perspective. Why I do these races and just how blessed I am to have a son who has Down syndrome. It was a great moment. Highlight of the race really. <br />
<br />
At the end of the race I was pushing hard trying to finish strong and had something funny happen to me. The run course is setup with two loops. I looked at my watch and could see that I had hit the 13.1 mile mark. I looked around for the finish line and wouldn't you know it, I had passed the turn for the finish line and was going back for a "3rd loop". I could see the finish line but I was going the wrong way if I wanted to finish this race. So I stopped, turned around and started backtracking to get there.<br />
<br />
I thought to myself, "so I ran a little extra, no big deal." It wasn't until I looked at my final race time that I realized that it was a big deal! I missed my all-time Personal Record for a Half Ironman distance by 23 seconds! Ouch! Final race time was 4:53.53. I guess I will just have to do another one to try and beat it!<br />
<br />
I finished up coming in 23rd overall out of 350 racers. I finished 6th in my age group of 67. Can't wait for the end of March when I take on Oceanside!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JIv77lhz2rinDXlqXP_upJeB2Cy6SIhMx_7dz0j2-cUk0GxYzEzoRs52HG6RLd3FZ2OKUIPgot16_8DeW64SEkeVoRHxqqaxDIWxSAUhYgl-6nyxDu0zJ99QfrQWM6vBKbe16ekjJMg/s1600/IMG_4233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JIv77lhz2rinDXlqXP_upJeB2Cy6SIhMx_7dz0j2-cUk0GxYzEzoRs52HG6RLd3FZ2OKUIPgot16_8DeW64SEkeVoRHxqqaxDIWxSAUhYgl-6nyxDu0zJ99QfrQWM6vBKbe16ekjJMg/s640/IMG_4233.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1z0onsQ3yis7KWM3dAuZnX8BoRJ4u8GVHzocOpNQs7rWrMdaZqv00bD6gt2QcYdzDSjbKkOCufg6R6DiVkJYYoNuhQ8fxnnl0VNj3T8WBPjWpaJEy0Nmqq9ppDy3lYKgzosKxHapi5-s/s1600/IMG_4244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1z0onsQ3yis7KWM3dAuZnX8BoRJ4u8GVHzocOpNQs7rWrMdaZqv00bD6gt2QcYdzDSjbKkOCufg6R6DiVkJYYoNuhQ8fxnnl0VNj3T8WBPjWpaJEy0Nmqq9ppDy3lYKgzosKxHapi5-s/s640/IMG_4244.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuhV85b0x9G6-CKy-y9yRS2E7CpMYwAlF834yMm_jDB9syy7MCEfDJArXCU2QdmtY4HuZmQWs-ovoHNI77mMyF2QKpxelDZ6FrB9r_uI09U8x7muuhHwkCZ0USQEfJcusGzBcduJvf84/s1600/IMG_4253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuhV85b0x9G6-CKy-y9yRS2E7CpMYwAlF834yMm_jDB9syy7MCEfDJArXCU2QdmtY4HuZmQWs-ovoHNI77mMyF2QKpxelDZ6FrB9r_uI09U8x7muuhHwkCZ0USQEfJcusGzBcduJvf84/s640/IMG_4253.jpg" width="380" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zod4UEgLw4HUdxFnD_qibZGZhQgBddrmycd9NPHVNXFlTf1A-5pNqzImJfX_RdZWxZsStbuPHk85qA95i9nNrOr97-qXE4moBkBazjkv2zk227rmId7-RzAioh_kQVEyZwnaH-VgUlk/s1600/IMG_4270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zod4UEgLw4HUdxFnD_qibZGZhQgBddrmycd9NPHVNXFlTf1A-5pNqzImJfX_RdZWxZsStbuPHk85qA95i9nNrOr97-qXE4moBkBazjkv2zk227rmId7-RzAioh_kQVEyZwnaH-VgUlk/s640/IMG_4270.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAbQWnCA2O6EaLcHEmoAMgOynmRkIkBrJ2LZghpxm6y9vVF513GRyLAalMs8Rl4lnrkyvC8tKPJ2GMb3cHAMZ9Qds_8k7RqJro2NvI8e-H8rh5ZxVwKH8rt4cR1g3hRhFMfmA1It4epg/s1600/IMG_4272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAbQWnCA2O6EaLcHEmoAMgOynmRkIkBrJ2LZghpxm6y9vVF513GRyLAalMs8Rl4lnrkyvC8tKPJ2GMb3cHAMZ9Qds_8k7RqJro2NvI8e-H8rh5ZxVwKH8rt4cR1g3hRhFMfmA1It4epg/s640/IMG_4272.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEVgEFfNdjrs24wRSA2Vz79Vz5UPaUIY-CN0S_pm6dan1DMIWC55eTvVpo_WC1SoTm0b6Ot-txrOmgQfwa2KtWcL6535GSLU-3nrhFg27aTuAOu3MgoESpsT7ftcNNGYyyqxahk9wv4E/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEVgEFfNdjrs24wRSA2Vz79Vz5UPaUIY-CN0S_pm6dan1DMIWC55eTvVpo_WC1SoTm0b6Ot-txrOmgQfwa2KtWcL6535GSLU-3nrhFg27aTuAOu3MgoESpsT7ftcNNGYyyqxahk9wv4E/s640/IMG_4280.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeNnwG-dDx-CF_4DkLlYBy1Y0hl9pcPjxwP2m1T4_OQduzVSEcP_V0EXekz3WQ2YgVqHaO8TyyolS1ngHg9YP9jSAY7Xa7I6GjgI_bp5kTiu1RoUIbJUe8wHWD0I3Tmi4WI4JWPMUlMA/s1600/IMG_4323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeNnwG-dDx-CF_4DkLlYBy1Y0hl9pcPjxwP2m1T4_OQduzVSEcP_V0EXekz3WQ2YgVqHaO8TyyolS1ngHg9YP9jSAY7Xa7I6GjgI_bp5kTiu1RoUIbJUe8wHWD0I3Tmi4WI4JWPMUlMA/s640/IMG_4323.jpg" width="556" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYCECdwpdcvV-jUZN3frXaWj5pTeAiCYFgrem1Tcn8d1xHOi4jJPkjRFYTxjHdat_2ehQtJ2uqyahsNW2pwW8dfmk8XfsNZQKoJpDK_YEM-1zlUXfKq3fKz8ez4aJP_x3D9MUhxX1gjI/s1600/IMG_4364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYCECdwpdcvV-jUZN3frXaWj5pTeAiCYFgrem1Tcn8d1xHOi4jJPkjRFYTxjHdat_2ehQtJ2uqyahsNW2pwW8dfmk8XfsNZQKoJpDK_YEM-1zlUXfKq3fKz8ez4aJP_x3D9MUhxX1gjI/s640/IMG_4364.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfXyvy6_0cpt51Ni7yz4zEeeFIxmhKoGR6Fq1fJclNtVCm_gS5sOV8JHeG5vk071cBtZQrfGUGr2orRs1ZLXjQxz0biLE06bRLpNebJ9lRhXjecD7UI5-UlkSEpgHx63FxJLcdzXoSjk/s1600/IMG_4344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfXyvy6_0cpt51Ni7yz4zEeeFIxmhKoGR6Fq1fJclNtVCm_gS5sOV8JHeG5vk071cBtZQrfGUGr2orRs1ZLXjQxz0biLE06bRLpNebJ9lRhXjecD7UI5-UlkSEpgHx63FxJLcdzXoSjk/s640/IMG_4344.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW-wQFCBuuRoeHQj4L3wmgrxIcJ1-xEnBdwb2lRpeRJHpYAY7aHgADVjandBoNBsHl6f6Ixzh4ziydiygdNZZJwzhGzZNVslJtSDNXG9A9e8waVgNPLF0mnCaBsrDSdMT_8DTCC4OAyI/s1600/IMG_4409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW-wQFCBuuRoeHQj4L3wmgrxIcJ1-xEnBdwb2lRpeRJHpYAY7aHgADVjandBoNBsHl6f6Ixzh4ziydiygdNZZJwzhGzZNVslJtSDNXG9A9e8waVgNPLF0mnCaBsrDSdMT_8DTCC4OAyI/s640/IMG_4409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-79193043416122180142013-07-07T20:13:00.000-07:002013-07-07T20:13:24.172-07:00Fruits of our Labors...There's been a lot that has gone into Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome. Lots of times its pretty tedious. Some days it's not really all that fun to get up early and go out in the cold to ride a bike in the dark. I know that it's a huge sacrifice for Andrea in so many ways as well. Probably the biggest challenge for her is putting up with me when I'm tired and cranky from all the training! :) But she always handles it with a smile! <br />
<br />
Despite any challenges and sacrifices that may be required it's days like today that make it so worth it. I've been working with our website guys to update our site the last few months. As part of this update, I've been reaching out to all of our previous RODS Orphans who our team has raced for and who have a family committed to adopting them. One of our RODS Orphans named Dylan recently had a family from Utah commit to adopt him. This is exciting news since I live in Utah! With the help of my sister Lindee Jo, I was able to find Dylan's new mom on Facebook. I sent her a short message just introducing myself and anxiously waited for her reply. When Dylan's mom wrote back, I was humbled by just how many miracles I have seen first hand since starting down this journey for the kids. Please take a moment to read her message:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cPs4XMtO9GSQgouYP00D7I_kVZWwJghLF1tGiLQE9AMr0_S41uWyUWDlBQkD-dobRNu6F812rM_1Xyct6kWfxtZ4jq09lqySrR6lxNmji7xGZQQn1NOeHOIAjRo9TjDET3a50I85vU0/s1600/boy20-dylan-cropped-205x300%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cPs4XMtO9GSQgouYP00D7I_kVZWwJghLF1tGiLQE9AMr0_S41uWyUWDlBQkD-dobRNu6F812rM_1Xyct6kWfxtZ4jq09lqySrR6lxNmji7xGZQQn1NOeHOIAjRo9TjDET3a50I85vU0/s640/boy20-dylan-cropped-205x300%5B1%5D.jpg" width="437" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Hi Brady- It's really nice to get your message! I can't come up with adequate words of thanks for all you have done for our sweet Dylan. It's amazing and humbling what you and Rod's Racing do for orphans. We didn't know that our boy was a Rod's orphan when we inquired about him, but when we found out I've since been trying to think of a way express our gratitude, but I haven't yet because words just don't seem enough. </strong></em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Although we aren't a very athletic couple I've told my husband Gavin that we are going to have to change that so we can join Rod's team and pay it forward! <span aria-hidden="true" class="emoticon_text">:)</span><span class="emoticon emoticon_smile" title=":)"></span> Would it be okay to write a post on Rod's facebook page? That would be a start to expressing our appreciation.</strong></em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>We have never met, but you have made a life changing impact in our lives. One night over a year ago in April I was reading a blog and it mentioned your story in the Desseret News and so I clicked over to read it. Little did I know my life was about to change forever. It was from your family's story that I first heard of Reece's Rainbow. After only a few weeks we were committing to our little angel Harmony and then later in October our other little angel Penelope. Our two beautiful Russian dolls that we pray a plead every day that Russia will get it figured out and we can bring them home. In the meantime, there have been some pretty divine and incredible happenings that have led us to our handsome boy. So, to find out that he was a Rod's orphan feels so full circle because it was your story that brought us to Reece's Rainbow, to our girls and Dylan. </strong></em><br />
<em><strong>Simply.....thank you.</strong></em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>We look forward to meeting you! </strong></em><br />
<em><strong>-Mali</strong></em><br />
<br />
Allow me to take a moment to give you some background here. The very first Ironman I ever raced was Ironman St. George last May. It was in preparation for this race that we founded RODS Racing. In trying to share the kids story we contacted all of the local news outlets hoping one would share our story. <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765572440/Dad-will-become-an-Ironman-for-orphans.html?pg=2" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Deseret News was the very first news outlet to cover the story</span></a>. It's still one of my favorite articles that has been written. Now well over a year later we just found out that it was this story that introduced this family to Reece's Rainbow. Within two weeks they committed to adopting a child and later committed to another one! Unfortunately their little ones they committed to were in Russia and all adoptions there have since been banned. Heartbroken this family opened their hearts back up and found Dylan. Ironically enough, of all the many hundred children listed on Reece's Rainbow, Dylan was one who we have chosen to race for as a RODS Orphan. Dylan's family didn't know that he was a RODS Orphan but it sure seems fitting that he was! <br />
<br />
The purpose of RODS Racing is to raise funding and awareness for Orphaned children who have Down syndrome. It's easy to track the success we have raising the funding but many times we can't quantify how much good comes from the awareness side. Do you remember the part in Dylan's moms message that said she was introduced to the news article by someone sharing the RODS Racing story on their blog...? This proves once again that it's by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass! Whoever it was that shared the story, I just want to say thank you! <br />
<br />
Nash just celebrated his 6th birthday yesterday. Andrea and I reflected back to when he was born. What a wonderful 6 years that it's been for our family and everyone who's life has been touched by our little Nash. We love you buddy! We are so thankful that you are our son and that we are your parents. Here's to many more years of service for all your little buddies. We couldn't do it without you!<br />
<br />
What better way to celebrate a birthday than going fishing!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYup_zVWBKLGRsLkcpmF1QMNMQfv1Vx0s0teYg6rKfdd4FF9xSeR9MY33ntwiBgeJFZJSRqOZ0UuoNOzIcm4b7FasroA6kgybXM9yEoBYXrFs5UA_vZYks2id8Rm5uxfNWKr8zaCZWWV0/s1600/IMG_3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYup_zVWBKLGRsLkcpmF1QMNMQfv1Vx0s0teYg6rKfdd4FF9xSeR9MY33ntwiBgeJFZJSRqOZ0UuoNOzIcm4b7FasroA6kgybXM9yEoBYXrFs5UA_vZYks2id8Rm5uxfNWKr8zaCZWWV0/s640/IMG_3838.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGthCV1JYGs6WvCyjYzhmzEVuWw-LGTJuPDlhR5ec7Wp9Kjl8kZ0mikPk687dumH-xeKbNxwllXxDfN9e-0e-Es8BC3lLCtKWeVvsGWTZC43zPeeM41aTTu9dPvb38rmI7T5h9oQCu1VM/s1600/Ridge+Fish+On.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGthCV1JYGs6WvCyjYzhmzEVuWw-LGTJuPDlhR5ec7Wp9Kjl8kZ0mikPk687dumH-xeKbNxwllXxDfN9e-0e-Es8BC3lLCtKWeVvsGWTZC43zPeeM41aTTu9dPvb38rmI7T5h9oQCu1VM/s640/Ridge+Fish+On.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBInNnodwP6CwHZQkuMxgECiYjAQF0ONgjjIqlx5p1hJvPVIQpH1E2tNwy7f2upbRTqPIlbWpWS3bnwlegKb_-6Co_lPL_46xN8Un4oW6HwVFrVhZBczz1tzrS0WTCVmEVVhTFNdnE4c/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBInNnodwP6CwHZQkuMxgECiYjAQF0ONgjjIqlx5p1hJvPVIQpH1E2tNwy7f2upbRTqPIlbWpWS3bnwlegKb_-6Co_lPL_46xN8Un4oW6HwVFrVhZBczz1tzrS0WTCVmEVVhTFNdnE4c/s640/IMG_3845.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AdbqSuKiQrV2I_jm47fmFsoGagujaUOFq92NQcZs9uAkCrnBvuqojYCURigsQnTSWNaolmQLPQjO4pHPgQmI5UEivptb0Es_7Ubr4wliGUbDarnKSATkuIYonh_dcCEFMDs9ytxJj9s/s1600/IMG_3853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AdbqSuKiQrV2I_jm47fmFsoGagujaUOFq92NQcZs9uAkCrnBvuqojYCURigsQnTSWNaolmQLPQjO4pHPgQmI5UEivptb0Es_7Ubr4wliGUbDarnKSATkuIYonh_dcCEFMDs9ytxJj9s/s640/IMG_3853.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443142514244136696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956377661980178796.post-56771442608168007432013-06-09T19:21:00.000-07:002013-06-09T19:21:52.327-07:002013 Boise 70.3 Race Report <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With my family's recent move and my job change, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to compete in the Boise 70.3 this year. I continued to bike and run after Kona but definitely not at the volume that I did in 2012. About 2 months ago I decided I needed to buckle down and get some more structured training in so I could give Boise a shot.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is my 4th year competing in Boise. This race has had a run of bad luck with the weather over the years. The first year was extremely hot and windy. Year two was actually perfect. Year 3 was freezing cold, rainy and windy. This year was back to the hot and windy category. It was manageable though. Every time I am in a race that is windy I always compare it to the St. George Ironman last year. Once I do that I feel a lot better about the conditions!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The day before the race was busy from early until late. We got some great exposure for RODS in this race. I got to be on the Kevin Miller morning show to share an update about RODS. The Idaho State Journal also did a story you can read <a href="http://www.idahostatejournal.com/members/article_bccc252c-cf26-11e2-a117-0019bb2963f4.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQqKcPjL_3Bh0E1O4Q0vOivLPhg5oZcG_yjdRJ4GxnIjwH7ldd6vHpv0-6Y4pzD_ecfidummIzUu45me7FkujEBWVmFWTCG-eZLLzAA3lNhHFpeluHfvAbJXO4_aeRt6yHVsrSddjOz4/s1600/Radio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQqKcPjL_3Bh0E1O4Q0vOivLPhg5oZcG_yjdRJ4GxnIjwH7ldd6vHpv0-6Y4pzD_ecfidummIzUu45me7FkujEBWVmFWTCG-eZLLzAA3lNhHFpeluHfvAbJXO4_aeRt6yHVsrSddjOz4/s640/Radio.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the afternoon I was fortunate to get to do a story for Channel 7 News. You can watch that story <a href="http://www.ktvb.com/news/Athletes-racing-in-Boise-Ironman-for-Chinese-orphan-210668991.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zlqtZP5QT9X5itAIt2sMYYwYaxiYe9iIsTV2wYlf4rJ9vG-u5-KuMtQFzzhyPuyg3GFu1m8JmMAC3_eRg-DlaCklHcQqTyMn8-8-OARTOEVHfgVtJ5iQnlvAnW_qFu93XQQ2ExTpB5A/s1600/News+pic+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zlqtZP5QT9X5itAIt2sMYYwYaxiYe9iIsTV2wYlf4rJ9vG-u5-KuMtQFzzhyPuyg3GFu1m8JmMAC3_eRg-DlaCklHcQqTyMn8-8-OARTOEVHfgVtJ5iQnlvAnW_qFu93XQQ2ExTpB5A/s640/News+pic+2.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZIpiGqCBXOqMXGRn-2O1017Zn0XmfPLvgu-3-eNl1SiXWWGYKGz4JBiNgOF_mqp4KZ06lgnimF66Jv-YBLECl8iR64V8N86UVZiXvdVDzOx_1Hsa0bPHr8WDKvFvUDz0_9I_T3xGe7g/s1600/News+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZIpiGqCBXOqMXGRn-2O1017Zn0XmfPLvgu-3-eNl1SiXWWGYKGz4JBiNgOF_mqp4KZ06lgnimF66Jv-YBLECl8iR64V8N86UVZiXvdVDzOx_1Hsa0bPHr8WDKvFvUDz0_9I_T3xGe7g/s400/News+pic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Towards the later part of the day, I took my bike up to Lucky Peak reservoir to drop it off for the morning. I decided I'd ride my bike from the parking lot to the drop off area which is only a few hundred yards. Normally I walk it. I'm glad I jumped on it because I found that I had an issue with my front derailleur. I couldn't get it to shift to my big ring which is a problem. I actually had this happen just this last week. I took my bike into a new bike shop here to get fixed. Unfortunately they didn't fix it. So back to Boise I went. I took it down to TriTown and Antonio worked his magic for me. Antonio is an incredible bike mechanic. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDEKuRDIXkdSDwQdW63udybNtUZeH8ZN0VVgnjc5bECkyxdckmrBEEpzkBCxuoieum1_WU6jWCBp4NbaHHGgkqr8HY9ec6oFCMTHlthO26LCfUkkIYy3Lhh-3fpHVNG2tONn7WV8BC8A/s1600/ANtonio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDEKuRDIXkdSDwQdW63udybNtUZeH8ZN0VVgnjc5bECkyxdckmrBEEpzkBCxuoieum1_WU6jWCBp4NbaHHGgkqr8HY9ec6oFCMTHlthO26LCfUkkIYy3Lhh-3fpHVNG2tONn7WV8BC8A/s640/ANtonio.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Race day came and I was ready to go. Brynlee and her best friend Bailey came along for the entire race. They also had a special friend with them, our very own Spuddy Buddy. Having our premier sponsorship for RODS be Idaho Potatoes, it seemed fitting that Spuddy Buddy would be part of the days activities.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzySf7YzJqYyzmHbyH3MFbFLRMf-Rb4QHMT8heEPRP3_ewETabJlXgl18dWLFs8WpLWKt61vpppE7_4xSIo1tobGBjntNgFZIvEVuS78ONMRlnms6bEbNgymKst3Jipy1cr8bELcHs5U/s1600/Bike+In+Kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzySf7YzJqYyzmHbyH3MFbFLRMf-Rb4QHMT8heEPRP3_ewETabJlXgl18dWLFs8WpLWKt61vpppE7_4xSIo1tobGBjntNgFZIvEVuS78ONMRlnms6bEbNgymKst3Jipy1cr8bELcHs5U/s640/Bike+In+Kids.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjJRPSZNkD8oy9CUM6CzxtuS9N2zVfqg4gcpSdmw5EeSbwHnpEfD_1NL7uPSbSCSKZR7RpOQ7-XZkDeEJTVP50aVI3jTVXli6MjLQkOnup_2aR8w8KZUFyRnn99iesh1YGDagsrWVxKs/s1600/IMG_3236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjJRPSZNkD8oy9CUM6CzxtuS9N2zVfqg4gcpSdmw5EeSbwHnpEfD_1NL7uPSbSCSKZR7RpOQ7-XZkDeEJTVP50aVI3jTVXli6MjLQkOnup_2aR8w8KZUFyRnn99iesh1YGDagsrWVxKs/s640/IMG_3236.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had 4 of our RODS athletes racing in the Boise 70.3. Pictured here is Brian Preece, and Trace Dandrea. I couldn't find Tucker Botkin for the picture but he was out there battling along side us in his first 70.3 race. Trace has raced in this race every year since they started 6 years ago.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr7QkGTOSkSVfKb4W_HWny4Zk1gBzJBnquoGY7y9stnFflySP9WDHUQnCpeLc5xCqSq93JMMnGobR5eHB1Ebp-MkgWQi2IBjf_8iIIcUVoYYcRFe_B5UHMPzPcoyYMjS1gtaM43-pEwk/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr7QkGTOSkSVfKb4W_HWny4Zk1gBzJBnquoGY7y9stnFflySP9WDHUQnCpeLc5xCqSq93JMMnGobR5eHB1Ebp-MkgWQi2IBjf_8iIIcUVoYYcRFe_B5UHMPzPcoyYMjS1gtaM43-pEwk/s640/IMG_3262.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZhR2DdLYulgOh1WY4u7bZ9A3WRtTtKzwQy1Y6nMJDVXU8Q5KfZlrbIIroPjTjJmALnPyo_-l28wqkUfy9jSlIP2AbQ8uieF1VB86mUpYLK5vHLIENXZAPHY0FB0x1grA8xGDuk5WZbY/s1600/IMG_3270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZhR2DdLYulgOh1WY4u7bZ9A3WRtTtKzwQy1Y6nMJDVXU8Q5KfZlrbIIroPjTjJmALnPyo_-l28wqkUfy9jSlIP2AbQ8uieF1VB86mUpYLK5vHLIENXZAPHY0FB0x1grA8xGDuk5WZbY/s640/IMG_3270.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0HUHZg5SwMifALVd0eUkQNCnafJ7d2DhB1SoE4yx9XJohIRvbonHJzVEr8doUj1rasbIBF086zUV1dLMhnJiAD4gf8DA38FD9SRZnesS2bLzhA4KyTS1omobOEHR_vTDIee-c_lPkUk/s1600/IMG_3280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0HUHZg5SwMifALVd0eUkQNCnafJ7d2DhB1SoE4yx9XJohIRvbonHJzVEr8doUj1rasbIBF086zUV1dLMhnJiAD4gf8DA38FD9SRZnesS2bLzhA4KyTS1omobOEHR_vTDIee-c_lPkUk/s640/IMG_3280.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Water temp was 60 degrees which was really nice for this race. Last year it was a balmy 52. After the initial shock it actually felt pretty good. This was the first time that I've swam in open water since Kona. Our age group go "cute" pink caps. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfGXqqvU26ql-eXeLZJPxfmEJ8ikJe10nSMUFpVFpM6nzvKKVpTif14yoUYomhxeQqDrW2Hd16V2_V19tRfnABHqMSD9LcDaylzQkL5Xb3DuBFRRU6YzI8gZ2dwkHEz_XSWMOUW3oWYc/s1600/IMG_3307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfGXqqvU26ql-eXeLZJPxfmEJ8ikJe10nSMUFpVFpM6nzvKKVpTif14yoUYomhxeQqDrW2Hd16V2_V19tRfnABHqMSD9LcDaylzQkL5Xb3DuBFRRU6YzI8gZ2dwkHEz_XSWMOUW3oWYc/s640/IMG_3307.JPG" width="342" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fvpngcxWQ4YJi53SksmMc4X-dk0X900FZSyVBpJ7wOsfF10duOAom8UGrUYcY6GAzU0g32T1fjCYkazBLjTFuvkB9XAVloQCT5oPUmCOnYT8Bb3p1btZcU3V350_SkTmKB6CeRvxnwM/s1600/IMG_3311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fvpngcxWQ4YJi53SksmMc4X-dk0X900FZSyVBpJ7wOsfF10duOAom8UGrUYcY6GAzU0g32T1fjCYkazBLjTFuvkB9XAVloQCT5oPUmCOnYT8Bb3p1btZcU3V350_SkTmKB6CeRvxnwM/s640/IMG_3311.JPG" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I felt good during the swim but based on my time in the water, I must have felt anything but good. This was actually the slowest 70.3 swim I've ever had, including my very first race I did 4 years ago. Not sure what happened, but luckily the race doesn't end coming out of the water. I saw somebody using a snorkel during the race which was pretty funny. I didn't think these were allowed, but I might be wrong. Maybe that's the key to getting a faster swim time!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnrAi_uZtJN38DJf8_J_woezGOQDbToDumRi4XQeNDwyKjy0QTwIqLbua1sXFQt-DLXDn4H0aClVgnMNYDd1gtoGGWdVDvP93MP7YTak_iWL2kpOirN_tCjiuyNOQFk-PoSe7NFi-c3A/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnrAi_uZtJN38DJf8_J_woezGOQDbToDumRi4XQeNDwyKjy0QTwIqLbua1sXFQt-DLXDn4H0aClVgnMNYDd1gtoGGWdVDvP93MP7YTak_iWL2kpOirN_tCjiuyNOQFk-PoSe7NFi-c3A/s640/IMG_3323.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU9BiqipnrT2oyoaXj4cgcohVkpS18NltlZujThxXFGsKz_KIPans2XXEZcGAQVrkXfcFaFUAqgqwmcEDPfZa79emrfWKumXGlZkNszVFwWUXwSYTlmtzA8u_ObFhqStVB5w3yzEKAhg/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU9BiqipnrT2oyoaXj4cgcohVkpS18NltlZujThxXFGsKz_KIPans2XXEZcGAQVrkXfcFaFUAqgqwmcEDPfZa79emrfWKumXGlZkNszVFwWUXwSYTlmtzA8u_ObFhqStVB5w3yzEKAhg/s640/IMG_3342.JPG" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-LYrAvUqCEdhn3jcg3h0jyzWdnD-9Fc5VN3IIYsvgJ-LZXcKebdi38AwysU1w3EBiO7ullAHvOL_piJQg669zUPYOUt0P8KdUM_X2PLZ4hBBexDAEtCE-Ko8HunP2CCjAwPOMqR1VDQ/s1600/IMG_3346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-LYrAvUqCEdhn3jcg3h0jyzWdnD-9Fc5VN3IIYsvgJ-LZXcKebdi38AwysU1w3EBiO7ullAHvOL_piJQg669zUPYOUt0P8KdUM_X2PLZ4hBBexDAEtCE-Ko8HunP2CCjAwPOMqR1VDQ/s640/IMG_3346.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtabImuEjX8TyjBKhwh3JczJgxmgRZD1OKdJOKvuR6p-u3ue10f_JzP7p5tKpbDzYauDgYJJT5iasCZDTzbQGmciqO-XR7mb-PkiG1OqMOmoTtcDzFsfphdstInZYy3sHI5KW-7c7spKM/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtabImuEjX8TyjBKhwh3JczJgxmgRZD1OKdJOKvuR6p-u3ue10f_JzP7p5tKpbDzYauDgYJJT5iasCZDTzbQGmciqO-XR7mb-PkiG1OqMOmoTtcDzFsfphdstInZYy3sHI5KW-7c7spKM/s640/IMG_3352.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTYdPjdOzkOAQMZ4PN9OQEdtaOba0ZBmTQSwkYjRK8tEI096mU0aptFdsDxi19vjY_Y4bOroMAyhW9IX3WI7BYkb4rx9TKAnzg2zeGrAvRU1RnQtl5AxIgflG28XmRC1bGNRO_1UKpWA/s1600/IMG_3377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTYdPjdOzkOAQMZ4PN9OQEdtaOba0ZBmTQSwkYjRK8tEI096mU0aptFdsDxi19vjY_Y4bOroMAyhW9IX3WI7BYkb4rx9TKAnzg2zeGrAvRU1RnQtl5AxIgflG28XmRC1bGNRO_1UKpWA/s640/IMG_3377.JPG" width="384" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This picture is about 38 miles into the bike. I was feeling great on the bike. Being a slow swimmer has its advantages. You get to pass a lot of people on the bike! The wind was strong all throughout the bike course. The nice thing is it was either in your face or at your back. That is a lot better than being a cross wind. Those can get a little dicey. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbg32rJ5jD1bOztOtuzYohMazVPXlg2SSP65N9uwARXFuP4PY8dbBsG5cF3SdQOcnw2RGSee7s1CNcl_9LX5yxo2OvV7quckRjpf8MEaWuJvphfdaEpXIGnp0Q2n6aIcqFZth3tIxjBc/s1600/IMG_3381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbg32rJ5jD1bOztOtuzYohMazVPXlg2SSP65N9uwARXFuP4PY8dbBsG5cF3SdQOcnw2RGSee7s1CNcl_9LX5yxo2OvV7quckRjpf8MEaWuJvphfdaEpXIGnp0Q2n6aIcqFZth3tIxjBc/s640/IMG_3381.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsG6p0YvPslVkH5On-laJF0rzZA4sOJkyhDentTL46VNr1DsfCaL8vlhXV6toUf0o9svDsWbEbPWMWHdsKUcke_DvKOR3kkIYH0xwfrR45T0uUJq9Hdr3l8jut3rHQEZ6T5Se-l4QHcI/s1600/Bike+mechanic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsG6p0YvPslVkH5On-laJF0rzZA4sOJkyhDentTL46VNr1DsfCaL8vlhXV6toUf0o9svDsWbEbPWMWHdsKUcke_DvKOR3kkIYH0xwfrR45T0uUJq9Hdr3l8jut3rHQEZ6T5Se-l4QHcI/s640/Bike+mechanic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
By mile 45 I was averaging 21.5 MPH and on pace to have a personal best on the bike. My legs felt great and my heart rate was in check. My nutrition was dialed in perfectly and I felt like I was going to have a great run. That's when something went wrong. There is a small bike path that takes the athletes under the highway. It's a small and narrow path that you have to go slow on. There is a little climb at the very end. That's where I really hammered down on the pedal to gain some momentum up the hill. The only problem is the bike crank completely seized. I almost biffed it since all my momentum completely stopped. I thought I had dropped a chain and that it was jammed in my crank. That is a somewhat easy fix. I jumped off the bike and looked down. The chain was in place so I started to look for what the problem was. I thought to myself, "hurry and get this fixed and it won't be an issue. You might lose 30 seconds." I stopped my watch and started investigating the problem. That's when I saw it. My back tire was completely wedged up against my back fork. The alignment was way off. I knew at that time that this was a big issue. I carried my bike up to the main road where there was an aid station. Some of the volunteers rushed over to help me out. We popped the back tire off and started to see what we could do. Minutes were passing by and so were dozens and dozens of athletes. We adjusted one of the alignment screws and it seemed like it worked. I jumped on, started to pedal and it popped right back out of place. I did this 3 or 4 times and every time it went right back out of place. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
By this time, I knew that any hope of a personal best was out of the question. I had to regroup my thoughts and evaluate the situation. If I didn't get this fixed, I wouldn't be able to finish the race. That couldn't happen. I continued to work on the bike and got the wheel to somewhat function. It was still rubbing on the fork but I could muscle through it. I knew I only had 11 miles to go. I decided that even if my bike wasn't up to speed I had to get to the run so I went for it. Luckily after a few hundred yards it stopped rubbing and I was able to get to the run portion without incident. I lost 26 minutes on my little bike debacle.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitR6TRxu6mdbMtSkoj4mhDZEcd9R7fTB3O1CkQcdmtwCOw-j596OeFwsILSKMH9EKP_WurBd2tKywsthPOwhythnnXtbt3FC5OFOChAzxu3bYG2TS0Aw31t0O_ocNwpzzHFneV1GKbmfU/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitR6TRxu6mdbMtSkoj4mhDZEcd9R7fTB3O1CkQcdmtwCOw-j596OeFwsILSKMH9EKP_WurBd2tKywsthPOwhythnnXtbt3FC5OFOChAzxu3bYG2TS0Aw31t0O_ocNwpzzHFneV1GKbmfU/s640/IMG_3388.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our great friends the Morris' were out to support us in their RODS gear!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2E8F4t4FEtNn5WUyuIFhKL6tECXnbuMb1rXbt_RXEU1S0WQ7qZEZ79MpzYq_wcRpTuJEq0_QvS-UrhfmLrRW416Wfw-5_xil-ckLXF_dfdjRE7frifcBThi_gfvcvn-r-dWWH87ElMg/s1600/IMG_3427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2E8F4t4FEtNn5WUyuIFhKL6tECXnbuMb1rXbt_RXEU1S0WQ7qZEZ79MpzYq_wcRpTuJEq0_QvS-UrhfmLrRW416Wfw-5_xil-ckLXF_dfdjRE7frifcBThi_gfvcvn-r-dWWH87ElMg/s640/IMG_3427.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Coming into the bike transition I felt a huge sense of gratitude. Even if I wasn't going to have my best race, I at least got to finish the race. I didn't hold anything back and got onto the run course as fast as I could.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3qAdPSbHgVKwGc2jF42wAj_cI0ciKYC1687VGBIObkVnX3w-xqggR7tvxUFutDSA4dBqM0alyf80MLPC26Jt8kPyO_HUn3dFf09TZ3Fpt46mFRLVIA_DW83_ujhBpU3AmDb3ksY50eQ/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3qAdPSbHgVKwGc2jF42wAj_cI0ciKYC1687VGBIObkVnX3w-xqggR7tvxUFutDSA4dBqM0alyf80MLPC26Jt8kPyO_HUn3dFf09TZ3Fpt46mFRLVIA_DW83_ujhBpU3AmDb3ksY50eQ/s640/IMG_3436.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8wIZLIVXwjxw4ma0cNkER8r900m9rZ5ul3DHpHIbX7BD96SekL9cn0uAA_4S-HpzoYyWpLmxvM0ICdC7QXjDa6HXFvwHRxLy7WWgYv24GP8xccOWmSYm9bRymsmVXWLHU0hYh0Uc7vE/s1600/IMG_3438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8wIZLIVXwjxw4ma0cNkER8r900m9rZ5ul3DHpHIbX7BD96SekL9cn0uAA_4S-HpzoYyWpLmxvM0ICdC7QXjDa6HXFvwHRxLy7WWgYv24GP8xccOWmSYm9bRymsmVXWLHU0hYh0Uc7vE/s640/IMG_3438.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rgl_URyGlC7blue8RgVMutxokIjJhqINuqe4vab0Qg2tSwYgDMBZjjPFJzcfPIRdV8raei04QYyAwDIthomTi6_glvd-5BwxRLaPgFDkmUaWFpXkBrUW8eMXSSCc0eTB4Bs9FPy5zVY/s1600/IMG_3468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rgl_URyGlC7blue8RgVMutxokIjJhqINuqe4vab0Qg2tSwYgDMBZjjPFJzcfPIRdV8raei04QYyAwDIthomTi6_glvd-5BwxRLaPgFDkmUaWFpXkBrUW8eMXSSCc0eTB4Bs9FPy5zVY/s640/IMG_3468.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gbNdDZPoQwz1VsrqkApXYcZ5XurCB-Vyji8DJyfQwTZ1UHhKoWA9RiyQUmXF2r6Xv08mu5X0Yke1RmO24rGgzzq1mhgC-nnUNn49_hnK0Jupf37tyjdZYI8kN5OVfAbaPTWT30PP7xk/s1600/IMG_3484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gbNdDZPoQwz1VsrqkApXYcZ5XurCB-Vyji8DJyfQwTZ1UHhKoWA9RiyQUmXF2r6Xv08mu5X0Yke1RmO24rGgzzq1mhgC-nnUNn49_hnK0Jupf37tyjdZYI8kN5OVfAbaPTWT30PP7xk/s640/IMG_3484.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlSNvns8nAu_wCV7toTv1MG72_S0qJitEkxVUXNaivc22MFt7qGzFmzuOweQdZY7cn1JLCZ0xIArwgQQJfSNSq1cGXPMcQIuOQ90WHHHL3CN-gw-q9kaPA2LZCXP-lPlVp9mqV90yvao/s1600/IMG_3498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlSNvns8nAu_wCV7toTv1MG72_S0qJitEkxVUXNaivc22MFt7qGzFmzuOweQdZY7cn1JLCZ0xIArwgQQJfSNSq1cGXPMcQIuOQ90WHHHL3CN-gw-q9kaPA2LZCXP-lPlVp9mqV90yvao/s640/IMG_3498.JPG" width="492" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Boise has the best run course I've ever been on. Most of it is in the shade and it's right next to the river. It's all on the greenbelt which makes for good places for spectators to watch. Throughout the run I was feeling pretty good but still encountered the typical challenges that always come up during an Ironman. It takes 2-3 miles to get your legs back after a long bike ride. There are many many times that you have to fight the thoughts that come to mind about just taking a little break and walking for awhile. Then around mile 8 my legs start to hurt pretty bad, especially my quads. That's all part of the fun though. Those are the times when you really have to remember why you're doing this. It's a time when you learn the most about yourself as well. I've found that as long as I smile, keep positive thoughts in my mind and just keep going, the finish line always comes. These races are about doing your best given the circumstances you face. Regardless of the adversity we face, we must keep moving forward!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uPPSFOK6iD7lJipgftAZeia7tLipsmNKMTssGxLjpe7l0VFTZcPuuOQGBXf6GEAxqpZLIA9Bs3RjN0jvpvSgodm3wikK8cuw_8SrMTDCYZbAiC0LUO4BIdDfERJmYzGVbNlvBgwwn5k/s1600/IMG_3530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uPPSFOK6iD7lJipgftAZeia7tLipsmNKMTssGxLjpe7l0VFTZcPuuOQGBXf6GEAxqpZLIA9Bs3RjN0jvpvSgodm3wikK8cuw_8SrMTDCYZbAiC0LUO4BIdDfERJmYzGVbNlvBgwwn5k/s640/IMG_3530.JPG" width="442" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The best part of the entire day was at mile 12.75 of the 13.1 mile run. I caught up to Trace. He has been part of RODS since the beginning and is a huge support. He's a great athlete as well. We got to run the final part of the race side by side and cross the finish line together. If I didn't have the mechanical issues on the bike we wouldn't have been able to experience that. I'm thankful that I got to have that experience!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDy7pt2iupgthi5hIiF5hnH9kEWk9BLJo7sfIZ9Ot0HEo0msKpu6kJJIu1h0Gf-tcEtYjgLW5bKp4UPA2gVxAS4Zi_oO6tUsSZTbuOyPWYlp8mzZ6I5kRKFP3amrd3uP_Y6SCdlzCUyA0/s1600/IMG_3547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDy7pt2iupgthi5hIiF5hnH9kEWk9BLJo7sfIZ9Ot0HEo0msKpu6kJJIu1h0Gf-tcEtYjgLW5bKp4UPA2gVxAS4Zi_oO6tUsSZTbuOyPWYlp8mzZ6I5kRKFP3amrd3uP_Y6SCdlzCUyA0/s640/IMG_3547.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Iq3smJolSszAvFHUTtOxqBGlXcji4r4CkDmQvor1o4I-Xo0efXf0RXX5fVqN5xhdA5OdjqdwJJdm567SoRGrc825bBu-OhIMyxCIAKSwGcchJ9LFWINXsJ1mKUagIDjUkjN0AsV-oQ/s1600/IMG_3550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Iq3smJolSszAvFHUTtOxqBGlXcji4r4CkDmQvor1o4I-Xo0efXf0RXX5fVqN5xhdA5OdjqdwJJdm567SoRGrc825bBu-OhIMyxCIAKSwGcchJ9LFWINXsJ1mKUagIDjUkjN0AsV-oQ/s640/IMG_3550.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Olmos' were also at the finish line. They are also RODS members and great supporters of the cause. I'm very appreciative of all the incredible support that I had out there during the entire race.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P3ktDhpT7AsEEIIxFn0z3g5fU_fNlTVxqDM5XjZsG6zEfmip76BKV0nt1O27m2TbofagmgwpB6sAo0w-yWNGzA2ipT0T6-ekgnFBrI_OvNhzC4QEuinFucLASwQTCaR3zFDgGQTCjzs/s1600/IMG_3558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P3ktDhpT7AsEEIIxFn0z3g5fU_fNlTVxqDM5XjZsG6zEfmip76BKV0nt1O27m2TbofagmgwpB6sAo0w-yWNGzA2ipT0T6-ekgnFBrI_OvNhzC4QEuinFucLASwQTCaR3zFDgGQTCjzs/s640/IMG_3558.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3hCj4eyVVPzrlV-eEh626D1_M21XKSrpGu7pAJKkn59MmLv5W1_jnoiSCMA-F6xdWBNXXb7QtjdrMRGUqEbjXrVKj3IrO75DuIEfPdpiyxuxfH9ujVtpBOWNyq4J2JlTK45p-7-8vXw/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3hCj4eyVVPzrlV-eEh626D1_M21XKSrpGu7pAJKkn59MmLv5W1_jnoiSCMA-F6xdWBNXXb7QtjdrMRGUqEbjXrVKj3IrO75DuIEfPdpiyxuxfH9ujVtpBOWNyq4J2JlTK45p-7-8vXw/s640/IMG_3559.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HJ1zFlkpuqD9KPKh-5YiR4jBTx8q9Xizw2TkX4JKr3JC3AVDXX67FS5a69R4DsZ1l8ctKWVfW9AWg3_DtKKtafZCj3gq79rf2sMbqB0zuCxE7PNBl7pOrtQ_nf2CqixZSAgc0yvW7SU/s1600/Kids+sleeping+on+spuddy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HJ1zFlkpuqD9KPKh-5YiR4jBTx8q9Xizw2TkX4JKr3JC3AVDXX67FS5a69R4DsZ1l8ctKWVfW9AWg3_DtKKtafZCj3gq79rf2sMbqB0zuCxE7PNBl7pOrtQ_nf2CqixZSAgc0yvW7SU/s640/Kids+sleeping+on+spuddy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zlqtZP5QT9X5itAIt2sMYYwYaxiYe9iIsTV2wYlf4rJ9vG-u5-KuMtQFzzhyPuyg3GFu1m8JmMAC3_eRg-DlaCklHcQqTyMn8-8-OARTOEVHfgVtJ5iQnlvAnW_qFu93XQQ2ExTpB5A/s1600/News+pic+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> I'm pretty sore today, but just like after all the races before, I can't wait to get out there again. We are making much progress with RODS Racing because of these races and our incredible athletes and sponsors who support us. I am also extremely appreciative to all the individuals who have donated to our RODS Orphans. We are racing for Vaughn right now. We have 7 children who have been adopted now because of all those who have believed in our cause. We have a lot of great things in the works and most importantly are having a great time during the journey! Until next time...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZIpiGqCBXOqMXGRn-2O1017Zn0XmfPLvgu-3-eNl1SiXWWGYKGz4JBiNgOF_mqp4KZ06lgnimF66Jv-YBLECl8iR64V8N86UVZiXvdVDzOx_1Hsa0bPHr8WDKvFvUDz0_9I_T3xGe7g/s1600/News+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk9a-hW9YNdVtfxCAGa0EpOZskm7FSrt4i26cNKdJgNV9zWldUrszykF1hQJklau3MfhBNrSfE6rtYBf5BaBEi-1ee-mVwxFPzOTnq-8ctP7l0GpMes1gNaRO4mTqKhsp-6JVEsKbfyM/s1600/Seat+belt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk9a-hW9YNdVtfxCAGa0EpOZskm7FSrt4i26cNKdJgNV9zWldUrszykF1hQJklau3MfhBNrSfE6rtYBf5BaBEi-1ee-mVwxFPzOTnq-8ctP7l0GpMes1gNaRO4mTqKhsp-6JVEsKbfyM/s640/Seat+belt.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUx_e2GtGFig7rx5gHWiesPm_QtXSLDHNQ6Ys5qJLWnUdOCx_wBkxvA4JWjpckDC_vWHRvJdi6oZ9_VzIG4w0YYkPgCmamcRylYl3FxaW2Eb5yAGP6Z1KlpZGvK754X343le246ZitjnU/s1600/Bike+mechanic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQqKcPjL_3Bh0E1O4Q0vOivLPhg5oZcG_yjdRJ4GxnIjwH7ldd6vHpv0-6Y4pzD_ecfidummIzUu45me7FkujEBWVmFWTCG-eZLLzAA3lNhHFpeluHfvAbJXO4_aeRt6yHVsrSddjOz4/s1600/Radio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224493188863060227noreply@blogger.com0