A Special Reunion

Devil's Lake in Baraboo Wisconsin

Andrew loves to swim so was very disappointed when he had to wait to put on his swimsuit. Once we got started on a little hike down this amazing path cut through a sky high wall of rock he settled down and began to enjoy it.
Andrew and Ben meet again. They spent their first few years together in a Chinese orphanage. Ben was fortunate to spend part of that time in foster care but the orphanage workers claimed that the two were best buddies. They had a good time playing together over the weekend.

Our rustic little cabin. The beautiful park was right across the street.

Andrew, Leah and Ben. As usual the weekend went way to fast and we were soon on our way home. It was a very special time. We enjoyed the company of Ben's Mom & Dad and hope to make this at least a yearly event. As we talked about things on the way home we felt like the Palmer's should have been there. They were our travel companions in Nanjing and also have a special boy from the same part of China. Maybe next year?

Happy Birthday Neal!

Happy 16th Birthday Neal! Sweet 16?

Wow it is hard to believe that Neal is 16 already. Somehow sweet and Neal don't go together in the same sentence. I can still remember his((((((((( loud))))))))) cries coming down the hall from the nursery as the nurse was delivering him to me. He WAS NOT content in the nursery. He came home to 2 big brothers so there was much to continue to be loud about. Boy could he let out a scream if someone came near him while he was lining up his hotwheel cars. This was one of his favorite things to do for awhile. Some other word/s that would describe Neal are strong, determined, witty, opinionated and a little annoying. Loud? Not so much any more.

Neal~ We hope this next year is your best one yet. Thanks for helping out with the little ones and making us laugh. As you continue to grow into a young man, we pray that you will get your strength from the Lord to do his work waking each day with a gratefull heart and eyes to see the many blessings about you. May you live in the light of His grace.
Love Mom & Dad

Sweet 16 by: Unca Matt

So, 16. Sweet 16. You're 16, you're beautiful, and you're mine. (Well, not you.) Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen. Sixteen Candles - both a song and a movie starring Molly Ringwold. All of the songs about 16 are probably related to the fact that 16 is the age of consent in many places around the world. Age 16 does not have the same "adulthood" status as 18, but it is the age for getting a driver's license, dropping out of school in many states, getting an 'adult' job in many businesses (although restrictions apply to hours), minimum age to get married in many places (usually with parental consent), and is the legal drinking age in many European countries (where the beer is better anyway). Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on her 16th birthday; the age 16 was more considered marrying age in older times (and moreso for a girl/woman than a boy/man).Mathematically, 16 is the first number that is a 4th power. You can cut it in half four times and have a whole number each time. This is the most likely reason that pounds have 16 ounces: in the old weighing-money-on-a-scale days, it allowed cutting in half so many times.16 is the only integer that equals mn and nm, for some unequal integral m and n (m=4, n=2, or vice versa).16 is the sum of the first 4 odd numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7.16 is the base of the hexadecimal system of numbering, which is used extensively in computer science, once again, because it is a multiple of 2.Not too much Biblically for 16. Azariah and Uzziah both became king at 16 years old, and three of the kings reigned 16 years. A few more are listed as having 16 sons or daughters.There are 16 pieces on each side in a chess game and 16 pawns total.Most bank card numbers are 16 digits long, e.g. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, etc.16 hours a day is how long you are awake if you get your prescribed eight hours of sleep.Northernmost Minnesota has about 16 hours of sunlight on your birthday. (We have about 15 hours, 35 minutes here).===========Neal is a variant of the name Neil, which comes from the Gaelic Niall, which either means "champion" or "cloud". Vikings adopted the name as Njal; from them it became used in Scandinavia and the British Isles.Spelled Neal, the name has never been in the top 100 male names. It was in the top 250 male names in the 1940's, 50's, and early 60's. In 1993, it was the 520th, being given to 19 out of every 100,000 boys born that year. The spelling variation Neil was about twice as common, being given to 38 out of every 100,000 boys in 1993.There are over 56,000 Neals in the United States and as many as 39 Neal Porters.June 27th is also the birthday of Tobey Maguire (Spiderman), former Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan, and Helen Keller. Also Drake Bell (Kyle from The Amanda Show) and Madylin Sweeten (from Everybody Loves Raymond), who turns 18 today. Most of the celebrities close in age to you are famous for Disney or Nickolodeon shows, like Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly" and "School of Rock") and Debby Ryan ("Suite Life on board"); they're both about a month older than you. Alyson Stoner ("Suite Life of Zach and Cody" and "Camp Rock") is less than two months younger.Finally, on the day you were born, the #1 song in America was "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson, who will be attending a funeral soon.

Thanks~Matt!

Spring Fever

Look at what I got!

Leah enjoying a warm spring day. "Wanna play?"

Robbie watching Andrew as he tries out his new bike.

Andrew got his first bike. You should have seen the look on his face when he first got on it. It was priceless! It is called a Strider which is sort of a cross between a scooter and a bike. No pedals so he has to push himself along with his feet. It is supposed to help them learn to balance more quickly avoiding the whole training wheel thing. Don't know how that will go but the little bike is very popular with the other kids who are all older. Leah rides it every chance she gets. It's most fun when you have a hill to glide down. It works well in the grass too.

Spring fever is running high here. We are in a hurry to finish up with our studies and enjoy summer. I'm guessing that we are not alone. Leah and Andrew have been outside playing about as much as humanly possible. Bringing all of the energy they have outdoors is refreshing for all of us.

A little update

Andrew has come so far in such a short time. Today he had his first professional haircut after this photo was taken. He hopped right up into the chair and enjoyed every minute of it. Just a few short months ago he would have put up a huge fight. He loves to play outside. Sledding was a big hit this past winter. He also likes to rough house with the big brothers. He is doing a lot of imaginary play these days. Leah and Andrew are starting to form quite a bond. Whenever he gets a treat he makes sure that Leah gets one too. They play together very well for the most part. In the beginning they were both quite jealous of each other but now they are more like a little team. Of course they have their moments like we all do :-} Thanks for stopping by.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY LEAH

We thank the Lord for bringing this child into our lives. On 3-4-09 she celebrated her 7th birthday. When Leah joined our family she was almost 41/2 years old. She has been a brave bundle of energy. Sometimes she drives her big brothers crazy. They just can't believe that they ever behaved in such a rambunctious manor. "She is soooo loud," they often say. :-) Leah loves life. She is loving, curious, full of energy, and loves to pretend she is a princess. During the summer months she won't have much time for the princess stuff because she will be riding her bike, climbing trees, rollerskating, swimming and more. Leah is a special kid (they all are) and we are honored to share our lives with her.