Two Months Later...

Last year I was obsessed with reading blogs, and learning to blog. Now that I'm home with Brooke I will have to work at updating my blog at least once per month! One of the things I have enjoyed about bloggging is writing about fuuny events and being able to go back to read later. The other is this is like a family journal, with things I would have forgotten about in future years.

We have been very busy. Andrew finished the 4th grade and baseball.

We have been camping alot. We went to Point Mallard (local), St Andrews State Park in Panama City,FL; then Desoto State Park and most recently spent the 4th of July at Gulf Shores State Park! Needless to say we are tired and feel we have been gone the entire month! We have had a great time with our family and friends. I have included photos of recent camping trips!

Brooke Turned one on June 28th! She is walking everywhere. Babbling, but no real words. She is very active. Fortunately for us she sleeps very well! She enjoys books and walking through the house. Brooke has done well with camping. Sometimes on the first night of camping she will cry and won't go to sleep. I often wonder what she thinks is happening. We stated camping with Andrew when he was three and every night he wanted to go home! He did great during the day. She loved the beach. She played in the sand and like to rub sand all over us YUK! Our last beach trip the waves were really big and I was nervous the entire time, but she loved it, LOL! For my JOH friends: We received exciting news in June that Brooke's birthmom had requested additional photo's of Brooke. We were so excited. We truley hope she will continue to want information on Brooke as she gets older. We hope to be able to travel to Taiwan when Brooke is much older and meet her birthfamily! We did not get to meet them while we were there.

One difference I have noticed about having an adopted child is the people you meet who have also adopted! It's like getting a baby and friends!! We met a couple while at the beach who had adopted from China. It so nice to hear others stories!

On the same day, the older couple next to us on the beach ask me "where did you get her?" Now this couple was very nice and we had talked off and on during the day. So I said very seriously "Our local Wal-mart!" I wish I had a picture of her face. I laughed and then told her Taiwan! We are really open and don't mind people asking us about our adoption, but sometimes I do like to have fun with the questions people will ask LOL! I have been tempted to say "I had an affair with an asian man" and see what people would say!!!! So I may use this the next time!!!

Andrew is so great with Brooke. We were really concerned about how he would react to having a sister after being an only child for 9 years, but he has done really well. He enjoys playing with her and is so protective over her! He likes to show her off to others. I hope this continues as Brooke gets older!