Monday, December 24, 2018

Happy Gotcha Day, Kyle! Can it be 12 Years!?

Hello all,

Christmas Eve always brings memories of our very special Christmas Present 12 years ago!

Kyle has again proudly and capably taken on the role of Big Brother to his new Little Brother, Zachary!

We're a few weeks removed from returning home from our sixth and FINAL Adoption trip to bring home our son, Zachary.  It was a very difficult trip in some ways, and Kyle shined as the trustworthy and devoted Big Brother.

He is enjoying 7th Grade and is presently on the verge of passing his halfway point toward finishing Middle School.

He's looking forward to starting up with LAX again this spring.

We're looking forward to a nice rest of the week visiting with Grandma and Poppa here in Michighan.

This will forever be on of the defining photos of our trip to bring Kyle home:







It was taken just a few hours after we brought him back to our hotel in Nanchang.  He had a rough afternoon, and we had just given him his first bath. He began to settle in and just tarted playing with his stacking cups.

Below are some more recent photos...



Happy Gotcha Day, Kyle!
We Love you very much!

Mom & Dad




Kyle helping with Zachary's Medical Exam in Guangzhou





Kyle and his LITTLE brother Zachary!




Feeding the Giraffes at the Guangzhou Safari Park


Sunday, September 30, 2018

Kyle at 13 - Happy Birthday!!

Happy 13th Birthday to you, Kyle.  We could not be happier or more proud of you and your accomplishments.

It's been another memorable year for Kyle.  We've had a ton of great adventures as a family, and Kyle continues to be a great brotherly influence for his brothers...and sister.

As we start his 7th Grade school year, it's hard to come to grips with the fact that in 4 more months, he'll be HALFWAY through Middle School.  We're extremely proud of Kyle's academic success, and he should be too.  We see every day how he works very hard at his studies and many of his teachers share this with us as well.  We're hopeful and confident that the same will hold true for Grade 7, too.

THIRTEEN is certainly a milestone birthday, and we had a very nice little family weekend to celebrate.  We spent yesterday at Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, enjoying some super weather (for late September).  We hung out on the beach, collected some shells, and even shopped for new school clothes! We shared a very pleasant dinner at Blue Coast Restaurant, where Kyle pounded his new favorite meal: Crab (last night it was crab cakes!).

We're coming off a busy summer of activities including parks, playgrounds, museums, hikes, and of course lots of Pool Time!

Over the summer, we visited Michigan where we spent time with our cousins and Uncle Mark, and had a few great days at the Lake.  We went on a really fun Dune Ride and visited Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park.  No sooner did we get home than we hosted Uncle Mark and Luke when they visited our house!!  Luke had back-to-back weekends of PA LAX tournaments.  These were the best two weeks of the summer!

We also had the chance to go on TWO family vacations.  We again connected with Uncle Mark, Luke and Logan at the Hard Rock Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. That was a blast! And we visited Maui, Hawaii in the late summer, too!  Kyle and Dad, climbed out onto Black Rock and took the 30 foot plunge - what a rush!! lIt took a few days to adjust after that one, but then it was right back to school.  Kyle even helped his brother Dylan navigate through his first few days of 6th Grade and Middle School!

Kyle played his second season of LAX for Souderton - he had a good year and is looking forward to a few more off-season camps before jumping in again in the spring.

We again visited Michigan for Christmas to see Grandma and Poppa and had a great time with them!

As I write this, Kyle is again preparing to welcome another younger Brother - Zachary.  Our whole family could not be more excited!  We're in the planning stages of our upcoming trip (hopefully in mid-late November-2018).  Kyle will no doubt be a positive role model and super-cool big brother for Zachary!

As you just told me a moment ago, as you were going to bed, "I wish birthdays lasted longer than 1 day"...

So do I so you could enjoy this one a little longer.

Thanks for all you do to make our Family as special as it is - We Love You Very Much!  Here's to a wonderful and successful 14th year!


Here are some photos throughout the past year...



LAX Season 2



Some more s'mores?



At Uncle Mark's Lake Cottage




Our Biggest Snowman Yet



Our Pittsburgh Road Trip with Mom






Longwood Gardens




Hard Rock, Riviera Maya




Tyler Arboretum





First Day of 7th Grade (and 6th Grade/Middle School for Dylan 




Maui, Hawaii





HersheyPark





We had to say a sad Goodbye to Mocha, but also welcomed
Minnie to our Family





Happy 13, Kyle!!




Riviera Maya, MX





Arboretum





Brandywine Battleground Visitor's Center





Visiting the Eastern States Penitentiary 
with Uncle Mark and Luke



Feeding the Goats at Lake Tobias Wild Animal Park





Mac Woods Dune Ride in Michigan!!