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Meeting new friends at the zoo

Meeting new friends at the zoo
The whole group (click to see album)

On the first of August we arranged to meet some online friends in real life at the zoo. I was really excited because Kristy and I had become friends on Facebook through the adoption community. We found that we have many things in common or of common interest. They traveled shortly after us and their little on has the same hip condition as Dani. She will even be having the same surgery at Scottish Rite this fall. I am so thankful that she drove her girls all the way up here to meet us at the zoo. It was also the first birthday of one of the new baby elephants so they had “Nothing Bundt Cakes” for the first 1,000 guests. The girls and I walked over to see Bowie get his special birthday cake.

August 1, 2014

August 1, 2014

I thought it was really cute that the zoo keepers kept the big elephants back while the little enjoyed the treats. After a little while they let the adults join in 🙂

August 1, 2014 August 1, 2014

I was happy that Dani let me put her near this statue because the last couple of times we went to the zoo she sort of freaked.

August 1, 2014

The girls were really cute together, but in this pic I think Dani had decided she was the “owner” of the kangaroo.

August 1, 2014

Dani loved going on the zoo carousel for the first time.

August 1, 2014

We rode the train back to the entrance which is always fun. **Thanks for meeting us Kristy!! It was a blast!

August 1, 2014

After we said our goodbyes I took the girls over to La Playa Maya to share queso and cowboy enchiladas. And once we started eating I asked myself why we haven’t been there in so long? It’s so YUMMY!!!

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Expedition China Unit Study

China Unit Study 2014
Do-A-Dots make learning fun! (click to see album)

*A catching up blog post*

As we were preparing to leave for our trip to China in February to meet Dani, I did a Chinese New Year unit with Amelie and a more in depth China Unit study with Nadia. I thought it would be fun to study because our house was filled with endless discussions about China already. We used one of the Amanda Bennett studies again because they are so convenient and easy to use.

China Unit Study 2014

China Unit Study 2014

China Unit Study 2014

On each of the 5 days of study we learned about a place in China, a Chinese animal, a Chinese invention and a missionary to China. It was very informative and we watched quite a few interesting and beautifully filmed videos.

China Unit Study 2014

As always Nadia loves putting together her lapbook at the end. It gives us a chance to review everything we have learned and talk about our favorite parts of the study.

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Off to China Camp 2014!

2014 Shirts - Captain America
Toy & Action Figure Museum (click to see album)

Two days after Dani’s cast was removed at Scottish Rite we headed north to Tulsa for China Camp 2014 and we had to take part in our usual tradition of stopping in Paul’s Valley, OK.  We started at Boomerang’s Diner next door to the Toy and Action Figure museum. Once we were fortified with fried pickles and burgers we headed next door to see what was new in the museum.

Kids meals at Boomerangs, next door to the museum
Kids meals at Boomerangs

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014 Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

Nadia and Amelie immediately asked for a photo with Lego Movie Batman!

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

Dani and Daddy waiting on the big girls.
Dani and Daddy waiting on the big girls.

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

TMNT Display at the Toy & Action Figure Museum
The girls were WAY more excited about the TMNT items this year now that we watch the show.

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

Dani’s first time riding the on the Batmobile. She wasn’t very sure of it and wasn’t stable at all since she still wasn’t strong enough to sit up on her own.

Lego Display
This year they had a very cool Lego set up that we had fun looking at.
Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014
I love to take a silly photo each year 🙂

We had a fun time again exploring the museum and seeing what new items were out. I like to spend time looking though the Batcave to see what’s new and looking at all the things I have seen before. It’s also great to see if anything has moved or changed in the diorama that takes up almost an entire wall when you first come in. The Lego display had a bunch of really neat stuff and I took photos of most of them. There was a KISS display that made Nadia ask, “What is the deal with that guys tongue?” HA HA! The girls didn’t play for a long time in the costume area this year, but I think it’s because there happened to be so many other kids. In the past they have been mostly alone. The manager took our family photo once again and remembered us from our prior yearly visits.

Toy & Action Figure Museum - 7.9.2014

Once we arrived in Tulsa, ate dinner and got settled at the hotel we went over to Target for treats and supplies. Nadia said, “Look how hungry I am!!” After our Target run we had to get the girls to bed because China Camp started the next morning and they were SO EXCITED!!!

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Thankful Thursday

The following is a list of things I am thankful for after yet another trip to China. (I would like to note that I love going to China!! It’s a wonderful country, but it’s not home)

  • My soft bed. Oh my gosh the beds are so hard in China.
  • Clean, beautiful, fresh drinking water from my tap and shower.
  • My dryer so that our clean clothes are soft when they are done.
  • Free use of the internet without censorship!!
  • Being on the same time zone with everyone else in our life.
  • Being able to understand everything I see. (For such an avid reader like myself it’s one of the hardest parts of being in China. I want to be able to read and understand)