Apple picking

Don't you just love a crisp September afternoon at a country orchard loaded to the gills with apples instead of other people?

Me too. :)

"I make pointments"

Nedy has taken to controlling our calendar with her various "pointments". Holy mackerel, this kid keeps a tight schedule. It's just plain exhausting keeping up with all of her plans. :)

Nanchang Gang Reunion

This past weekend we took a road trip to Minnesota for a weekend of catching up with our travel group, a.k.a. The Nanchang Gang.

Saturday was a party at Mark and Maria's. They have the really cool, serendipitous circumstance of sharing two adoption trips with the other family we traveled with, Jill and Thomas. As a result, our family has been "blended" with their first travel group for this annual party.

The girls had so much fun running and playing all afternoon on Mark and Maria's unbelievably perfect lawn. (It remained unbelievably perfect even after the nonstop pounding of little feet all afternoon. I touched it to be sure, but it is indeed a real lawn.)

After dinner, we made a kid-friendly batch of moon cakes.

And then they played some more.
It got really exciting. (I mean, Legos were involved. Of course it was exciting.)
Mark and Maria have hosted us overnight for the past couple years, making extended late night Lego madness possible. Thanks, guys! :)

Sunday morning, The Nanchang Gang met up at a park for several hours of play and catching up. And here they are, the Jiangxi gals: Nedy, Kaitelin and Christie.
Add in two fantastic big sisters, Sarah and LiAn.
No one prompted this. It was just a random playground hug. Nedy really seems to get her connection to these gals. For lack of a better word, it's pretty awesome.
Mark, Maria, Sarah and Christie.
This was funny. I had been trying to get photos of Kaitelin all morning and she knew it. She was sitting next to her Mama, Jill, for a while and it was just so cute. (She's a snuggle-bunny type of kid.) When she saw me approach with the camera yet again, she moved 5 feet away. It was hilarious.
Jill's Mom and Dad, Judy and Bill. They traveled with us to China and were everyone's extra support and encouragement. It was so great to have them join us at the park.
Saying goodbye for now with plans to see each other well before the annual party next year!

Door County 2010--the weekend in photos

We always start our Labor Day weekend in Door County with a Friday afternoon visit to the farm-side "honor system" stand for vegetables.
Saturday began with miniature golf. It was, how to put it mildly, a "not-so-beachy" weather day.
Ned's favorite color is orange. (Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better first favorite color than orange. That's my girl!)
Papa (a.k.a. "Mr. Hole-in-One") giving Nedy some schooling on the game.
She did all 18 holes. "I yike dis minchair guwf, Mama."
Ned having a chat with Aunt Jackie about thumb sucking on the way home from Saturday afternoon shopping. Jackie: "What's your thumb taste like, Ned? Chocolate? Strawberries?" Nedy: "No, dis thumb taste yike meeeee."
Saturday night, Dad gave all us daughters beautiful matching necklaces that he picked out and ordered all on his own. (This, of course, made for a group of teary-eyed sisters.)
Aidan turns 6 in October, but because he lives in Texas, we don't get to have the usual family party that we have for the other kids. So, we celebrated a month early!
Tie-dying first thing Sunday morning. Even Uncle Johnny did it! (I think he may have even liked it a little.)
Beach time! The weather was gorgeous on Sunday.
Sunday night was game time! Nedy looks so grown playing board games, doesn't she?
Our annual bingo game for gold dollars. It gets pretty serious.
So there you have it, a photo journey through another epic weekend in Door County. Thanks, Mom and Dad!