ZOEY LOVES "SANTA"

ZOEY LOVED SANTA, SHE COULDN'T STOP LOOKING AT HIM.

WE WERE NOT SURE IF SHE WOULD IF SHE WOULD BE AFRAID OR NOT, BUT SHE DID WONDERFUL! IN FACT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE HIM.

SHE EVEN TOLD HIM WHAT SHE WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS.

THIS WAS AN AWESOME CHRISTMAS BEING ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH IT FROM THE EYES OF OUR DAUGHTER!

THANK YOU LORD FOR OUR WONDERFUL DAUGHTER.

FIRST TRIP TO THE DENTIST

ZOEY HAD HER FIRST TRIP TO THE DENTIST, THE DENTIST OFFICE CALLS IT THE KIDS "HAPPY VISIT"

THEY SHOWED ZOEY AROUND THE OFFICE AND INTRODUCED HER TO THE STAFF. SHE GOT TO RIDE UP & DOWN IN THE DENTAL CHAIR AND CHECK OUT ALL THE INSTRUMENTS. SHE REALLY LIKED TO DENTAL MIRROR.

SHE LET THE DENTAL HYGENTIST COUNT HER TEETH AND THEN LET THE DENTIST COUNT THEM ALSO.

SHE RECEIVED A GREAT CHECK-UP AND WAS REWARDED WITH ALOT OF SURPRISES.

SHE EVEN TALKED JAMELL INTO GIVING HER POTATO CHIPS.

EVERYONE WAS GREAT TO ZOEY AND MADE HER FIRST TRIP TO THE DENTIST A VERY POSITIVE ONE. THANKS TO DR. REDMOND AND HIS STAFF.

MORE TRAIN RIDE PICTURES

TRAIN RIDE WITH SANTA

WE WENT TO THE HEART OF DIXIE TRAIN STATION & MUSEUM ON SATURDAY. WE TOOK ZOEY'S COUSINS AUSTIN & CALEB WITH US.

WE WENT ON A ONE HOUR TRAIN RIDE WITH SANTA & MRS. CLAUSE. THEY WENT FROM SEAT TO SEAT VISITING AND TALKING TO EACH CHILD, AND GAVE THEM A SMALL TOY. THE KIDS WERE SO EXCITED!

ZOEY TOLD SANTA THAT SHE WANTED A NEW ELMO. ONE MORE TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION. :) THE KIDS ALSO GOT TO MEET THE TRAIN CONDUCTOR AND GET PICTURES WITH HIM.

ALL THE TRAINS ARE RETIRED NOW AND MAINLY USED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. INSIDE THE MUSEUM THEY HAVE ALL THE OLD TOOLS , LIGHTS, SIGNS AND CONDUCTOR HATS.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

WHAT A GREAT HALLOWEEN! WE WENT TO OUR CHURCH'S

"TRUCK -A-TREAT FALL FESTIVAL. ZOEY HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

SHE LOVES SEEING ALL THAT CANDY IN HER BUCKET.

AFTER WE GOT HOME I CAUGHT HER WITH ONE OF HER BUCKETS OF CANDY DUMPED IN THE FLOOR AND SHE WAS OPENING EACH PIECE AND HAVING HER OWN TASTE TEST.

BEACH TRIP

THIS WAS SOME PICTURES OF OUR TRIP TO ORANGE BEACH.

ZOEY ENJOYED IT MUCH BETTER THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR SHE DIDN'T CARE FOR THE SAND OR THE OCEAN.

"ELMO LIVE"

WE WENT TO SEE "ELMO LIVE" IN BIRMINGHAM AT THE CIVIC CENTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO.

ZOEY WAS SO EXCITED WHEN SHE SAW "ELMO" AND THE OTHER SESAME STREET GANG. SHE KEPT SAYING "ELMO" ELMO"

HER EYES WERE GLOWING WITH HAPPINESS. WE HAD WONDERFUL SEATS AND YOU COULD SEE THE SHOW REAL WELL.

ZOEY KEPT WANTING TO GO UP ON STAGE WITH THEM.

IT WAS HILARIOUS. SHE HAS A GREAT TIME. I THINK ME & DOUG LIKED IT AS MUCH AS ZOEY DID.

CAN YOU SAY WE LOVE "ELMO"

NEEDLESS TO SAY ZOEY "LOVES" ELMO!! EVERYTHING IN OUR HOUSE REVOLVES AROUND ELMO. SHE HAS FELL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH ELMO.. AS YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE ALOT OF STUFFED ELMO'S AND WE HAVE BOOKS, OTHER ELMO TOYS, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE ELMO CLOTHES.

EVERYNIGHT WE HAVE TO SLEEP WITH EVERY ELMO AND NOT COUNTING GROVER, ABBY, BARNEY. WE HAVE A BED FULL!!

OH I FORGOT TO MENTION OUR 96 POUND BOXER THAT SLEEPS WITH US TOO.

WHAT WE WOULDN'T DO FOR OUR DAUGHTER! :)

ZOEY'S 2ND COUSIN

LOOK AT THIS DOLL!! THIS IS ZOEY'S 2nd COUSIN AND OUR GREAT NIECE. "BOY DO I FEEL OLD"

SHE IS ALMOST 6 MONTHS OLD AND 17 LBS. I TOLD OUR NIECE THAT SHE WASN'T OVERWEIGHT SHE WAS JUST "FLUFFY" AND OH SO HUGGABLE.

JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS SWEET BABY

"BIG BIG BIG LOLLIPOP"

I LOVE SEEING THE EXCITEMENT IN ZOEY'S FACE WHEN SHE SEE'S NEW THINGS.

OUR CHURCH SECRETARY GAVE HER THIS BIG LOLLIPOP AND SHE ABSOLUTLY LOVED IT!!! SHE WAS SO EXCITED.

I OPENED IT FOR HER AND SHE TASTED IT AND ATE SOME OF IT AND THEN SHE WANTED TO TAKE IT WITH HER WHEN SHE LAID DOWN FOR HER NAP. SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID LOLLIPOP GO "NITE NITE"

SHE IS THE FUNNIEST THING!! SHE KEEPS EVERYONE AROUND HER LAUGHING!! WHAT A WONDERFUL DOSE OF MEDICINE!!! :)

**AND OF COURSE SHE HAS ON HER ELMO SHIRT IN THIS PICTURE TOO*** SHE HAS TO PUT ONE ON EVERYDAY AROUND THE HOUSE**

(I WILL BE GLAD WHEN THIS PHASE WEARS OFF** HOPEFULLY :)

THANKS AMI aka "QUEEN" FOR THE "BIG BIG" LOLLIPOP!! YOU MADE ZOEY'S DAY!

ZOEY'S "SPECIAL PLACE"

ZOEY LOVES SITTING ON TOP OF THE DRYER LOOKING AT THE CLOTHES WASHING. I HAVE EXPLAINED TO HER WHAT THE WASHER IS DOING AND HOW IT IS CLEANING THE CLOTHES LIKE WE CLEAN OURSELVES BUT WE GET IN THE BATHTUB.

WELL SHE CALLS THE WASHER "SPECIAL" I ASK HER WHY THE WASHER WAS SPECIAL AND SHE SAID IT'S NOT THE BATHTUB IT IS

BIGGER & BETTER. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD DEDUCTION.

I JUST HAD TO CAPTURE THIS MOMENT, AND OF COURSE SHE HAS HER BEST FRIEND WITH "BARNEY" WITH HER, HE GOES EVERY WHERE SHE GOES.

FATHER'S DAY

* * ONE PROUD DADDY **

NANJING CITY

ZOEY'S ORPHANAGE IS IN NANJING CITY AND THIS IS WHERE ZOEY LIVED FOR 20 MONTHS OF HER LIFE, BEFORE WE ADOPTIED HER. I THOUGHT THIS ARTICLE WAS REAL INTERESTING:

China leads world in Bible production

Story by AFA Journal Staff. Sources cited for News of Interest indicate source of basic information only. April 2008

Nanjing, China, a city of seven million, is poised to become the world’s largest producer of Bibles. The irony is lost on no one who understands that China has been one of the world’s most repressive nations when it comes to allowing the Christian faith a fair shake in society.
At the end of 2007, Amity Printing was producing up to 800,000 Bibles a month, 80% of them distributed through China’s officially approved churches. Amity is a joint venture between the UK-based United Bible Societies and a Chinese Christian charity.
At year’s end, Amity was in the process of moving from a suburban factory to a new plant in an industrial park where they will be neighbors to new Ford Motor and Motorola factories. The facility is the size of an aircraft hangar and is expected to supply about one quarter of the world’s Bibles by 2009.
Amity first established the officially-endorsed Bible factory in1986 after Deng Xiaoping eased anti-religious laws following the reign of the oppressive Chairman Mao. To date, the plant has produced more than 50 million Bibles, about 40 million of them in the Mandarin language and sold through official churches in China.

McDonalds Playdate with Jayden

We had our first playdate with our woderful friends Terri & Jayden McDonald.

They returned from China about 8 weeks ago with thier adorable little boy

"Jayden" He is 20 months old and full of life! He is the happiest little boy

and cute as a button.

Zoey was great with him, she enjoys other kids so much. She also loves playing at McDonalds. This was Jayden's first trip to McDonalds to play and he did very well. He is adjusting & bonding wonderfully.

The McDonald's are apart of our church family.

We are so blessed to be apart of thier lives, and look forward to watching

our kids grow up together and have many more playdates.

FIRST TRIP TO THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO

WE WENT SUNDAY TO THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO, ALMOST ALL OF THE BIGGER ANIMALS WERE INSIDE THERE HOUSE'S AND WOULDN'T COME OUTSIDE. SHE WAS ABLE TO SEE THE GORILLA AND THE GIRAFFE.

ZOEY TURNS THREE

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ZOEY IS THREE YEARS OLD.

SHE LOVES THE "DOODLEBOPS" AND HAS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. WE HAVE EVERY DVD AND CD THEY HAVE MADE. SHE GOES TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT LISTENING TO THIER CD OF SONGS.

NOW WE HAVE 4 DOLLS TO ADD TO HER COLLECTION,

DEE DEE, ROONEY, MOE, BOB AND ALSO A DEE DEE T-SHIRT.

WE WENT TO HUNTSVILLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND ZOEY GOT TO SEE THE DOODLEBOPS IN PERSON.

SHE WAS AMAZED! SHE JUMPED AND DANCED AND CLAPPED AS THEY PERFORMED.

SHE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT AND DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE WHEN THE SHOW WAS OVER.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" ZOEY.