Lily's Birthday

Lily had a birthday on october 1 and is now four years old. She is growing up too fast, it seems like only yesterday that we brought her home from China. She is such a sweet little girl and I am so proud of her and how well she is doing in every area of her life.

She had a Minnie Mouse party for her fourth birthday and had lots of her friends come and celebrate with her. We played games, had cake and icecream and then she opened her presents.

Update

Since my last post in August Lily has started back to pre-school three days a week. She really enjoys school and being with her classmates. Lily is very social and sometimes I think she has never met a stranger because she is so outgoing, and at other times she appears to be shy and will stand behing me and hide. Lily learned so much last year in pre-school and she is learning even more this year. She goes to a Christian pre-school and learns a new Bible verse each week and she can pray really beautiful prays without prompts of what to say. She talks to God like she really believes He is going to take care of whatever she prays for....Praise God!!!

I haven't been on this site for a while and need to update it.

Lily had a wonderful time at Hilton Head. She enjoyed riding bicycles to the beach every morning, and splashing in the waves, building sandcastles, and eating all the good food that was available at places like the Salty Dog.

LILY'S DANCE RECITAL

LILY LOVES TO DANCE AND HAS BEEN TAKING PRE-DANCE FOR THE LAST YEAR. SHE HAD HER FIRST DANCE RECITAL ON SUNDAY JUNE 7, 2009. SHE LOOKED BEAUTIFUL AND HAD SO MUCH FUN. SHE KEPT LOOKING AT ME AND HER DAD TO SEE IF WE WERE WATCHING. SHE HAD A SMILE ON HER FACE THE ENTIRE TIME. I BELIEVE SHE HAD MORE FUN THAN ANYONE. OF COURSE WE WERE REALLY PROUD OF HER AND THOUGHT SHE DID GREAT.

LILY AND HER BEST FRIEND ANNIE ATTENDED A BIRTHDAY PARTY AND PAINTED CERAMIC BUTTERFLIES AND HAD A GREAT TIME. ANNIE LIVES IN INDIANA AND LILY LOVES HER VERY MUCH. THEY ALWAYS HAVE FUN JUST HANGING OUT WITH EACH OTHER.

SUNDAY MAY 17, 2009

WE HAD A LOVELY DAY YESTERDAY. WE WENT TO CHURCH, HAD LUNCH AND WENT OUTSIDE TO ENJOY OURSELVES. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF LILY TAKEN BEFORE CHURCH.

ASIAN ART FESTIVAL

WE WENT TO THE SPEED ART MUESUM IN LOUISVILLE, KY SAT. TO AN ASIAN FESTIVAL. HERE IS THE OUTFIT LILY WORE AND EVERYONE THOUGHT SHE LOOK SO PRETTY. A WOMAN WE DID NOT KNOW WANTED TO TAKE HER PICTURE. THE FESTIVAL WAS REALLY NICE WITH SHOWS, KITE MAKING, AND TABLES WITH DISPLAYS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN THE ASIAN AREAS. LILY LOVES WATCHING THE LITTLE CHINESE GIRLS DANCE. THAT WAS HER FAVORITE PART. HERE IS A PICTURE OF HER.

COCOA BEACH, FLA

AFTER THE DISNEY TRIP WE TRAVELED ONTO COCOA BEACH, FLA WHERE LILY ENJOYED THE WATER, SURF, AND SUN. MOST OF ALL SHE LIKED BUILDING SAND CASTLES.

DISNEY TRIP

LILY REALLY ENJOYED HER TRIP TO DISNEY. SHE SAW MANY OF THE PRINCESSES AND MOST OF THE MAIN DISNEY CHARACTERS. SHE RODE SOME OF THE RIDES AND ESPECIALLY LIKED DUMBO. SHE LOVED THE PALACE AND WAS SO EXCITED WHEN SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO SEE TINKERBELL, BUT TINKERBELL DIDN'T COME OUT THAT NIGHT. BUT SHE DID SEE AMAZING FIRE WORKS AT THE PALACE. SHE TRAVELED TO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM WHERE SHE SAW THE LION KING AND NEMO. SHE WENT ON A SAFARI AND SAW ALL THE WILD ANIMALS. NEEDLESS TO SAY SHE WAS WORN OUT EVERY NIGHT WHEN SHE GOT BACK TO HER ROOM. SHE STAYED AT THE ALL STAR MOVIES HOTEL. AND TRAVELED EVERYWHERE ON THE BUS. SHE RECEIVED LOTS OF AUTOGRAPHS AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

PSALM 139:13-16

For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book thay all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. NKJV

Welcome

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG. WE ARE THE STATES' JOE, NORMA AND LILY. WE ADOPTED LILY MARCH 27, 2007. SHE IS A MOST PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD. SHE HAS BLESSED OUR LIVES IN SO MANY WAYS. SHE IS A JOY. SHE IS VERY OUTGOING, PERSONABLE, LOVES TO DANCE, DRESS UP IN HER PRINCESSES CLOTHES, AND SING. SHE IS NOW THREE YEARS OLD AND WILL BE FOUR ON OCTOBER 1. SHE GOES TO PRE-SCHOOL TWO AFTERNOONS A WEEK FOR THREE HOURS. SHE LOVES SCHOOL AND HER TEACHER. WE CAN'T INAGINE OUR LIFE WITHOUT HER AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR FAMILY. WE ALL ENJOY GETTING OUTSIDE AND WALKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND VISITING WITH FRIENDS AND PLAYING GAMES. WE HAVE TWO OLDER CHILDREN A DAUGHTER AND A SON AND THEY ARE BOTH MARRIED AND HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN. WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE FAMILLY. ALL THE FAMILY ADORES HER. I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM SINCE WE ADDED LILY TO OUR FAMILY AND JOE WORKS AT THE VA MEDICAL CENTER AS THE COORDINATOR OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC.