After all, he’s gone through pretty big changes lately.

Started homeschooling.

And got his smile back.

Joined his dad and me on the Daniel Fast.

And found a new appreciation for eating more healthfully.

He got the big buzz cut.

And decided he’s going to keep it that way.

For now.

It’s pretty cool to watch him make some grown-up decisions.

And stick by some grown-up commitments.

But still play legos with his little brothers.

And watch Oomie Zoomies with his little sisters.

The tween-age years are a lesson in contradictions.

And I’m loving every bit of it.

If you’re ready to link up this week with your Sunday Snapshot, just copy the code under the Snapshot button and paste it into the body of your post where you’d like the button to be displayed.

When you hit ‘publish’ it should show up just fine. Then add your link below.

Wondering what the heck Sunday Snapshot is? Visit here for the details.

Happy Sunday, y’all.

Me neither.

But after getting these bad boys in the mail today, I realized just how very, very nearsighted I am.

So, for this Friday, my favorite photo is less about the photo. And more about what’s in the photo… my new favorite thing.

Thanks so much to everyone who left comments in my plea for help a few weeks ago. I read all your comments, did some research and then decided to stay in my sweats, not put on make-up, and order my glasses online. For free. Can’t beat that with a stick.

I do sort of wish I’d gone in and tried on a bunch, though. Why, you ask? Because, this particular pair – that are now mine – looked sorta smart/hip on me on the little photo-upload-thingy. But now, in the flesh, they’re not quite so smart/hip. Might be the fact that I’m still in my sweats and makeup-less. I’ll have to wait and see how things go when I actually get ready to go out somewhere.

But at least now I can see. Can’t wait to go to church on Sunday, I’ll finally be able to see the pastor’s face when he’s preaching. And TV? Forgetaboutit. I might start to enjoy watching TV now that I don’t have to ask my husband to tell me what’s really going on every 27 seconds.

For more, much cuter Favorite Photos, visit my friend Lisa’s blog: the Long Road to China.

You know, the doggie memo.

That shoes and sticks and balls are for chewing.

And that prickly pine cones?

Are not.

But I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from our boy.

Seamus has been known to do his own thing.

And, in general, prefers to veer from the regular doggie rules of engagement.

Our special dog even likes to have us throw his beloved pine cone for him.

If we can get him to let it go long enough.

And when it’s finally launched, he bounds with unadulterated joy in that direction.

As fast as he can.

And sometimes, he even brings it back.

And we begin again.

Oh, Seamus.

What would we do with just a regular dog?

But first, I just wanted to say how much I *loved* reading y’all’s comments. I mean, L.O.V.E.D. it. I guess I was just expecting a short “since 2009″ or something. But y’all… well, y’all are awesome. And made me smile so very big, many times over. If I’d have known how fun this was gonna be – reading your sweet comments and learning some precious bits of your own adoption stories – I’d have had this giveaway a long time ago.

Except, it wouldn’t have been a six year celebration if I had held this giveaway a long time ago.

Anyway, onto the winners…

1. Stacy – Big Crazy Love
2. Dusty – Bayous, Peaches, Chopsticks and Beaches
3. Jen McCoy – The M’s Have It
4. Cheryl – When Worlds Collide
5. Jennifer M. – Apple Pie and Egg Rolls
6. Ashley T.

Each of y’all won your choice of sizes in this beautiful God Is Love tee! Just visit Love Them Home to see the sizes offered and let me know via comment here or email (linked in the top right sidebar) which size you want.

If you didn’t win, but would love to have one of these beauties, just visit Amie’s site for more information on how to get one (or some) of your own!

Please prayerfully consider making a donation to Love Them Home. The adoption community is an amazing thing… I have been abundantly blessed to be a part of it. I pray that we rally around this fantastic family and in turn, get to become a part of bringing two children home to their forever family.

First things first…

I am asking y’all to lift up David Bompart in prayer. Many of you already know about him and are praying hard for his recovery. Keep on praying! But for those who don’t know, David and his wife, Nicolle, run a charity – Eyes Wide Open International – that we have partnered up with through Wild Olive. These folks are rock stars in all they do and have done for “the least of these” in Haiti. David was shot in the chest and abdomen while working to build an orphanage in Haiti. He was taken by med-evac to Miami where he remains in very, very serious condition.

He needs all of our prayers right now… only God can completely restore him. To be kept up-to-date on specific prayer requests for David’s recovery, you can visit his Caring Bridge site, and Linny has been posting updates on her blog as well.

Thank you for standing in the gap on behalf of David and his family.

Actually, it was over at midnight on Saturday.

And there has been much rejoicing and eating and celebrating and eating since then.

Truth be told, I really did enjoy the last 21 days. Overall.

There were moments.

Some headaches. LOTS of headaches. And some tears. And some stomach upset, too. Fiber? What’s fiber? My stomach had no idea what hit it.

But God was so merciful and never once did I really, truly struggle enough to consider quitting. I have given up coffee in the past. But never, ever have I given up sodas. And sugar. And dairy and meat and bread all at the same time. So really, a few tears and some headaches? Much better than I had feared.

Asher and Chris both finished well, also. Without tears, even. And so did much of the congregation of our church. Sunday’s church service had some very caffeinated full happy people in the house, let me tell ya.

My man started his Sunday with some things he and Asher had been missing for weeks: meat and bread and cheese. Enter the fancy sandwich.

I ate something I’d been craving for weeks as well: yogurt. Isn’t that boring? And oh, so surprising? Of all the things in my fridge, all I wanted was plain vanilla yogurt. And I am happy to report, it did not disappoint.

Now we are moving out of the Daniel Fast and into the Daniel Plan. Started by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, the Daniel Plan is a modified (read: more lenient) version of the Daniel Fast. It’s a 52-week program that focuses on six core principals for “Glorifying God in the Way We Eat, Move and Think!”

Oh my.

Yes, 52 weeks does seem daunting. But, honestly, I felt early on in the fast that God wanted me to continue on this for more than just 21 days. That He wanted me to use this as a starting point to not only care for myself better, but care for my family better.

And you guys who had recipes and ideas and links to share with me during the fast? Y’all were a big part of what got me through. God used y’all at just the right time. So grateful for you reaching out to this woman of such weak will.

So there you have it. Anyone that knows me well is probably picking their jaw up off the floor at this point. Longtime lover of Diet Coke, McDonald’s and Little Debbie, I have been known to make poorer food choices than a 2 year old.

And – although I did work-out faithfully in my 20′s and into my 30′s – let’s just say I haven’t owned a pair of running shoes since Sophie came home. In 2006.

So that prompting that I got to eat better, drink better and move more? Well, it’s been a long time coming.

And so, with His help, I am hopeful that things are changing.

I’ll keep y’all posted.

Like it or not, I will keep y’all posted.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

But this isn’t your average Sunday Snapshot, either.

Today, January 28th, marks six years since I began blogging.

And a few things have happened since then.

Sophie came home.

We moved from the midwest to the southeast.

Jude came home.

The blog went from “Sophie Makes Six” to “Ni Hao Y’all”.

Shepherd came home.

We moved back to the midwest.

No Hands But Ours went from a dream to reality.

My crazy friends and I started up our own t-shirt business – Wild Olive.

Vivienne came home.

I became the US Director at An Orphan’s Wish.

We moved to the northeast.

Poppy came home.

We moved back to the southeast.

And here we are.

Whew.

I think I need a nap.

Better yet, since it’s my party and – for today at least – I can do what I want to… let’s make this really fun.

My sweet friend (and Wild Olive partner in crime) Amie is fundraising to bring home two precious kiddos, Sophie Lu and Kai.

Just look how adorable they are.

And their family is crazy close to being ready to travel. For TWO.

So, to celebrate all God has done in our crazy family in the last six years, I want to join another God-following, crazy family in their efforts to bring their babies home.

I’ll be giving away six shirts to six winners. Six “God Is Love” shirt winners will be selected at random from all comments left on this post. One comment per person, pretty please. I’ll donate to Amie’s fundraiser, and six of y’all will get a rockin’ new tee.

How’s that for a party?

Since this giveaway is in celebration of six years of my blogging journey, it is open only to followers of Ni Hao Y’all. So if you don’t already follow along here, it’s a great time to start. Winners will be selected on Tuesday the 31st, so entries will close at midnight on Monday the 30th. Each winner will be able to choose the size they want of this shirt that has been created for Amie’s fundraiser.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

My girls and I have one. And we love ‘em.

We love Amie and her family even more and we sure would be blessed if you’d consider making a donation to their fundraiser as well. I think, if you take the time to read their story, you’ll be so very blessed, too.

You can still link up this week on Sunday Snapshot, but you do not have to link to be entered for the giveaway.

To enter to win a God Is Love tee, just leave a comment with the answer to this question:

When did you start following along here at Ni Hao Y’all?

And for an additional entry, click the FB “Like” button below this post, and let me know when you comment.

Happy Six Years to Ni Hao Y’all. It is my prayer that it has been a blessing to a few of y’all on your own crazy, God-following adoption journeys.

If you’re ready to link up this week with your Sunday Snapshot, just copy the code under the Snapshot button and paste it into the body of your post where you’d like the button to be displayed.

When you hit ‘publish’ it should show up just fine. Then add your link below.

Wondering what the heck Sunday Snapshot is? Visit here for the details.

All done.

They might celebrate for two weeks in China, but I guess I just don’t have that kind of stamina.

We are wrapping up our festivities with just one.

But, even on this last shoot with my two littlest buggers, we had a blast doing it.

They had seen their bigger brothers and sisters getting dressed in their silks earlier in the week.

And getting their pictures taken.

And getting to play with their things from China.

So when I came downstairs carrying their silks and their things from China, they knew.

It was time.

They couldn’t get out of their jammies fast enough.

And, I’m happy to say, despite some sniffles and some initially cold feet about having their pictures taken, they both came around just fine.

In fact, I’d say they came around beautifully.

For more cuties, visit my friend Lisa’s blog: The Long Road to China.

Happy Chinese New Year, y’all.

His name is Gus. And he is just one year old.

And his special need is dwarfism.

Ooooh, I can’t stand it. Don’t his little chubby, dimply arms look just like Vivi’s?

As y’all probably know, our Vivienne has dwarfism. We still aren’t quite sure what form of dwarfism she has, as there are many, many forms. The truth is, we may never know exactly what type of dwarfism she has. But what we do know for sure is that she is, to us, the most precious peanut on the planet. We could not be more crazy about her and we feel so very blessed to be chosen by God to love her forever.

For more information on Gus, or any of their waiting children, email Lisa Kelly at Lifeline. His file will be returned on February 10th… so please help spread the word. I just know his family is out there somewhere!