Late Winter Fun

The girls and I enjoyed a rare treat and saw Frozen in the theater at the end of January.  

Groundhog Day fun

Maimie's Gotcha Day

February 5 marked seven years since we met our sweet little Guo Zhen in Nanning China.  This year's gift from China was a set of jade chopsticks and holders.  
Also on February 5, Joseph's braces were removed.  On the way home we made a stop for his first bubble gum in years.

Less than 24 hours after Joseph's braces came off, Maimie received her first set of top braces.  The girls posed with their orthodontist after Maimie's appointment. 
  

I made a special Valentine's Day meal for the kids a day early.  We ate heart shaped pizza, breadsticks, and cake.

Then on Valentine's Day, I drove to Winona Lake to visit Mikaela.  We shopped, talked, watched movies, and stayed the night in a hotel.  It was so much fun!  It was Maimie and Saidie's first time away from mom at night.  I called them on the phone to tell them goodnight, and Saidie admitted that she had been bad because she missed me.

 On March 1, as Jacob's robotics team, the Roboteers, held their first regional competition of the year, the girls had a special treat.  They met congressman Aaron Schock in the pit area.  We had the opportunity to thank Mr. Schock for his help during Saidie's adoption and subsequent tax issues.    

Later in March, the girlies finally got their long awaited bunk beds.  They couldn't be happier.  And they still sleep together in the same bed, sometimes above and sometimes below. 

Meanwhile, Joseph began driving with his new driver's permit.  That makes a total of three of my teens driving at once.