Life At Home with Two China Daughters: Little Miss and Impending Surgery

I didn't realize I was getting so behind on the blog. It seems like this summer has just flew by. Normally that would be GOOD because that means the boys are going back to school. This summer went by so fast that I'm actually NOT ready for the boys to go back to school yet! Ha! I'm sure I'll get over it.

Well, my boy left for bootcamp on July 14th. Oh man that was so much harder than I thought it would be, and continues to be. It's just plain weird not having him around, even if he was being annoying lately. The house just isn't the same without him digging through the fridge at all hours of the night, telling me dirty jokes and poking at everyone thinking he "being funny". I guess he was being funny, because I actually miss that. I have only seen one letter from him since he left, but he seems upbeat and positive. He's going to make a great Marine.

In other news, Mary somehow was nominated and WON the title of Little Miss Gilcrest (our town). She got a tiara, a sash and got to ride in a convertible in the town parade! Oh boy! I didn't even know she was NOMINATED!!!! (This will not help our efforts to banish her Princess Syndrome!) I found this out of course only a few days before the parade that I myself was already in with the color guard team. Ol' Canaan had to ride with his little sis in the parade. Oh it was just too cute. (He didn't look like he was enjoying it so much.) Mary roasted her butt off, same as the color guard. It was just stupid hot!

Right now, we in countdown to Ella's surgery. We leave for Chicago a week from today. Okay, now I have knots in my tummy. I think she does too. She seems a little stressed lately. I've very, very nervous about this surgery but I also want to get it over with. The hospital called yesterday to see how "healthy" she was. Fine in fact! That's because she has pretty much been in quarantine for the past few weeks. We have enough hand sanitizer and clorox wipes to last a couple years! She has done well, especially in the last week with wearing a medical mask and being confined to her stroller, unable to touch anything. Sure, I might be a little over-cautious, but it's WORKING! Now to just keep her healthy one more week!!!! Everyone needs to send good vibes our way that this surgery goes smoothly and she recovers quickly. That flight home from Chicago is not going to be a fun one!

Here are some recent pictures:

My kids, the day Adam left for the Marines...