It's all in the PANCAKES!!

On Thursday, I loaded up the kids and headed over to Lake Charles for a quick visit with my parents and brother/sister in law/niece. It was a quick trip...but very good to see them all.

Pancakes are of the utmost importance when we make a trip to Nona and Poppy's house. Is it because pancakes are just THAT delicious? Probably not, in all honesty...but Ali and Abby sure think they are a MUST have when they visit. Why? It is because since Ali and Abby (and now Clark) were able to eat pancakes, Nona made them "pancake ladies" (just like she did for me when I was a little girl). "Pancake ladies" you ask...yep, pancakes in the shape of ladies (sometimes perhaps a little oddly shaped...but the girls just don't care at all!). At 10 and 8 these girls still want their pancake ladies first thing in the morning. Clark got his very first "pancake man" this weekend. Who cares if he totally didn't get it yet...oh he will! Before long, he too will be demanding those pancake men! Nona lets them put all the chocolate chips their little hearts desire all over those pancakes...and syrup...yep, they each get their very own little bottle of syrup...to empty on those pancakes!! It will be a very sad day for Nona when these girls no longer ask for the blessed pancake ladies! But not to worry yet, Nona, I think you have many more years of pancake cooking ahead of you. :) Ali, Abby, Clark, and one day Addison...will grow up remembering their special pancakes from Nona!

Congrats to my brother, Jay, sister in law, Paula, and niece, Abby as they have made it ONE step closer to bringing home their daughter (and sister), Addison, from China! They made it to the "review room" (as they call it in adoption lingo)...which is when the "powers that be" in China are actually reviewing their adoption package and will ask for questions to be answered (if there are any...and we are praying there aren't as it will slow down the process even more) and then send them on to the next phase of the process. China adoptions have slowed down significantly over the last year...which is delaying their entire process. They have been logged into the China system for one year now...and have quite a while to go! However, each step is a praise and ONE STEP closer to holding their precious china doll. T.C., Ali, and I can totally relate to the wait...that is for sure...but now being on the other side, can also add that the wait is most definitely worth every second.

I am adding a few pictures from our quick trip to Louisiana. The motorcycle belongs to some friends of my parents. We decided to take Clark by and let him play on it. To say he loved it would be an understatement. He was so sad when we had to leave...he kept saying "motaaacyyycle"...

Lake Charles