I think she is a Chinese factory supervisor?

Ever since YiLi has come home, she has played by herself quite well. Many times she has gone off onto her "Chairman Mao monologue" as we call it.

She speaks with firmness and authority, as if she is addressing a very large crowd.

Today, she made a telephone from giant legos. She answers it over and over again, half English and half Chinese, as if someone is reporting to her and she is problem solving and giving direction to others. In between, you hear "Yes.", "Okay", various numbers, animals, giant sigh, then in a very low and firm voice she says "Goodbye." and hangs up the phone with a slam. Don't you wonder what she is imitating? But if I ask, she can't tell me and it breaks the momentum.

She came home from school on Friday with a "Heart" award for good attitude.  She was so proud!

Tomorrow we are all taking a drive up to Erie for YiLi's check-up appointment at the pediatric ophthalmologist's office. He will see if the pressure in her eyes has dropped and will probably adjust her eye drops. Then we are going to Edinboro College to see Brittany. YiLi can finally visualize where Brittany goes when she is not home! Then we'll go back to Erie for dinner, Mom and Dad and two girls. I can't wait !

YiLi loves to do housework. She folds towels perfectly, and yesterday she helped me change all the beds. Cool, I have a helper!

On Valentine's Day YiLi asked about Christmas!

Praise God for a special blessing! Our prayers are being answered, although I know this is a lifelong process. We have a 12 inch magnet on our frig given to us by the owner of a Christian restaurant I waitressed at to make money for the adoption. It is the manger scene, and it says "Keep Christ in Christmas."

Yili brought it to me and asked who it is this morning. I told her that it was Jesus. She asked where, and I said he was the tiny little baby in the manger. There was a cloth trumpet next to this magnet. She placed it beside the magnet and made a trumpet sound. Add Google translate (can't wait until we don't need it anyore) that Christmas was Jesus' birthday, and that the angels really DID play trumpets on that day! I told her that Jesus lived on the earth for 33 years because he loved each one of us so much!

She has been very curious about Jesus, as she can see that He is very important to us. Keep on planting seeds, because you never can tell what little action will make a big impact on a person. From the 4x6 picture of the Shepherd we placed in her photo album and sent to China, to the pictures on our wall and the books and movies about Him, as well as the church we worship in, you can never tell, but God knows our little girl's heart!

I don't write in a captivating style, but this message is captivating! Jesus is the biggest Valentine of all!

Fully accepted - the feeling's mutual!

We are so thankful to God for how things are going in our home! I wish we could climb inside YiLi's mind and heart and receive detailed answers to everything we wonder about . . . but since that cannot happen we just look at clues like this:

The dogs like YiLi a lot, but they also obey her! So I think that she has taken the role she is supposed to have. Holly (little dog) assists in putting YiLi to bed every night . . .I think that is so sweet! She is the first one up the stairs and leads the way into YiLi's bedroom!

Next is her name badge! Before we travelled to China, my husband Rick interviewed for a promotion at his job. After we returned (God's perfect timing) he was offered the position which meant he moved to a different facility within the state hospital system and needed a new name badge.

YiLi asked for his old badge, wanted her picture and name placed over his, and actually wears this badge every day whenever she is in the house! It really makes her feel good! I don't know if it makes her feel a member of the family more, or if it makes her feel professional, but she really really likes it!

OK, I am being called to play the game of monopoly - gotta go!

Daddy and his Chinese lesson in Guangzhou

This video is Little Miss Teacher YiLi trying her best to teach Daddy his Chinese tones . . . I was laughing so hard that I could barely hold the camera! And lest you think that I am totally incompetent, I was trying to hide the camera from YiLi at the beginning so that she would be "natural". Here goes!

Even the dogs are smiling!

The Smedley family

On a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, our friend Cheri Carbaugh came over and tried to get all of us smiling at the same time! She tried to make us look beautiful too, which wasn't hard for the girls, but a bit more of a challenge for us parents! We are just so grateful to have some shots of our whole family together in one spot!

YiLi started the photo shoot by singing a Chinese song for Cheri . . .

And I really like the ones of us outside frolicking in the snow!

The girls prevailed (three against one), let me just say that!