Nobody got spit on at this birthday party!

Here are some shots of YiLi's birthday party. The weather was unseasonably warm! I apologize if I missed anyone in these pictures - I did my best! Look at this alpaca's teeth! Did you know alpacas only have lower teeth, and they have a type of paws rather than hooves, so they really are defenseless animals. They are guarded by Anatolian Shepherd dogs from Turkey.

These are very gentle animals. They are all girls, and the family has named every single one, and they are filled with personality! The sure did like to eat grass!

I don't know which was cuter, the kids or the baby alpacas!

Yes, it's true, when God decided to brighten our world, he brought our daughter YiLi to us. Happy eighth birthday, YiLi Rebecca Smedley! We love ya!

Our budding artist . . .

Happy Birthday, YiLi!

Pictures to follow, but exciting news can't wait! YiLi will turn 8 on Sunday. We have been home a little over 3 months already! Big sister Brittany, home for spring break, surprised YiLi in her classroom yesterday with her bitrhday treat of cookies and milk. She was so excited to see her walk in. The teacher, Mrs. Funk, is one of YiLi's favorite people EVER, and when Brittany had her it was the same way. I know Mrs. Funk had a lot of fun yesterday, too!

YiLi got to choose 8 friends who got to say something nice about her and give her a hug! Someone said that she worked very quietly and was a hard worker. Joanna and Xuelian Dell - this is for you - someone said that she dresses really cute! (All we do is that she picks her own shirt color, we pair it with jeans (matching flowers if possible) and then we add all the hair bows that also match). Joanna gave us all of Xuelian's clothes that she had outgrown, and we remain thankful for that!

More awesome news is that YiLi actually passed the PSSA test! I wish I had details of that but that's about all I know. I promise to post pictures as soon as Brittany gives me her camera!

YiLi's views on church and Christmas . . .

So YiLi told Gramma last week that once upon a time there was a little baby. His name Jesus. Then Christmas came.  Yep, she's starting to get it . . .

Here is her creation of church (with no help from us):

You can see the pews, right? The orange crayon is "Mr. Bubbles".  The three at the front are the musicians. Strawberry Shortcake. that would be me on piano! Just to let you know the two birds near the back (behind the dinosaur) got in trouble for sleeping at church! And thing one and thing two at the front - I didn't understand what their role was, something about raising their one hand and then their two hand.

And I know this is off subject, but here are some pictures of our week:

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess from Mrs. Funk (YiLi's teacher) and YiLi, a lazy Saturday morning at the Smedley's, and YiLi being her usual goofy self trying to put my jacket on while she was sitting in her chair!

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!