TGIF

Well, it's Friday evening and we made it through the week. Whew! 

I went back to work on Monday (had to deal with 387 emails in my Inbox, thank you very much) and Charlotta was back at school this week. For most of the days, she went to class in the morning and came home around lunchtime and took a nap in the afternoon. She is slowly building up her stamina (and her chest/upper stomach problems have also cleared up). Today, she was at school all day. She was definitely fading by the time I picked her up, but nowhere in our wildest thoughts did we think she should be back at school just three weeks after her surgery. Kids are truly resilient and Charlotta, in my opinion, is truly remarkable.

While we've been focused on Charlotta's back surgery these past few weeks, another part of our family -- Steve's sister Julie and her husband Randy -- have had their own life-changing experience. After waiting for five years, they were finally notified that their adoption of a baby from China was taking place. At the end of May, they travelled to Beijing to welcome their new daughter Anna into their family. We're so very happy for them! Anna's 8 months old and a total sweetheart. Such a good-natured baby and very photogenic to boot. We've had a few visits with her, and her cousins just love to play with her.

 Randy, Julie and Anna.

Isn't Anna a cutie? (... and isn't Charlotta standing up straight?)

Ashley's hamming it up with Anna.

 Jack and Uncle Randy in their matching "Dragon" t-shirts from China.