Southern Girls love them some Blue Bell!

Listen up, tots, I've got some tips for you...

See these pictures below of me having my very first Blue Bell mini-country-cone...all to myself?! Well, let me tell you how you, too, can score yourself one of these delicious little treats!

First, it's all in the timing. You've got to wait until your mommy is bringing up a car-load of groceries from the garage at about 6pm, putting steaks on the grill, chopping up a salad, boiling a pot of tea, her cell phone and home phones are ringing off the hook, the UPS man is ringing the door-bell, your dog is trying to jump up in the back of the car to get the groceries not brought in yet, your brothers are calling home saying they're completely starved, your mommy has just finished her 2nd large Tazo Tea from Starbucks and STILL hasn't been to potty, your daddy is at a ball-practice and that's when you do it...you move in for the kill!

Go jump on your little car or scooter and get your little feet to "paddling" as fast as they'll go....Head for anything dangerous you can find...For me, these worked miracles: the top of a free-falling hardwood staircase, an open bin of dog-food in the pantry, electrical cords, and the steak-knives I grabbed out of the open dishwasher. As your mommy says, "Don't you even think about it!" you shoot her a look that says, "Oh, yes I will plunge myself down this staircase!" And I promise you, it'll work everytime! She'll throw all caution to the wind, put you in your high-chair and run straight to the freezer, where the bounty awaits!

That Turkey & Rice, Sweet Potatoes and Prune dinner was way overrated anyway!

Let me know how it works for ya!

~Macy Li

Weekend Fun!

Well, I had my 2nd fun weekend at home! We started it out with another football scrimmage, where I got to see my big brothers play on a beautiful, cool Friday night! I met more friends and got carried around by lots of teenagers again. I think they're all pretty cool.

Here is my oldest brother, Tyler. He made some sweet catches, and man, is he fast?! Mommy said he takes after her!


Here is my brother, Nolan. He made this catch for a touchdown! Give him six!!


My mommy always puts me on the front row. She says it's so she can see better, but all she does is talk to people...


Because the weather was so nice all weekend, we spent a lot of time out on the porch visiting with people who came to see me. I love being outside, and I love Solomon, my black lab.





This afternoon, I got to go swimming for the first time and I loved it! I'm not scared of the water at all. At the pool, I met lots more people who told me they'd been praying for me for a long time, including the amazing Sanders family.
















All in all, I've learned so much since I've come home. I'm mimicking everything my family does, eating everything that doesn't eat me first, sleeping all night (Mommy says, "Woo Hoo!"), adjusting to my car-seat (I've resigned myself to the fact that this is going to be something I must get a grip on 'cause no grass grows under this family!). I love it when they sing to me, and I bob my head to the rhythm of the beat. I've mastered pat-a-cake. I first learned this in China while I was getting my physical exam, and now I've mastered the "roll 'em up" part! I saw a Baby Einstein video this afternoon. No one in my family was nearly as enthusiastic about it as I was. My brothers took one glance, and yelled, "Noooooo!!!!!!!" They said ESPN Sportscenter would be WAY more educational!

Well, that's about it for now. I have a lot planned for the upcoming week, so I'll let you know how that goes.

~Macy Li

Yee Haw!

Last night, my family took me to my first Barn Dance. It was our friend, Callie's, 18th birthday party. I loved the music. As we arrived, I heard "Rocky Top" playing and my daddy told me that was the Tennessee National Anthem! I have no clue what that means, but it sure seemed to give him a big grin! Lots of teenagers were excited to meet me and were all begging to babysit me. Looks like I have lots more fun ahead!



~Macy Li

Daddy's Girl

This is what Daddy does every time he finds me up in my crib...Awwwwww......







Hey, how can a girl catch a nap around here?

~Macy Li

"Home of the Y-Chromosome!"

Just hangin' with my brothers between 2-a-day practices! I'm lovin' all this lovin'! I take back what I said about boys! ;)


~Macy Li

Medical Check-up!

On Monday, I had my first appointment with my pediatrician, Dr. Leeper. I got to wear another pretty blue dress with little pink roses. Dr. Leeper is the bomb and he thinks I'm pretty awesome, too! I got started on my immunizations (boo!), had some blood work done (really big boo!), and got to know everybody at the office. Here are some pics...







My daddy was about to have a fit to see me, so Mommy took me to his office. All the girls there thought I was so sweet, and Daddy gave me lots of kisses. I just love him so much! And I got a new, cool toothbrush that I love, too! Go figure!


~Macy Li

Told you!

It's almost 4am and I was able to wake her right on schedule...again...at 3 am. She gave me a bottle and now we're playin' a little nerf football. She's showing me snaps, long-snaps, hand-offs, options, kick-offs, punting and is helping me with my passing game. Who needs BOYS anyway?!

~Macy Li

Goin' to the chapel...

Ni hao! It's Macy Li again. This morning, my family took me to church for the very first time. I loved it and I got to wear this very beautiful dress that Mrs. Mary Beth gave me...I'm lookin' pretty cute, don't you think? Church was awesome, and my favorite part was the music. These people know how to do music around here! And Pastor James even introduced me to the whole church! Everybody waved at me and smiled and said, "Awww..." Lots of people say that when they see me. He said I was Bethel's newest miracle! Pastor James also said I was excited to know I have a "chocolate brother!" ;) Mommy says he's so funny! We sang songs about Jesus, and I met Pastor Wayne, the children's pastor. He said he's been waiting on me for a long time. I think I'm gonna love these people!




After lunch, we went home and enjoyed several visitors. "Aunt Ang" and "Aunt Rachel", my mommy's dear friends brought us dinner, but we forgot to get a picture of them. But my mommy says, "Xie Xie for the dinner!"
Here are a few of our visitors...





This is my 98 year old great-grandmother. Her 99th birthday is Saturday, August 9th!


And here I am, bathing again! I love bath-time!




Now, I'm all snuggly in my bed and mommy is all snuggly in hers'. I'm waiting on her to get into a real deep sleep, then I'm gonna bolt right up again and demand to be rescued! My motto these days is: "Sleep all day, party all night!"

~Macy Li

Burnin' the midnight oil...

Well, here I sit at 3:15 in the morning, for the 4th morning in a row, in my dimly-lit kitchen with the sweetest little angel in the world on my lap. Despite our valiant efforts at keeping her awake all day so that she'd sleep all night, she is nevertheless trying to transition from a 13-hour time difference. And so are we.

I have to say that I might just start setting my alarm clock and making this a part of my daily routine, however, for these just may be the sweetest moments of my day. She sits here, all comfy in her little jammies, smelling sweeter than honey, playing with my hair, looking up at me about once a minute just so that she can be assured I'm still here I guess, and when our eyes meet again, she bursts into the biggest grin that is sure to "break" her face should it get any wider. She whispers the most angelic coo this side of heaven. Her "morning breath" is delicious. Her soft little cheeks must be sore from all my smooches. Her little belly is full, and there is a never-ending pair of arms just begging to hold her. The half-eaten, drool-covered Saltines lay all around us on the floor. I hand her another, and the look of adoration with each one melts this mama's heart.

Laundry is piled up, just-bought groceries cover my kitchen island still needing to be put away, toys are strewn everywhere, flowers need to be watered, dishwashers need to be emptied, China-stuff still needs to be put away. My house is trashed with empty Gatorade bottles and pizza boxes from countless teenage boys who make this their home away from home. Speaking of them, almost-grown boys sleep all over my house, and their cars line my driveway....What's so wonderful is that I don't even care! I LOVE it! With an almost 18 year old under my roof, a 15 year old, and an 11 year old, I'm accutely aware of something an older, wiser woman told me after Tyler was born, and that is: "The days are long, but Honey just remember, the years are short!" And boy, was she ever right!

So, sitting here jet-lagged and sleep-deprived, with accumulating messes all around, I'm thanking my great God for this moment...for tomorrow it will be gone, leaving in it's place something I have traded for it. I want it to be gain; not loss.

Thank you, Lord, for Macy Li! Thank you, Lord, for my entire amazing family who keep me focused on what and Who is really important. Thank you, Lord, for the way You use children to show us Your kind of love.

A sweet life...

Ni hao! Macy Li here again!

Today, they took me to one of those football games they've been telling me about. Man, this stuff is FUN! I think I really like boys! I cheered for Tyler, who is #11 and for Nolan, who is #9.....But, I love all of them and got several slimy smooches from the players as they came off the field and into the locker room. Whew, this is gonna be FUN! At the scrimmage, I did a few of my cheers they taught me when we were in China!

At the game, I met a lot of new friends. I was pretty much famous when I arrived at the game...everybody seemed to already know all about me. Below are several pictures with new people I met. Also, you can see me with my cousins, Maggie Leigh and McKenna Grace. Since I have a hair-fettish, I'm diggin' their curls.

Well, I better go get rested up. Mommy and Daddy are trying to get me (and them) off China-time. We're all mixed up. The past two nights, we've pretty much been "night owls" ...whatever that means. Apparently, they seem to think that's not good, so they tried to keep me awake all day today. Whew, these people need to give a girl a break!

Well, you can see that I'm SO OVER being an orphan...Life looks pretty sweet here...Wonder what's next?