This past week, like the others before it,  went by lightning fast.  We are officially a very busy family of five.  S wasn't feeling well last weekend and Monday so I stayed home with her.  We got her into the doctor and she went back on antibiotics as they think we didn't get her last round of illness killed off with the previous antibiotics.  I felt like such an over reacting mom hauling her back in, they weren't nearly as concerned with her cough as I was instead focusing on the yuck in her eyes and nose.  Happy to say that she is back to normal a week later.

Wednesday was Magnet School information night.  We are praying that M will get to start kindergarten in a Language and Culture magnet school, their language is Mandarin.  If she gets in she will be in all day kindergarten where the morning is spent doing regular kindergarten activities and the afternoon is spent in Mandarin.  She will learn to speak and write in Chinese Character, numbers 1-100 and an additional 400 words in kindergarten alone.  She is really excited about it and was ready to start that day.  While many families are still touring magnet schools trying to decide which is best for their child we have only ever wanted our kiddos to attend this school.  Praying we get good news in April!

Thursday night was gymnastics for M and E.  S really wants to start but she has another year to wait.  Every time someone would not latch the gym door completely S was right there to run out into the gym.  I would have to go after her and break her heart as I brought her back to the viewing area.  She loves doing everything that her big brother and sister do.

Saturday night was our first Chinese New Year celebration with the local Chinese Christian Church.  Good food, great entertainment and fun for the whole family.  The kids in the church put together the cutest songs and dances.  Their choir was amazing and then their was a wonderful guest singer/speaker.  Our kids had such a great time dancing to the singing, M didn't even realize people where watching her as she danced up a storm.  We ended the evening renting a movie and snuggling on the couch.  S passed out as soon as the movie started she was so worn out from the celebration.

Sunday was S's dedication at church.  In our church, once a month all the families that wish to have their children dedicated stand at the front of the church with friends, family and the church staff to dedicate the children, mostly new babies.  We had some wonderful friends join us in prayer and our pastor's wife joined us and spoke the most amazing praise.  She had not met S before that moment and praised the Lord for healing hearts.  Had she met S before I would not have been surprised because we see how much more secure she is and those that see her on occasion have made the same comment that she is blooming before our eyes.  But for her to know that hearts were being healed just amazed me.

Sunday didn't end as well for daddy and I.  We had to make the painful decision to allow our old dog Dru pass on.  She had cancer and was doing horrible, in so much pain.  As soon as we got our kiddos settled in for the night I took her into our all night vet hospital.  I met with the most amazing young vet that looked at her without charging us another office fee.  She knew how hard this decision was on us and assured us that her quality of life was not there anymore and that surgery would be incredibly hard on her if she were to make it through.  This was the second dog that we have lost in the last year.  When Aspen passed away it was so hard on M and she was so upset when daddy had to take him to the doctor and we didn't let her go.  This time we knew that we needed to go when the kids were asleep and then talk to them about it afterwards.  M was the most upset, crying for a very long time.  These two dogs were the dogs she came home to, they were her first best friends.  She knows that Dru was not feeling well but her heart just misses her so much.

This week is another busy week with another CNY celebration on Saturday.  I will post pictures of the kiddos all dressed up after our last celebration.

Have a great week!