Merry Christmas Avery Lin!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. We certainly did. We have celebrated 3 Christmas's so far, our own(Gary & myself), The Scofield's and the Newton's. Boy!! did Avery make out really well, she's not even here yet but she was thought of.

Mommy & Daddy (Mama & Baba) got her books, clothes(12months and up) a Asian looking shirt and dress, a winter hat w/ a pom pom on top, a Christmas tee w/ little asian girls on it, a purple dress, a zip up pink sweatshirt, a pretty onesie, and a ladybug onesie, ladybug socks, ladybug pj's, and little cat pj's. All the sizes are bigger and the prices were cheap-had to do it!! She also got some learning toys from Mommy & Daddy ones that we can take with us to China, ones that pack well. She got her rocking panda, and an oversized soft stacking rings toy(I love this one), we'll put up a picture of this pile of presents.

I got Gary a book called Daddy hugs, and another book if you open it one way it says Mama, if you open it the other way it says Papa. Gary got me 2 willow tree angels, one with the mother holding the baby, and one with the couple holding their baby. I also got a cd of adoption songs, and a cd of Chinese lullabies. The guidebook to start her life book. Gary got buddhas, chinese fortune sticks, and Gary got me little panda finger puppets, the pandas have little asian shirts on-very cute.

At the Scofield family Christmas Grandma Margaret (Lao Lao) and Grandpa John (Lao Ye) got her a soft ladybug learning toy, it's really neat it's like a back pack that open up and has a story book and a mirror in it. Grandma & Grandpa Scofield also got her her first Teddy Bear. Cousins Jessica & Jodi got her a lady bug bank, and put some money in it for her, and an angel ornament. Aunt Liz made a reversible diaper tote, it has ladybugs in pink on one side, and ladybugs in green on the other, it's pretty cool. Aunt Liz, Uncle Tom, Jessica & Jodi made a tied fleece blanket for all of us to enjoy, it's really warm. We'll put up a picture of this pile too.

Then at the Newton Christmas Avery made herself known. Right before we started opening gifts a lady bug flew into the room and Beth put her on the Christmas tree. Weird how that keeps happening. Grandma Judy (Nai Nai) and Grandpa Ron (Ye Ye) gave her a beautiful pink blanket that Grandma Judy crocheted, she also got a neat ladybug board book, and the three of us got a Chinese Santa that Grandma Judy painted. Uncle Steve and Aunt Beth and cousins Noah & Owen got Avery her own stocking, with her name on it, and it was filled with things for her; books, a little cup, little pink and purple striped socks, chinese bracelets, and the 2007 coin collection from the Mint. They also got her a plate to match her cup, which also matches the stocking, it has a dancer on skates on it, and more books to read to her, a little chinese tea set, that I think Uncle Steve got when he went to China for work a couple years ago. Steve and Beth also got us some really nice luggage to take when we go to China, it's red and it's big and sturdy exactly what we need. We'll put a picture up of all of this too.

So for not being here yet she sure was thought of a lot. We appreciate everyone thinking of her at our 1st Christmas in the adoption process.

We think she may be 2 months conceived that's our guess anyway. We are hoping that China will speed up in January before they slow down for the Olympics. But then we hope they speed up after the Olympics. We hope by next Christmas we will be really close to holding her.

We've received some more quilt squares, Gary needs to take the pictures still.

Also, we are asking people to do a second square if they want to. We are still waiting on some and are going to actually send out the postcards in January as reminders.

Hope you all had a nice Christmas filled with family and love.

Love to you all,

Alli & Gary