Fun in Austin!

Katelyn and Kristen had such a fun time in Austin this past week with Mamaw and Pepaw (Kristen's mom and dad)! These pictures will give you a little clue into just how much fun....

Katelyn and Kristen "in the hood." The weather turned cooler so we had to bundle up before going outside for a walk.


Katelyn and Pepaw spent some time bonding in front of the TV together! Pepaw even gave her control of the remote!!

K&K are leaving today for a weekend visit with Dave's mom and family in Waco. Dave is due to return back to Dallas on Friday, November 16th. He is working really hard, but we can't wait for him to be back!

Change in Plans

Well, the plan was for Kristen and Katelyn to leave Wednesday, October 31st with Dave for the first few days of his two and a half week business trip to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the couple we were planning to stay with had to come to Texas because the husband's mother is having health problems. While they still insisted that we stay there (Dave thankfully still is!), they were hoping that K&K would wait and come with Dave on his next trip to Atlanta so we could all really enjoy seeing each other and spending time together! So....K&K will wait until January to visit. In the meantime, K&K have headed down to Austin a few days early (did we mention that Katelyn slept THE WHOLE carride??!!) and are enjoying time with Kristen's parents! On the way back from Austin to Dallas, they will spend a weekend with Dave's mom in Waco and be back in Dallas by November 12 (Dave is scheduled to return November 16). Lots of traveling for the McCurdy family! Please pray for safety in all of our travels and a productive time for Dave as he works hard to accomplish many tasks in Atlanta. Thank you!! Pictured above: Daddy and Katelyn share some sweet moments of "conversation" before Dave leaves for Atlanta.

All Smiles!

We apologize that it has been awhile since we last posted an update! Things have been a little crazy with Dave returning from China (he had a wonderful trip!), Kristen's sister Jessica getting married (everything was absolutely beautiful and went off without a hitch--CONGRATULATIONS MR. AND MRS. EVAN CONQUEST!), returning home to Dallas (did we mention that Katelyn slept the whole 4 hour car ride??!!), unpacking (last load of laundry-DONE!), and getting settled back into a "normal" schedule! Whew! We're tired just thinking about it!

More on Dave's trip to China: He was able to meet up with his best Chinese friend while he was there, the accountant's training was very productive, and reconnecting with many of our team members was quite refreshing for him! Dave also felt very confirmed in his work with LDi.

More on the wedding and Katelyn and Kristen's time in Austin: It was such a blessing for K&K to be in Austin with Kristen's parents, and they really enjoyed having them there as well! They also got to spend a weekend with Dave's mom in Waco! At the wedding (see picture above), Kristen served as a bridesmaid while Dave and his mom sat in the "cry room" at the back of the church and took care of Katelyn (who slept all the way through the ceremony!). While in Austin, Katelyn also got to meet another set of her great grandparents at the wedding as well as other extended family! Dave and Kristen even got to do a little dancing at the reception while family and friends took turns holding Katelyn!

We are also excited to share that Katelyn turned two months old today (see picture)!! She is growing so fast! Tomorrow morning she will go for her regularly scheduled doctor's visit (read: first round of shots!). It seems that Kristen is more sad about those shots than Katelyn is! Katelyn is now cooing, smiling, lifting her head a little more, sleeping through the night every now and then, and just enjoying life (most of the time!).

Next Wednesday, October 31, we will all three fly to Atlanta, Georgia. Dave will be at the head office working for a couple of weeks, and K&K are just tagging along for the first part of the trip to spend some extra time with Dave and for Katelyn to meet the LDi staff there!

Thanks for being so patient with us as we catch up on life! We look forward to updating you again soon!

Reasons to Rejoice!

We are so excited to share with you two very good reasons to rejoice today!

Reason #1: We just received news from the Wickershams (the family in China who has been pursuing Rose's adoption) that the family in the U.S. who was matched with Rose has decided not to pursue her adoption, and as such, their adoption agency is in the process of sending Rose's paperwork back to China, allowing the Wickershams to pursue her adoption at a later date. Thank you so much for your prayers on behalf of this little girl. The Lord has truly done incredible things in this situation and in the life of this family! (see picture of this precious family--from left to right--Mark, Rose, Megan, and Grace)

Reason #2: Dave left yesterday for China (see picture--Katelyn fit perfectly in his lugguage, but Kristen just would have missed her too much!), and three hours into his flight from Chicago to Beijing, the plane started experiencing mechanical problems. The problems caused enough concern that the flight returned to Chicago and will be leaving this afternoon instead. Although this was a bit of an inconvenience, we are so thankful for the protection and wisdom that the Lord provided in this situation. Another blessing is that Dave had a few days before his meeting started, so this change in plans didn't affect his reason for going. We were also able to communicate this change in plans to the appropriate people and get his transportation (one of the company's Chinese drivers) from the Bejing airport rescheduled--despite the fact that it is a holiday week for the Chinese!

We praise Him for His goodness in the big and little things alike! Thank you for rejoicing with us!

Katelyn is One Month Old!!

Here is a picture of our sweet and serious Katelyn at one month old! My how time flies! In honor of her turning 1 month old, Kristen, Katelyn, and Aunt Brittany (Kristen's youngest sister) took a road trip down to Austin for two of Aunt Jessica's (Kristen's middle sister) wedding showers! Katelyn had a great time and made lots of new friends! She even got to meet her great grandmother and great aunt for the first time in Waco on our way down!

Dave leaves for China next Thursday for 13 days! Kristen and Katelyn will spend this time in Austin and Waco visiting family. Upon Dave's return, we will be in Austin for Jessica's wedding on October 20! We are very excited for this event! Kristen is a bridesmaid and Dave and Katelyn are very excited wedding guests!

We continue to adjust to life as a family of three and are enjoying every minute...we hope you enjoy the pictures of some of those minutes!

Picture descriptions: (top) Katelyn at one month old, (middle) Katelyn enjoying bathtime--a rare occasion, (bottom) Katelyn helping with the laundry

Fun times at the McCurdy home!

Fun time #1: Dave's mom came to visit this weekend, and we all enjoyed seeing her (especially Katelyn!). We got to celebrate two important birthdays....Dave's moms birthday was Sept. 9, so we were able to take her out to eat for that! And....Katelyn celebrated her 3-week birthday!! Can it really be true that it has already been 3 weeks??!!

Fun time #2: Dave and Katelyn enjoy spending special father/daughter time watering the plants and flowers in our little backyard!

Our First Family Picture!

Thought you might like to see our first McCurdy family photo! Quite informal, we know, but that's just the way we are anyways! Dave has been in Atlanta this week and Kristen's mom has been here. What a huge blessing she has been! Now the question Kristen is asking is, "What the heck am I supposed to do when she leaves??!!" Talk about being spoiled! Any tips some new moms might have on ways to make going on an errand with a newborn easier, do tell!! For instance, Kristen's mom said, don't carry your purse and the diaper bag if all you really need from your purse is your wallet. BRILLIANT! Done. We also put another cute picture of Katelyn below our family picture! Enjoy!