WE'RE DEBT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 Finally we are debt free! 🎉  This was our last payment to make on our journey.  It was rough and a few times it stalled  but we made it!!!   We are so happy and feel so free now.  We are excited for what awaits us in the future.

Our last payment which was of course interest they
sent us the bill after I paid the big amount due. 

We had a busy year, and I did no blogging at all sadly.  Hoping to change that this year.  So many thoughts and memories to share in my mind I don't know where to start.   Here's our 2022 highlights and a big lowlight, in no real order. 

Nian's GOTCHA day is fast approaching. 😮 Hard to believe it's been 8 years since we landing in his birth country.  China is so beautiful, I hope you get a chance to visit there someday.  Just not right now I know cuz they are having some issues... However, it's still a very beautiful country, the people are wonderful.  💖

We had hoped to go back for a little girl, but that wasn't part of our big picture. 😭 We know if that had been God's plan we would have been matched before the big shut down, or during. After much prayer, tears, and talking we decided to close our adoption file.  It's still painful at times, but we know God has a plan for us as a family of 4, 5 with our Isabel.  So as my cousin Mike said, I will be faithful and follow his plan..  We might not always like his plan, but we will be faithful.  God gave us two wonderful boys to love on and a wonderful husband to share my life with.  I am very very blessed.  And I told Joe from the start if we aren't blessed with a little girl from China, then we'll be getting another little 4 legged girl. 😆

We had a very blessed Christmas this past year.  The boys were surprised by their bikes and some little girl got a much needed new bed.  Tho she rarely sleeps on it lol. 

Never a dull moment w that one! 

Nian signed up for basketball this past fall and LOVED IT..  Unfortunately he had his big palette surgery in the middle of it all and missed a few games.  When he was able we attended the games so he could still be a part of his team and we could cheer them on!  GO CATS!!  We'll be getting him extra couching this spring so he's excited about that. 

We had a good summer, even though we didn't spend as much time at the lake as we normally do.  We'll have to change that this year.  Life's too short to not be at the lake! They did however spend a lot of time in Bobbi's pool.

                                    

This totally captures the spirit of Cheng! 

We took the boys on an overnight trip to Frankenmuth, my happy place.  They weren't as excited as I was to be there but we still had fun. They like the pool..  

Story of my life, my feet don't touch the floor!

We took my parents up to Mackinaw City.  They wanted to make the trip before they get too old to go anymore.  It was a good time. We went to the lumberjack show, first time ever.  That was actually a lot of fun, the boys loved it.  The fort was cool too lots of changes there, loved how much new stuff they are digging up.  It was different from our regular trips up there but was still good.  The boys loved the pool, but missed staying at Miss Sherry's place. 

LOL it took a while for them to sit for this one.

We went to breakfast with Aunt Brennie then walked around Rockford and spotted a ton of turtles. We had a great morning, and go to play with bubbles too. 

Joe took me to see STING for an early birthday present!  It was so awesome.  

Grief struck our family in March with the passing of my brother in law Brian.💔😭 This man was like a brother to me. I was 8 when he became a part of our lives so he was like another sibling, another older sibling.  Like when your sibling pisses you off at times, but you still love them.  Like they are always a part of you even when they aren't close by, you can have words but nothing changes.  THAT kind of brother.  It's still hard to believe he's gone.  And he likes to come to me at the oddest times.  Like the middle of the grocery store looking at marshmellows, at work for no reason at all, or Taco Bell drive bys. When I walk into the my sisters house, it's so hard to keep it together.  I don't know how she does it cuz I bawl every time I'm there by myself.   He was a stinker like that, but we sure did love him a lot. Damn I really miss him.   Life is too short my friend to hold grudges so tell those you love how much you care as much as you can when you can.  You NEVER know when your last moments will be...  

This look was usually followed by a smart comment. lol 

Brian loved to fly fish. This is such an oldie. 

Celebrating Brian's life and some mustache salutes. 

We took the boys to Michigan Adventure and had a lot of fun.  Cheng LOVED the corkscrew, Nian said NO WAY in BEEP lol.  They all liked the bumper cars and the log ride was good, but not as fun as the one at Disney. Tho you'd think they were trying to compete since their prices were so freakin high.

Joe and the boys met me after work one friday and we had dinner before exploring the World of Winter. It was fun.  Too bad they didn't save the rabbits for this year as it's the "Year of the Rabbit". 

We went to a lot of movies in 2022 and renewed our zoo membership which was a lot of fun. 

A few front yard visitors who would hang out around the area early in 2022.  Haven't seen much of them since summer.  but I did see them about a month ago down plainfield a bit. 

In mid October I starting worth with a metabolic coach and I am LOVING the results.  It was really hard that first week of Jump Start but I feel so good right now, and have lost a good amount of weight.  SO excited to continue this better lifestyle journey I'm on.  More on that later.

Thanks for taking the time to following us on this journey.  Blessing to you and your family.

Love, Becky