tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1611155440299673112012-02-10T23:37:18.415-06:00Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.comBlogger4261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-9638566958611224192011-12-19T14:30:00.007-06:002011-12-19T14:42:40.067-06:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-37716402074428324912011-12-17T07:11:00.004-06:002011-12-17T07:21:18.391-06:00

Annie had to write a story about the greatest gift ever. Here is what she wrote:The greatest gift I ever received was my brother and sister becuse thay are nice to me. Thay very speshel to me becus thay are from a diffrint contry and also my family becuse thay love me a lot.I'm pretty sure I wrote a similar essay at her age and picked my mickey mouse talking phone. Merry Christmas to all my

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-30823181779185982972011-11-24T18:32:00.010-06:002011-11-24T20:37:06.837-06:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-47052170134929881852011-11-20T17:37:00.009-06:002011-11-20T17:51:12.344-06:00

Annie and her 9 teammates had the time of their lives this weekend playing in their very first tournament. They played seven games four yesterday and three today. And they played awesome. They only won one but they didn't seem to mind. They were having a ball. For Scott and I, it was also a blast. When you get to the travel leagues, most teams have a rule that parents can not cheer too

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-32216012642020247972011-11-20T09:17:00.014-06:002011-11-20T17:54:52.839-06:00

First, Annie is having the time of her life at All Stars, we will post a full update tonight.But yes, we are going to ESPN Wide World of Sports again this year for the Kick It 3x3 World Championships. This year Coach Mo is taking three teams! Last night we had the boys over for a little psych up party. And I tried to prepare them mentally. Here is the quiz I gave them:<!--[if gte mso 9]>

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-49679770727381736472011-10-26T16:53:00.014-05:002011-10-27T09:13:14.789-05:00

The title of the blog is in honor of Eman's pilot costume for Halloween. Updating Eman's life will take much, much longer. But I know someday I will want to look back and remember all this so here goes:Last week, our priest gave a homily on love. He said, "love is not a warm and fuzzy feeling, it is an orientation of our actions." We have really been doing our best to love Eman.Eman had an

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-83085314670143252382011-10-26T16:19:00.005-05:002011-10-26T16:25:59.928-05:00

Abegail joined a new soccer team this summer and the fall season is almost over. Two parents on her team are excellent at taking photos so I have a lot of good ones of her. They really are amazing pictures, since getting the kids in a split second is difficult. Abegail is all about the friends and likes the girls on the team as well as the coach. I constantly am calling her Abs when she's on

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-64178862615778492672011-10-24T16:12:00.003-05:002011-10-25T09:17:55.594-05:00

So I have not blogged in a long time. How to catch up? One child at a time.When it comes to Annie we have very exciting news. She made the All Star Soccer team. When the coach told me I said, "you know she isn't one of the adopted ones right?" He said, "yes I figured that. She is doing well at defense." I will say Annie has improved a lot since the days when she never touched the ball in a

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-68908383952829810362011-08-22T00:46:00.003-05:002011-08-22T11:30:39.026-05:00

Yesterday I posted one of E-man's highlights from Saturday...here's the full highlight package. Enjoy. Quotes from Eman: E: Mommy when I am grown up and married, are you going to live in the same house with me and my wife or are you going to move to a different house? M: We will probably stay in the same house and you and your wife can live with us or you can move to a different house. E: I

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-22094925102950317452011-08-20T21:30:00.004-05:002011-08-20T21:41:08.965-05:00

It's been a long weekend of soccer! Both Abegail and E-man have a 2-day tournament and (of course) they're at different locations each day so that means lots of running around and getting kids where they need to go. Both kids played really well today! E-man in particular was especially awesome! He was moved up this fall to the "A" team (he's playing up 2 years already) and this was his first

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-8030177094625523102011-07-26T22:10:00.011-05:002011-07-27T13:37:28.783-05:00

We took our annual trip to Oklahoma last week for fun with Grandma and Grandpa and time to see two of our favorite families with Liberian kids. The above picture is at the Oklahoma Science Museum, very cool place. The kids loved it.Annie was the only one with straight hair, that got her a lot of attention.Val and Lorea have moved! This is the front door to their new house. For us it felt like

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-68112856048509241872011-07-16T20:23:00.013-05:002011-07-16T21:38:57.145-05:00

We had a family gathering for Eman's birthday today. We went to Funland in Fredericksburg. Funland is translation for don't leave the Excedrin at home. We went there though because it was the only place I could find with go-karts and I thought Eman would have a ball with them. Not so much. Too loud for Eman. He kept his fingers in his ears the whole time.I brought a cake to Loudland. Eman

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-20386635400137058532011-06-24T15:08:00.012-05:002011-06-24T21:17:50.037-05:00

At Abegail's school, they have two different teachers. One for math and science and the other for social studies, reading, and writing. Abegail liked them both but her afternoon teacher, Ms. Pixton had a baby in February and was out for the rest of the year.Abegail came home one day and said, "We got a new teacher, Mr. Sullivan. He is very strict. He calls us young lady and young man."Every

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-32822596846214389332011-06-19T09:08:00.009-05:002011-06-19T09:34:44.669-05:00

Have you ever had an alpaca in your front yard?? It is a very strange feeling.We figured since we already lived on a funny farm that we'd bring a miniature zoo to the house to make the picture complete. So for Annie's birthday party we had "Squeals on Wheels" come to the house. I have never had a miniature pony (named Little Jack) and 25 kids at my house before. 25 kids, you would think Annie

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-40885545294916745042011-06-19T08:52:00.008-05:002011-06-19T09:06:37.127-05:00

This year we got smart, OK take that with a grain of salt. But we decide to have Annie's birthday party before school ended so everyone would be able to come and no on would be out of town. 25 kids later, we will go back to original plan of having it in the summer next year. But there's nothing like having that many kids come to your house to motivate you to unpack and put away all the nails,

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-56002904189948144572011-06-14T11:34:00.002-05:002011-06-14T11:39:32.682-05:00

Abegail had to write an essay in Social Studies, "If I had the power to change something I would change.."This is what she wrote. Yes, She got an A++If I had the power to change anything I would change Liberia because it had a war in 1989 and it ended in 2003. I was only three. I would make better schools and better houses. I would make sure everyone has a job. Another thing I would change

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-85230563678351266422011-06-12T19:32:00.007-05:002011-06-12T19:43:23.299-05:00

Eman came up with the idea for his room all on his own. A Liberian flag on one wall, an American one on the other, decorated in red white and blue.Annie's room is all pink and it is awesome!Abegail had her first strings concert last week. 120 kids, they did great. The teacher is a gem.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-29601889385793161512011-05-23T20:08:00.007-05:002011-05-24T08:46:05.419-05:00

Annie and RubiHector and Eman(they are playing lift the basket with the rope, must be an African game)We have been in our new house two weeks now. And it is NOT photo ready. Unpacking this time is much slower than last time. I was wondering why it was taking us so long and it occurred to me, last time I wasn't working. Both Scott and I are anxious to be done and we are over it.Also we realize

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-37021905681552359552011-05-09T07:40:00.007-05:002011-05-09T07:54:22.979-05:00

Yes, we moved this weekend. I will write more about that later but first, on Friday Abegail had Colonial Days at school. It was really fun and as you can see everyone went to the same website to get their costume. After a day in the 17th century Abegail painted her new and own room turquoise with three of her friends..the carpet looks almost as good as the walls. It is her room and she is

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-78949782933312398062011-05-02T11:21:00.003-05:002011-05-08T21:59:22.771-05:00

Because we had so much fun doing it the last time, we are moving again! But we are very happy about this move, we go from renting to being homeowners in a great house for our family. We are in the same neighborhood just down the street but in a cul de sac with tons of kids and lots of friends from school as neighbors. Eman has a new friend Hector who he is obsessed with. I'm not sure Hector

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-73071262770518335562011-04-03T18:13:00.005-05:002011-04-03T18:27:53.567-05:00

This is quickly moving from an adoption blog to a soccer blog and Scott and I are extremely proud of that fact. To us it means progress. Eman had his first game with the U9 travel team today and he scored two goals!!! They tied 2 to 2. Scott said he played well. I was with Abegail who had a scrimmage today and she also scored two goals. We are proud of all the kids, but with Eman, the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-48116804544262428992011-04-02T17:39:00.005-05:002011-04-02T17:51:03.625-05:00

First grade Soccer, it's all about seeing the friends from your class!While some of us view every season as soccer season, Annie began her spring soccer league today. It opened with 40 degrees and a downpour, but the kids had a blast. Eman and Abegail have their first regular season games tomorrow. Eman's team had a kick off party tonight and he got his new uniform which he was just a tad

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-57209633237424805032011-03-13T17:39:00.004-05:002011-03-13T17:54:47.600-05:00

I just finished a book I would recommend to anyone who has adopted or is going to adopt. "The Jonathan Letters" By Michael Trout and Lori Thomas is a collection of e-mails between a therapist and a mom who adopted a troubled African American boy at four years old. The two did not meet til half way through their correspondence but were connected by a relative of Michael's. The descriptions of

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-25778821203960435602011-03-07T15:46:00.003-06:002011-03-07T15:48:10.887-06:00

Meet Michelle Hedges. She is the sister of A&E's biological cousins Martu and Mackie. They live in Minneapolis and Michelle is a star skater. Check out her video and help her if you can.http://www.rockethub.com/projects/1183-help-michelle-skate-to-regionals-beyond

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-47010266733304899682011-03-04T01:15:00.001-06:002011-03-04T07:43:40.849-06:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-19687732954269214502011-03-02T21:15:00.008-06:002011-03-02T21:32:24.936-06:00

Both Annie and Eman have been learning in school about what it would be like to be the President. They both filled out their own worksheets with their ideas of what kind of President they would be.Here's Annie:1. What should you learn in school to prepare as President?I should learn how to read. I should learn the states.2. What kind of qualities should a good President have?A good President

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-27577326605064735182011-02-10T16:34:00.019-06:002011-02-12T17:53:08.304-06:00

The White House wanted to help the little people.That includes reporters like me in bureaus working for local news stations.So they offered to let us interview the First Lady on her "Lets Move" one year anniversary. How fitting that I was actually running on the treadmill when the press person called, "Would you be interested in interviewing the First Lady?" Sure.So the interview was confirmed

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-15761657909341833182011-01-21T11:38:00.013-06:002011-01-21T12:04:49.491-06:00

Our hotel, the All Star Sports Resort, complete with x's and o's to play on outside, great for energetic soccer playersDay 1 at the Hollywood Studios at the "Honey I shrunk the kids park."One of the few time Eman stood still and smiled at the park!Magic Kingdom on Day 2. My sister and her boys had a roller coaster all picked out for the first thing to do. Annie had other ideas, "didn't you know

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-61036276611214382832011-01-20T13:17:00.020-06:002011-01-20T14:29:11.744-06:00

We believe soccer is the best thing for Eman. To us, it's better than any counselor. The coaches we have found who are willing to put up with him are better than any anti-psychotic medication (although we don't leave home without the pills). But this is why we took Eman and the rest of the family to Florida and Disney World for the Kick It 3 on 3 World Championships. It was exhausting. Eman

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-74880886594833671522011-01-08T19:50:00.009-06:002011-01-08T20:12:05.564-06:00

Walking the long red carpet, red carpet courtesy Auntie Caroline Christmas giftPinatas in the winter, blindfolded, next to the china cabinet. Great. When it burst more shriekingThe girls had to grab a partner, find something around the house, and make a gownYes, I did move all my furniture and made both the dining room and living room an entire red carpet with Christmas lightsThe results of the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-16343552929293559942010-12-24T13:04:00.002-06:002010-12-24T13:06:12.076-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-69502239541725076372010-11-27T18:57:00.004-06:002010-11-27T19:07:41.131-06:00

It's worse than Costco. At least it takes longer. After leaving Abegail's hair in for at least 8 weeks too long, I finally took her to get it redone at my favorite salon. Yes, I am the only person who brings her camera to the salon, but I get such a kick out of these women I had to remember it. These women were like a sweat shop today, a full house. One woman took 7 hours to get her hair

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-19959151151824514222010-11-17T09:50:00.007-06:002010-11-17T10:06:47.304-06:00

"How was school? How was soccer? We're you a good boy? Do you have homework? How was violin? How was lunch? How is Mrs. Archibald?"The questions go on and on every day at our house as I try and catch up on the kids days. Finally one day I said, "Hey, no one asked me how my day was?"Well it was one of the few things they got on the first time. Now I come home and I instantly have three, "

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-48482652886929391562010-10-31T19:23:00.006-05:002010-10-31T19:28:39.593-05:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-23807741324782388122010-10-20T16:13:00.026-05:002010-10-20T21:05:26.986-05:00

We (teacher, social worker, special ed teacher, a village, a team, anyone who wants to) are trying to teach E-man to read. My new life is that of a tutor, going over and over words and sounds. E-man does like when he gets it saying, "I'm brilliant." To which I always agree.There are always the convenient distractions. Last night he wanted hot cocoa, but it was too hot. Instead of blowing on

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-45057029407880362942010-10-09T15:56:00.010-05:002010-10-09T16:22:45.988-05:00

Sue's been bugging me a ton lately to post something on the blog...I gave up months ago trying to keep up w/ her regular postings. Well...today's my day! I'm as proud of A&E as I've ever been!!They had the Burke SoccerFest 4x4 tournament today and both kids WON CHAMPIONSHIPS!!Abegail scored 5 goals in the first two games and her team finished with a 3-1 record. They won their division and she

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-50331168148496443422010-09-30T16:13:00.005-05:002010-10-02T11:59:52.110-05:00

SCHOOLWe are well into the rhythm of school. Everyday E-man asks if we have school. "Why do we have to go everyday?" he'll say. Other days he'll announce, "I'm just not going to go today." He has a wonderful teacher and special teachers. They introduced them at the open house and I turned to my neighbor and said, otherwise known as Saints. E-man and I are spending lots of quality time

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-69831513827491993012010-09-08T16:14:00.004-05:002010-09-08T16:17:52.649-05:00

We have two first graders and a fourth grader this year. Annie and E-man are in different classes which will be good for both of them. They all had a great day, although E-man keeps asking why school has to be all day long.Quotes from the Kids:Abegail: I always get the best teachersAnnie: First grade is AWESOME!E-man: We did a lot of coloring.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-87981322907580978842010-09-05T20:58:00.005-05:002010-09-05T21:12:07.623-05:00

I have to do it, I have to steal this blog from my friend in Minnesota. It is too sweet not to share. This past weekend, Scott took the girls back to Minnesota so they could see their friends and he could see his Twins. (he saw a few friends too) Tori's mom decided to surprise her, so while Gretchen knew Abegail was coming to sleep over, Tori did not, here's the rest of the story.I surprised

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-19305069492259600142010-08-22T18:42:00.008-05:002010-08-23T15:24:46.890-05:00

My sister and her husband have bought a restaurant. But before they can open it, they must renovate it. So we gave them a few hours without the kids the past few week-ends and set off on a couple adventures. Last weekend we headed to Luray Caverns about an hour and a half west of us and saw the caves.They give you headphones to explain the lakes that act as mirrors, the stalactites

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-34951604044866502262010-08-08T18:43:00.008-05:002010-08-09T13:35:49.257-05:00

UPDATE FROM SCOTT: in journalism we call it "burying the lead"....E-MAN'S TEAM QUALIFIED FOR ThE NATIONAL TOURNEY AT ESPN'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX IN ORLANDO!! Ok Sue....go ahead. This was the weekend for E-man's team to go play in the Regional Championship in Pennsylvania. The weather was perfect. But the first game was an awakening storm. This is the Regional and the teams were

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-51192734590125721532010-08-01T19:01:00.005-05:002010-08-01T19:56:54.560-05:00

E-man went to his pre-op physical with our pediatrician and she said from exactly this time last year, E-man has gained 14 pounds and grown three inches. She at first expressed concern about how much weight he has gained going from 48 pounds to 62 pounds in a year. Then she looked at him, "wow he is all muscle. Never mind what I said about the weight issue."Since this is E-man's third surgery

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-18115979996443868182010-07-26T21:42:00.014-05:002010-07-26T23:42:34.478-05:00

Grandma, Annie, and MaddieGrandpa and E-man building lego trucksWe took our annual summer trip to Oklahoma this past week. Only this time we added a friend of Abegail's who's sister now lives in Tulsa. So Scott and I trudged through the airport with our four kids, looking very much like leaders of a multicultural camp experience. No stare missed us. At check-in, the lady from Delta asked

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-85211445140101491082010-07-18T19:58:00.004-05:002010-07-18T20:15:43.020-05:00

Sue read this book and read me a chapter that hit very close to home.It has helped us put everything we knew about Emmanuel into perspective. We encourage anyone who has to deal with him to read the chapter. It is amazing, the brain is 85 percent developed by age 3 and 90 percent developed by age 4, when E-man was just coming home to us.CLICK HERE to read this chapter.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-3010049042246249362010-07-14T09:50:00.004-05:002010-07-14T10:30:09.300-05:00

After a full birthday party, it's time for Emmanuel to write Thank You's. But getting E-man to do this is probably more painful than banging your head against the wall. We did get one done last night and it went like this.Mommy: E-man, do you remember why we write Thank You's??E-man: Because you make us.M: No. Well yes, but we do it to show people how much we appreciate how thoughtful they

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-13834798332411310452010-07-10T20:17:00.006-05:002010-07-10T20:39:21.254-05:00

Today is the three year anniversary of our arrival home with A&E. Scott and I were talking about it today and it seems neither of us can remember anything that happened before July 10th, 2007. Emmanuel is having his very own birthday party tomorrow, the first time without one with Annie. Some very nice boys are coming and even a soccer friend, here's a sneak peak at the cake.E-man decorated

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-37498883623436570972010-06-27T19:43:00.003-05:002010-06-27T19:55:34.116-05:00

Gift, who was like a big sister to Abegail and Emmanuel at the AFAA house in Liberia, happened to be with her family at a picnic at our neighborhood park. So her Mom and I arranged to surprise her. As we walked up her mom said, "do you know those children?" At first she said no, and then saw E-man. (who had just finished a big mad) Oh, E-man, Abegail! Abegail and Emmanuel were so much bigger

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-40748532493069712742010-06-26T19:50:00.012-05:002010-06-26T20:15:46.089-05:00

E-man's soccer tournament was about an hour away out in Poolesville, Maryland on a farm with horses and lots of land which the girls loved. It was still hot, but games were only 20 minutes just the right length. E-man's team won all four games and now qualified for a regional championship in Lancaster, PA. The picture above was taken around 7:30 this morning when it was still cool and before

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-20600836454548520102010-06-20T17:57:00.008-05:002010-06-20T18:21:56.213-05:00

Waiting for blue hair spray and soccer tattoos to get pumped up!And that doesn't mean they were on fire, it means it was 95 degrees and all the girls were dying from the heat. Saturday they lost both games but came out roaring to go and won 5-1 today. A great time with a great group of girls and of course some of our favorite coaches.Happy Father's DayGo Abegail Go!They had these balls

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-17494046102130536452010-06-17T21:22:00.003-05:002010-06-17T21:30:43.080-05:00

Abegail got long braids in her hair. It just happened it was the week before All-Stars, which happens to be the last time we got her hair done. (Yes, I'm not good at keeping up with the hair thing) So we are calling it the All-Star tradition. The salon was a hoot again this time trying to put E-man in line, having him sweep hair off the floor. All the women are from Western Africa and they

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-24699350151507341662010-06-15T15:20:00.006-05:002010-06-15T15:31:40.347-05:00

Our first weekend in a long time with no soccer games, so we headed to Virginia Beach, about three hours south of us. We really lucked out on fabulous weather and had a great time. Now back to the soccer games, Abegail's All-Star tournament is this weekend followed by a tournament for E-man next weekend.We are in a cartwheel phase. I actually now have a rule, no random cartwheels, not in the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-70511126776421884652010-05-23T12:08:00.007-05:002010-05-23T13:48:06.272-05:00

All the Schools Gathered at 6:30 A.M.Buddy RunnersDoesn't this look like your idea of a good time?Abegail, we are not stopping for picturesThe whole team from Ravensworth ElementaryAbegail with her coaches Ms. Sanchetti and Miss MeyersAbegail has been participating in Girls on the Run. It's a program through school that trains 3rd through 6th graders for a 5K race. But it focuses on a healthy

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-67096463743847357342010-05-14T14:27:00.004-05:002010-05-14T14:33:08.993-05:00

Some of you may remember the Reed family. They worked in Liberia for years. Before we adopted we read their blog faithfully and could even keep up on the weather there. We happened to be on the same plane with them on our way to Monrovia when we went to get A&E. I just found out today Bob died of a staph infection. His family continues his and their work in Ghana. They have done so much

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-42626983761082240532010-04-17T19:14:00.005-05:002010-04-17T20:13:41.972-05:00

Each soccer team gets to pick their own name, Emmanuel's team is the "Terminators." Abegail's team is the "Funky Monkeys."Annie's team voted to be the "Golden Dolphins."And today they played the "Mermaids."These teams are appropriately named, most of the girls are swimming in their uniforms.There is no lack of parental passion on the sidelines just because the girls are 5 and closet princesses."

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-2491256221379690392010-04-15T19:10:00.010-05:002010-04-15T20:16:16.438-05:00

I finally remembered to bring my camera to the White House, here are some photos, tourists from a distanceClose up of the briefing podium, much smaller than it looks on TVThe long view from camera postionReporter breakroomLooking out from the podium to cameras in backHallway to reporter workspaceIt's beautiful this time of yearStanding at entrance to media room looking at private residenceThe

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-10222876803915703042010-04-10T17:57:00.008-05:002010-04-10T19:56:11.928-05:00

We had three great soccer games today!Soccer DadSoccer Siblings back togetherQuotes From Annie:A: I love being your kid.M: Thank goodness somebody does.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-12451035557432372482010-04-09T22:01:00.003-05:002010-04-09T22:16:24.991-05:00

Hi my name is Sue and I am a Soccer MomAll together now: Hi Sue!Soccer is my life. I have now gotten all three of my kids into soccer on three different teams. I spend my weekends at soccer games. When I'm not at soccer games I feel the strong urge to wash a soccer uniform, look for lost shin guards, or clean mud off cleats.Soccer runs my life. I go to bed early on Friday nights so I'll be

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-45790848029382842682010-04-07T21:48:00.010-05:002010-05-23T18:32:17.310-05:00

E-man's main man, Coach Kephern is starting his own soccer club, check out the team's website at http://www.jogasc.orgWhat is Joga SC? vid. This will explain what we are about:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUsDg8uCRZQ

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-83018963977617219472010-04-03T18:33:00.018-05:002010-04-03T19:08:46.424-05:00

I've been living in the world of politicians and Republican or Democrat there are three things they all say,1. Let me say this, 2. First, let me say, 3. Let me be clear.I also have the press release lingo down, POTUS: President of the U.S. FLOTHUS: First Lady of the U.S. VPOUS, Vice President of the U.S. SPOTH: Speaker of the House.I think Washington, DC would be a comedian's paradise. Look

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-16275583613022180662010-03-20T16:01:00.006-05:002010-03-20T18:36:01.708-05:00

So far living in DC is great because people want to come see the sights. The Spronks did their tour of DC this week and we had a great week because we had great visitors. Saylah brought her parents and her three siblings to see us again. Saylah, in case you've forgotten, was a friend of A&E at the AFAA house. She is now 7. I told her 7 is a lucky number and her Dad told her 7 is also the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-17435186182085617622010-03-12T19:52:00.004-06:002010-03-12T20:00:40.058-06:00

Annie decorated her own cake!All Together!Daddy will get to pick out a bike for his birthday, Abegail's idea, something we can all do together.Daddy's other cakeAnnie's picture for Daddy!Quotes from E-man:E: Mommy, I drew a picture of Africa. Here are the bullets, and this is the gun. And this is the people shooting, and this is me as a baby. I drew it for you.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-70022360058727638472010-03-08T21:11:00.006-06:002010-03-08T21:32:13.537-06:00

Annie has had enough. She's been to more soccer practices and games in her lifetime than she'd care to remember. So she has finally decided she may as well play. I didn't think she was serious. But she kept bugging me, "make sure you sign me up for soccer after gymnastics, you need to get me a ball, I think I need those soccer shoes." So we have completed the registration and secured the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-4783545122782163212010-02-21T19:46:00.005-06:002010-02-21T20:22:11.732-06:00

This week is was game night Wii style. We've decided they should include curling in the Wii sports section, only instead of the broom we would use the Swifter wet jet. My office also houses CNBC which I have now dubbed CBC, continously broadcasting curling. The excitement and fascination in the office is amazing. Everyone has their own take on the sport comparing it to darts on ice,

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-87953903671620216582010-02-14T18:28:00.009-06:002010-02-14T18:49:35.316-06:00

With all the snow this week,(the kids are on their 7th snow day in a row tomorrow-it will be their 11th for the year) I was not in to Valentines Day. But I did get them some much needed toothbrushes (we tend to let them get hard) and Scott got them sugar candy. A perfect combination.Abegail and Annie switched hair for the day. Abegail gave Annie African braids complete with beads. I gave

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-35869149708196364402010-02-07T16:13:00.005-06:002010-02-07T16:24:11.087-06:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-58359086554829050382010-02-06T08:15:00.020-06:002010-02-06T15:10:15.803-06:00

That's what the news stations are calling it in their around the clock coverage of our storm. Already 100-thousand people have lost power. I'm glad we haven't so I can bring you this blog.I am loving my job. I hope I always think its cool to go over the 14th Street bridge and see the capitol on one side and the Washington Monument on the other. I still think all the stories are exciting and

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-7157442574371481782010-01-10T17:10:00.004-06:002010-01-10T17:17:24.880-06:00

"Mommy, it's my golden birthday.""It is? What does that mean?""I'm going to be 10 on the 10th!""Oh of course."Abegail had a good day. We went to an indoor water park for her party and then back to the house for pizza and cake. Lots of nice friends to help us celebrate (although we were thinking of the nice friends in MN) complete with flip flop cakes.Happy Birthday Abegail! Happy Birthday

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-55101033674603446862010-01-09T09:01:00.011-06:002010-01-09T09:25:35.518-06:00

Wokelle, as cute as can be! He was just two when we saw him at the AFAA houseWho would of thought these Liberian boys would one day meet up to play DS games against one another?Adella is coolMary is tired but still coolJerome and his mini-me, BraydonRicky and his awesome MommyMary gets her second windLooks like Junior has some competition. Annie sure likes those Liberian boys or maybe they like

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-77245150819925068102010-01-06T18:19:00.007-06:002010-01-09T07:36:37.013-06:00

Here is our annual Family Video; 2009 style You can watch it here: http://vimeo.com/85844761-9-10 UPDATE: It should work now!! Untitled http://vimeo.com/8584476 Involves Sue Turner.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-18798506724960251632009-12-27T20:00:00.007-06:002009-12-27T20:09:11.729-06:00

For the first time in the 12 years Scott and I have known each other, neither of us got on a plane to go somewhere for Christmas. I also did not have to juggle a Christmas work schedule and both sets of our kids Grandparents were with us during the holiday. All of these things made Christmas awesome.Annie was so excited for Santa to come, she made individual baggies with carrots for ALL nine

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-29947507402227300802009-12-25T19:50:00.000-06:002009-12-25T19:51:41.406-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-67471877148346360002009-12-20T12:10:00.010-06:002009-12-20T12:57:58.659-06:00

We woke up yesterday to a true Minnesota snowfall. Problem is DC doesn't have the MN equipment so getting anywhere was challenging. Although Scott and I were laughing at the panic that had set in to the area with full wall to wall coverage on all the news stations and everything was canceled before the first flake flew.Today things are bright and sunny, but there is a lot of talk of school being

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-77084021368694174732009-12-04T07:51:00.009-06:002009-12-04T08:29:49.379-06:00

E-man went back to the eye doctor Tuesday and he thought E-man's eye looked great. It is healing and you can tell it is more open than before. This is good news since with the last surgery it was already back to its original state at this time.The eye Dr. is a funny guy who seemed to take a liking to E-man. Maybe it was the fact E-man wanted to examine his eyes or that he kept telling Dr.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-15674738210885778052009-11-27T09:41:00.003-06:002009-11-27T09:55:39.791-06:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-1300645447222351512009-11-22T16:44:00.021-06:002009-11-23T08:14:00.575-06:00

Abegail had her All Star tournament this weekend. They played a total of 7 games. The above picture is after their first game, a 2-1 win.Then they saw the mascot of the Freedom teamThis is early Saturday A.M. as the tournament is just beginning. They had a total of 12 players, only ten got in the picture along with their three awesome coaches. From left to right is Laura's brother Alex & main

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-20714308569874848742009-11-22T16:31:00.004-06:002009-11-22T16:41:08.035-06:00

Emmanuel had his eye surgery on Friday and the anesthesia knocked him out for several hours. He is doing pretty well but he has a very sore and swollen eye. We are hoping for the best. Having been through this before, he was a true champ waking up from surgery and was one of the best behaved boys there!

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-57045221282553067462009-11-13T10:38:00.024-06:002009-11-13T15:33:48.386-06:00

When we were in the process of adopting everyone wanted to talk to us/me about black hair. Black hair is very different from white hair. It doesn't grow fast at all, it is coarse, and for Abegail hard to comb out.But black people worship their hair. To them it is their crown. In Liberia people didn't have food, water, or plumbing but they had perfect hair. Many women spent their days

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-52355757144483263892009-11-10T13:36:00.023-06:002009-11-11T16:49:15.375-06:00

Mommy's minivan mobile, was not doing so well. He made loud noises when you turned him on, he did not like going up hills, his brakes grinded to the floor, the Minnesota winters showed its wear and tear so much that you could actually see the outside through the rust. When E-man or I kicked it, metal came crashing to the ground. Plus it smelled like old soccer cleats.Last Thursday Scott went

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-20039589945105786472009-10-31T20:43:00.013-05:002009-11-01T17:38:50.733-06:00

Mom standing in the rain with no umbrellaE-man was Batman, I could not get a picture of him standing still. Abegail was Gabriel from High School Musical, and Annie was Thumbelina. My Mom and Dad came down for the occasion and suprised everyone with costumes. They went as pirates. It's the first time I've ever seen my Mom without her real hair. No one knew who she was. People kept saying to

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-66343106347309280372009-10-30T13:57:00.008-05:002009-10-30T21:04:54.846-05:00

Abegail had her soccer banquet last night. Her last game is tomorrow. I have grown to love her team and their families. There is even a family on her team who are originally from Minnesota. The girls are adorable and the families supportive and wonderful. We are sad to see it end. Thankfully Abegail will be with her awesome coaches for three more weeks because SHE MADE THE ALL STAR TEAM!

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-87460107916480617802009-10-21T13:52:00.015-05:002009-10-21T19:17:54.362-05:00

Despite the pending federal charges, I must say the balloon boy's Dad has got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great if I could just send E-man up in a helium balloon when he had a big mad? I have actually been day dreaming about it since it happened. It would be at least a six hour break depending on how far he traveled. I probably wouldn't even mind the helicopters buzzing above or the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-22491744355859885152009-10-14T10:10:00.007-05:002009-10-14T10:36:00.749-05:00

He might not be the boy to take to a restaurant but he can mow a mean lawn. E-man loves to push things and without the grocery store full of old and disabled people to run into, the lawnmower is the next best thing. I have decided 6 is the perfect age to start manual labor.He mowed our lawnHe mowed our neighbors lawnOur other neighbors lawnAnd our back lawn, then he was done.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-70698717869881686472009-10-11T20:50:00.017-05:002009-10-12T14:37:41.091-05:00

It's Columbus day weekend so that means no soccer games, no religion class and a full weekend to prepare for Halloween. For my sister, holidays are full celebrations, not a beat is missed. She is always prepared for the kids to enjoy every activity that comes with the season.For me, holidays are another thing to try and survive, but I'm trying to have a more positive attitude.Saturday was rainy

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-35162564707276134742009-10-06T15:36:00.006-05:002009-10-06T18:55:19.525-05:00

So I finally decided I would volunteer for the room mother position. Politically correct is room parent, but lets be real, only moms do this job, no slight to Dads, its just the way it is.Yesterday there was a room parent meeting. In Minnesota, I think the room parent planned a couple parties and went to the ice-cream social. I could be wrong, I was not a room parent there but that's the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-90321678633977525182009-09-26T11:06:00.013-05:002009-09-26T22:21:24.771-05:00

Emmanuel has been a bit of a challenge lately. OK that is one of the biggest understatements I've ever made. Let me start over, in the past week E-man has peed on the church lawn in front of two priests, punched, scratched, and pushed numerous kids, spit on me, and given me cleat marks all over my shins. And that's just what I'm capable of remembering.After coming home from CCD last Sunday and

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-34095527334337826162009-09-15T09:56:00.012-05:002009-09-26T22:24:06.685-05:00

Last Thursday Abegail's soccer team was having a special coach come and work with them. He allowed Emmanuel and the coach's son to participate at the very beginning in the drills section. But then he needed to work with the girls and Emmanuel was encouraged to go kick the ball with a little boy his age.E-man would not hear of it. He immediately started to have a BIG MAD. I tried everything,

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-14661870514293358952009-09-14T12:43:00.008-05:002009-09-14T12:57:19.458-05:00

We headed to Rochester this weekend. My Dad and I ran the Rochester Half Marathon. My Dad joined a special training group and trained for this for weeks. My training consisted of eating a lot of carbs. My Dad did awesome and even seemed to get stronger as the race progressed. He finished in 2:27:24. There was also a full marathon. The leader of that race finished the same time we did. You

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-22065928414903894732009-09-10T11:30:00.010-05:002009-09-10T20:37:32.084-05:00

Abegail helps Annie change to tap shoesBy all accounts the second day of school went well. Both Annie and Abegail are making new friends, although Annie is having trouble remembering the name of her new friend and is right now just known as "my new friend." Everybody seems to like their teachers so far.Annie had her first ballet and tap class last night and loved it.Things I never thought I'd

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-23867469106150315862009-09-08T13:23:00.004-05:002009-09-08T13:33:20.208-05:00

The Boys (that's the official name for our cousins) go to school too! From left to right, Cameron (2nd grade) Chase (Kindergarten-2022 will be a big year in our family) and Owen (4th grade)

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-16012050898291581212009-09-03T11:49:00.002-05:002009-09-03T11:56:08.664-05:00

Obviously these are bad pictures with our video camera, but you get the idea. The kids had their school open house at Ravensworth Elementary today. Annie and E-man are in the same class (they are going to try E-man in a regular class, best of luck to them) in morning Kindergarten. Their teacher is Mrs. Ramage and she has an assistant Ms. Turner (that should be hard for everyone to remember).

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-32026815791896118362009-09-01T10:53:00.009-05:002009-09-01T12:45:17.898-05:00

Abegail with Tarry and Maima in NJCan you believe it is September? It's a beautiful day here in DC, the humidity has broken, the sun is out, temperature in the mid 70's, a perfect running day.E-man has soccer practice at 5:30 tonight. But at 8:00 this morning he was up, dressed in his soccer uniform and cleats, looking for his shinguards. He is insisting we can't go anywhere today because we

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-61184065099260053382009-08-29T13:35:00.021-05:002009-08-30T07:39:02.625-05:00

I bet you never thought you'd see that as a blog title, but I can't get over how obese the seagulls are in New Jersey. They are so fat they can barely walk. They look like they need hip replacements. You might be interested to know it's not just me who noticed this, it's been studied by a University (I do think it was the same university who found that if you don't get enough sleep you'll be

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-17136192473983523992009-08-18T19:09:00.012-05:002009-08-18T21:45:01.665-05:00

Annie did it! She jumped off the diving board and swam to the side without a life jacket and then she did it about 25 more times. "Mom, you can stop clapping now," she said.I hate not having my camera, but I've been assured it will be fixed in a weekE-man discovered earlier this month he can go off the board and doesn't need a life jacket.I love the age of 5. I know I say that at every age

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-51341152139891789152009-08-13T10:53:00.007-05:002009-08-13T13:26:14.897-05:00

Annie missed the MUAA reunion and one of her good friends, Akins. So in response to his impromptu break dancing she danced for him. Akins even asked about her, "where's E-man's sister?"The Richardson summer party continues, I had a friend and her two boys come visit this week. Her kids are sweet, mine are....energetic? I kept telling her I grade on a curve. In fact that's my motto for the

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-16165419042197314022009-08-06T19:51:00.003-05:002009-08-06T19:55:27.296-05:00

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-15951241079466846412009-08-04T15:44:00.008-05:002009-08-04T17:07:06.753-05:00

A Liberian man now living in Minneapolis went home to Africa to see his family. He was talking to someone in Liberia and said, "There are these two Liberian kids in Minneapolis who have been adopted. Their names are Abegail and Emmanuel." The person said, "Oh, those are Alexander's kids." The person the man was talking to happened to be a friend of A&E's birth father, Alexander. The man

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-90443661511990137982009-07-22T17:41:00.005-05:002009-07-22T17:56:33.984-05:00

We have these great trails in our neighborhood just 1/2 block from our house. It is one of my favorite things about where we live. There is a 4.5 mile loop you can run or hike. From our house it's just a 1/2 mile hike to the playground and park with a mini beach and boats to rent. Swimming isn't allowed, you wouldn't want to swim here. But it is a beautiful area. I have already seen several

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-85440603307213648802009-07-15T19:07:00.010-05:002009-07-15T19:26:13.239-05:00

To start, here are some real pictures of our house which we are loving!I took the kids and their cousins on another outing today. This time to Great Falls in McLean, VA which is a place I went in College. Then to an awesome, huge park nearby. It is made so disabled kids can do all of the activities too and there is a rubber floor on the entire park. Here are the snapshots.Mission Accomplished!

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-33523750751602703132009-07-15T11:40:00.003-05:002009-07-15T11:49:16.566-05:00

E-man was featured in this month's edition of Washburn Center for Children's newsletter. Click on the picture to see the article.

Richardson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810833531143547290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161115544029967311.post-52018698817590875862009-07-06T16:49:00.019-05:002009-07-06T17:17:10.529-05:00

It took us two years from start to finish to bring Abegail and Emmanuel home. Now in the blink of an eye, I am in the middle of my two year post placement report. I get to do them myself now since we reached the two year mark. Time flies doesn't it?The one thing about totally uprooting your life is time seems to slow down a bit. We marked the milestones, we've been here a week, two weeks.

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