Celebrate America

OK, first let me say that I have a Chinese brother. This is my brother Thomas with my kids.

My parents met Thomas in 2004 when they were in China with their church. My Mom was witnessing to him and he did not have an American name yet (the Chinese college students adopt English names) so she named him Thomas and share with him about Doubting Thomas and gave him a Bible to read about him. After my parents came back to the states, they kept in contact through email and phone calls. It wasn't long after that that he accepted the Lord as his Savior! They have kept in touch all these years. He calls Mom, "Mom" and Jeremy and I are his brother and sister. He's just part of our family. He has a job that brings him to Texas for months at a time and when he is in the States, he comes to see Mom and Dad. My kids love him and he loves them!

So Thomas is here this weekend and he got to experience a Celebrate America celebration in our town today. It was a lot of fun. It was on the town square and put on by a church that several of our friends go to. Times like this make me feel like I live in Mayberry and I LOVE it! Here are some shots of the evening.

Luke and Poppa (and Thomas in the background)

Mom and the big girls

Sara and me

Luke and me

Hope and Daddy

Emma waving her flag!

Hope sitting in Thomas' lap

My kids!

We finished the evening off watching fireworks put on by another church in the area where more of our friends attend with the Maier clan!