Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!
Wow, another year has passed, and more memories have been made; camping, father/daughter banquet, the beach etc. and multiple others. I will cherish them forever :)

Dad, thank you for leading us kids in your care, love, and support. It means so much to us! Whether you're taking care of Lydia, helping Braden with school, assisting Benjamin with his scouts, or cheering for me when I'm on the court, you're there for us. We really appreciate that.
Also, I'm so thankful you teach us God's Word. It helps me increase my faith in our Creator.

Yes ........ and I also wanna thank you for your humorous side. You always know how to put smiles on our faces!! I enjoy joking around and laughing with you. It's something that I will continually be grateful for.

I love you Dad! I'm so glad God gave you to me for a father.

I'm so excited for the adventures that await us next year!

I love you!!!!!!!!

Bri

Christmas hat ...

Today when my little sister got home from school she showed me her Christmas 'lights' hat. How cute!!! I love you Lydi!!!!

Bri

Happy Birthday Braden!

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY BRADEN!!!

Wow! It feels like yesterday dad was visiting you in Viet Nam just before you turned 3, and now you're 11! These 8 years have gone by way to fast!!! But it's been an unforgettable experience watching you grow. One of those 'experiences' was during your very first soccer game. It's a day I'm never going to forget; you scored the first goal with a huge grin on your face. Then the next, and the next .... lol Their team won 11-1. You always go out on field and give your all. I'm so proud of how well you're doing and I'm excited for your season to conclude in the spring so I can see you tear up the fields!

Besides your zeal for food that amazes me, your engineering and tinkering with all sorts of technical stuff is very helpful. When something's broken, all we have to do is tell you and you're working away at it. Last October our miniature Tv was broken because a video tape was stuck inside it by the film. It was really cool seeing you take it apart and putting it back together again. The video tape was out but the tv was ... done. We were still happy for you :)

Braden and I tend to get into 'cat-and-dog' fights the most. I know we get frustrated with each other but that will NEVER change anything. Life would be so boring without you and you're determined personality. I love you so much!!! Thanks for being an amazing, loving, (not to mention cute!! :) ) brother! I'm really thankful for our relationship and I hope it will continue in the future.

Love you Braden James Hien!!!

Bri

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Already I can smell my mom's baked cheesy potatoes Mmmmmmm ...... :)
I'm going to share with you a couple things I'm thankful for .....

Salvation. I'm so thankful that God sent His only Son to pay for all the sin I've committed in my life. He carried the cross for me, took the beatings, and the dying pain. His love was so deep for us. He did it all so we could live forever with Him.


Yes, I'm thankful for sports :) lol I love playing basketball, soccer, basketball, floor-hockey, oh yeah I almost forgot, and basketball. lol


Music is another think I'm very thankful for. Whether it's classical, hymns, praise and worship or Christian contemporary, I love to praise God with music. Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.


I'm also thankful for my friends. The ones that make me laugh, the ones that are crazy, the ones that love me for who I am, the ones that encourage me, and especially those that stick with me when it's not easy. Proverbs 17:17a A friend loves at all times


Last but not least, I'm thankful for the family God has blessed me with for nearly 16 years. My Dad and all the work he's done to support us, and he's always helping me with my basketball and giving me advice. My Mom has been my school teacher since kindergarten, I don't think any other teacher could love me as she does. She's more then a teacher though, an amazing ping-pong player! lol AND a wonderful mom :) Benjamin, who really knows how to make me laugh/smile. Braden, one of the smartest kids I know; if I ever have a question about engineering, he's the one I can ask. Lydia's singing is always music to my ears. It just makes me want to sing along right with her!

Hope you all have a blessed and memorable Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Bri

Past 3 years ...

One of our first pictures of her when we were waiting for her Spring '06

Don't you just wanna pick her up and hug her!?!?! When we first got her. This is in our hotel Aug. '06

November '06

March '07

Decemer '07

April '08

August '08

May '09

June '09

These past 3 years seem like a whirlwind! When I got up this morning to get Lydia up I remembered it was her 'Gotcha Day' 3 years from today dad, Benjamin and I were in Ethiopia getting our adorable little Lydia from the orphanage. I remember getting on the plane to fly across the Atlantic. I also remember holding her for the first time (Benji and I had a contest to see who hold her first. I won :)) She was like a little angel placed in my arms. I wanted to cry but ... I didn't. As I look at her now, I just want to hold that little 5-month-old baby again! :( I'm so privileged to be able to have watched her grow. It's been amazing to see her crawl, walk, run, climb, talk, sing, etc. just being with her is an adventure! Like I said a couple posts ago, her giggle is one of my top favorite things about her; it's contagious!

Sometimes when I get annoyed with her, I forget about how special she is in my life. I'll see the 'bad' part of her and forget the fun part of her. God has truly blessed me with Lydia and these past 3 years and they will be unforgettable. My biggest memories of her is when she said my name for the first time (bri-bri) and (ofcourse) when I held her for the first time, and when she first walked.

Lydia, I love you so much! More then you'll ever know! I can't wait to see what God will fulfill in you life!

God Bless,

Bri