abcdfamilylife

School Days

2011-11-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I posted but I thought I'd try blogging again...

C started 3rd grade this year and D started 1st. They are getting big fast...

1st day of school pics

End of Summer - Catch up

2010-09-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

I can not believe today was the last day of summer vacation and tomorrow C will be a 2nd grader and D will start kindergarten! We have had a GREAT summer and I am not certain that I am ready for it to be over but the girls are SUPER EXCITED to be going back to school.

Here is a glimpse at what has kept us busy over the summer...

We had Open House at the girls school on Aug. 31st. Here is C with her teacher. After Open House C said to me "Mom, I think I'm going to have a great time in 2nd grade and I'm not going to want it to end!" In Kindergarten she told me "Mommy I want to stay a kindergartener forever". Seems I couldn't figure out a way to make that happen so here we are... on to 2nd grade already. She knows several kids in her class this year and thinks her teacher seems "very nice" :) I am sure she will have a great year!
Here is D with her kindergarten teacher. D is very excited to be going to "my big girl school". We had "Kindergarten Round-up" for her on Aug. 17th. She got to ride the bus, play with other kindergartens and meet the teachers. On the way home that night she said "Mommy I get to go to 1st grade now". Gee... let's not rush things too much! Mom can barely handle kindergarten! I even tried convincing A that she wasn't big enough to go to Kindergarten because she couldn't reach the soap dispenser in the bathroom but her teacher helped her out and soap is now readily available for her ;) I can't wait to see how Little Miss D grows this year!

Our summer adventures...

Camping this past weekend

D being a turtle

Family reunion Aug. 21st

The girls choosing which Science project they want to do from a book I bought the beginning of the summer. I was never sure what they had more fun doing, the project or deciding what they wanted to do.

We have a begger at our house

D on her bus ride at Kindergaren Round-up

Twins game fun Aug. 15th. My cousins 10 year old daughter sang the National Anthem at the Twins game so lots of family members went to the game. It was a lot of fun! and she did an AMAZING job singing!

The girls with Uncle N, my brother.

On the field

Some of the rest of the gang

My brother N and cousin J.

J's wife M, their son A and the girls.

Cousins. The girl in the white tank top standing next to C is who sang the National Anthem. The little girl in the dress is her little sister.

We had friends home from out of state in Aug. that stayed with us. While they were here we took the girls to the Children's Museum to see the Wizard of Oz display.

The girls with friend E who was here visiting us.

Cousins at my Dad's side of the family reunion Aug. 7th.

My Dad and my nephew L.

Papa and the girls

L - not so little any more.

I took my neice and nephew and the girls to the beach July 31st. We had a great time! The girls entertained Landon well...

D in her beautiful new "Ariel" glasses. She had just gotten them that morning.

The girls went to Adoption Camp the end of July. Here they are with C's friend C.

We celebrated my neice B's 4th Birthday July 24th. Here is D and B. Don't they look all sweet and innocent together!? :) B is 14 mo. younger than D.

C is all grown up and such a big helper. Here she is with my nephew G enjoying some snuggle time.

G LOVES C! He smiles big around her!!

Over the summer C went to our Community Center a couple days a week for childcare. One of the things the kids can do there is rock climb. C had never rock climbed before but by the end of the summer had conquered all 6 levels of the rock climbing wall. She was told she was the only girl there this summer to accomplish this. When we took her up to the Community Center on July 17th so she could show us what she was learning the helper said to me "she's never climbed before" I said "nope, not before coming to Friendship Island" he said "wow, she's quite the beastly little thing" ;) Yepp! That's my girl! She has been incredibly strong since we got her! I am so proud of her!!

The beginning of Levels 4, 5 and 6

This was level 1, the easiest level.

Camping July 9th - 11th

D in the paddle boat with Grandpa and Grandma

July 4th at Gu Ni Ni's.

D eating the bald eagle treats Gu Ni Ni had made

Don't they look delicious!!

Watching fireworks.

D being silly at Grandpa and Grandmas the end of June.

Happy Fathers Day Daddy! A with his BBQ frosted cupcakes :)

The girls and I went to a friends cabin June 18th and came home on Father's Day. A got a whole weekend at home by himself! He was very happy about that so he could get some things regrouped at home. We were home Father's Day afternoon to celebrate with him and enjoy some nice family time.

Here are the kids at the cabin.

The finished cupcakes :)

D and J playing their games.

My brother N and his son G. Can you tell...???

June 11th - Celebrating 4 years with D.

D's 5th Birthday Party

2010-05-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated D's 5th Birthday. We had a Tinkerbell (of course) party at our house for her and her friends. I can not believe she will soon be 5 years old (May 30th)! Seems like yesterday she came to us a tiny little 1 year old and now she is a big (ok, she's still a peanut but we don't dare call her "little") girl! She's spunky and full of life! She keeps us all laughing and on our toes. She is sweet as can be, always ready to give a hug. Happy Birthday Little Miss D! We love you very much!!

D with her Tinkerbell cake and cupcakes that her friend E's Mom made. It was AWESOME! THANK YOU so much for helping make D's day special :)
D's Gu Ni Ni (great Aunt in Chinese) did face painting for the kids at the party. It was REALLY hot/muggy out so she had several requests to have their painting redone. THANK YOU Gu Ni Ni for helping make D's party special. The face painting was a hit :)

D with her unicorn.

C and D ready to start the party.

Let the fairy wagon rides begin...

D and her "boyfriend" (yepp, they even told their pre-school teachers they are getting married) B from pre-school and daycare and their friend S ready for a ride.

D and her friends all ready for the fairy ride through the woods. Last year A made trails through the woods and fairies arrived for D's birthday. This year he added another link to the trail and the kids were all ready to go on a search for the fairies :)

Time for gift opening.

Pinata time

Wahoo... CANDY :)

Bubble time

D and her friend R having fun with the bubbles. We heard lots of laughter coming from them while they were having "bubble wars"

It was a wonderful party! D had a great day and really enjoyed her time with her friends.

Catching Up

2010-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile so I thought I would do some catching up. We have been busy with some of the following...

C started soccer this week. Over the winter she did do a 6 week soccer camp that she really enjoyed. She was anxious to get started again.

C and her friend M are on the same team again this year. They did the soccer camp together also. It's fun to watch them.

Celebrating Easter with my family. Here are my brothers with C and my neice.

D and my brother N.

D at pre-school with her friend "best friend B". They are friends from daycare and pre-school. D has been going to pre-school on Wed. and Fri. mornings this year and LOVES school!

In Feb. C went to her first piano festival where she went and played 2 songs for a judge. She got a superior score. She was very excited about that as if she gets superior 3 years in a row she gets a trophy. She really wants a trophy... This is her 2nd year of lessons but her first festival. We are very proud of her!

Waiting to go play for the judge.

The week following festival she had a piano recital that she performed her festival songs for. She did a great job!!

C & D having fun at the bowling alley/arcade

C, D and M. M is the girls home away from home. She is our friend/daycare provider. We love her. These photos were taken on C's birthday.

C turned 7 in Feb.

In Jan. the girls had a dance recital.

In Feb. C submitted a sculpture project for the AAA (Academics, Arts and Achievement) program. She received a blue ribbon on her sculpture.

D sleeping peacefully... IN HER OWN BED!! Major accomplishment :) We've been working on this for awhile. Rotating through, the floor, our bed, her bed, etc. She did tell me one morning right away when she woke up "C took my spot in the middle" I said "the middle of what" This was the first thing she said to me and I wasn't certain if she had dreamt something. D's response was "the middle of your bed". She was going to make certain that if she wasn't sleeping in our bed that C wasn't either. I assured her that C had slept in her own bed.

And here is C... sleeping peacefully in her bed :)

Over New Years we had friends from VA come to visit us. Here are our girls... My friends daughter A, C, my friends daughter E and my little silly D.

C and my nephew L

My neice B.

C and Uncle N.

My brother B's family.

My brother N and his family.

My nephew L and Nana, my Mom.

C and my baby nephew G who was born in Jan. This photo was taken at G's baptism. I told my brother N "he already knows a pretty face when he sees one" :)

Baby G

My family ~ the whole gang

Tubing fun ~ we went tubing with friends one beautiful afternoon! C had a GREAT time.... D went down once and didn't want to go again. She said it was "too scary". Go figure, my fearless child was like "that's too scary" while my hesitant child (C) was like "Mom that was TOTALLY AWESOME!" and couldn't get enough.

Viginia Vacation

2010-04-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

We left for Virginia Beach on April 1st to visit friends and came home on April 6th. We had a GREAT time while we were there! It is always fun spending time with these friends and miss them so much!! Til next time...

R, L with their daughter E and foreign exchange student J.

Going through the tunnel under the ocean.

On our way to visit more friends :). L and I took the girls on a little road trip to see other friends that live in VA. I had met my friend S through my Panda yahoo group when we were waiting for D's referral. They came to MN for a visit over New Years so the kids got to meet and play then also. L and I really enjoyed our visit with S and her family and had a FABULOUS lunch with them.
D, C, E and S's 3 kiddos - E, H and A

The girls coloring Easter eggs.

L and I

Naval Museum

2010-04-11T05:13:00.001-07:00

We spent some time at the Naval Museum when we were in Virginia. It was a fun day and we got to see some amazing stuff.

The girls with the Pirate at the Museum

D checking out the periscope. This was a 1944 periscope that was used in World War II by American sailors to find enemy ships. You can now see Hampton Roads Harbor with it.

C trying her hand at tying knots

This is what D things of a muzzle section from a Mark VI.

The boys

Beach Fun - Virginia Beach

2010-04-10T19:01:00.001-07:00

During our trip to Virginia we spent a day at the ocean with our friends. It was a beautiful day! And inspite of the water being ICE cold that didn't stop the kids from playing in it and having a great time!

Our friends dauther E

The girls building a tunnel

D feeling the sand get washed away from under her feet

AHHHH the waters cold

I think it is so peaceful to just sit and watch and listen to the waves. I love the ocean!

I love this photo of D. She looked so peaceful to me as she stood there watching the waves come in. J, our friends foreign exchange student.

J & D

Posing for Mom

Being silly :)

The end of a great day!!

Happy Easter

2010-04-10T15:06:00.001-07:00

We spent Easter weekend with friends in Virginia Beach. On Easter Sun. we went to church with them and then went to friends of theirs home for an Easter egg hunt and a DELICIOUS dinner! It was a wonderful day!

Here are some photos from our day...

The gang checking out their loot... D, our friends daughter E and their foreign exchange student J, C

Being silly

C finding eggs.

D being her ususal silly self

Disney in Oct.

2009-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

In Oct. we spent Oct. 9th - Oct. 20th at Disney with back to back family and friends joining us. We had a wonderful time.

On the bus to our resort. First stop, Animal Kingdom Villas. (Yes, C's Bitty Baby had to come with us ;) We gave C that baby when we were in China getting D since then she's been on several vacations with us. )

C taking photos of the animals outside of our room.

The view outside our room

view from our lobby

The girls creatimg their own ice cream sundae's.

The first friends we got to spend time with were D, T and their daughter G. Here is C, D and G meeting Mulan.

Mulan paying the girls a visit while coloring at kids cot.

Fun in the pool at our hotel

The girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the train at Downtown Disney. This has been a favorite since C's first Disney trip when whe was 2 years old! As you can see, they still enjoy it very much!

After our visit with D, T and G A's family arrived. They played with us at Disney for a few days before going to the ocean. Here are A, cousin L, C, D and "Auntie" riding the tea cups.

D and cousin L

Mommy and C on the race cars

Auntie and D

Grandpa, Grandma and D on Aladdins Carpet Ride. D just wanted to ride this, Dumbo and the Dinosaur ride aka "hippo ride" at Animal Kingdom.

C walking through the Swiss Family Treehouse

A and Grandpa on the Jungle Cruise

L and D taking it all in

Our 13 year old nephew B with Uncle A

Waiting to get into the Bugs Life at Animal Kingdom

D getting a ride (and snuggle :) ) from Grandpa

The girls getting their hairwraps. C has gotten a hairwrap here every time she's been to Disney.

D getting her 2nd hairwrap. Her hair was way too short and fine for a very long time. She is very excited to be able to get her hair wrapped now also.

D riding the "hippo ride" at Animal Kingdom. We rode this ride SO. MANY. TIMES! We would get off and get right back on. She LOVED it!

C spinning the girls on a Merry Go Round at Downtown Disney.

D holding on for dear life, but loving it!

C, L and Grandma caught a little lizard.

After A's family left we transferred resorts and spent the next part of our vacation at Bay Lake Towers right by the Magic Kingdom. This resort was FANTASTIC! My forever friend J and her family arrived. She has kids the same age as our kids. We all had a great time!

Here are the kiddos C, D, J & J (their whole family is J's) watching TV while the parents check in.

The view from our room at Bay Lake Towers.

We spent the afternoon at the pool and C won a hula hoop contest

Here she is with the prize she choose. The BIGGEST box there was. It took some creative packing getting that home with all the other souveniers.

The gang in the pool

Fun on the water slide

C & D by the pool getting ready for another pool game

D doing the pony races at the Whispering Canyon Cafe atFort Wilderness Lodge. She was the only one of our 4 that would do it.

The girls at Animal Kingdom

Meeting Pochahontas

The crew with Goofy and Pluto at Animal Kingdom

D and J waiting to ride, what else, the "hippo ride" we still aren't certain why D called it that but she certainly was having no part in calling it the Dinosaur ride.

Mommy and D on the hippo ride

Our friends J, J, J and J :) by the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom

Our family A, B, C, D ( I guess we all have a naming theme ;) ) by the Tree of life

What else do you do after a long, HOT (did I mention they were having record high temps in Florida for Oct.? They were having Aug. temps ~ meanwhile it snowed in MN while we ewre away and A's family flights got delayed because of it!) day at the park? Have ice cream, of course!

And the, promptly fall asleep on the one we've attached ourself to :)

D was a Auntie J cling on while they were with us!

At the top of the building we were staying in the had a viewing room to watch the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. This is a picture of the castle taken from the top of our building.

The kids waiting for the fireworks to start

Ohhhh, Ahhhhh. It was awesome to see the fireworks from up there! We were even able to clearly see Tinkerbell fly down from the top of the castle! And another great thing, we got to get on an elevator and go to our rooms instead of fighting the crowd to get out of the parks. (not that everyone should experience that as it is part of the whole Disney experience but we've been there done that and I was thankful to not have to on this trip.)

Riding the monorail, a ride in itself :)

D and her Auntie J. Like I said, D was attached :)

The gang waiting for the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios.

Meeting chip and Dale

Lightning McQueen

The girls ready to dance the night away at Mickey's Backyard BBQ. We had a GREAT time there!

Dinner with Cinderella

Our little Cinderellas :)

Waiting patiently...

to meet Prince Charming

Ok, I just realized that I didn't post a photo of Cinderella with the girls! Dang...

The girls and their very own Prince Charming :) Look at D, striking a pose ;) She's got the princess thing down!

The kiddos at the end of the day. Snuggled in resting, watching movies with popcorn. Does it get any better than this!?

J and family left and our friends R, L, E and their foreign exchange student J arrived.

Here are the girls meeting Tinkerbell. We waited 60 min. get into "Pixie Hollow" to meet Tinkerbell and her fairy friends... this was the longest line we had while we were there but it was worth it! The fairies really interacted with the kids and the kids LOVED it!

Dinner with Minnie Mouse and the gang at Chef Mickey

R, E and Minnie

J, L and Minine

D doing what she loves, dancing :)

D and E waiting for the bus.

More Downtown Disney fun

C and D in their stroller (aka carriage)

At the Princess Lunch

The castle from our resort

Downtown Disney (sorry, got out of order)

Hollywood Studios

Dinner at the SciFi Restaurant

Waiting for Fantasmic to start

And, last but not least... this photo jut makes me laugh! A & R (I think they are the real characters :)) cozied up together waiting for the show to start.

Lots of memories made...

Halloween Fun

2009-12-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Some photos of the girls on Halloween. We went to our church for a childrens gathering.

The girls playing Bingo

Face painting

D's turn.

Sitting very still... Look at that concentration "I not moving Mom" is what we got to hear.

All done :)

Fishing

Pin the animals on the ark

That evening we went and had dinner with friends and took the girls trick-or-treating in their neighborhood for a little while. We then stopped by our neighbors on our way home. It was a fun day.

Miley Cyrus Concert

2009-12-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

The end of Oct. C and I went to the Miley Cyrus concert with C's friend M and her Mom. We all had a great time.

C & M at dinner before the concert. C at the concert.

C & M waiting patiently for Miley

Miley comes on stage

And this is what we get from C & M.

Misc. Sept Photos

2009-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

These photos accidentally got deleted from my previous post and I couldn't figure out how to add them back in.

D's first day. C and M

Can you tell D was excited for dance class!?

C and Mommy on her 1st day

Sept.

2009-12-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

I love fall. The crisp nights, warm air and fewer bugs... One Sept. morning I woke up, started making coffee and outside our kitchen window saw this. I sat that morning and thought about all the beautiful things in nature I am surrounded, and blessed, by.

Then we started the mad dash... I am posting this photo because I thought it was funny. We tried to enjoy as much of our fall as possible. One night I had gotten home with the girls and D took off in her car. A then got home and parked and soon, D had parked as well. We have a 2 car garage. I wonder what will happen with D's car "grows up"...

Sept. also brought the start of many things.

Dance class for C & D.

D was very excited about going to class again this year.

C started 1st grade.

Kindergarten photo. HOW did she get so tall!? And where was I for it!?

First day of 1st grade.

First day of Kindergarten. Our little girl is growing up.

D started Pre-school. She was very excited to start! Her first day was Fri. and C started school on Tues. D asked Tues., Wed. and Thurs. morning if she got to go to school and take her backpack. By Fri. she was getting a little frustrated with my "not until Fri." "Soon" answer. I don't think she believed me when her big day finally came.

All ready to go :)

Mommy and D on her big day.

We also traveled to South Dakota in Sept. for a wedding.

Mommy and D having fun at the hotel.

Another weekend in Sept. my sister-in-law came with my neice and we took the girls to the Zoo.

B, D and C.

Me and my girls :)

Soccer also started again in Sept.

Can you tell who C enjoys being with?

Her friend M. C loves her and so do we!

This is what happens at the end of a day of running to soccer, dance, piano lessons, school, pre-school, work, etc., etc.

End of Summer

2009-09-07T19:23:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a very busy but wonderful summer. Here are photos from our last month. I guess I don't have to wonder why it went so fast.

The Wed. swimming at Gu Ni Ni's crew. M, I, C, M, & D. Our girls and A's cousins girls. Thank you Gu Ni Ni for letting us crash your house and pool each week! We had a blast swimming and playing and getting to spend time with you! Can't believe it's over already!
Labor Day weekend we spent Sat. and Mon. at a campground near our house with A's family. We enjoyed time at the beach as it was an absolutely beautiful weekend!

D having fun at the camper. Can you tell what a silly girl she can be!? Always up to something...

C and D having fun with their cousin B.

All 4 of the Grandkids D, L, C and B.

Yesterday, Sun. of Labor Day weekend, we spent with my new little nephew L and his family for his baptism. Here he is now. He is gettign so big! Isn't he just the sweetest little guy!

Can you say Diva? D at the park singing and dancing away, totally oblivious to anyone around her watching.

My silly girls

My beautiful C...

This is the birthday card C made me

The inside

The Renissance Festival

C feeding the animals

Mommy and C riding the elephant

Face painting

Think I can get A to add these to the path in our woods? Maybe over the winter our fairy houses will grow!?

Riding the butterflies, D LOVED this! how do you like her ladybug wrist animal balloon?

The Zoo.

We made it to the Zoo twice this summer. Once with some very dear friends and their family and once with A's family. Always a good time!

The ostrich egg

C getting to feed the giraffe

Our nephew L feeding the giraffe.

The girls and I spent a Sat. night watching my neice and nephew. I'm not sure why I was there... C did all the baby L babysitting and D and B played. It was a great evening!

I think L likes C :)

who loves who?

The girls at their 1st concert. We took them to see Demi Lovato. It was a great time!

We had my neice, B's, birthday party... Happy 3rd B-day sweetie girl!

B's baby brother L

The girls and I spent time at the park and the beach.

I swear the child is part monkey...

A and the girls also attempted a garden this summer. Here are the girls last spring planting the seed with Grandma.

flowers too...

Here's C wearing Daddy's bib overalls from when he was a kid.

C watching her "crops" grow

One of the garden boxes Grandpa made us to plant in. I wish I had photos of what it looks like now with the soil and veggies growing in it. We did get to eat a few things out of it this year. Hopefully they (I say they because I am not the gardener in the family) have learned some things this year and next year will have a little better luck with the garden next summer.

Baby Nephew L ~ July 20th

2009-08-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome little L to the family. My new little nephew was born on July 20th at 2:00pm. He is just the sweetest little guy!

This photo is of him today, Aug. 2nd. He will be 2 wks. old tomorrow. Here is our little L at 4 hours old

All the grandchildren.

C ~ the oldest grandchild and L ~ the youngest.

Cabin Fun ~ July 17th - 19th

2009-08-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

July 17th ~ 19th the girls and I spent the weekend at a friends cabin. The weather didn't cooperate as much as we had hoped but we had a fabulous time none the less. We got to the cabin on Fri. around 11:30 and later afternoon we decided to take the kids to see Ice Age 3 because it was cold and windy at the cabin. The movie was great and we all really enjoyed it. Sat. we spent the day resting and watching movies. Later in the afternoon we took a pontoon ride across the lake and walked into town to get ice cream/candy store. The place was very fun! They made their own waffle cones and had tons of different kinds of candy. We all got cones and the girls got some lollipop sticks. Sun., of course, was a BEAUTIFUL day! We did have a great morning and packed up and headed home around 2:00. Thank you J and J for a wonderful weekend!

D & J on our walk into town

D gave up for a piggy back ride with Auntie Janet.

C & D at the Ice Cream shop

C taking time to smell the flowers on our walk back to the boat landing The girls and Mommy
C and D having their lollipop treat.

D driving the boat C driving the boat
Here is C on the kiddie jet ski. She had so much fun!
Sat. night D clunked out watching a video on my phone.

The beautiful sunset on Sat. night.

Twins Game ~ Sun., July 12th

2009-07-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

On Sun., July 12th we went to the Twins game with Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie, Cousin B and Cousin L. We had a great day and teh Twins won 13 to 7 which made it even better!

After the game we went down to the field so the girls could run the bases.

After home plate.

Grandpa running with L, C & D to video tape.

Home base

Family Reunion ~ Sat., July 11th

2009-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

On Sat., July 11th my Dad's side of the family had a family reunion. It is always lively when we are together. There are 13 children in my Dad's family. 8 of the "main characters" as A calls them were there. One additional aunt is still living but has health issues that didn't allow her to be there. The additional 4 siblings have passed away.

Here is a photo of the "main characters" Our family at the reunion

A photo of C my cousin took

A photo of D my cousin took

My cousin K ~ who took the very beautiful photos of my girls. I love K very much! We were good friends growing up and I miss her very much as her beautiful family lives out of state.

K's beautiful family

Our girls had SOOOO much fun together! It was wonderful to see! Watching the girls do things together that K and I did as little girls brought back beautiful memories. Here is D with K's daughter G. G is 3 months younger than D.

2 of K's girls ~ B and O and my beautiful C.

D and G having fun making sand angels.

D with K's oldest E.

D and B ~ they became the best of buds! Here they are while getting ready to tube. D didn't end up tubing but enjoyed being in the boat while the others tubed.

I love this photo. The night before the reunion my aunt and uncle from WA were at my parents. Here is my Uncle C and my sweet little D watching the cows. In spite of distance Uncle C and I have many wonderful memories we made together and he holds a very special place in my heart. Seeing his gentleness with D made my heart smile.

My brother N with C.

Papa teasing his girls~ C and my little neice B.

Papa and C

C and my neice B.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, this photo was suppose to be the last picture (and was~until I accidentally deleted it) it's
Gu Ni Ni and D watching the fireworks.

Happy 4th of July everyone! We are spending the weekend away at A's aunts. We arrived yesterday. We had beautiful weather! We swam, ate and went to fireworks. The perfect kick off to the weekend. We hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th holiday!

Our beautiful C

Our beautiful D

C again

And the together attempts... (forced smile by D)

C trying to get D to look at the camera

and the laughing begins

Swimming fun

D chatting with A's Grandma, the girls "Zu Mu" (Great Grandma in Chinese)

The dogs, Sadie and Sully, got to join us this year and they couldn't be happier about it.

Me and my girls waiting for the fireworks to start.

Zu Mu and the girls

Our family

C, the Mommy, brought her girls Emily and Kit so they could see their "first fireworks".

and being the Mommy she needed "coffee"

Daddy trying to keep D entertained before fireworks. Prior to playing with Daddy she was trying to catch grasshoppers, doing acrobats, making friends and singing twinkle twinkle little star ~ several times. Here are some of my favorite photos of D and Daddy. They are such good buddies. Whenever Daddy isn't with her she is asking "where's my Dad" I think these photos show how much they love each other.

Watching for the fireworks.

Pool Time Fun

2009-06-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day!

This week we've spent a couple days at Gu Ni Ni's (great aunt in Chinese ~ Alex's aunt traveled to China with us when we got C and she will forever more be "the Gu Ni Ni") playing in the pool. Wed. we went and spent the day there playing with A's cousins 3 girls and a family friends daughter. The girls all had a GREAT time! It was so fun to watch the girls play and have a good time together! Today our family went to to hang out with Gu Ni Ni. It was a beautiful day! Great weather and very relaxing! Here are photos of our days at the pool this week.

All the girls, ages 1 1/2 - 6, on Wed. Here is Gu Ni Ni and her girls. Her 3 granddaughters and our girls. Gu Ni Ni has one son and now a whole bunch of little girls that love her.

D chillin' in the pool

My beautiful little miss "mighty might"

On Wed. with a little prompting C started jumping off the diving board and swimming to the ladder. We were at Gu Ni Ni's swimming today and she headed right to the diving board. She is doing great!

On Wed. Gu Ni Ni also taught C how to dive. She's doing a great job! I'm so proud of her! Maybe I should be the next one to learn how to dive! I never did master that... and C picks it up almost instantly!

Gu Ni Ni with C and D

D and Mommy relaxing in the pool today. What a beautiful day it was as a family!! Thank you Gu Ni Ni for, once again, letting us spend the day with you! A fun time was had by all of us.

Special Day

2009-06-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day as my "sister" (a friend of mine from childhood ~ our father's were friends in high school and her Mom babysat me when I was little) got married.

Our family had some extra time this morning so I decided to take the girls for a manicure and pedicure. I have not done this with them before but C has gone previously with a friend. We had so much fun! D wasn't sure what was going on but sat perfectly still and concentrated very hard on everything the tech was doing. While waiting for her turn big sister C watched D intently and kept asking her if she was having fun.

My very excited girl :) I love how she is holding her hands and feet. She didn't even want to turn her head to look at the camera.

C showing off her beautiful nails.

After our adventure to the nail saloon we went to Sandi and Berdell's wedding. Sandi has 3 girls and Berdell has 2 boys. The wedding was outside and it turned out to be a beautiful (although a bit windy) day. Here they are coming together as a family with unity sand.

The family prayer

Sandi and Berdell have history... 20 years ago they dated and now 20 years later through many twists and turns in life they have reunited with 5 amazing kids.

Congratulations to all of you! We wish you all the best as you come together as a family.

Me, Sandi and her sister Janet. The three of us have been through a lot together. I am blessed to have them in my life as my "sisters". I have learned so much from them over the years.
D and Auntie Janet, her Godmother

Our family

Bike Riding Fun

2009-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

On Sat., June 13th C learned to ride her bike. She could have done this sooner as she has great balance and has for awhile but gaining the confidence she could do it was holding her back. She is now a pro and is very excited about being able to ride her bike and, ride it FAST!

On Sat., June 20th we went to the Bike Rodeo in town. It is held at the hospital. You are able to learn bike safety and by helmets. Here is D sporting her new helmet.

The Air Care helicopter made an appearance so the kids got to check out the inside and sit inside. They thought that was "super fun Mom" as C put it. Let's hope that's the only reason they ever have to be in this helicopter or any helicopter like it... for fun!

Testing out riding their bikes with their new helmets.

Panda Sightings :)

2009-06-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a GREAT day! I'm going to do a little back tracking to explain.

In April 2005 our dossier (paperwork) was sent to China and we started the waiting process for D's referral. At that time I joined a yahoo group of other families who were also waiting for their referrals. We became the "April Pandas". I had no idea what this group of women and men would bring to my life. I knew that I needed others (or rather Alex needed me to have others hehehe) who really understood what we were going through to "talk" with, vent to, cry with, etc. As our wait time doubled from what we were told it would be this group became my sounding board! They really knew what it was like to love your child and be worried about your child before you even knew who they were. I don't know what I would have done without this group during this process.

In Feb. while I was on my mini vacation to Florida with my Mom I met T, her husband D, and her daughter G. It was a wonderful visit and far, far to short!! We talked for hours and could have continued on and on. It felt like I was meeting a friend I'd known all my life. That same vacation in Feb. I also met L. Again, it was like meeting up with an long time friend. We had a very nice visit. I look foward to when I get to see these women again!

This leads me to today... today, we had G and his daughter M at our house. It was such a wonderful visit for us!! And those of you who know that A is a man of few words should have been here today! He talked and talked. He obviously felt comfortable with G. Thanks for spending the afternoon with us G. We had a wonderful time and look forward to meeting up with you again the next time you are in town!

So, what did we do today,

Here are M and D within minutes of meetings.
D riding the 4-wheeler

We taught M to drive a car. When G and M got here Dwas "stuck" (she knows how to get herself out of these situations but sometimes chooses not to). M went over, pushed her out and hopped in. Friends in seconds :). Then she got to take a spin herself.

We also did a little running through the sprinker

And a little playing in the playhouse

M and D up in the loft of the playhouse

And a little playing on the swingset

And a couple wagon rides

What do you do on the wagon rides you ask...

Well, find the fairies and their houses of course.

Then, some more 4 wheel riding

I think M liked it :)

We all had a wonderful time today. We look forward to meeting M's Mom the next time they are in town (that's if she decides we didn't teach M to many crazy things today I mean the fairies might be a little over the top, or maybe teaching her to drive... maybe the car might have been ok but the 4 wheeler... humm? She had fun, I promise, does that count!? :) )

Any other Panda's want to come to visit? We teach children lots of interesting things here :)

Happy Forever Family Day D

2009-06-11T19:15:00.001-07:00

Three years ago today we started out the day as a family of 3 and at about 4:15 we became a family of 4 when D was placed in our lives.

Thought I would post some then and now photos.

moments after D was placed in my arms. She was so tiny and frail.

And here she is now, my fiesty little determined D.

Look at that sweet little face.

Do we still look sweet!? or do we look like we are up to "something" :)

Sisters... C is an AMAZING big sister! She has been a great big sister since we got D. Very kind, loving and gentle with D. We are so proud of her. C was 3 years and 4 months in this photo. D had just turned 1 yo.

Showing our true colors :)

D we love you. You bring so much joy and laughter to our hearts. I love when you say "Momma, I lub you SOOOO much" and bless me with your hugs. Especially when you are up to something... I am blessed to be your Mommy and look forward to seeing where your confidence takes you in life.

Random Photos of Cuteness

2009-06-04T13:59:00.001-07:00

Sprinkler Fun

2009-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

The girls decided we should attach the sprayer to the hose today. We made a "shower" over the deck for them to run through. Nothing like a beautiful summer afternoon!

"Are you ready D?" "On your mark, get set, GO"

"This is so fun Momma"

Look what D discovered she could do.

Next came the water slide.

C's Kindergarten "Graduation"

2009-06-04T13:19:00.001-07:00

Today was C's graduation from kindergarten. She has had a great year! She had a wonderful teacher and has learned and grown so much this past year!

C with her wonderful teacher. C has learned so much from Mrs. G this year. Mrs. G has been kind and caring with her and truly cares about these children. C loves Mrs. G and has been very excited to go to school to learn because of her. For that we have been so blessed! Thank you for giving so much of yourself Mrs. G! It has meant a lot to C and our family. Thank you for everything you have done to make C's kindergarten year so special! C's class had "Grandpa Ed" as a class helper all year. He is a wonderful man who has volunteered and given so much of his time to help these children learn and grow. Thank you for everything you have done to make C's kindergarten year special!

C's class also had a high school student, Deisha, come in for about an hour each day to help with the kids. C loves Deisha also. Thank you Deisha for being someone that C can look up to.

C with her friends

C's Field Trip to the Zoo

2009-06-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

On Tues. I was able to go with C's class on their field trip to the Zoo. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and the kids had a great time.

We started out our day at the "Sparky" show.

C rode the carousel that is 95 years old. The horses are all hand carved in wood and hand painted.

C with her friend M and their wonderful teacher.

C and M being flamingos

C and friends from her class.

Happy 4th Birthday D

2009-05-30T05:23:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday Beautiful D!

Yeserday was D's 4th Birthday. She has grown and changed so much this year it is hard to believe! She is a beautiful, spunky little girl with BIG personality! She is sweet and loving and always up to something.

To celebrate D's birthday we had a party at our house. It was a very busy day but was filled with family, friends and fun!!

We set up the bouncer in the morning.
then went to C's soccer game,

Then Daddy took us for a ride through the woods. What are the girls looking at?

Well, fairies came to visit of course to with D a Happy Birthday! Since wagon rides through the woods have started D has been convinced fairies live in the woods. Yesterday they discovered fairies in the woods. So far 4 fairies have moved in. D was VERY excited!

Here are 2 of the 3 fairy houses. We are wondering if other fairies will join come soon too.

Daddy giving wagon rides

Children everywhere having fun

D opening her gifts. She got lots of very nice, fun stuff.

After gift opening we grilled. Here are some of the children refueling.

And of course, a Tinkerbell cake

D and her friend K riding in the Escalade... good thing they are 4! We aren't ready for them to be driving for real any time soon! They had a great time driving around and playing with each other.

As the evening started to wind down we had a campfire and made smores.

And here is D at the end of her very busy day. Thank you everyone who was able to come to celebrate with us. It was a wonderful day!

Memorial Weekend Fun

2009-05-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse of our Memorial Weekend.

We were at A's parents on Sat. for a family get together on his Mom's side of the family. Here are 3 of the little ones doing what kids do best... being goofy. Here is the most of the family. One cousin and his family (wife and two girls) weren't able to make it as well as one other cousin who was not able to be there.

D and our nephew L... partners in crime.

photos taken at Grandpa and Grandma's after the get together

the usual serene C and up to something D

I love this photo! C is growing up so fast and is such a beautiful girl (ok, I realize I'm her Mom here...) on the inside and out. It seems every time I take her picture she is changes more and more.

Playing with Grandma in the hot tub

On Sun. of Memorial weekend we went to Gu Ni Ni's (Great Aunt in Chinese), A's aunts house. The girls swam and had a great day! They are always excited for pool opening at Gu Ni Ni's.

C's 1st Piano Recital

2009-05-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

C had her first piano recital on Fri. night. She played Hush Little Baby. Everyone in the recital played duets. C's teacher played with her. She did a great job and we are so proud of her!

C's teacher talking to her before the recital began. C was a little apprehensive, as she is with most new things.

Can you see the concentration?

C and her wonderful teacher Lois :)

D's Dance Recital

2009-05-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

D had her dance recital last weekend, May 16th and 17th. It was a very busy weekend but she did AMAZING! I am so proud of her! She knew her routines and really enjoyed herself. After her performance she said to me "Mommy I do a great job!?" I said "yes you did honey" she said "I a dancin' girl" :).
D before we left for the Sat. night performance.

D and her friend E playing backstage.

Lining up to go onstage.

D is the 3rd on in from the left. Can you see her little hip shake!

D and her teacher "Miss Natalie"

C and D after the Sat. night performance.

D's biggest fan :)

Don't Blink

2009-05-23T20:47:00.001-07:00

When did this happen? How did I miss it?
October 2005

May 2009

Mall of America Fun

2009-05-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to play a little catch up. It has been a busy month. Our friends from VA came "home" (they moved 2 years ago and I'm still in denial) for a visit and were with us from May3rd - May 9th. While they were here we went to the MOA for a fun filled afternoon and evening.

E, C and D at Underwater World
The girls at Underwater World

Our family

C riding Wonder Pets at Nickelodeon Universe. Her favorite ride is the "Orange Streak" roller coster. She was VERY exited to get to get off and right back on 4 times!

D getting her face painted.

C's turn.

Barbeque and trail ride with friends

2009-05-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

With our friends here from VA we had a little get together with other families we traveled to China with as well as some family of our friends from VA. A was in his glory getting to give trailer rides on the trails he has made through our woods. My Dad and brother made this trailer for at my parents but my Dad didn't think it got used enough there and passed it on to us. It is definitely getting used here. Now all A needs is a 4 wheeler :) For now, he uses the substitute...

Heading into the woods Our girls LOVE riding through the woods.

Looks like E (our friends from VA daughter) is enjoying herself also :)

Precious D

2009-05-15T15:54:00.001-07:00

All I want for summer is...

2009-04-20T05:23:00.000-07:00

My two front teeth... C lost her other top tooth last night.

Baby Loves Disco

2009-04-13T17:18:00.001-07:00

On Sat., April 10th we went to Baby Loves Disco www.babylovesdisco.com It was at a bar downtown that they convert into a kids dance party for the afternoon. There is face painting, bubble blowers, a kids play area and a live DJ spinning music. We went last year with friends and this year had more friends with us. It was a GREAT afternoon and we closed down the party...

The girls as we got to the party.
First thing... face painting.

C showing D the egg music shakers.

D and her friend from dance class and daycare, E.

D had a BLAST! She loved everything about the party!

The girls on stage by the bubble blower.

This sums it up... D LOVED the bubbles and would have stayed on stage all afternoon.

C and her her friend from daycare and school

Me and the girls

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful day! We certainly did.

We started our day RACING out of the house at 6:35am. It is a good thing lil' miss D stirred in bed and woke me at 6:15 as my alarm was set for 5:00 and did not go off (helps when you set it for 5am correctly instead of 5pm...). We went to 8:15 Easter service this morning 1 1/2 hours from our home at the church I grew up going to (and yes, we made it there in plenty of time). I haven't been there for any church service in years and it was wonderful to experience Easter there with the girls. It brought back may happy childhood memories. Seems it was a day for that...

Here are the girls in front of church with all the beautiful flowers

My cousin and her family were home from out of state. She has 4 beautiful girls. It is always wonderful to get to see them if only for a little while. I wish we lived closer so our girls could grow up to be best of friends and cousins like we had the opportunity to but it is not meant to be so I enjoy the time we are given together.

Me and my beautiful girls

After our photo shoot (my cousin and I have issues, ok!) we headed to my parents for lunch and look what happened to C...

How do you like that beautiful smile!?...

and now?...

yepp, C lost her first top tooth at Nana and Papa's. She lost her very fist tooth (a bottom one) there also. I believe Grandpa and Grandma are coming to our house next weekend and am wondering if this is a pattern... if so she will loose her other top tooth next weekend when they are here. Stay tuned :)

Lil' miss D made sure to inform us last night that we had to take her dancing videos to Nana and Papa's so they could see her dance. Here she is showing Papa photos and her dancing videos.

After our wonderful lunch we headed over to my youngest brothers house for an Easter egg hunt. They were hosting his wife's family for lunch so weren't able to be at my parents.

Here is C and her Uncle N. C loves her uncles very much!

They are ready for the hunt...

Look who showed up during the Easter egg hunt...

Can't forget Nana's picture with the Easter bunny.

checking out our loot with Auntie R (N's wife)

After the Easter egg hunt we headed back to my parents for some Easter egg coloring.

Then, Papa took C to get pussy willows. This is something my Dad and I did every year when I was growing up and for many years while I was in college and recently married. It hasn't worked out to do it together the last few years for various reasons but as I watched C with Papa it certainly brought back many happy memories of my time, alone with my Dad... and I hope that she too one day will remember these sweet moments... those special one on one moments in life we tend to take for granted.

Papa and C

Lil' miss D helping

What a wonderful day...

C's Soccer

2009-04-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

C decided she wanted to play soccer. Thurs. night was her first practice and she was so excited!! She is on the same team as her friend M. They had their first game on Sat. and had a great time!

C before her first practice

C and M waiting for practice to start.

Here we go...

M has a little sister 2 weeks older than D. Since M's Dad is the coach D and M's little sister S got to be the "helpers". How do you like how little D looks... S is tall but WOW! she is only 2 weeks older...

D "practicing" with the jersey she "NEEDED"

D watching practice.

Lil' Miss D

2009-04-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

A picture speaks 1,000 words... what do these pictures speak to you?

Hope you got a sense that our Lil' Miss D is FULL of life! She is confident, determined, loving and just so darn CUTE! (ok, Mommy moment but really... look at that sweet face!)

C's Travel Group Gathering

2009-03-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

(Pretend this photo is down under the April 2008~ I accidentally deleted it and can't figure out how to re-enter it...)

Feb. 24, 2004 ~ The kids on the "Red Couch" a tradition of adoptive families.

Last Sun. (3/8) afternoon we got together with the 5 other families we traveled with to China when we went to get C. On Feb. 16th it had been 5 years since these precious children had been placed in our arms. Year after year when we get together it amazes me to see how much each of them have grown and changed. We have some beautiful girls! It was wonderful to get to see everyone again this year.

Here is a glimpse of the girls through the years...

May 2005 ~ A, C, C & G

March 2007~ G & C, H, A & C

April 2008 ~ G & H, C, C & E

(See top photo)

March 2009 ~

Another from March 2009 ~ + D

G & C March 2009 ~ G & C

H & C 2009 ~ H & C

March 2000 ~ C & C

Happy 40th Birthday A

2009-03-11T18:43:00.001-07:00

~Happy 40th Birthday A~ We hope you had a wonderful day. Thank you for all that you do. You are a wonderful husband, Daddy and friend and we are blessed to have you in our lives.

We love you~
B, C and D

Playing Piano

2009-02-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

C started taking piano lessons the middle of Nov. Thought I would post video for some of you who are wondering how she is doing... we are SO PROUD of her!! She is doing GREAT! Can you see the concentration in her face?

C's Birthday Party Weekend 2/7 and 2/8

2009-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

We celebrated C's Birthday on Feb. 7th. It was a crazy day. We had her friend birthday party at the Community Center from 12:30-2:30. We opened presents, had a pinata, colored plates (VERY FUN), had cupcakes and had a lot of fun.

After her friend party we celebrated with family at our house for dinner. We had one tired Mommy at the end of the day but it was well worth it. It was a great day!

Then Sun., Feb. 8th our family went with my brother and sister-in-law to the Wild game. A was able to get suite tickets through work so we took the kids with us. It works out well having the extra room with them. Although they are GREAT at the games! Especially D, she LOVES it!

Enjoy the photos of our weekend.

C and her friends (minus one who didn't want to be in the picture)

The kids working on their plate project. I was so impressed with how the plates turned out. I was a little worried they would hurry through it but they all took their time and the imagination that these kids used was awesome!! Each of their plates turned out amazing! I ordered them through www. hearthsong.com and would do it again.

D working on her plate.

C and a friend.

D with cousins at C's family party

C got her American Girl doll, Emily. She was very excited!

C and her cake.

C snuggled with Emily.

D ready for the Wild game to start.

The girls with Uncle Neal and Auntie Rhonda ~ and Emily :) our newest family member.

Nordy came to visit us in the suite. C was so excited to see him!! D not so much. She thought he was scary...

D didn't last the whole game. She fell asleep with about 10 min. left of the 3rd period. The game ended in a shoot out (with us winning) so she got some rest time in.

C's Birthday Weekend Etc.

2009-02-23T20:28:00.001-08:00

So I'm not that talented when it comes to the blogging thing... I wanted these 2 photos in my post about C's birthday but when I try to add them they show up out of order so here they are.

Our family with Norday. D clinging to me for dear life because he was "scary"

We took C to American Girl at the MOA so she could spend her gift certificates. She choose the matching jammies.

Good Food, Good Times, GREAT company

2009-02-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

On Fri. night we got together with another family we traveled to China with when we got C. We had a wonderful evening catching up. So much so that C asked me on Sun. "Mom, can we get together with G and her family ever Fri. night?" I would love that C, we will see what we can do. G has a little sister from China also who is the same age as D. Pig pile on the Big Sister :)

D and her friend F.

G and C. Check out the tag on the Play Wonder bride dress the next time you are at Target and you might see a familiar face :) G is the model...

What beautiful children we've been blessed with.

Daddy's Girl

2009-02-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

D has been a Daddy's girl since the moment she was joined with our family. She LOVES him! The relationship they have is just so sweet. D has started to ask to call him and will ask constantly "where's Daddy" if he isn't home with us. The second the dogs announce Daddy is home she is running to the door saying "I give my Daddy a hug".
D also still sleeps with us. She uses many excuses to not sleep in her own bed. "My room too dark" "it's too scary" "my bed not comfortable". You name it.
In reality I believe it is just because she likes to sleep suctioned next to her Daddy. The photo below is how she sleeps. As close to Daddy as possible.

This morning Daddy had been out of bed for about 5 minutes when we hear tiny footsteps racing across the floor and hear the terrified cries that were going with them. A went to the bottom of the steps and said "it's ok baby girl. We're right here. What's wrong" and D's response was "I missed you" in between trying to catch her breathe as she was sobbing. Poor little D. Boy was Daddy in trouble for getting out of bed before he was suppose to.

Five Amazing Years

2009-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Five years ago today we were blessed more than we could have possibly imagined. C was placed in our arms and we became a family. It was a day our lives were changed... for the better.

I can not believe five years have passed already. C, you continue to fill our lives with so much joy. We love you more than you can possibly imagine.

Look at that beautiful smile.

Here you are in China. After your first night with Mommy and Daddy.

We watch you sleep now...

just as we did then... in awe and wonder. Looking so peaceful.

Our family now.

Our family in China after meeting you.

Happy Birthday C

2009-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY C

My dearest C~ You are such a special little girl. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the out. You have such a kind, gentle and loving spirit. You are a wonderful big sister, very patient and giving. You have an amazing twinkle in your eye, a radiant smile and contagious giggles. Words cannot express how much I love you and how incredibly blessed I feel to be your Mom. I am so proud of you. Happy Birthday my precious little one. I hope it is the start of another wonderful year full of adventures for you ~ All my love ~ Mommy

Heatwave Fun

2009-02-02T16:19:00.001-08:00

We had a BEAUTIFUL weekend here! It was 46 degrees, up from -32 below... The girls had a great day Sun. playing in the front yard, sledding, making snow angels and building in the snow pile. Enjoy the videos at the end. The giggles are contagious...

Cousin Fun

2009-01-20T17:55:00.000-08:00

Sun. after church and Sun. School the girls and I went to my parents for lunch to celebrate my sister-in-laws birthday. I couldn't resist snapping these photos of all 3 of the kids riding Uncle Brock. They had a great day playing together.

Look what D got :)

2009-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

After months of D asking we finally just did it! D is TOTALLY the accessory child! She asks for her "dress to spin around" the moment we walk in the door at night and then gets the jewels on. The more the better. Sat. we went to the Mall of Ameria. She had on her play clip on earrings. She got some actual clip ons from Santa but they were to tight and bothered her ears. Well, we made a stop at American girl and one of her play clip on earrings fell off. She FREAKED OUT in the store because she lost her earring. We found it only to loose it again at Nickelodeon Universe later in the day. That was it. We headed to get her ears piereced. Now she has "earrings to match you Momma". After she got her ears pierced I asked her if she wanted to pick out other earrings and she said "No, I have earrings to match you Momma". She did great!
Ready for earrings

Marking where to pierce D's ears.

What are they doing Mom!?

Seeing her ears pierced for the first time.

Look how excited we are!

Mommy time with a friend

2009-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

While we were at my in-laws for the weekend I was able to sneak away and spend some time with a very dear friend. We went to a place called "Color it Mine" and painted ceramics. It was very fun! Our creations. A sunflower bowl for me and a photo frame for Ann.

Fun with Grandpa

2009-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma. Here are the some cute photos from the weekend. The girls sure had fun playing on Grandpa.
D trying to ride in the wagon.

Grandpa the human jungle gym.

Oh oh C, now what are you going to do?

New Years Eve

2009-01-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years! Here are the girls right before the ball dropped in New York (so 11pm our time)

Kissing in the New Year :)

My little chefs. New Years Day the girls did some baking with "Gu Ni Ni" (Great Aunt in Chinese). The girls call A's Aunt Linda "Gu Ni Ni".

C ready for baking

D concentrating on removing her "cookie man". D calls the Gingerbread Man "Cookie Man". I'm not sure where she picked that up but it sure is adorable!

Beautiful D

C showing off her creations.

Christmas Festivities

2008-12-29T19:33:00.001-08:00

From our house to yours we hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Here is the beginning of our holiday festivities... Although when I took this photo we didn't have all the stockings hung yet I had to post it. Sully curled up with the fire is an all to classic winter event :)

Tree decorating~ Grandpa and Grandma O came to help us deorate the tree.

D and Grandma

The finished tree

That was a lot of work, now it's time for a nap.

Next was daycare Christmas party. Here is D checking out her loot.

The girls and our daycare Angel, Mary. We LOVE Mary and don't know what our family would do without her!!

C and D with their loot bags from Mary. Daria jammin' with her Barbie guitar. She wouldn't put it down for days.

Christmas Eve at Papa and Nanas ~ our beautiful C and D

C, D and my neice Brooke.

Sant made a visit. D with Santa.

C with Santa

Our family with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Christmas Day at home. We opened gifts, rested and played the girls new games. It was beautiful outside so C got some sledding in and snow angels made while Mommy and D played on the swingset.

Santa left ponies for the girls at our house. Meet Buttercup and Smores.

D isn't sure at first...

but starts to warm up

LOVING her pony.

C loves her pony and told me. "Mommy, Santa brought me just what I've always dreamed about". Too sweet. Good thing Santa figured out what she's been dreaming about because she hasn't ever mentioned wanting a pony.

C and Buttercup

December 27th ~ celebrating Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma O.

Carina and Grandma

C, D and one of their cousins ~ Logan

At each Christmas gathering D went around saying "thank you, thank you everyone". It was too cute! It was a wonderful Christmas with many memories made.

A cute C Christmas story. On her last day of school she brought home a present from her 5th grade "pal". (Her kindergarten class has a 5th grade class that helps them with special projects.) C was the only child in her class to get a gift from her pal. I said "well honey, that was really nice you will have to make your pal a thank you card". She said "I will Mom but look, my pal gave me Barbie Princess Pauper. I already have this movie but I didn't tell my pal that because I didn't want to make her feel bad". She makes me so proud!