Christmas 2009

This Christmas has been so nice. Today we went to Sara and Chuck's house to celebrate Christmas with them. Sara rocks at putting together a dinner with what seems like ease. She doesn't get that from me! We had so much fun at their home, even though Chuck and Emilee tried to cheat when we Sara, Taylor, and I beat them at the board game we'd bought Chuck. My parents came along and got to see how the Browns had fixed up their home, renovated their bathroom, their home is a constant work in progress and they are doing a fantastic job.

Last year Taylor did not know what to expect for Christmas. She was actually kind of agitated at not knowing what was going to happen next, as the holiday unfolded. This year she was a veteran and anticipated each dinner, each event with the excitement that only a six year old can have. There is absolutely nothing like Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child.

Emilee HATES to have her picture taken and the sensitive, quiet child threatens violence when confronted when one wants to get a picture for the Christmas archives, so I was only able to get one where a present wasn't held up over her face. Taylor, on the other hand, loves having her picture taken and will gladly ham it up for the camera. When we went to my parents house last night for dinner, she chose her clothes and had to find something green for her hair so she could wear something green and red for the occasion.

We have five of the coolest kids ever. We consider Chuck as the son we never had, three wonderful girls we adore, and the youngest who is still stuck in China and waiting for us to bring her home. Next year will be another wonderful Christmas as we will be seeing the holiday through the eyes of yet another child who is experiencing Christmas for the first time with her forever family. I can hardly wait.

Winter Wonderland

It has snowed a foot at our house and it's still snowing! We haven't had this much snow in this area for YEARS. And it had to snow when we had lots of travel plans. But when you are six years old it's still exciting. Taylor is standing on our front porch. And the other shot is looking off our deck. It is pretty, I'll admit that, but I'm just waiting for it to hit 80 degrees again haha

Taylor wants to go sledding and build a snowman and have a snowball fight and...and...looks like a job for daddy!

FCC Christmas party

Saturday night, a good friend and I headed out to our region's FCC Christmas party. We brought her two daughters and Taylor, their youngest daughter is from the same SWI as Long Xuan. The families of this group are very supportive and its nice to connect with them several times a year. And I think it's good for Taylor to see other families just like ours. As human nature would have it, of course she really just played with her two friends that she already knows :) But that's OK, we had fun, enjoyed the ride (except for that little part where we couldn't find the dinner lol) but then we arrived and enjoyed fellowship and fun, the kids made a craft and we just watched all the kids have a good time. I think its more for the parents to see other families like ours and trade stories and advice. And one family has the two cutest boys that make you think, hmmmm. a little boy? But, no, it's a girl for us, a boy would look pretty funny in all his sister's hand-me-downs :) The group shot was pretty iffy as all the kids really didn't want to stop and be photographed. Taylor is on the left in green, looking around, like this is boring, you are stopping my game of getting to dance like a ballerina with my friends.

Thanksgiving week

Thanksgiving week ... we have so much to be thankful for this year. Taylor is doing well, we are working as hard as we can to make our paperwork go quickly so we can bring Long xuan home, Emilee and Sara are such awesome young ladies, I am so proud of both of them. We are rich indeed this year.

Taylor was a pilgrim this past Friday at school, her kindergarten class put on a cute program for the parents and then we shared a traditional Thanksgiving meal of cut up fruit and chips and dip and cupcakes :)

Then on Saturday we attended the Family Life Services family day - this is National Adoption Awareness month - it was an ice skating party and Taylor got to try out the ice. She's decided she doesn't want to be an ice skater but it was fun.

Emilee and Taylor are off all week so we are going to have to get inventive on finding something fun to do - bring on the Christmas crafts!

Happy Birthday, Emilee!

Yesterday was Emilee's 17th birthday. Wow time flies when you are having fun :) I don't have any pictures to share because Em is the person who always wants to be behind the lens and runs and hides when anyone points a picture her way but it was a great birthday, strung out over the entire weekend and was hilighted by seeing old friends, attending a hockey game, good food, presents, paint ball tournament with family, lots of fun. Emilee is trying to suffer through high school and has her eyes on the prize - college! She can hardly wait to attend LU - she will love it and I can hardly wait to see her shine.

Halloween '09

Taylor says she's going to be a cheerleader when she grows up so she decided she'd practice a little for Halloween. Tom and I, along with Emilee and cousin Jesse took T to our Church's fall festival where attendance was over 3100 people. Lots of cool costumes and fun games and candy! After the carnival Taylor decided we should top off the evening with milkshakes from Chick-Fil-A :)

Kindergarten Field Trip

Today Taylor's Kindergarten class, along with two other Kindergarten classes visited the apple orchard. A fall tradition, the kids got to learn about harvesting apples and then picked their own bag to take home. A beautiful fall day and Taylor and her best school friend shared so many fun moments. I love autumn!

Cooking Chinese style

Taylor has a NEED for Chinese food. She doesn't just want it she needs it, craves it. It seems to be really important to her that we like Chinese food too. It's like, by liking her food, we like all things China. It is hard to explain unless you hear her talk about it but as a family who never ate Chinese food before Taylor came into our life we have taken the food as our own and try to eat something Asian a couple times a week. But take out is expensive and sooo the mom who doesn't much like to cook actually bought a Chinese cookbook and Taylor and I are cooking together. Its lots of fun, easy really and she is so appreciative it makes me humble. Again acceptance of her food is just something that's a big deal to her.
Last night we made spicy cashew chicken. I need a wok, we did all this in a regular old frying pan, but this weekend we're getting ourselves a wok so we can do this thing up right!
By Chinese New Year we'll be ready to cook up a feast!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Yesterday was officially Taylor's Birthday. She has been waiting so long to be 6! She waited very patiently for Sara and Chuck to get in last night and then she got to open her presents from us, Emilee, and Sara and Chuck. She went to sleep with her new Build-A-Bear Bunny who got clothes and a stroller and cool Build-A-Bear make up kit from all of us, as well a a whole season of Full House. Had to watch some of that before she could go go bed :)

Today was the day of the big "all girls" party. This party was just what Taylor dreamed of...makeup and fingernail polish and playing with really good friends. We are so thankful to the moms of her friends who took the time to bring their girls to make this day so special.

Emilee and Sara decorated with streamers and balloons and it was all topped off with a Barbie ballerina cake, and Taylor's big sisters helped apply make up and helped with crafts - the girls made little picture frames and bracelets too.

Tonight we're all going to the football game at our university - go LU!! Tomorrow after church we all go to my mom's for lunch where Taylor will get yet one more party time to receive her present from her grandparents and cousins. wheeww. Glad birthdays only come once a year!

Newest member of the family

My parents just got a new little puppy, a blue heeler and she's such a cutie! Taylor has had to visit her every afternoon since they got her Sunday evening. She seems so calm but very playful too. She has a special plant of my mom's she keeps trying to chew on and it's purple. Taylor says that's because it's her favorite color lol. This little girl is named Dixie and she has a cleft lip which makes her always look like she's smiling :) This puppy stuff has renewed Taylor's plea to get a puppy of her own - we told her we'd talk aobut it when she turned 6 - that's when 6 seemed a long way off. Now she's going to be 6 next week! We're going to have to think of something else to ward off new puppy ownership for awhile lol.

Happy Birthday, Sara!

Today Sara is 21...it happened so fast! Sara and Chuck came in yesterday afternoon and we had a birthday supper - crab cakes and corn from the garden, yum! Then off to a rousing game of mini-golf and "outside icecream" (soft serve at one of those little summer places where you sit at a picnic table and eat really fast to keep your cream from melting). Today the girls had a fun day being girls - Sara and Emilee got pedicures and one of the ladies who does nails put polish on Taylor's fingers - she was so proud :) Then off to do a little shopping, no one can shop like Sara! Chuck got Sara a beautiful black onyx heart necklace from Tiffany's - they drove up to DC on Thursday to get it. Tonite Sara and Chuck went out to dinner with Sara's best friend in the world (they met in preschool!) and her boyfriend. Then tomorrow big family lunch at my mom's. Hope Sara's birthday was the best ever, because she deserves only the best!

First Day of School

Today Taylor started Kindergarten. She was very apprehensive. She told me her favorite bear, Lily who goes everywhere with her was so worried that she cried last night. I told Taylor I was sorry. Taylor told me she was worried too but that she didn't cry (big girl). This morning I took her to her classroom and left her and then I cried LOL. She will be fine, she is much stronger than I am, and her teacher seems wonderful. I wanted to take her picture for her first day of school and she said that her uniform was so ugly I couldn't take any pictures. So I tricked her by asking Taylor if I could take a picture of her jumping rope, a pastime she takes very seriously. So here is the official first day of school picture under the guise of jumping rope :)

ps. this is the smallest uniform shirt they make so it's the best we could do!

Taylor and I are at Sara's for a few days while Tom's fishing and camping and such with Chuck. Sara keeps the cutest little boy and we took Taylor and Spencer to a park to walk around and look at some animals they have there. Spencer is absolutely smitten with Taylor and giggles at her every move. He wanted to hold her hand when they were both buckled into their car seats during the ride and if she has to correct him (like when he gets something that belongs to her) he hangs his head in embarressment - he cannot stand when Taylor has to "call him down". They had the best day. Tomorrow we take them shopping, Taylor wants some pretty shoes - we'll see how he takes being dragged around the mall by three women all day :)

Fresh Paint

Emilee has wanted to paint her room for awhile - she had so many posters and pictures on her wall that I said it would take weeks just to take down her stuff. She proved me wrong so I agreed to paint. And Taylor has wanted her room to be red (?) for some time and I told her I was not painting her bedroom red but I'd do something with red in it. So Emilee chose an electric green that this picture doesn't do justice to and found a cool comforter to replace her Redskins blanket (she still loves the Redskins, but decided it was time to update her look to an older girl's room). And I talked Taylor into a light aqua that matched her new comforter and painted all the woodwork red to tie into the red butterflies in her quilt. I also stenciled red butterflies all around the room - that was way more work than I anticipated lol. She got a red lamp and clock to finish it off. Emilee has kept her wall pretty clean (as of now) but her beloved Johnny Depp posters had to go back up as well as her Charles Billingsly pictures - some things are just too important to give up :)

Picnic at the Lake

We've been working really hard and so we decided we were going to go on a picnic at a nearby state park for some fun. We invited Chuck and Sara and Chuck brought their boat. He took Sara and Emilee and Taylor for a ride and Taylor got to play in the play area of the lake for a few minutes and then a thunderstorm rolled in and messed up our fun. At least we got to eat first :)

Swim Lessons

Our little Polliwog is now officially a Guppy. Taylor took lessons at the YMCA and passed the first level. The certificate has a picture of a polliwog on the front. She asked why. Emilee told her that when she started she was classified as a baby frog and now she'd graduated to baby fish - guppy. Ewwwww, I NOT a FROG! Taylor is happy to be a baby fish and says that maybe she will be a dolphin someday!

Last Day of Vacation - 4th of July

It's our last day here - We love 4th of July at Sandbridge. All our friends come in and we get to catch up on what everyone's been doing all year. It's like a giant block party. Taylor goes to the pool 3 or 4 times each day, the association brought in a giant water slide for the kids and there was a golf cart parade - Emilee and Slinky are waiting for it to start - everyone throws lots of candy! Tonight we all get to go to a fried chicken picnic thrown by the resort. I've whined so much about being sick but I still loved being here and the good news is we get to come back in September - Tom has work at a church down here and we get to return during the best part of the year on the coast. We couldn't stand that Sara and Chuck weren't with us so we've already made sure they can be with us when we return in the fall. I'll be counting the days :)

Sandbridge - summer vacation

Vacation time - Ive been sicker than I've been for years. But its a blessing in disguise. Emilee and Tom have had the chance to play and bond with Taylor that I get to experience every day. Emilee and Taylor have colored and painted and they are trading jokes and fun like true sisters. Last night they had a fun fight at dinner pouring their bottled water over top each other and sticking each other with their forks. Taylor has learned how to swim - I'm not sure why I'm paying for lessons in July lol - but she's going underwater and calling herself a dolphin. She and Tom have spent hours on the beach and at the pool. She would not have excelled at water play if I'd been along - she becomes bolder with Tom and he's had the time of his life playing with her. The picture of Emilee and Taylor was taken right outside our campre door, that's the Back Bay right in our backyard and we love this place. The bay at our door and the Atlantic ocean a block's walk away - it doesn't get any better than this. A day here, even when sick, is paradise. And, don't forget to check out Taylor's tattoo. When Emilee decided to get a butterfly henna tattoo on her ankle, Taylor just started sobbing and I was upset, and asked her what was wrong. She answered, Emilee will be like Sara (who has a real tattoo) and they will match and I won't. So, of course, Taylor got a butterfly tattoo so she could "match" her sisters. Her actions are speaking louder than words, she is starting to realize what we've known all along. She is a true part of the family, our baby girl and Sara and Emilee's little sister. And finally, Chuck, Taylor played golf with Tom - watch out - she will give you a run for your money (or at least keep you entertained LOL). We'll have to demonstrate her golfing skills when you guys come in next time.

More fun things to do for summer....

The way to keep Taylor happy is to keep her moving LOL. We went to the park with some good friends - Taylor's pal in the middle just came home from China last month - she's 4 - and that's her older sister. They have 3 brothers. The guys came up with a great way to keep cool, they had a water fight. The girls look hot in this picture, they seem to be saying "hurry up and get this over with - this seat is hot!".

Taylor took a 3 day tumbling class - we wanted to see if she would be interested in dance or gymnastics. She liked it a lot and is now constantly trying to do cartwheels down our hall.

Our older girls took piano but I can't see Taylor being able to sit still that long lol.

Summer, continued

ahh to be five again. Taylor and Slinky relaxing while watching a DVD. It's really hot outside! Taylor goes to a little 3 day dance class next week and we have a play date lined up as well with our friends who just came back from China last month with a four year old little girl. Then in July Taylor takes swimming lessons. The summer will just fly by and it will be time for kindergarten before you know it!

Emilee went to court last week and got her official copy of her driver's license. She's working this summer and keeps coming up with all kinds of inventive ways of spending her money. We've told her she needs to save it - it must be fun to decide what to do with your income lol.

Sara and Chuck are continuing the renovation of their home. They are sanding down floors and staining them - trying to get them ready for when we haul their new bed to them that Tom made them. It's really beautiful, I would love to give them our old bed and keep their new one!

Our garden is going crazy and we are getting more squash than we know what to do with. Need to make a note - next year only plant half as much! Cannot wait til we get ripe tomatoes - I love a tomato sandwich. I'll eat one every day til the tomatoes run dry :)

Today is our wedding anniversary - 28 years!! We are celebrating by getting a Lori's pizza after I take Slinky to dog obedience class - don't tell me we don't know how to have a good time :)

Summer

Summer is here - the kids are out of school and we're trying to think of fun things to do to keep cool and not spend money lol. Taylor loves the water and says "who wants to splash me?"

Yesterday was the start of our Bible School extravaganza. There were over 900 kids in attendance last night and the numbers will continue to rise each night. I'm a crafts coordinator and by Thursday night, we'll all be zonked but it's lots of fun - our church goes all out, very creative staff and tons of volunteers make this a great week. Emilee is working with a kindergarten class (happily, not Taylor's lol) and I'm working with 4th graders. This is Taylor's first Bible school and she is in the same class as her best friend, Sophia, they are so cute together!

We just got the first vegetables out of our garden - we're eating yellow squash and cucumbers (it's soo good, fresh and organically grown). Tomatoes will start ripening in a couple weeks and we've spotted our first watermelon!

The School Year

The school year is almost over. Taylor's last day is May 29, Emilee's last day is June 5th. It's hard to believe Emilee will be a junior next year! I had to post the picture of Emilee and her friends at their sophomore school dinner - this year has gone by so fast - I'm hoping these next two years will be Emilee's best ever. Taylor is just getting started, but she's learned a lot this year - a whole new language! Taylor's preschool had a photograher take pictures and they were selling packages that would require a bank loan in order to buy them. I just had to purchase one picture so she can look back and check out her red cast - Tom says she can compare this picture to the next cast she gets - haha not funny. But anyone who will get up on their bed and jump as high as they can and try to bounce off it like a trampoline (even after Mommy told her not too) and ends up hitting her head on the wall and having to have ice applied and stay up extra late because Daddy is worried she has a concussion probably hasn't seen her last cast lol.

Sara is due in town this weekend - it's an all girls weekend, we're going to see Emilee's high school put on "High School Muscial" and then off to dinner for the four of us. The guys (Tom and Chuck) are off for camping and fishing. Sara is bringing my grandkitten home - we can't wait to see the kitten and Slinky together!