Fountain

Here is a picture of a fountain in Austin that I took Saturday night. Unfortunately we got there too late and barely had time to set up to take this picture.

Whew!

I had a fantastic weekend meeting some great people. I got to meet a great DTC/bloggy friend (Marla) for the first time. It was wonderful to finally meet her. I got to meet another blogger (Kim) and her friend (Bagel -- her name on Kim's blog)as well as another adoptive mom (Jody) and another fellow learner (Lizabeth). Learning from Debbie was great! I just hope I am able to retain all the information given to me! Princess in Training and Prince Charming were amazing! Those kids sure know how to work the camera! Jody's husband brought their 3 kids (Zachary, Cooper and Gracie) and were equally photogenic! We went on location to a park for some afternoon photos and a restaurant for the sunset. The restaurant chosen for the sunset photos was absolutely perfect!

2 Firecrackers and Lovebugs to meet FINALLY!

In 24 hours from now, I will be arriving in Dallas/Ft Worth meeting this fabulous lady! It is a day I have been looking forward to for a month and a half now! She and I will be meeting after "talking" online for almost 6 years. I can't wait to meet her and the fabulous 4 J's. We are looking forward to taking the photo workshop Saturday and Sunday given by this great photographer. We both got new cameras last summer and are eagerly wanting to learn how to use them better. See you tomorrow my friend!

A new pic...

I am really trying to get out of Auto mode on my camera. Some are good and some are not. I am also trying an editing program out although I have no idea what I'm doing!
Taken at the FCC CNY:

A pic taken tonight:

Pictures from yesterday

I wanted to add some pictures from yesterday. The first three were taken in Manual and the last in Auto. The first looks a little blurry. Can't wait to take the photo workshop in 17 days so I can take pictures like her! She took fabulous pictures before the workshop but they are even better now!

Can't believe it has been 5 years....

I can't believe it has been 5 years since our lovely Olivia joined our family. Technically it was 5 years ago yesterday that we actually got her but since we got our babies at 9:30 pm and had to do the adoption part the next morning our family celebrates the adoption day as Family Day. Today she went to school after being out ALL week plus Monday of this week due to the snow and ice. After school, we took her (and Sophia of course) to Build A Bear. She picked a pink bear with hearts on it. For dinner, she chose to go to Olive Garden and for dessert we had ice cream. Yes it is freezing outside (-5 with the wind chill) and snowing again but I sucked it up and we had ice cream. Olivia was such a peanut then and she still is. I can remember calling her peanut so much in China that I had to stop for fear that she would think that was her name. LOL I don't know how she stays so little because the girl can eat. A friend says that Olivia is on the Adkins diet as most of what she eats is meats!

She is such a joy (most days) and smart. She loves gymnastics, school and her family. She is reading now and learning math and money in school. Funny tidbit about money - she can tell you the person on each dollar bill that is currently in circulation. It all started just after we got home with Sophia so she was not quite 3 yet and we went to the store with my mom. She was with my mom and wanted to hold the money while mom checked out using the self checkers. Well, ever the inquisitive child, she asked who that was on the bill so mom told her it was Andrew Jackson and that he was on the $20 bill. Many months after that if she saw a $20 bill she would pipe up and say Andrew Jackson. So we have since taught her all the people on the bills. She loves that she can identify money in this way.
***Yes I have photos from today but it is late and I have to download them still. I did get a chance to get out of Auto on the camera and I hope the pics turn out as good as I think they did!

Snow and ice

Well, school has been out since Tuesday and it doesn't look like they'll have it tomorrow either. We got a small amount of snow on Monday night and by Tuesday morning it was ice/freezing rain on top of the snow. So unfortunately there was no playing in the snow. Yesterday morning we lost power and phone service. The power was out about 14 hours and the phone is still out but thankfully we do have DSL.

Sickness Update

Well, I am feeling much better. I commented to my sister-in-law last week that I haven't had to deal with the throw-up with either girl but tonight that changed. Sophia apparently threw up on the way home from Olivia's gymnastics but didn't say anything. She was more upset that she got it all over her shirt than the actual act. Once we got in the house, I showed both girls what to do should they feel the need to throw up and my girl can do that like a champ. She did it twice in the commode. Hopefully that is all she has. It has been several hours now and no repeat but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I think this might be a long night......

Sickness

Well, the stomach bug hit our house over the weekend and thankfully it was just me that was on the receiving end. David is feeling it a little on one end but went to work any way. What a trooper! We went out to dinner Saturday night and bam! it hit me. I spent most of Saturday night in the bathroom. Yesterday I felt a ton better but not enough to brave eating. I was so thristy Saturday night/Sunday morning but was scared to drink anything for fear that it would be coming back up soon. I am so praying that the girls do not get it. My brother's family all got it but I am hoping it started and stopped with me!

She does it again.......

Marla has done it again! She has given me a fresh new look and I love it!! Now I just need to take a new photo of the girls for the header. I can't wait to finally meet her next month! February 20th I will be flying to Dallas and from there she and I will be driving to Austin for the weekend for a fabulous photo workshop. 38 more days!!!!

So excited!!!

I am so excited I can't stand it! My darling husband has agreed to let me go to Texas to a photo workshop by The Pixel Fairy Princess where I will also FINALLY get to meet my bestest DTC/Bloggy friend Marla! It is going to be the best since I get to meet someone in real life that I have been "talking to" for over 5 years and I will get to learn more about my camera all in the same weekend!

Christmas 2008 is now a thing of the past....

We had a great Christmas. It started on Sunday evening making and decorating the Christmas cookies at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Olivia really got into it this year.
Then on Christmas Eve we got up and went to Grandma and Grandpa's for breakfast and gifts. Olivia and Sophia each got a school desk which were a huge hit! They also got a markers, tape dispenser (I was tired of them using all my tape!), stapler, 3 hole punch and construction paper. They have had a ball with all of them. Once we got home from G-ma and G-pa's, they got to open a gift from us. It had new pj's and a dry erase board (it has a blank side and a side to practice writing words). Normally we would have my family here on Christmas Eve but since my dad wasn't leaving FL until then we waited to have my family over until Friday. My mom, my nephew Josh and his girlfriend came over for dinner anyway. After dinner, we went to church and Derek and Adam came over. (Derek and Adam are David's step-children from his first marriage.) Finally, Christmas Eve has come to a close.

Christmas morning we had donuts as requested by Olivia. After breakfast, we opened gifts. Olivia got a new bike and helmet, Pixos and a Panda bear from Santa and clothes, books and movies from us and a snowcone maker from Sophia. Sophia got the Cherry Blossom Market, V-Motion game and a baby doll from Santa along with clothes, books and movies from us and a book to go with the Tag Reading system she got for her birthday from Olivia. The book Olivia got her was.....Olivia -- imagine that! After that we went to David's extended family lunch. The kid's got gifts and we sang/acted out the 12 days of Christmas based on your birth month. Sophia didn't want to participate but I think a fun time was had by all.

The day after Christmas was spent lounging around and waiting for my family to come over. My dad did make it over about 1:30ish and he came with a project. He and Olivia (Sophia got uninterested real quick) spent some quality time together making chocolate covered peanut butter crackers. Olivia had a blast and it was nice to see my dad taking an interest in the girls. I have another post for another day on that subject. My brother and his family (and my mom) came over for dinner and gift exchanging. A fun time was had here as well.

Yes, I have pictures of all of these events and will post them soon. My laptop is in the shop being repaired and I hope it gets back soon. I soooo miss my laptop.

I really, really hate this time of the year.....

Well, I finally have one better then the other one gets it! Ugh! Since November 1st we are on our 5th round of antibiotic -- 3 for Olivia and 2 for Sophia. Today Sophia was great. She went to gymnastics and then we went to an International Adoption playgroup sponsored by a local church and as the play time went on she started hanging on me and not wanting to play. We went to lunch with our friends and while we were waiting to order she climbed into my lap. I laid my cheek on her head and I thought she felt like she had a fever. Well, since Olivia and Kaden had strep and she had been around both I called the doctor. They called in an antibiotic for her. Ugh, I am ready for April!

I'm beginning to hate winter....

I am beginning to hate winter and all it brings with it. Olivia had a snow day yesterday and is home today and tomorrow with yet another bout of strep throat! This is her third one since November 1st. Ugh! She slept a lot yesterday but I didn't think too much about it since we had a busy weekend and I just presumed she was trying to catch up. Then my MIL called to tell me that our nephew had strep throat and he was around the girls on Sunday so when Olivia had a temp of 100.8 at 1:30 am I knew what was coming. Thankfully Kaden and my girls go to the same pediatricians office so they called in a script for her and I didn't have to take her in. She is feeling better but has not totally gotten rid of her fever so no school for her tomorrow. And boy is it COLD here! Is it April yet??

The hair story

Well, as I said a couple of posts ago I went to Gatlinburg for a long weekend. A fun time was had by all. My SIL got a nice pair of houseshoes made out for Kotex with Santas on them!
Now for the hair.....Olivia has just recently been allowed access to her scissors any time she wanted them. Apparently they were absconded by a certain little (now 4!) girl. On Sunday we went to the grocery when I got home, came back gave the girls a bath, got them ready for bed and said the prayer in Sophia's room as is our routine. When I combed her hair after her bath I thought something was different about her hair but just assumed that either she had a lot of new growth or her hair was breaking because of the pony that goes in the top of her hair. Well, I was in Olivia's room having some time with her before bed and David yells for me to come into Sophia's room. Between her chest and bed were the missing scissors and a lot of hair. David was hoping the hair was from a doll but I knew the truth -- Sophia had cut her hair. She cut it right from the front. You really can't tell too much but because I know I can tell.

Happy 4th Birthday Sophia!

Today my baby turned 4! Sophia is a spunky little girl that can have an attitude at times. She is also so loving and caring. She's had a few sleep issues but we think they are resolved. This weekend she got some scissors and cut her hair -- I will do another post about that! Anyway, Happy birthday baby girl! We love you!! BTW -- yes she had a cupcake for breakfast! Daddy works more of a 2nd shift so we didn't want him to miss out on the cake/candle thing!

New look...

I have to give props to my girl Marla for my new look! She does a wonderful job on my blog. Thanks girl!

Well, I am about to head out for a girls weekend with my wonderful MIL and her family. We are headed to Gatlinburg for some shopping, fun and destressing! I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures for blackmail later. LOL Have a great weekend everyone!

Gymnastics

Olivia had her first gymnastics meet last month and did great! Her favorite is the bars but was better at the beam for this meet. She had a mishap last week during practice and fell off the beam. She hit one arm and the inside of one leg near her private area which had a nice little bruise. Here are a few pics.

5 Years Ago......

Five years ago today we got the call that would forever change our lives. Suzanne (a family coordinator at our agency) called me at work. Just as I was e-mailing a fellow travelmate that I guess we would not be getting our calls that day and that it was hard to bear as most of our February Firecrackers DTC group had already gotten their calls (Hi Marla!!) two days prior so we were about crazy with wonder when ours was going to come. Just as I was telling S that I knew it was all in God's timing but tell that to my heart the phone rang at work and I heard the receptionist say "May I tell her who is calling? Just a moment." I quickly typed "I'm on the call now!" to S. It was our agency telling me we had a beautiful daughter who was 7.5 months old and in the Jiangxi Province. I tried to call David and my BFF (at the time) and got neither. I finally got both of them and we made our trek to our agency to see our daughter for the first time. She was a tiny peanut and still is today. She is now 5.5 and enjoying Kindergarten.

At what age??

Question for all who have nieces and nephews that are adult age -- At what age do you stop buying Christmas gifts (actually mine prefer money) for them? I have a nephew that is now 20 years old and of course I will be giving him something this year but I am curious as to what everyone else does. Leave me a comment and give me your opinions.