Destination Taiwan: Our Forever Family

It's Never Easy.......

2011-03-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

saying goodbye. :)

But that's just what I'm going to do, at least with regards to my blog. This is something I have been considering for quite a few months now; months spent vacillating between feeling its the right time and then again maybe not.

I think part of my indecision has been due to how much I have loved and enjoyed this blog. Never would I have guessed, over 2 and half years ago, when I stumbled through my first tentative post, the joys, challenges, friendships, stories and memories created with each tap of a keystroke and each decision ( sometimes followed by a deep breath) to Publish Post.

More than once I sat down to ruminate over something tugging at my thoughts or wished only to share a bit of happenstance here and ended up with something completely different by post's end. Those were probably my most challenging ones as I always wondered if it was meant to be shared; with only one exception, I always went forward, trusting that if it was important enough to nudge something else from the forefront, then it needed to said. Each time it was received with grace and understanding by so many of you!

Initially my intentions were to use this blog as a forum to share our news and updates (with family and friends ) about our Baby Boy and snippets of the journey along the way. I'm so thankful that it became so much more than that ~ at least for me.

I peek back at photos of my precious kiddos and am surprised anew at the swift passage of time. While I have not always been faithful to keeping scrapbooks updated this time around, this blog has stood in, capturing moments, moods, toothless grins, chubby cheeks, babes in the bath, sibling moments, memories, milestones and lots more.

On occasion it allowed me to advocate for causes I treasure and explore adoption as it relates to our family.

And something else too..........it brought me friendships and unique connections. As I look back at some of the first comments (received) I am so humbled to still have so many of those folks in my life; many of whom I have met and some I still have yet to! These were the Mamas who celebrated each little step along the way to Tyler; who collectively helped to hold me together when the path got bumpy and later reached out with patience and compassion during those jet lagged nights in Taiwan when I missed one child dearly, while still getting to know another. These were the Mamas who always remembered to "make" over Lauren too, knowing that , blog title aside, our destination has always been family first.

And I'm equally grateful for the friends who joined us later and laughed along with the toddler chapters and grade school escapades ~ they opened their hearts to our family while letting me get to know and love their own. What a tremendous gift it has been for me!

Some friends preferred to read along silently or send personal emails. I have treasured you all and feel blessed to count each of you among my friends. I have rejoiced in your good news, as so many miracle babies and children found their way home. Blog or no blog, I take those friendships with me and absolutely will be checking in on all of you who continue to share your joys and moments by blog! How could I do otherwise?!?

But for me? It's just time. My sweet & insightful bloggy friend Rachel asked if Face Book was one reason for stopping. In truth it is a factor but this is something I considered long before joining FB. What FB does allow however, is for the connection to remain to so many of you who have come along this journey with me. AND that? ......does make it all the easier to step away from this.

And I know with absolute clarity that I'm going to miss it. Already there are things we have planned or are anticipating this Spring that will be tempting to document through this blog. But I always said that if I couldn't do it justice, or the boundaries got blurred or if I couldn't be assured of relative safety for my family in blogging, then I would step away. Its meant too much to me to only visit monthly or let it languish. I do intend to keep it open for the the time being as I so loved and appreciated exploring blogs of the BTDT before me.

What I have shared is pretty much.....well......me. An optimistic realist ( a twice blessed Mama ) who tried always to keep it pretty real, while not always sharing the minutia of every squabble, pet peeve or bad mood. I always kind of figured we all had enough of that stuff in our daily lives that no one needed or wanted to read about it here! LOL

I could say that I did it all for the kids and while I do hope and pray that someday this is a form of keepsake for them both, honestly I think I ultimately wrote for me. Cuz I knew how fast it could go and I wanted to capture small moments of it, forever. All of you were part of that and I'm so lucky and happy that you were! Thank you!

Someday I may decide to blog again but I don't expect to do so on this site again. Two years home now with our Taiwan Treasure and this April we celebrate eight years home with our beautiful Kazakhstan Princess (eight years!!!) ; the time feels right to close this chapter......knowing the journey still continues. Thanks so much friends!!!

XOXO

Lisa

2 Years Of......

2011-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

absolute blessings with this baby boy!

Today marks two years to the date that our beautiful boy was placed into our arms. I always believe and have remarked to others that the first year home with these precious babies is so poignant, such a time of endless discovery and joyous surprises. Year 2 then is pure sweetness as you tumble further in love, as your family ties strengthen and are reinforced with the bliss of being able to remember back to how your little one reacted at any given holiday the year before.....to how your wee one has changed, flourished and in turn how they have changed each one of us!

How tremendous it feels to celebrate two years of this one tiny boy, a son for us, a brother for our Lauren and absolutely our second miracle. He is and will always be my baby.........our family completed. Our prayers answered twice.

Two Years of beautiful baby boy,

Two years of special blessings, both near and far.......

Of more kisses that I can count(!)..........

Of many "firsts".......and how those moments are never truly gone. Growing as a family means always experiencing "firsts" time & again,

Of smiles & moments that light up my world..........

Two years of sweet baby cheeks...............of one kind, :)

and another............... ;)

Two years of (occasional) tears and letting us know if we got it wrong........................

and of witnessing self discovery...............growing independence,

and of not giving up and trying to figure it all out.............

Two years of some surprises............ *smile*

TWO YEARS of being Mama to these 2 darlings.........and delighting in them, of their moments together.............

**One sweet girl who was desperately missed, waking up in the wee hours of the morning to finally hold her long awaited baby brother. In my heart we were not really *home* until I saw them together and could hold them both close ~ forever.

Two years of playing with Big Sis.............learning about each others' worlds,

Two years of her helping hands...............

And getting used to buckets and oodles of La La "kissies".......

Two years of GREAT hair................ :)

Two years of faith and of learning about & folding a third beautiful culture into our own..............of redefining our family again,

Two years of tender moments and more joy than I can express.............then,

and now.............

Two years of being a family of four ( five with Lexi girl!).................

Two years of celebrations, discoveries, day trips, family, friendships, stumbles, challenges, triumphs, boo-boo's, vacations, diapers, potty training, new teeth and lost ones(!).........2 years of easy mornings, hectic weekends, sleepless nights and snuggling close, sniffles, changing family dynamics, responsibilities, leaps of faith, trips to the park & sledding hill, rushed meals and savored over itty bitty moments & of loving...........more than I can possibly share in one post. TWO YEARS (and more!!!) of utter thankfulness.

Two years that began with one moment...................our first glimpse,

Two years and yes that picture makes me cry every time(!)...................and the journey continues.

Snow-riffic!

2011-01-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

And a little bit of this & that too!

Well, I have not been blogging regularly and I suspect that's been the case since late Fall. ( I could look back to check, but I'm too lazy. ) :) Winter crept in and along with it the Holidays, a sinus infection (pre Christmas, but blessedly healed beforehand) a round of the sickies for our Littlest Little :) , an uneventful but joyous ringing in of a new year, excitement and much planning for our upcoming Taiwan Reunion ( and happily RSVP'ing to our much anticipated Kazapalooza!) a birthday tucked in for good measure and more school events (Lauren) , basketball games (Lauren) and birthday parties ( again, Lauren) than I can count! In other words..........life as always!

But its also Winter and I joined a family friendly health club. PK ( pre kiddos) I was an avid addict of one of our local gyms but with one thing or another, let that membership go and became a religious walker and full time chaser of small children. :) Through the encouragement of a friend, another returning addict :) I have rejoined, thrown caution to wind and have even been taking several power classes designed to sculpt, tone and shape! ( and kick my bu** for good measure!) All good things, all unique things to this once avowed solo workout creature and honestly all things I need now that I'm just barely on this side of 30.....er....40. *smirk* AND? I'm loving it! Truly. And sore muscles and newly minted schedules aside, I think its been a necessary and positive change; but did I mention its keeping me busy? There is that. :)

And its Winter. I believe that deserves repeating. We have been fortunate so far this season with fairly mild to moderate snow fall and New Years' Eve day it was actually hovering in the mid 50's. Unheard of around here! And while I know that many parts of the country have been hammered time and again :( those of us nestled here in our little corner of the Midwest are making the most of it! Honestly our family relishes the snow and we make every effort to get out in it as the weather allows. Granted the extra layering can be a hassle and please don't even mention my daily destroyed foyer strewn with snow boots, mittens, hats and all things wet. And perhaps I could do without the slush and muck AND yeah, I'll probably be over it and ready for Spring in a couple of weeks ( Spring won't oblige of course until closer to April) :) but until then..............we have been having some snow-riffic fun and savoring the outside time!

Here's our best girl; no hesitation on her snowboard this year and apparently no time lost. She has conquered both of the larger local hills and now we are scouting for new horizons. I don't know how she manages down those frosty slopes on a slim plastic board, but she does somehow ~ and somehow she stays on most of the time. I sure couldn't do it! And gosh how I love to watch her fly!

And Baby Boy loves to ride the sleds and sample the snow. We taught him early on to avoid the yellow variety. A timeless lesson. ;)

Snow brings out the silly in my snowchicks. Well, most things bring out the silly.......

All the way back now to our first snow in early December. The ground was barely covered but that didn't stop one determined and spunky man from making the most of it. And yes......tasting it once again! LOL

And for some reason they both look so serious.....maybe cuz Mama made them stop for a moment and pose for a shot. See how they suffer for my craft?? LOL Lexi dog adores the snow too and often sports a snow beard romping along behind the kids! And my heart melts at how his little arm is draped around her......pinning her.......ummmm.... *tucking* her close to his side.

:)~

And finally, make no mistake......Winter can be long and sometimes a little whimsy is necessary. ( and yes, snow gear IS sporty and fun!) I spotted these coordinating coats last year, stalked them mercilessly until the price dropped a bit and made them mine. You can't put a price tag on finding something "matching" for an 8 year old girl and 2 year old boy and I smile every time I see them sporting those jackets.

Actually I smile just about every time I see them together, unless they are bickering, which ironically happens with greater frequency in the Winter too......hmmmm.......but that's for another post! (and maybe an Advil or 2) :)

Happy Winter everyone!

Rock On!

2011-01-24T17:55:00.000-08:00

This will actually be a brief post........yes, from me!! :) I promise.......no really, I promise! *smile*

I am tickled to redirect you all tonight to the Taiwan R.O.C.ks ( Taiwan adoptive families reunion) blog that has been created to keep everyone current and up to date on all the latest and greatest about this First Annual event set to take place August 12 - 14th in Dallas Texas.

And I could say so SO much more and add oodles and oodles of thoughts about the why, the what and why this is going to be so special ~ but I think its already been said on the R.O.C.ks website!

Oh and just in case you are on FaceBook, please drop me a private note ( I just recently joined!!) and I would be thrilled to add you to our reunion related private group where even more information awaits along with relevant chatter and kiddo related threads of interest; plus lots of cool Mamas and Dads too! :)

Please check it out and hope to see you all in sunny Texas this summer!

http://adoptingfromtaiwanrocks.blogspot.com/

Today

2011-01-09T17:46:00.001-08:00

our little guy turned 2 and half years old. Next month, to the very day, we will have had him in our arms for 2 years. Never is the swift passage of time more evident than during Holidays, milestones and significant events that mark the contrast from before to the now. Wasn't it just a moment ago he was blowing out candles on his Elmo cake, gleefully holding up 2 fingers and announcing to anyone (and everyone), " I two now". Two indeed, plus 6 months! And though I can recall with instant clarity the long months of waiting for our travel dates and the enormity of our journey to Taiwan, in all ways, both big and small, it feels as if he has been with us forever. Somehow one tiny dimpled man filled a space that we didn't even recognize existed, added a joy and spark, we didn't know we lacked and claimed us for his own ~ and we him. He just fits.....perfectly.

And because I've been a bit *ahem* remiss in my blogging duties of late I dug through my photo archives to share a few photos from late Fall and of course some more recent ones from our Holidays. *sigh* Are those over too? So quickly? I didn't have a spare moment to share, but we loved our time together and Christmas was lovely. Our sniffles cleared up just in time and Santa found us at Mimi & Papa's house, just like always. He spoiled the kids again this year, so I guess they had been pretty well behaved. :)

AND because this blog is as much a journal & scrapbook (for our children) as it is a way to share snippets of our lives with friends and family, I thought it might be nice to share a few thoughts about Tyler as he marches forward, one day closer now to three than to two. When we still marked his age by months I sometimes shared bits about his color, number, shape, etc. mastery but this time I'm going in a slightly different direction. He's solid with all of that or at least when he chooses to be. :) But its the little things, all about what make him......well, SO him, that I don't ever wish to lose or forget. So that is what this Mama wishes to share and I appreciate in advance your indulgence as I do! Pssst....plus there are pics at the end if you make it that far! Or you can skip right there......I won't tell anyone, I promise! ;)

Its the way he dashes up, full throttle from behind to wrap his arms around my legs and whispers, " I love you Mama". Sometimes he shouts it too! :)

Its in the way his eyes dance and light up when I walk into a room.........even if I've only been in the next room for an instant.

Its about how he just melts into my body, rarely ever being the first to let go of that hug and pats my back. And when he's on my hip and I need to set him down for a bit, its in the way he clings all the tighter, favoring me with a mischievous grin. This prompted me one day to dub him my baby monkey and now he delights in reminding me of his monkey prowess by makin' those ape like sounds and scritchin' under those arm pits! Ummm....yes, he's clever and a bit dramatic!

Its how he asks if Lah-ren is home yet, so hopefully, every single school day following his nap and tells her she's his best friend. *sniffle* And when Lah-ren was feeling nostalgic for the way he used to call her "La La" and requested he do so again, he told her "sure, but its a one day special." LOL Yes, he keeps us on our toes!

Its sometimes the way he negotiates to have his way, even when Mama or Daddy have said no. First its tonsil city, he might try on a scream(oh yes, he does!), quickly followed by the classic pout. He might fashion a half hearted temper tantrum but can usually be coaxed out of it with a distraction or silly face. AND you might think you've won the battle...... but please don't be fooled as he's merely biding his time, searching for your weakness, all the while keeping an eye out for another susceptible target.......er.....family member. And when all else fails? He points to his very own dimple and asks: "how can you say no to this face?" I'm not kidding AND yes I have and do laugh out loud when he does! How could I not? But I still have to say "no" sometimes. :)

Its always in the way he hollers out, "sing the song please", which is the theme song from Kung Fu Panda. And when you (o.k. me) begin warbling out the tune, he folds his hands together, bows deeply from the waist and then begins his karate like hip hop dance, personally choreographed by his sister. And the actual movie? He could care less about! Even better is if he can perform for an audience which he does with no hesitation. Me on the other hand? I could live without the public singing gig. *blush*

It was the moment last Fall when he and I were headed out to our Friday morning Mommy and Me two year old preschool class and he requested to wear his penguin backpack, which he lovingly filled with up with Zhu Zhu hamsters, slung it over his shoulder and wondered aloud if he would get homework like Lah-ren. And later it was how he sat by her, sharing the moments of his morning, listing each one of his friends: "COOlin ( Colin), GAvin, Mac and Delightful" ( translation: Delaney....lol) and got his own pencil and paper out because he had"math" to do just like his sister.

Its the way he has memorized passages from all 20 of the Mercer Mayer Critter book collection (his favorite!) he inherited from Lauren and brings them to me each morning asking for "cwackers and books, please Mama". And when I say yes, its those little legs dashing around the corner into the kitchen and the sound of the pantry door opening and his running dialogue as he rejects or selects a snack for our morning reading time. AND its about his willingness to share the VERY last iced animal cracker with Lexi dog who sits patiently by, pleading with her eyes. Of course he usually licks it a time or two first! *grin*

Its about continuity in the face of so many changes: still not too fond of meat, though he does eat chicken, but man oh man does this kid still love his fruits, snacks and have a voracious sweet tooth! And lordy, don't get me started on his memory; his recall is scary and we have to be SO careful about what we say, cuz he WILL remember and remind us. With frequency! :)~

It was the way he kept asking, in his sweet, but clear as a bell voice (i.e., so loud we had to take ourselves to the sound proof kid room...LOL) ... to "take walk and go see Baby Jesus" at church on Christmas Eve and when at last, the baby had been placed in the manger near the end of the service, how his tiny hand flew to his mouth and he gasped "oh my gosh, there he is Mama........happy birthday baby". Its also how we have LOTS of work yet to do on church behaviors before Lauren makes her First Communion this Spring. ;) Yikes!

Its how I had forgotten how delightful two year olds are and how they share every moment of their day's activity in a running dialogue all throughout the day. "Look how my legs can reach the coffee table Mama!" "Look Lah-ren, my toothbrush is lectric (electric) just like yours'." "Daddy throws me up high.....more please!" "I got my hair cut ( a month ago) and didn't cry." (shared every single day since, thank you very much!) And how innocent and big hearted they are at this age!

Its how one day he wears his Lightening McQueen undies for the whole day and stays dry and the next tells me that "undieeewares are scratchy and I like my diapers." Because he knows his mind, he CAN be fickle and frankly I'm not in any hurry anyways! (yet) :)

Its in his laughter that fills the house, in chorus with Lauren's, two sounds I might never have heard if not for the miracle of these these children. Its all of this and so much more!

Happy half birthday baby boy ~ the joy you (and your sister) bring to us is indescribable!

Now here's a bit of eye candy if you were patient enough to get this far! XOXO

Joy on Christmas day ~ the two best gifts I will ever receive.

Winding down during our extended family Christmas a few days after Christmas.

Ready for Mass on Christmas Eve; Tyler is practicing his perfect pitch so it carries the farthest during Mass. :)

Loving on Mr. Penguin. I love how sweet his face looks here and how tiny he seems. Also sporting those new Scooby-Doo jammies!

Two big hits from Santa: full size Tiger and yes (!) strawberry gum! How smug does he look? lol

He's funny too............quirky sense of humor. Oh, loves Mr. Potato head and singing greeting cards also.

Cracks himself up too! Not afraid to laugh at his own jokes. :)

Master of the barbecue grill! "Cooks" for me daily and helps me set the table for dinner each night, one napkin at a time.

Never down or in a funk for long...........such a good natured and sharp little guy!

Our Little Man...........

May The Spirit of Christmas.........

2010-12-20T18:25:00.001-08:00

bring you peace,
the gladness of Christmas give you hope,
the warmth of Christmas grant you love.

May you always find a smile tucked beneath the tree and a friendly shoulder to lean on,

May childlike innocence & the wonders all around rest in your heart, not just on December 25th, but each day of the year,

May light & peace guide your days,

May the wonders of Christmas never fade, nor its magic cease to amaze,

"It matters not how tall your Christmas tree is ~ to every child it will seem to be 30 feet high,"

May a warm embrace take you by surprise,

May you always make room in your heart for old friends & new,

May you always remember that the best gift around any Christmas tree
is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

~ Burton Hills

Wishing you all a merry, joyous and blessed Christmas Season, from our little slice of the blogosphere to yours. See you all in 2011!!!! :)

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be,

Christmas is.

XOXO

The Big Man in Red.........Himself

2010-12-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

A few weekends back we awoke to a Saturday that had no immediate obligations OR in other words an occurrence so rare that it isn't even recognized in most dictionaries or encyclopedias. The kind of day you dare not whisper aloud lest you find yourself suddenly earnestly scrubbing those neglected floors, cleaning out the closet of no return or worse, your oldest child answers the ever persistent knocking door *ringing doorbell* to admit one or more (ready to play!) kiddos from "the hood".

So we did what any other rational and sane 'parentals' do, thrust the children into a semblance of Christmas finery, loaded the knapsack :) with fundamentals ( mostly kid stuff and my Carmax), squeezed toddler boy chariot into rear of mini van and dashed to the mall in search of bargains and the Big Guy Himself. Oh, knocked back a few Diet Cokes too........I mean I'm not Wonder Woman ya know! :)~

Oooh...rubbing hands together with glee here because you see it worked out splendidly ~ low crowds ( it was still November after all and all Pre Black Friday), no wait for Santa and Daddy was in tow to distract said munchkins while Mama shopped. Oh sweet bliss!!

But I digress. (Shopping I say.....shopping!!) This year's trip to Santa was marked by one very unique experience in that it was our first successful trip to Santa, EVER! For you see each previous year, usually with just our best girl, we would gussy up, stand in what felt like the line from....well, "Foreversville" only to witness her change of heart as her turn neared. Year after year...........2 years in a row we even took the train ride with Santa and pictures we got, but mostly of Me standing by Santa and Lauren in my arms as far over from Santa as humanly possible in the narrow aisle of a train car.

Last year, emboldened by her gaggle of girlfriends, she did finally sit on Santa's lap at a school function (pretty cute stuff too!) but of course our Little Man would only peer out from the safety of my shoulder.

So really? We had no illusions about this year. None. But a funny and wonderful notion kept coming up, prompted by ( of all people) Tyler. HE really really wanted to see Santa and his Big Sis gamely agreed, cause honestly she can't really say no to him anyways. (Unless he's touching her beloved Squinkees or D.S game). Could you look into those dimples and begrudge him?

So we packed the family sleigh and sailed (over the river & through the woods!) to the mall. Delighted we were to find NO LINE for Santa and by golly Tyler marched right up (first) and waited patiently to be lifted high, all the while smiling with glee at the bearded one. No fear ~ no hesitation! Lauren followed and once settled BOTH kids posed for a photo.........at the same time! Looking (at the camera) I mean. Both kids!! :)

And when asked what they would like, Lauren responded with a go-cart ( I know) or a kitten. ( yeah, I know) And Tyler? Who had waited weeks for this moment, blurted out..............

Strawberries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup. Strawberries.

And Santa? Bless his heart, he chortled ( oh yes, he really did ) cocked an eyebrow and said that while that was a first for him, he thought he could manage it and maybe tuck in a surprise or two also. LOVE Santa!

Turns out? Tyler wants strawberry gum and he's still chattering up a storm about his 2 visits to "Santa Claussen".

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here's hoping a bit of strawberry gum finds its way into every stocking this year!!! And maybe a go-cart??? *gulp*

And the extra cutie in this photo? Mimi K. couldn't resist a Santa photo over Thanksgiving weekend with cousin Alyssa and Tyler once again requested strawberries....but this time he added the gum part. ;) Plus do you spy Lauren's boots? She calls them her "fashion heels" and its nothing short of a Christmas miracle that she is able to walk in them and stay upright! And ladies she can run like the wind in them.........I've seen her!!! :0

Tuesday's Treasures

2010-11-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled post ( a Thanksgiving-Palooza wrap-up) to share a darling website that came to my attention today that allows you to create personalized (email) video Santa Claus messages for your children! ( Children of any age!) :)

I stumbled upon it while commenting on a friend's blog ( shout out to BuckerooMama and my amazing friend Wanda (at) At Last......) and its......well.....its pure magic!

Free, easy to use and best of all..... your kiddos will be in awe ~ frankly I was even nodding along with Santa as he recalled special moments from our children's past year, mentioned an item or 2 from their individual wish lists and reminded them to be kind and good, because Santa himself believes in them. I so rarely have anything like this to share and I'm beyond tickled to pass it along!!!

A quick tip before starting would be to go ahead and save 3 favorite photos of each child to your desktop for ease of downloading and close up shots seemed best. I selected a close up of each child for "Santa's Book" and dug in our 2010 archives for pictures of special events. Lauren was incredulous to spot photos from Disney tucked into Santa's big book and Tyler thrilled at seeing a 4th of July picture!

For a child on the cusp of wondering if Santa is "real", this was/is a tremendous gift. Its just that authentic and sweet. Even little Tyler was incredulous and his eyes were as big as saucers. He loved answering Santa's little questions and couldn't stop waving and blowing kisses. When it was all done ( they both watched each video 3 times!) Tyler flew to the window convinced Santa was circling overhead.

Pure delight and I hope the photos can share even a bit more!! Then check it out to make one for your Christmas sweetie!!

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home

We told our matching jammies clad munchkins that Santa was sending special email videos to some(very lucky!) children and that IF we were fortunate enough to receive one (or 2!) they would hit the Midwest after 7 p.m.; this (above) was their reaction to the news that Mama's inbox had 2 messages waiting!

I can't even look at this without grinning right back at them both!!

Tyler...waiting patiently for his turn.

AND then it WAS finally his turn! And Big Sis was right there with a hug!

********************************************************

AND since my original intention was to share a bit (more) of our Thanksgiving tidings with you all, here are a few photos from our long and wonderful weekend at my parent's house. The time simply went too fast and already we are counting the days until we see everyone again!

Sadly my Sister and her family were not able to join us this year due to work considerations; thankfully our niece Alyssa was able to spend much of the weekend at Mimi & Papa's and we all loved having her there with us! She's wonderful with both kiddos and so beloved by them too!

Ho Ho Ho!!!!!!!

Thank You, Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

Oh Thanksgiving, such a sweet little respite before it all........begins. :)

I intended to share a peek back at Thanksgiving memories of past but instead find myself solidly rooted in the present, keenly aware of all that our family has to be thankful for, both on Thanksgiving Day and every day.

Our days have been so busy of late ( and doesn't it seem like I'm always writing and/or saying that now?!?) but very sweet. We have been relishing and taking full advantage of a very mild Autumn. To watch Little Man splashing in his rain boots in only a light coat yesterday morning is nothing short of amazing........pure bliss. Oh, I know Winter is coming and I welcome aspects of that Season too. But gracious ,this has been a gorgeous season and we have endeavored to make THE VERY MOST of it as only Midwesterners really can! (and maybe our friends to the North too!) :)

And I'm so behind on posting the oodles of photos I have been wanting to share! You all might still see pumpkins and skeletons peeking out from behind my kiddos in December if I ever get around to actually piecing those posts together. LOL

But if you came to my doorstep today you wouldn't find a trace or hint of Autumn. We bid farewell to the last remnants this past weekend, taking advantage of another gentle late afternoon and welcoming our Christmas cheer.....at least on the front porch!

Years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of bumping my pumpkins and gourds from their spot of honor before Thanksgiving but it seems that, like most other things, our family too was eager to leap into the Season & squeek out as many days of twinkle lights as possible!

Inside the house I caved in too. Yes, I did. Our big tree is up, festooned with its lights ~ but NO decorations yet. I stamped my foot right down on that, feeling quite smug in my self control, only to suggest this very afternoon that it might be fun for each kiddo to decorate their miniature trees and Lauren's petite bedroom tree. *sigh* Just call me Target or Wal-mart( well, I sort of prefer Target then I suppose).......LOL.......clearing the debris from one holiday before its even begun to make room for the next!

But gosh was it fun watching Lauren admire her diminutive pretties, some from her very first Christmas with us and little Tyler thrilling at each successful ornament placed on its perch, no matter how unsteady it might have sat!

And hey! I did insist on NOT bringing out the classic Christmas DVD's. I mean, I do have standards ya know! And we read every single Thanksgiving book we own today. Twice! :)

So here I sit, with handmade Turkeys vying for attention ( and space) with the first few trinkets of Christmas; there will be more to come, as Turkeys get tucked away and Christmas treasures unearthed from their basement slumber. Honestly? I can't wait!!!

There's also one more confession I need to make: we took the kids to see Santa this past Saturday. I know...I know. More to share, photos and all, on that one ~ but can I just say that walking right up, with no wait (no line!!), no fidgeting kiddos and overheated husbands AND witnessing our tiny guy hop right up beside Santa with no hesitation.........well, it was mighty darn magical even IF it IS still November. Ho Ho Gobble?? *grin*

And our attempt at taking our traditional Christmas card photo? Ummmm....let's just say its a work in progress and there's good news! It seems I will have another post of "outtakes" to share much like last year........cuz getting them both to look(and not appear constipated or in pain) in the same general direction AND smile AND have outfits coordinated, smoothed and wrinkle free?.........yeah, this year I might just settle for coordinating outfits!

And that brings me to my only grievance to share tonight. I do believe that at least one of you *ahem* or more ( you know who you are!) were supposed to remind me to begin taking said Holiday photo in June this year OR seek professional help as needed. Somehow I missed that memo friends. :) But its okay, cuz even if you had sent word in June, I probably would have been secretly eyeballing our Halloween (decoration) tubs down in our basement and would have missed it anyways! ;)

And, I'm going to be offline for most of the coming long weekend, so I'll wish you all a blessed & yummy Turkey weekend now. I'll be anxious to get caught back up with you all again soon!

Of course I can't close a Thanksgiving post without sharing a bit of sugar.

How thankful I am for these two: for his dimpled grin and belly laughs and her quick wit and huge heart. For his exuberance and her flair. For all that they are and because I wake up each day, not just on Thanksgiving, grateful for the gift of them. Just so happy to be their Mama.

Thank you, Thanksgiving!

Race Matters: One and a Half

2010-11-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

First I wish to thank you all for your warm, supportive and encouraging remarks regarding my last post. I read many of them to Lauren and she was shyly pleased, and a bit perplexed about why such a fuss was made about something that happened "so long ago". :) For me, its always a bit of an exhale, as I can't help but wonder how certain posts or messages will be received, especially the ones of a more personal nature. I had held on to this memory for so long and it was intriguing to go back and read again that snapshot moment and reflect on it through not just my own musings but through the lens of all of you, as you contributed through your shared insights and commentary. Always I am left grateful for this collective community and what a compassionate and powerful community at that!

Why then is this post titled One and a Half?

I could have just as readily titled this: What I Wish I Had Also Said, as I feel a lingering sense of unfinished business with this one.

Shortly after publishing my last post, I received an anonymous comment from a fellow adoptive Mama who wanted to reach out, but didn't wish to have her comment actually published. With no email to respond to and no way to trace back to her, only her anguish was left for me to consider. In her comment she shared that her daughter, also adopted Internationally and roughly Lauren's same age, was not handling similar issues and questions in a way that she felt was appropriate. Or not in the same way that Lauren had done so that summer before last. And I............well, I was left saddened and a bit thunderstruck. In my words, she imagined that she had found a formula or litmus for how our precious babies should respond and feared that she had somehow failed to discover it.

In truth she broke my heart just a bit. That my words caused such consternation and grief for another, albeit unintentionally...........well, words don't fail me often, but this once they did.

So for this sweet Mama and anyone else who may have felt similarly, I want to share a bit more ~ what I should have maybe said before.

That each child is vastly different and will approach these types of situations in equally varied ways. That what might feel right for one child, may not be right for another.

That there is truly no right or wrong response and measuring one child's response to another or looking for a standard from which to measure future outcomes just doesn't exist.

That our daughter while only 6 (at that time) was just 4 months shy of turning 7 and that every. single. month. can make a difference.

That she has always been a bit of an old soul, touched with a flair and tendency for the romantic. Notions of hearts and a faraway land called Taiwan would have suited her fancy in much the same way a child being raised Catholic would have felt comfortable mentioning God to a son of another Catholic family. Lauren and A were not just classmates in public school but also in Religious Education. They shared a common foundation of faith.

That I believe she was able to share of her heart so freely, without measuring each word in fear of judgement because she was standing among children and only children; where friendship was mutual and innocence reigned. Had I rushed in or had A's Mom been present, I suspect her response may have been quite different. All of their responses.

And while I was careful to say that this was a snippet........and but a moment in time, I should have better emphasized that a 6 year olds perspective on Race Matters may not remain static and that same perspective may look different at age 8 or 10 or through adulthood. How could it not?

That while this remains the ONLY time I witnessed Lauren being asked to affirm her sibling status to Tyler due to their differing physical characteristics, that I have observed her handling of other intrusive adoptive queries by strangers ( or friends ) and that sometimes she stumbles or elects to deflect or simply stand behind me, her Mama, wishing for me to handle it. And I do.......though that's a work in progress also. :)

AND that I'm proud of her each and every time, no matter her response or lack thereof. Because sometimes not using your voice says just as much.

That we can do our best. That we can arm our children with techniques, tools, strategies and confidence for coping and that it still might not be enough. Or not all the time or for every scenario anyways. Over the years I have been stumped on more than one occasion when confronted with the absurd ,so imagine how it must be for our precious Littles.

That while our love for them might be color blind ( and so BIG!), sadly the world might seek to label them otherwise. The trick then is finding the right balance for each child and at any given time. And that will probably look very different for each family and child.

That I'm always learning and trying to do better too.

That her daughter is probably right where she needs to be in her own journey.

That all of these miracle children deserve celebration. No. Matter. What.

Oh yes, I would have also sent a great big virtual hug too ( cuz I'm known to do that!) and reminded her that she's not alone........never alone in this crazy and amazing thing called Parenthood!

Pssst.......yes, I still hope to add one more installment to my Race Matters series (the one I intended to originally post); but I promise, just one more!!! Scout's honor. :)

Race Matters

2010-11-10T18:31:00.000-08:00

A few months after arriving home with Baby Tyler we found ourselves winding down Lauren's Kindergarten year with a trip to our local pool on an unseasonably steamy day in late May. Tyler was around 10 months at the time and spent the majority of his time gazing with keen interest and delight at the children splashing, the gurgling fountains and the general mayhem that you might expect between the borders of the zero depth and the deep end rope. Sprinkle in the palpable energy of the school year nearly being completed, summer looming large AND the pool only having been opened for a day or so......and well, you can probably imagine with clarity then (me) standing in waist deep water, with baby cradled at my side, about 10 feet from Lauren who was frolicking and swimming with a friend or 2 from class.

10 feet, otherwise known as the distance deemed acceptable to an "almost First Grader, you know Mama" who was anxious to strut a bit and honestly was/is a capable swimmer. So there I stood, swaying as I'm known to do (it comes so naturally now that I'm pretty sure I do this even when NOT holding a baby!) delighting in both children, one discovering a bit of independence and one just blissed out "discovering". **So sets the scene of this particular moment, forever now in my mind & heart.**

A short time later I heard (and was liberally sprinkled by crashing sprinkles of water spray) a classmate joyfully shout out to Lauren as he thrashed his way to her spot near the middle of the activity pool. I remember smiling a bit to myself and wiping a few water droplets from my face, thankful that the baby didn't take the full affects of the dousing, but beyond that my thoughts were just a lazy jumble of the day to day contentment & fluff. I may have even drifted a bit closer to the 10 foot zone, unintentionally breaching it, caught up in my murmurings to Tyler.

Because of that I don't really know what prompted the conversation I shortly became aware of between Lauren and her friend from class. (we'll call him "A") But it went something like this and is forever etched in my memory........

A: Is that your brother over their with your Mom?

Lauren: Yes, that's Tyler.

A: Is he really your brother?

Lauren:(surprised) Yes.

A: (almost with suspicion ) How come his eyes look like that? And why is his hair so dark? He doesn't look like you.

Side Bar ~ its interesting to note here that this little boy had seen us several times before within the classroom, at various school functions and at church events without showing any outward interest towards us during previous encounters. And he's honestly a very sweet boy.

It's also notable that one of Lauren's close friends was also standing there and was becoming increasingly upset with" A "and looked extremely stricken to Lauren's outward calm.

Lauren: (after a long pause in which clearly she was deciding what to say, how to say it and perhaps marshaling her wits a bit too) Tyler brought his hair and eyes with him from Taiwan and that's the way God wanted him to look. On the inside we are the same. Our hearts say...... brother & sister. (smiling...satisfied)

A: (still looking doubtful) Ummm....

Lauren: (sporting that mischievous twinkle) Besides you don't look like your brother at all either. ( totally accurate observation!)

A: (eyes wide) Hey yeah! I think he brought those with him from ........(insert the suburb next to us where he was born) too!! :)

Lauren: That's cool.

Lauren's friend: (seemingly relieved) Come on guys, let's play.

Lauren/A: Yeah!

And off they went, having tackled a topic with raw honesty and grace that many adults still struggle mightily with; a set of perceptions regarding Race (and in many ways adoption also) as witnessed by three 6 year old children ....one moment in time, but with ripples & implications nonetheless.

I remember standing there, frozen momentarily in that very sea of swirling ripples, with tears glistening and threatening to spill over. Watching with heightened intensity, thoughts no longer ambling, but sharp and focused, as one child innocently slept, nestled in the crook of my arm and oblivious to nuances of Race while another shrieked and splashed with her friends and WAS mindful of, or reminded by others that Race Matters.............even when it doesn't to a proud Big Sister.

Edit to Add: I hesitated to post this without a bit of disclaimer. Please know that prior to that encounter at the pool we had discussed issues of Race, ethnic identity , heritage and many related tangents candidly with Lauren. We also had worked steadily to arm her with an understanding that while folks might have the "right" ( or nerve!) to ask questions that might seem personal or inappropriate, she had the same right to measure her responses through deflection, humor, redirection, by answering directly if comfortable doing so or by simply ignoring a question. Empowering her to make those decisions for the moments we knew would come when one of us wasn't present for support. Empowering her so she would always have a voice or a choice.

Ultimately this was a true reflection of a little girl's earnest and beautiful heart at age 6.

November marks among other things, Adoption Awareness Month and I share this recollection in celebration of these 2 children who have blessed our lives beyond measure and well beyond our wildest dreams. Also in remembrance of those children who still await loving arms and Big Sisters (or Brothers!) to champion their innocence.

Finally, this will be part one of two Race Matters posts as I wish to share a more recent thread on this topic as seen through the lens of a now Second Grader but fear it would be too large to post as one!!! :) I think we have already established that I am a bit long winded. LOL

Where Upon I.............

2010-11-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

inundate you all with gratuitous photos of my 2 'pumpkins'. :)

Multiple Choice: :)

Why am I virtually the last blogger in the "sphere" to share Halloween photos?

A. Our weekend was just filled to the brim with tricks & treats and it took me a full day *and a half* to play catch up and return to my groove!

B. My folks came into town to help us celebrate Halloween and both kiddos had a full complement of Grandparent "paparazzi" for trick or treating ~ which also meant a few extra shopping trips for us girls and late night gab fests. :)

C. Because we attended Lauren's school Autumn Fest Friday night, her final soccer game of the Fall season Saturday morning ( and they won!) , chauffeured her to a friend's pool party Saturday afternoon and ate out with my folks Saturday night ~ oh, and shopped a bit on the way home! LOL

D. Ummm....cause I really couldn't wait any longer to peek at the blogs I adore and see all of their fabulous photos and hear about their spooktacular Halloween events! ( So that came first before a post of my own!)

E. All of the above.

Did you guess E????? ( I know you did!! ) Uh huh, it was a CRAZY BUSY SPOOKY FUNTASTIC and all around 'fantabulous' Halloween weekend. Honestly I feel as if the entire month of October has been a bit that way, with even the weather treating us to unseasonably gorgeous & mild days.

Trick or treating Sunday was FUN; we began trick or treating on our town square which is a family tradition. We loved having all the Grand P's with us and we always bump into so many friends and folks we know. And the variety of costumes on the square? Ah'mazing! We saw a Mr. Clean, those little scrubbing bubbles, a Rubik cube and a beautiful white Husky in a pink tutu! Where else could you see that?? LOL

Afterwards we all headed home for chili & pumpkin cookies and soon enough we had a few anxious friends eagerly waiting for Lauren to come out and trick or treat. So out we went and onward went the blur of action formerly known as Lauren and her buddies Abby and Jocelyn. :) And Tyler? Oh gracious, did he have F.U.N. No qualms for him as he pumped those little legs furiously to keep up with the girls and no fears about marching right up to each porch and saying "Twick or Treat". (yeah, he got the treat part right every. single. time. ) And for as long as I live I won't ever forget the look of complete incredulity and joy on his sweet face as folks actually handed him candy.......candy mind you!!!.......and often times by the handful!

We love our neighborhood and both kiddos made out like bandits. Honestly they both even received full sized candy bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full size??? AND more than one! I just don't remember that when I was a kiddo. Wow.

Needless to say that Monday morning crept around sooner than expected and found our crew a bit groggy when those alarms began to chime. Thankfully we discovered that chocolate for breakfast wakes us right up! :) j/k We also had to say goodbye for a few weeks to Mimi & Papa and we miss them already.

Its been a great month and below are some of the pictures from our weekend and a few that I meant share before but somehow ran out of time!!

Please say hello to our very own Tiger ( or Tigra), 3 Eyed Monster and Devil Doggy.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

Tyler met up with a few furry friends on the square.

Yes, there it is.....the pumpkin who survived a sampling and went on to become a cranky Jack O' Lantern. LOL

Have you seen him??? The rarely spotted, elusive Taiwan Fur Ball?? Sightings are rare but he was rumored to have been lurking near the woods by our house......He's considered armed and adorable.

"Have stick will travel"............"speak sofly but carry a big stick".....sorry, just couldn't help myself! :)

AND a change of days.................Pumpkin Patch Moments:

Our kids LOVED this cow train ~ and rode said train no less than 5 or 6 times!

Peek A BOO!

Okay, I hear the snickering....yes, I was going for that classic pumpkin patch shot and nope, my two just were not having any part of it!!! :)

AND last week Lauren participated in the All Saints Day Parade for her Religious Education class. Each child was asked to choose a Saint and dress in costume. Lauren carefully researched and proudly picked Blessed Kateri Tekakawitha, the only Native American Saint and the Patron Saint of Ecology and Environment. I was not surprised at all that Lauren would identify with Kateri and she was so proud to create this costume and research this amazing young woman.

And just because I love these faces LOTS & LOTS!

I love you too buddy!!!

Love this one too!!

Better than any candy bar or sweet...............my 2 little pumpkins!

Love At First.........

2010-10-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Bite?????????

This is the story of Cutie McCuterson who fell head over heals for a pumpkin.....

Selected just one, from a patch so grand......

Loved this one most,

Best in all the land......

But as Fairy Tales sometimes go.........

There came a fateful day,

When Cutie decided it was most meant for play......

And while he was at it, why not sample a bit?.....So,

Cutie became Toothy McTootherson and had his own way.......

Hmmm....nice footrest after a long morning of play.....wonder if a small bite would complement this lollipop? Only one way to find out!!!

Chomp....slurp........*pause*

Cow-a-bunga! Why didn't you tell me? ( well, okay, why didn't you tell me 3 x's instead of a mere 2?!?) "Mr. Pumpkin" leaves a bit of an aftertaste.....

Wha?? Wha??? I am only 2 years old ya know! Did you expect restraint?? Ha! I laugh in the face of that silly notion!! (silly grownups....) :)

Heh, heh, heh.....good thing I'm cute and can get away with these types of shenanigans.

Hey buddy? No hard feelings, right?? You know I love ya!

Come on......I think I hear a dragon approaching......just a couple of rolling stones...............

So concludes our tale of Cutie McCuterson and the brave pumpkin who survived a sampling from a curious prince and lived on to became a Jack O' Lantern.

Now a princess on the other hand???? Well she goes a different direction altogether. :)

Spreading cheer & creative flourishes wherever she goes.....

Beloved by her Royal Subjects.......

Ruling her kingdom with kindness, grace and style...............

Thursday's Thoughts

2010-10-14T10:02:00.001-07:00

Truly this is one of my favorite seasons, not simply because of the vivid colors, joyful trips to pumpkin farms and orchards.....not only because its been unseasonably warm each day, with only our evenings and early mornings hinting of the chill yet to come.......but because it heralds in a time of tremendous change. Much as the trees begin to change their colored cloaks and leaves begin to drop, so too has this time always marked a period of changes in our children. Children reach out to grasp those last moments of light and sunshine, sensing the days are shortening, race with abandon, delighting in their neighborhood friends. Pumpkins are purchased with the promise of the wicked (or grinning!) Jack O' Lanterns they may become, costume choices are debated, selected, changed on a whim, then back again. Accessories bought or created by hand, to make a child's vision come true. Candy is bought for delightful Trick 'Or Treaters.....but not bought too early (ummm...my willpower can only take so much abuse ya know!!)..... hey, I'm just sayin'. ;)

School is well underway and new skills, words, accomplishments and yes, even struggles find their way into the every day. One little one heads off for a first overnight with a friend (leaving one anxious Mama to hover by the phone at bedtime, wondering if "the call" would come.....it didn't and she had a blast!!), while another Little seemingly expands his vocabulary in volumes daily. One child sets her sights on scoring TWO goals in a soccer game ( and does!!) and another suddenly can charge up the stairs, one foot after another, with no need of a railing or a Mama's supportive hand. :( One comes home from a birthday party wearing *gasp* eye shadow (and looks way to grown up and pretty to suit me, thank you very much) and another only wants to drink from "big boy" cups now. BOTH expand their social circles and BOTH test boundaries a wee bit (and creatively) and BOTH learn about time outs. ( well one already knew.....and one, is quickly learning!) LOL

But I can smile and bear witness, knowing both still adore cuddles and hugs, trips for ice cream and innocent moments of play and lightness.

***And need I mention the candy corn?? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....sweet corn candy goodness. As if Autumn wasn't grand enough! :) (P.S. Plus, has anyone else already started their Christmas shopping???? *ahem*)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So many thoughts of late have been swirling, so many photos and topics I have been hoping to share on this blog ~ yet I find myself eschewing my blog duties ( honestly I love it, but you know what I mean!) for no other reason than my own desire to grab those last fleeting evening walks after dinner as a family.......trips to the park or for plans made with a friend. I've been in the moment and ever aware of my 2 children as siblings...........

Siblings not by chance. I don't believe that. Siblings instead by design, by good fortune and luck ( for us ), through initial loss (for each of them), siblings born of faith and of road blocks (that eventually crumbled aside) and finally, siblings through purposeful intention.

But that's just not the whole story. Siblings yes, in all the important and wonderful ways ~ in all the ways that count and matter. It never escapes my notice that while some would classify us as adoptive parents ( and we are!) or seek to label our relationships semantically or even sequentially , very few folks assign such distinctions to Lauren and Tyler. Very simply they are and forever will be: sister and brother. Big and Little. Miss (*Sassy*) Pants and the Taiwan Tornado. My Best Girl and Little Man. For always.........

I write of this today, knowing that the same program that graced and enriched us(beyond measure) with our darling baby boy is facing an uphill battle. Only time will tell how the ending is written, but my heart aches for the families caught in the melee of this......mess. How easily that could have been us and not just once but twice. Kazakhstan too is currently closed, not accepting or facilitating adoptions, aside from those families already in process, while they implement the Hague.

How easily we could have missed the incredible blessings and gifts of these 2 children. And while I'm not going to debate the merits of adoptions, the pitfalls, the hard truths and the often times only hinted at realities at this time, I am mindful of the miracle (and the steps along the way) that brought our family together: that allowed us to adopt twice and bring home each time, a child that completes us in a way that no other could have.

These two, that will share so much, even beyond a similar upbringing and a collection of childhood memories. These two that will always have (god willing)one another, throughout it all........

And I will continue to say a silent thank you for the joy, challenges, triumphs and missteps.....for the laughter and the tears......for the moments and milestones that I didn't miss & even for those that I did.........gosh, a fervent thank you, for just getting to be "Mama" to these TWO......

XOXO

Just sign me, humbly:

Lauren and Tyler's Mama,

cuz right now I can't think of a better or more cherished name.

Do You Remember?

2010-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Being a little kid and spotting *the* perfect hill?

Oh, you know the one........just right for rolling down,

Running towards it, hair blowing in the wind........anticipation making those tiny legs pump just a little bit faster.........

And then........and then............

flying downwards.........ponytail streaming behind you...........

the rush of wind on your back, .......momentum flinging you down that hill......

Wondering if you've ever gone this fast........spinning and flying..........tumbling.....

laughing with pure undisguised glee......butterflies in your tummy........

joy in motion.........

exhaling at the end......believing this may have been your fastest time EVER!

giggling and catching your breath.........before dashing back up again to do it all over again. And again..........

Do you remember that? Gosh, I do too.

Shutterbugs & A Princess

2010-09-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the home improvements, more parties than we could count(Lauren has attended FOUR parties for friends/classmates since our school year began!), our home being on the market for oh so long now (madness!), soccer & more............we had a party for oh, oodles of friends and we made the(the best) decision( of our lives!) :) to break with tradition for hosting a friend party and outsource it to one of those Ginormous Bouncing Places of Glee ~ and gleeful chaos, bouncing and joy it was!!

I have nothing but fantastic things to say about Pump It Up and as the day turned out to be a bit on the drizzling side, how thankful we are that we planned for an indoors event that left all the kiddos well partied and well......frankly, worn out by the end! ( us parents too!!) But in the best of ways!

Lauren had her heart set on the Glow Package for this soiree and what a treat that turned out to be; turns out it was a fairly new extra and despite most of the children having attended a Pump It Up party before, none had experienced it with glow necklaces, flashing balloons, dimmed light and.......the best part?? A flashing tiara for our Princess! Now that may not sound terribly exciting at first, but Lauren was never an over the top fan of all things Disney Princess and it had been years (if ever?) since she had sported a crown! AND she loved it............and oh yes...I did too! Such fun and gosh, I kinda thought that tiara looked mighty good on her too! I mean, I am her Mama after all and prone to those kind of biases. :)

So for all the Mimis (and friends) who have waited so patiently for these photos, here they are, complete with big smiles and a Scooby-Doo cake. AND, if you don't mind sticking around for a bit after the photos, I am seeking advice from any & all Shutterbugs who might have some camera advice to share as I begin my search for a new and improved model!

O.K. this smile alone made it all worth it..........would do it over & again for her!!

*sigh* Some of these friends are new buddies and some go all the way back to Preschool......so sweet, each & every one! Oh, Tyler had fun too and didn't want to stop for a photograph! :)

Someone was mighty tickled and excited!!

Our regal girl.........

Now then my friends.........you all take such stunning & crisp photographs and are generous enough to share them on your blogs ~ I would like to upgrade from our current point & shoot digital camera and have been searching for a good fit. A few must haves include:

*Digital stabilizer(we need a good one!): not sure if its our camera or shaky hands from us both, but far too many of our photos turn out a bit fuzzy or just not sharp. Then I can't use them and its so frustrating!! **Also with 2 active kiddos I need to be able to take photos On The Go.....

* I wanna see some mega-pixels cuz I know this will give us clearer, sharper images with more vivid colors! I don't need monster sized pixels, but just enough!

*I need a camera that can function soundly in low lighting conditions....we do have Winter around here ya know! :)

* Easy enough to handle....I don't mind studying & learning and I'm not above reading "Cameras for Dummies." :) BUT if it requires a 3,000 page addendum for optimum handling, its probably not for me!

* This will be my Christmas, Birthday and Anniversary present all rolled into 1 for oh....probably the next 2 years or more! *grin* I don't need overpriced, but I'm not going to freak out if it goes over my budget a bit either.

***So far I like the *Canon Powershot A7101S*

* Canon Powershot SD630*

and the * Nikon D3100*

I would love to hear what you guys would recommend, currently use or love!! I welcome and value your insights!

Thanks!!

& thanks for all the mighty sweet birthday wishes sent to our best girl last week!! I read them all to her and my goodness was she delighted!! You guys ARE the best!!

Mid Autumn Festival...

2010-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

.....also known as the Moon Festival is a popular
harvest festival celebrated by Chinese, Japanese,
Korean and Vietnamese people, dating back over
3,ooo years to moon worship in China's Shang
Dynasty.

Held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the
Chinese calendar, usually around late September
or early October, paralleling the Autumnal
Equinox of the Solar Calender -
when the moon is supposedly its fullest and roundest.

Mooncake (yum!) is the traditional food of the festival and while celebrations and traditions vary, many include carrying brightly lit lanterns, Fire Dragon Dances and the planting of a mid Autumnal tree.

**In Taiwan, since the 1980's barbecuing meat outdoors has become a widespread way to celebrate this holiday.**

So what does all this mean(??) AND keeping it real as we celebrate this significant Chinese holiday for the very first time......as best we can....our way.......

Years ago both Scott and I recognized the importance of blending important aspects of our children's birth countries into our lives and our family's traditions - and it has been nothing less than a pleasure to explore these rich & diverse celebrations and to better understand and embrace these beautiful cultures. We also have witnessed with great interest the evolution of said explorations as each one has changed or been tweaked through a growing child's individual passions, contributions and perspectives. Never static, never quite the same each time or each year, but always uniquely representative of our uniquely blended family.

We also acknowledge that these celebrations will only have meaning to our children & our family if they are personal, manageable, hands-on and approachable. That's not to say we shy away from the more complex issues, heritage threads or customs but rather we intuited (once upon a time) that if it involved untenable expectations, critical expense ( we are after all saving for two trips to two amazing homelands down the road!!) or a sense of celebrating out of duty rather than joy and pride, such cultural pursuits would quickly fade away or defeat the intentions behind each one. And honestly this is true of most of our traditions, including the ones forged all those years ago as a newly married couple, striving to blend 2 distinct sets of experiences and customs ~ striving to keep those we most cherished, while creating new ones ideally suited to just....us.

So (again) what does all of this mean?? :) Well, as this is a new one for us (though we have known of it for several years) we started small, with books and a few discussions. We asked both kiddos for their ideas and even little Tyler had a say! Lauren wished to make mooncakes and that's on the agenda for later this week ~ please keep those fingers crossed and please feel free to share any kid friendly Mooncake recipes!! Tyler will love this also, for nothing suits him better than flour covered faces & hands!! We have the aprons ready and Tyler will look smashing in his chef's hat!! :)

Tyler and I have also watched the sweet Sagwa episode celebrating the Moon Festival and though its old and possibly no longer in circulation, it is a fabulous kid friendly way to explore the various legends and folklore surrounding this holiday. We also spent quite a lot of time at the table this morning with our Play-doh, cutting out moon shapes, full & crescent, which quickly morphed into adding plenty of star cut-outs and a slightly off key but enthusiastic rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! An absolutely delightful way to spend a bit of time celebrating with a 2 year old!

We plan to grill out tonight and were beyond tickled to find that nugget of information on Taiwan's unique way to honor this date. Our little guy is not too big on the meats just yet ( me either ) so we will add our own touch of veggies and corn on the cob grilled just right! Adding a bit of that Autumnal crop harvest seems just right too!!

As the years pass, I suspect this celebration too will change and undergo its own metamorphosis. I can't wait to see what it looks like 3, 4...10 years down the road. It may eventually resemble a well used, tattered but cherished cookbook....some of its pages smudged or dog-eared from use, tiny notes in the margins, a few recipes & dishes long forgotten............. but always the first one we reach for.

And this little guy(??) ( and our best girl too) is/are SO worth the celebration!!

Eight is GREAT!

2010-09-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Eight IS great! Or at least our first actual day of "8-ness" is. :)

It has been party (and/or party prep) central around these parts. Last week we celebrated Lauren's birthday a bit early with our families and one mighty pleased sweetheart sittin' pretty behind the cake. Today Tyler & I were invited to visit Lauren's classroom, read a couple of stories to her class and share birthday treats. What a delighted Second Grader she was sporting her birthday crown & a big grin as her friends sang and clapped for her. Never a prouder big sister could there have been than our Lauren, who led her baby brother around to each desk and prompted him to give high fives to each classmate. (and never was there a more tearful Tyler when it was time for us to leave ) :(

Today is all about our best girl and rightly so! Tomorrow? An (intimate) LOL party for 23 kiddos at one of those gigantic bouncy places ~ they call it a "Classic Party" but one of my friends fondly calls it chaos! LOL And then?.........probably a tired but elated girl, settling in to being All About 8! And yeah, I think that's pretty great!

So as a twist and since its been done so often for T-man, I thought it might be fun to list some of Lauren's favorites and milestones, sans her height & weight. Suffice to say that she has always been and remains on the tall & slender side!

All About Lauren..................

* Loves music, loves to.......dance? Sort of. But really she would rather grab a hairbrush and lip sync to her favorite tunes, which includes songs from the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Miley you know who. :) Right now she is crazy for her Kidz Bop 18 c.d. which takes all the recent hits and redoes them in a kid friendly way. Gotta love that!

* She's a voracious & strong reader (all about the Magic Tree House chapter books right now), but if pressed she will tell you that her favorite subjects in school are Art & Math. Or.....Math & Art, depending on the day. :)~ She may also mention playing with her pals at recess and writing. She loves to journal and keeps a fuzzy pink notebook near her bed in case inspiration strikes!

* Favorite color is blue or turquoise and she loves cats, dolphins & mac-n-cheese. Her second favorite foods are pickles and fruit roll ups. Go figure. LOL

* Enjoys Sponge Bob Squarepants, the American Girl movies and Scooby Doo, but will almost always choose to head outside to play when she has downtime. Its even better if a neighbor buddy happens by and our girl would stay out all day long if possible.

* Her favorite sports are swimming, roller skating, snowboarding and if Daddy's listening.......soccer. :) She does enjoy soccer(especially the social part of it!) and the snazzy cleats and uniform, but she excels at individual sports and simply does not give up once her mind is set on mastering a new skill. She runs like the wind too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* An old soul & a bit of a worrier........hmmm, wonder where she gets that from???......lol.....nevertheless is easily tickled & amused, loves to laugh and does so often!

* Almost always very well behaved. But when she's not? DRAMA!!!!!!! Yup.

*From about age 2 1/2 began taking a keen (arm twisting, foot stomping) interest in selecting her own outfits. (Yes, ladies she did.......dress those wee girls now to your heart's content, just in case your sweet pea follows suit!) :) Has her own sense of style and somehow it always just works!

*Same with decorating her room. I have learned over the years to simply stand back and watch, wait & see..........her schemes and visions might be quirky or not traditional but by golly I almost always end up appreciating the end result. And honestly usually can't wait to see what she creates!

*Artistic ~ drawing is a strength.

* Passionate about animals ~ won't tolerate mistreatment of them. Passionate about science & nature.

* Wants to be a Dolphin & Whale trainer when she grows up. Or? A professional Race Car Driver. *gulp* Or? An ice cream truck driver. *grin* But....but, she did tell her teacher that she wants to own her own ice cream truck so she can be her own boss. That's our girl!!!

*Tremendous big sister ~ over and again amazing us with her patience, joy and love for Tyler!! AND....she's ready for a baby sister too. No NO y'all, our family is happily complete.

* A girly girl, who is not afraid to get dirty and try new things!

*The old saying, "sugar & spice and everything nice" suits her to a T. My sunshine girl.

Happy birthday baby girl!!! We love you oh so much............forever & always!

Lazy Hazy Days.....

2010-09-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

of summer? Oh no, not so much! Here are snippets of all the little things we did that didn't make it onto the blog in a timely fashion. Honestly there are too many to share and these probably belong in a slideshow ~ but then my Mom couldn't see them and that just won't do!

Here is our summer (sans the moments & events already shared!) in review.......

Our kids at Touch a Truck ~ the firefighters on duty that day were beyond gracious and allowed our 2 munchkins to climb right in and sit for as long as they wished! We were there a looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg time.
Meeting McGruff at the Crime Stoppers breakfast. Tyler was perhaps his biggest fan and followed him endlessly around the banquet hall!

In our town we have lots of "colorful characters".......this is just one and he was perched at the park, crooning a showtune and happily told us his name was "Tattoo". LOL

Oh yes, there was some dress up play this summer too.........who says real men can't wear kitty ears??

Lauren sharing her ideas at Farmers Market. She would like to see pony rides and a petting zoo added to the festivities. Grass roots activism!!

Lotsa day trips..............its easy with these 2 adventurers.

THEN we went Walking With The Dinosaurs. A special night with just our big girl and it was spectacular! Below is the entrance to the stage......... " Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Special night out calls for a stop at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant AND a big treat for a wee girl! (yeah, she had some help eating it all!) :)

Contemplating water art...........and just cuz she's so pretty.

Met up with a few nefarious critters................

AND of course lots of time spent at the pool ~ Splish Splash!

We were beach bound too.............

with special friends in tow.......

ROAD TRIP to my folks........

Happy Birthday (tomorrow, September 8th) to the best Mom EVER!!!!!! We love you!! Can't wait to see you guys Friday!!!

Cousin bliss and backyard fun!

The mighty Mississippi........Tyler's first time to touch it!

Quiet moments too........keeping in touch with our pen pals.

AND more laughter and silly moments of glee than I could count. We call the below dash, Tyler's victory laps!! He just gets so tickled!

And though he doesn't care to have his picture taken so much anymore, if we promise a photo shoot with his beloved "Elmo camera" afterwards, he's all smiles.

Until next year Summer...............see ya later alligator!

I Have to Admit.........

2010-08-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

.....that I lose all objectivity when I look into that precious tiny face.

Its the face that peers up at me with such trust & love in one moment........and utter mischievous and mayhem the very next!

Most of the time it greets me with dimples flashing but there are soulful moments too.......

No matter the expression, how fortunate I am to spend my days with this amazing little man!

Oh gracious my friends but I am SO behind on all things blogging, or rather at updating my own that is! I sat down last night to piece together a post and quickly became overwhelmed, realizing how much I have failed to share of late. I have done my best to keep up with all of you and just as always delight in following along with your families and adventures!

How strange it feels to be blogging once again in the middle of the day while little man slumbers (even though I should be doing laundry, sweeping, etc.). Back to school began for us late last week and after a crazy start, and two very overcrowded classrooms, things have evened out once again and with the hiring of an additional teacher, the classroom numbers are manageable (low!!) once again. How blessed we feel knowing what capable hands Lauren is in this year with her seemingly wonderful teacher.

And honestly Lauren took it all in stride (kids always do!) and was simply tickled to be a Second grader *gasp* with all the perks and responsibilities that it entails! LOL Every afternoon has been a whirlwind with after school play with her neighborhood buddies as they seek to capture these last lingering days of August and of summer. I'm so proud of her and was shocked to discover that it actually was not as difficult sending her off this year as each previous year/grade has been. Its hard to feel sad when her enthusiasm is so contagious. And when she was SO VERY ready!

Tyler on the other hand is missing her terribly. ( well, O.K. truth be told I am too....but knowing how much she loves school and her buddies helps tremendously). We are managing to keep our days very full with books, play, our walks and lots of outdoor time. If I thought the start of the school year would bring more downtown, I was mistaken. :) But its been wonderful showering a bit more individual attention onto Tyler and one his favorite times of the day is when he awakens from his nap, finds his shoes ( which he LOVES to put on himself of course!), takes my hand and says," time get La La?.....O.K. Go ". This is almost always followed by a loud hollering for Lexi dog to "come, get lish on". I cringe a bit if its not quite that time yet, but can usually distract him until it is! Poor Lexi pretty much cringes from his naptime on! ;)

And things are good......actually really good. I thank you all for your sweet thoughts and well wishes regarding Lauren's recent surgery. She has recovered beautifully, with no lingering ill affects and we made certain we hit that swimming pool often before school started to make up for that bit of lost time. She has a birthday coming up in Mid September ( oh glory be, she is already happily planning her parties) and soccer begins this evening. Scott was asked to coach her team this year and we were all delighted that 4 of the girls from last year's team will be remaining together for another season. AND their uniforms are purple this year, instead of green.........she's pretty happy about that! :)

I hope to pop back in again soon and wrap up our recent summer outings and activities before Fall makes her debut!

Band-Aids & Boo-gahs

2010-08-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

There is something I have been wanting to share, but just couldn't pen the thoughts until now. Part of it has been a time constraint and the other......I simply couldn't; to have done so would have been to put to paper a tremendous fear and in essence to release the Mama Bear I was struggling to keep beneath the surface. And she was a furious Mama Bear.....spitting mad & scared, wanting no more than to stomp & tantrum, grab up her cub and race for the hills, following her instinct to keep her little one safe and out of harms reach. A Mama Bear that wanted to lash out, but had no clear target. Sometimes that is the most dangerous Mama Bear of all.

Instead, this past Tuesday I fastened on my poker face ( and its pretty lousy even in the best of circumstances), fought that Bear for strength and serenity and with Scott, accompanied Lauren to our local hospital to wait while she underwent a surgery for a recently discovered hernia.

And it all went fine. Better than fine actually, as she emerged from post op smiling and peering about for us, wondering aloud when she might be able to go home. We had been well prepared by the nursing team to possibly expect a tearful & frightened little girl, suffering from what they termed, "anaesthesia induced delirium or hysteria" which is commonly seen in children following surgery. Thankfully that just didn't materialize.

Instead she bravely underwent this outpatient procedure, made friends will all the nurses on Surgical and has steadily healed and gained strength each day since. Thank God!

I even suspect that in a day or so and following the release from her surgeon to resume swimming (the only thing she still can't do), it will be a distant memory........fading and receding just as her small scar will in time. But for me...............well, I'm still struggling a bit. I'm wearing my scar a bit closer to my heart.

Of course there is deep relief to have it behind us; absolute joy at her anticipated full & complete recovery and thank fullness that it was just this..........an outpatient procedure and not something more insidious or aggressive. How my heart aches for families that must face so much more; forced to stand by while a child or loved one suffers, who without a moment's hesitation would happily stand in and endure the pain for their child.....but cannot. We were lucky.............so lucky & I know that not everyone is ~ not all the time.

I wanted desperately to share this before hand and couldn't. As a Mama it was so hard to hand over the primary care of my precious girl and trust in the ministrations of others. There are so many decisions we make every day to ensure they remain safe or as safe as possible. Car seats, high chair straps, outlet covers, nighttime dashes and checks to simply make certain they are still covered by a blanket or have a cherished toy nearby should they awaken. Holding a hand for those first wobbly steps and later fitting them for a bicycle helmet; holding on to the back end of the bike once the training wheels are off and only letting go when you are sure they are ready. Nutritious meals, screening music, computer sites and movies...........thousands of tiny moments, little decisions each & every day to keep them healthy and from harm.

And we chose her Surgeon with care and had faith in both him and his skilled and conscientious team. All precautions were taken and we prepared her as best we could. She was frightened and oh gracious that was hard to witness. Her mood plummeted as the surgery drew close and she refused to allow us to refer to her issue as a hernia, instead insisting it be called a "boo-gah". A term that looks and sounds quite a lot like bogeyman and boo! No real surprise. She wondered aloud why her? Why now? Both Scott and I were wracked with guilt, concerned maybe it was something we had done or didn't do that caused the condition.

We were assured it was nothing of the kind. Hernias are passed down through families and are genetic. We were asked over and again by medical personnel if either one of us had a family history. We don't, either one, but that has no bearing on Lauren's biological family history. Not for the first time we felt the familiar pang of regret ( and grief) at not being able to provide a more complete medical background for our girl ~ felt helpless that we couldn't provide something more accurate; knowing that in all likelihood we will never be able to provide that for her or Tyler. I. Hate.That. ( There I said it.)

I realized throughout this too, that we have been fairly medically insulated. Our children have both been healthy, with only the occasional case of sniffles or earache. All routine pediatric ailments. We have been using the same Pediatrician since Lauren turned 2 and requested a "lady doc" ( yes, she really did) and we obliged. Our Ped. is wonderful, knows our status as an adoptive family and its almost become a non issue with regards to our kiddos routine care. Even the doctors who sub for her during an absence know us and when Tyler came home, he was welcomed with open arms by the entire team of nurses and doctors on staff. They waited right along with us and celebrated in kind.

But leading up to this past Tuesday have been weeks of answering the common questions associated with any visit to a new doctor's office. Routine questions yes, but not so much when your child's medical history begins at 7 months ~ or at least the reliable & documented stuff does. So over & again I stated that we were an "adoptive family" thankful I had learned to use that term as opposed to simply labeling Lauren as "she's adopted". For us adoption connotes great joy & the 2 most tremendous blessings in our lives; but medically speaking, it also means, different. Medically speaking it means there are gaps, incomplete sections on a form and boxes that just can't be checked off. It means an extra panel of blood work being ordered for a sweet & scared 7 year old to ensure she won't suffer under anesthesia. The caution is welcome.......extra needles not so much.

It means your little girl looking up at you with alarm and unmasked fear and asking if she's going to be okay. Asking if something might go wrong because she is adopted and we just don't know what dangers might lurk for her under anesthesia or if any unknown allergies exist. If there is a family history of anesthesia linked trauma. It means that my Mama Bear was chomping at the bit then........barely constrained too.

It means knowing in my heart that both my children will always find themselves leaving sections of those medical forms blank & incomplete. Sections of themselves that so many of the rest of us have the luxury of filling out maybe even without much thought and often in haste; checking off or purposefully leaving blank ( depending on the phrasing of the form) those little boxes in a row, sharing the routine history of ourselves~ our medical backgrounds. How I wish our children could have that same confident nonchalance.

And yet, I know how fortunate we are to have come through this ( and knowing that others face much more challenging ailments) and to see our beautiful girl flourishing once again. Kids are naturally resilient and throughout it all we were surrounded with so much love & support from our families. Their obvious concern and the outpouring of thoughtful gifts & gestures was so humbling; this would have been so much harder if not for their care......really, of us all.

So I dressed her in a clean pair of new Big Sister jammies (as instructed) for the trip to the hospital this past Tuesday because it seemed important they know she was someone's Big Sis. I had faith she would come through it and although it was a little piece of pure agony watching that tiny scared face wheeled away from me this past Tuesday, I believed she would be returned to me. To us all.

She was. Thank God.

Edit to Add:
For the time being I am going to make a change and enable the "comment moderation" function; for some reason my blog has become a target of advertisement spams and I don't know how to eliminate it. Any suggestions would be welcome and I hope this doesn't inconvenience anyone!! Hopefully I can figure this out and return to normal ASAP!!

Road Trip and Tales from the......

2010-07-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Road Trip & Tales from the Potty! Plus a few other miscellaneous tidbits.

I'll start with the less obnoxious Road Trip :) and share that I will be away from bloggyland for the next week as I take the munchkins and head to my folks downstate. Unfortunately Scott can't tag along this time (but don't worry he gets to do some fun things too!) :) but our youngest niece will be joining us for the stay and to say we are all excited is putting it mildly! Though we moved a bit growing up, I have always considered this town ( our destination) my hometown. The pace is just different..........I almost always bump into an old friend from school, always find a few treasures that just have to come home with us :) and best of all we have uninterrupted fun time with Mimi & Papa! I suspect that they are just as excited to get their hands on these grandbabies too! They do a bit of spoiling too I might add......mostly I just try to look the other way! *grin*

Tales from the potty........O.K. so I did receive a few private emails wondering why I'm not more excited about Tyler's interest in potty training. LOL Well, I am....sort of. I mean sure, it would be swell to bid diapers a fond farewell ( though I really don't mind 'em most of the time!) and probably a cost saver too! And of course I won't hold him back if he's truly ready......but that's just it ~ I still can't tell if he IS REALLY & TRULY ready or just curious about the whole froggy potty and celebration thing. So we have been testing the waters, following his lead a bit..............at this point he is successful going about once, maybe twice a day; he asks however to use his potty about 25 times a day.....yes, that's a minimum. Now please know that for the first 6 or 7 requests I honestly don't mind removing said diaper, clothing, etc. and reading him copious books while he tries. I read to him a lot, so this isn't so different.....right? Except it is or rather it can be! I have also begun to suspect a bit of mischievous manipulation at work, especially when he announces just before nap or bedtime (or insert something he doesn't wish to do!) that its "potty time" and OH BOY is he grinning too! And because I don't wish for this to become a power struggle or be associated with anything negative, I usually oblige......25 times or so a day! LOL (well that might be a slight exaggeration in numbers, but there are days it sure does feel like it!)

Sooooooooooooo where does this leave us? Moving forward, slowly but surely. I have no doubt he will get it....I know he will. Lauren trained very early and very easily; all my friends told me right away that boys train much later, so I suppose this is simply a matter of getting into the mindset and establishing a routine. But don't be surprised if there are a few more installments of Tales from the Potty before its all said and done! But please don't worry.....I will try to keep them G rated!

Finally, several of my bloggy buddies also noticed that Tyler had a haircut recently and yes, I was remiss in posting about it! His first official cut early last Fall was such a disaster.....he was so upset and it just broke my heart. AND his hair grows SUPER fast....hence the look we have been sporting all summer long dubbed by another blog buddy as: his surfer baby look! :)

But last week the pressure became too much for Daddy when one too many kindly ladies told us that our baby girl was just beautiful. :) Not an exaggeration.......and suddenly we found ourselves at the salon. AND? Not a tear.....not a whimper ( thank heavens!) and he seemed to almost enjoy his cut! He was so proud and told each and every customer present or approaching the business that he, "got hairs cut.......no cry". We were all SO proud and big Sis even helped out by getting her hair trimmed up too! Which somehow made her look even older to me......*sob*

Its still not a perfect cut; I'm convinced that isn't possible with a busy toddler, but we adore the hairdresser and at least our little guy can see again! ;) Yep, those bangs were getting a bit long.......and no tears!! Yippee!

Chances are we will let it grow out a bit again..........we got it a bit short in the back and those pesky cowlicks have returned..........but of course we love him in any hair, anytime!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend/week ahead and I will be anxious to check back in with you all when we return!!

XOXO

Dragons & Dumplings.....

2010-07-24T20:34:00.001-07:00

Dragons & dumplings..........we ventured downtown today for the annual Dragon Boat Races in Chinatown. Unfortunately the rainstorms & subsequent flooding forced the cancellation of the actual races, but 5 families plus our own forged on and met for a yummy lunch, visit and a bit of playtime (also code for: photo time!!) for the kiddos, big & small!

We sampled all kinds of delicious dishes at our fave restaurant in Chinatown and as luck would have it, the clouds vanished and a gorgeous (humid!!) day emerged just in time for our group photos, followed by a stroll around the shops! (AND a stop off for Bubble Tea of course!)

We LOVED seeing all the beautiful kiddos & families and catching up with old friends & new! For me its always a treat to finally meet a family whose adventures I have watched unfold through their blog; its a bit like meeting a celebrity! :)

Last year Tyler had just turned one when we made our first trip to the Dragon Boat races and oh my gosh, have all the babies grown, flourished and changed!What a privilege it is to watch these precious kiddos grow & thrive!

Of course our time just went by way too fast, but we wouldn't trade a moment of it!!

Below are lots & lots of pictures, cuz I KNOW that's what everyone really wants to see!! :)

Here is the whole group of beautiful kiddos ~ we "Rents" were almost giddy with glee to be able to get them all to actually sit and remain seated for a group shot! AND they were really patient with us too!!

And these two sweet peas? Yep, that's Tyler and the lovely Miss T who both shared the same amazing Foster Mama during their first few months in Taiwan. How amazing it was to see them together for the first time ~ there are a few Mrs. C. buddies missing who we hope to finally meet in person next year!! Yay!

I love the hugs sweet Baby D is getting from his handsome big brother!

My 2 dumplings.........

Cuz I just thought this was sweet...........Lauren sneaking a peak at her baby bro.!

The beautiful Miss H.C. who enchanted us all!

And the equally beautiful Baby T., who is all ready to give out huggies!!

Our little guy having a mighty good time!

Our little guy having a ball playing with Mr. Kevin and Miss H.C. ~ Kevin was SUCH a good sport and kept our littlest dumpling in plenty O' stitches!

Clapping with his buddy!

So sweet cuz the lovely Miss E spotted Tyler climbing on Lauren's lap and decided she might like to try that spot out too!! Isn't she darling!!

Tyler was so intrigued with this dragon.....er.....lion?? We are still not sure, but he sure drew some appreciative glances from folks passing by when he growled and roared like a ......"lagon"?? *chortle*

It was a great day, with great friends, families and food!! Think you might like to share in something like this?? Please see the below post and think about joining us next year for Taiwan ROCks!! :)

Taiwan ROCks!!

2010-07-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was such a joyful day of fellowship & celebration and truly was just a tiny(but awesome) slice of the diverse Taiwan adoptive community!

For this reason and so many more, myself and 3 other Taiwan Mamas/friends are planning a first ever Taiwan adoptive families reunion for 2011.....destination?..........sunny Texas!

Our hope is to bring as many Taiwan adoptive families together for a weekend of friendship, reunion, connections and fun each year as this ( hopefully annual event) travels around the country every year to visit each planners host (regional) area.

Having attended Kazapalooza for the first time this past June, I can easily attest to the incredible gifts such a gathering provides. We watched our Lauren's ethnic pride explode virtually overnight and renewed connections from our amazing journey ( so long ago) through our newly found friendships. Collectively our group raised just over $5,500 for the children of Kazakhstan left behind......the imprint of our KP weekend will reach far beyond one special weekend.

Our hope is to help create something similar (but unique) for all of the gorgeous children of Taiwan.......and their families!

We are currently posting news of this reunion with 3 possible dates to as many Taiwan related chatboards/forums as possible. If you think you might be able to attend and have not had the opportunity to cast your vote, please leave me a comment below or dash off a quick email. Please limit your voting to one forum and this year's reunion date will be determined by majority vote! (to be shared in a couple of weeks!)

Here are the dates as follows:

March 25 -27th, 2011

May 27 -30th, 2011 (Memorial Weekend)

August 12-14th,2011

We hope to see you all in Texas next year!!

At Two

2010-07-18T20:13:00.001-07:00

First I want to thank you all for the thoughtful birthday wishes sent to our sweet boy! I have a sneaky suspicion that I truly do have THE most wonderful bloggy readers/friends and I want you all to know how much I appreciate your thoughts, comments and fellowship!

AND because I seem to always be woefully behind in my scrap booking and journal and because this blog seems to be the only way I can remain current with Tyler's milestones and current stats, I wish to share a bit about our little man at TWO! AND if you make it all the way to the end, there are loads of party pictures, as promised, to sweeten the deal! :)

Little man..........at two you just amaze us and here is a but a bit of what you do!

You are 25 pounds of darling boy & just shy of 35 inches ~ keeping you at the 50% for weight and a whopping 90% for height! Your Daddy and I simply marvel at how in the world we came to have 2 such beautiful and tall kiddos (Daddy is tallish.....me? Nope...not at all! LOL ) and we know in our hearts that we could never EVER have made 2 more glorious kiddos than you and your big sis!

And speaking of your Big Sis........OH, how hard you work to keep up with her. We know without a doubt that a big part of your verbal skills are thanks to her but ironically we also see that her amazing abilities at "deciphering" toddlerese leads to some interesting "conversations". Just the other day I listened raptly as you blurted out things like, "Ady Gaga, number 9" or "skip & rapeash" and even, "Shurn it up" only to have your sister inform me that you in fact wanted song #9 on said c.d. ( we were in the car after all), Lady Gaga (Poker Face) and to please "skip" along to it, REPEAT and by all means, turn it up Mama, cuz its hard to hear way back here! LOL I think your Sis could have a career as a translator for the United Nations down the road!

You continue to be blessed with a sunny disposition which I (an optimist by nature) appreciate oh so much! You seem to wake up each day and almost say.....hello world, its me Tyler ~ you love to laugh and laugh at even the smallest of silliness or the absurd! You have gotten used to & rather like all the attentions you get!!

BUT that's NOT to say that at two you don't have your churlish moments. Mama knows perfectly well when you are tired, hungry or breaking in a molar or two! But those things I KNOW & GET. On occasion though you get grumpy if you don't get your way and yes, you can be stubborn too ~ usually a good joke or redirection works, but once in a blue moon you simply must have your way; usually when you are determined to do something just like Lauren or to have your way in her room................my goodness you adore her room and it breaks my heart when you holler for her when she's entertaining a friend and you are wondering why you are not included!

YOU spotted your new shiny froggy potty ( made especially for wee little men, with an ideal splash guard RIGHT IN FRONT) in your closet the other day and no persuading would keep you away from it! You convinced your big sis (she can't resist ya either ya know!) to read you loads O' books while you sat...............and sat........................and sipped a bit of water.................and THEN.....made a potty! Oh the celebration that followed!! Since then you have gone each day, at least once.................but did I mention that I am not ready for potty training just yet?????? Well, guess we will see where this all leads then...........you and your Sis are sure jazzed about it & all!! :)

You LOVE music & love to dance!

You can sing almost all the words to your ABC's, The Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle, Twinkle, Old McDonald & Isty Bitsy Spider. If one of us sings a bit too loud you are quick to say, "shhhhhhhhhhh". Hmph!

I thought you could count to 10 with a bit of help...........turns out you don't like to be pigeon holed and surprised us all by counting into the teens, skipping 12 & 15....that's okay cuz we are not partial to those numbers either! LOL

Most of the time you say 3 or 4 word sentences ~ unless Lauren is around and then you have only to point, grunt and utter one word......cuz again, she can extrapolate a paragraph from said efforts! ;)~

Outside is your paradise just like always. The heat doesn't bother you and water is SO your friend. You are taking a class now called Water Explorers and we are SO proud of you for leaving Mama's side and venturing along with "Midder Map"(Mr.Matt) and "Mish Mare" (Miss Mary) and being so independent & brave! Just the other day you told us that "Mish Mare is cute"........wha?? wha?? That JUST CAN'T START YET PLEASE.......right??

Your favorite books right now are "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food" & "The Little Mouse, The Hungry Bear & the Red Ripe Strawberry" ~ those are the books you request on the "poo poo potty" and that just cracks us up!

Your favorite shows are old DVD's of classic Scooby Doo's & of course..............Sesame Street(but really only the Elmo World parts!). Since our trip to Florida, you seem taken with Mickey's Playhouse too!

You adore vehicles and yes...........dirt, sand, puddles............does that really surprise any of us? Nope. But this does...........you are a sort of tidy and don't mind getting dirty, but always like to "warsh up" afterwards! I plan to foster that for as long as possible! :) Just sayin'................

For quite some time you have been tickled with pretend play(your favorites are being cats & lions with Lauren ) and you enjoy "chatting" on the phone. You have yet to meet a sweet you didn't like and you just love to laugh.......big ole belly laughs!!!!!

YOU say please & thank you all the time ~ how I love that about you and hope it never EVER goes away!!

My darling boy.............you love your family & friends and truly seemed to delight in each gift and each moment of your party. You watch people's reactions and you are sensitive to other people's feelings. Just the other day I stubbed a toe and was silently wincing and waiting for the pain & annoyance to pass when I felt your little hand on my shoulder and heard you ask.........."Mama, happy & K, now?"................I almost cried at your sweetness.

Precious boy, you completed our family and brought sunshine and joy to an already happy family. Not every moment or every day is easy with 2...........but anything less than 2 is unfathomable for me to imagine at this point.

To put it simply..............you just fit......just right on our shoulders, snuggled into the crooks of our arms and you fit just perfectly into this family. I hope & pray that somehow your other Mama feels at peace with her decision and knows how truly loved & cherished you are.............I just can't imagine my life without you (and your sister) & am thankful more & more each day for the gift of you both!

xoxo

No, we didn't fill our Elmo pinata cuz Tyler would have been devastated to see him tugged at and torn apart!!

On Friday (your actual birthday) we celebrated with Mimi & Papa K., Sesame Street cupcakes, Elmo slippers and your sister picked out an Elmo camera of which you LUV!! You sang Happy Birthday right along with us!!

So darn sweet!

So darn tickled with your party!

Our traditional family picture on each birthday!! Thanks Mimi for snapping our moment!

Together forever.......

Tyler sure likes pretty girls ~ Allison & Alyssa keeping him in plenty O' giggles!

Opening presents? No problem with big Sis helping out a bit!!

I believe we have already established that Tyler is in fact a ham!! :) OR, we have driven him to drink.....LOL

Tyler LOVED his grill Chef's garb and Little Tykes barbecue grill! Hmmm...so much to grill, so little time...........

LOVE this, cuz he looks so tiny next to his loot!!

Chef/race car.. .....er....scooter driver!! Perfect blend of his skills!!

Yes, Its True.......

2010-07-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

.....our precious baby boy has turned 2!! ( Last Friday to be precise!!) :)

How can it be that this tiny perfect baby that tumbled into our world with such joy, light, zest, charm & a wee faux "babyhawk" *do*, has bid adieu to his "months" and marched right into solid numbers.....in this case, 2?!!? If I'm being honest(and I usually try to be!) I think I saw it coming from the very beginning and surely I've noted how quickly the months and now years with Tyler seem to zoom right along. A seasoned Mama like me knows firsthand how fleeting & endearing each stage is and knows that holding onto to just one would mean missing out on the next one to come ~ would mean forgoing the grand adventure ahead & around each corner! But its also means wishing once in a while to hang on tighter to each bit of "baby-ness" and to never for a minute wish a single moment or stage ( no matter how trying it may be at times!) away. It means sometimes being a bit nostalgic for the baby that was, while still celebrating the little person they so quickly become! It may also mean watching & rewatching endless video of their first recorded moments and later your first moments (finally) together with a tissue box tucked next to you on the chair!

And if I was being really really honest .....I could admit that wherever we have gone in the past 5 months or so, lots of folks have mistakenly presumed him to already be 2 based on his height and his verbal skills, resulting in plenty of time for me to roll that number and really the whole concept of "2-ness" around in my head...........making this past Friday not so much a surprise, but something a bit more familiar. This Second Birthday hasn't startled me in quite the same way his First Birthday caught my heart a bit off guard last year........perhaps because I've had a whole year to prepare?

And of this one boy, I could say & write so many things ~ I could fill a book on the different ways he has changed our family dynamics, strengthened our bonds, enchanted & surprised us daily. His capacity to love is so huge, perhaps only equaled by his insatiable curiosity & sense of self. Sense of self? Kind of a odd thing to write about one so young, but Tyler is ever the same exuberant, smart, kind, mischievous, ticklish, sweet, hilarious, stubborn, bright, beautiful and happy baby boy that found his way into our waiting arms so long ago across the world. How this firecracker of joy found his way to us might be complex............

But loving, cherishing & celebrating him each & every day is SO simple. Its big, its mighty, its whole and its incredible! I start each day with a wide smile and flash of baby boy dimples ( and OH, those dimples are the home of many many kisses) and end each day with a sweet cuddle and baby sing-song. How blessed I am with my 2 best treasures, big & small..........Lauren & Tyler.

So in honor of our little man I've added below a heap O' sugar (I'm talking eye candy here ladies!!) and in looking at them I expected to find one or 2 favorites. Instead I've discovered they are ALL just so Tyler..........each and every one ~ and I love them all for just that reason!

My goodness I love this baby boy more than I could ever say.......

Happy birthday baby boy!!

P.S. Yep, he's sporting a "skeeter" bite or 2 left over from the fireworks last weekend! :( But birthdays wait for no bug or bite and he was such a good sport letting me snap all these photos! He's a bit of a ham I think!! :) Of course bribing him with a beloved Popsicle for afterwards didn't hurt one bit either! ;) I'm SO not above that!! *grin*

P.S.S. I'll be back with pics from his family party and weekend of celebration soon!!

Red, White & Beach??

2010-07-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

We spent a gusty but fabulous day at the beach ~ it wasn't quite Cocoa Beach, but its a whole lot closer and our family has been daytripping to beautiful Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for so many years now! We love it!

It was a wild day too ~ the high winds caused one speedboat and at least 2 jet skis beyond the protective buoys and practically onto the sandy bottom of the beach throughout our visit. It sure kept the lifeguards extra busy evacuating all the beach goers each time and our kids were amazed to see a Police Boat cruise up lights, sirens and all!! Ultimately every craft was saved, but I would imagine the lifeguards and patrol staff will sigh a bit of relief to have the day behind 'em! And oh yes.....if you are wondering, Tyler IS still chattering on about that boat! *grin*

We are headed for fireworks next (hoping the little guy does o.k.), but I wanted to squeeze this Fourth of July post in before leaving. I wish to thank the brave women and men who have fought to keep our lands free.........and those that continue to do so! (and their families too!!)

Happy Birthday America!!

Our kiddos in their patriotic gear!! Always so happy together ~ well, most of the time! LOL They are siblings afterall!!

A big fan O' the sand!!

Goggled up & ready to swim!

I KNOW....I swore I would never EVER put a child of mine in one of those floatation suits! Famous last words! My folks picked this up last year deeply discounted and OH MY, did our little guy LUV it! It gave him the freedom to practice kicking and moving without being held! ( of course we were CLOSE...but still....what a taste of freedom!!)

Yes, he was quite the beach sensation too!

Nothing says beach picnic like a nectarine. All the hip babies are taking giant bites, ya know!! ;)

And no trip to the beach is complete without a sand castle and fashionable moat!!

Kazapalooza 2010

2010-06-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

4 days after returning home from our Florida vacation, our family packed our bags once again (albeit much smaller suitcases!!) and headed North to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the 3rd annual Kazapalooza event! For us this was a first time to attend and as many of you know, something we had been anticipating for several months. I have shared before of our involvement in a regional Kaz Family group and what a blessing & joy that has been for our family. I might have also mentioned that over the years our family has sent direct donations, when possible, to Lauren's rural and impoverished Babyhouse. But never before have we been so privileged to be part of something of this magnitude, with over 75 adoptive families in attendance, with children ranging in age from 11 months to 12 or 13, radiant faces of stunning diversity, blessed families of all sizes, gratitude for a beautiful yet little known country who gifted so many of us with their finest treasures........... and with purposeful compassion for those children left behind.........

Our weekend began with a trip to the Betty Brinn Children's Discovery Museum which was a bounty of hands- on activities and exhibits for children of all ages. I so wish I had been able to capture more of the children and even more photos of our 2, but keeping track of 2 demanded (pretty much) complete focus! LOL And when I did manage to snap one or two pics., all but one turned out blurry and the lighting was tricky! Miss Lauren kept busy with her darling new friend "L" and just like peas & carrots, these two became fast friends and only really stopped to check in from time to time and alert of us ( the 2 sets of parents) of their next destination. :) Tyler was in toddler heaven and in constant motion! It was frenzied, fun and wonderful, to see so many sweet, happy & healthy kiddos happily playing along side one another and to chat, as feasible, with their equally sweet & joyous parents.

Saturday brought many events, especially meaningful for us was the the luncheon and raffle. It was here we sat in awe as we watched a slide show of every Kaz. kiddo in attendance featured as Before and After. This was particularly compelling for me as it highlighted just how far each family and more so, each child had come. Many went from solemn or frightened infants or preschoolers to radiant, confident and smiling kids..........under the Christmas tree with brothers/sisters, smiling hugely from a family vacation........in soccer uniform or wearing a silly expression of carefree kid happiness. In other words, happy, well adjusted, loved and cherished children.....pretty darn amazing when you think about it!

Another big part of the afternoon's luncheon was the raffle, which this year was to help fund a water filtration system at Lauren's former Babyhouse to ensure better health for all the children left behind and for those who will find their way to homes around the globe. Two Hearts for Hope (which I have blogged about before) was this year's designated charity and their goal was to raise $3,ooo for the filtration project. In all, and in one afternoon of giving and gratitude, our group of families raised over $5,500 for the Karakastek Babyhouse and to better the lives of orphans in Kazakhstan. Of course preceding this was a year's worth of planning by the dedicated and wonderful ladies who organize the KP event and certainly the founders of Two Hearts; it is particularly meaningful to Scott and I that this year's efforts benefit the Karakastek Babyhouse and while I may not speak of it often or share in depth our thoughts on the conditions from which we brought our angel home, it is with tears in my eyes tonight that I imagine the incredible benefits this money will bring to them and the difference the generosity of each family in attendance will make to this most impoverished of Babyhouses. Its something that each family could not have done alone........but collectively was made possible. Amazing!

Our weekend was also filled with swimming in the hotel's water park, a pool party for the group, eating outside at Mo's, cuz Lauren liked the pirate statue *grin* and saying our goodbye's the following morning.

We left exhausted (probably won't plan a big family vacation RIGHT before KP next year! LOL ) but so honored and grateful to have been part of something like this. We felt welcomed and accepted and just loved meeting so many families that walked such a similar path as our own. Our only regret is that we didn't find this event sooner and didn't have more time to meet more families. Next year it is slated for Florida :) so we are saving already!

We left exhausted yes............but we left with one very proud and excited young lady, who made sweet new friends ( as did we!!) and who gained a BIG OLE dose of Kaz. identity/pride too! Priceless really. Just priceless.

Below I've shared the pictures that turned out okay; our camera was cranky the whole weekend and I wish I had more to share of the gorgeous kiddos!!

Miss Lauren & Miss "L" ~ like peanut butter & jelly these two formed a fast friendship instantaneously and Lauren is already missing her new buddy!! Scott and I also found new friends in her wonderful parents and we pray their long awaited baby sister ( their family is China LID May, 2006) arrives SOON, as "L" will make an amazing big sister!!

3 lovely ladies. Lauren, "H" & "L"!! Lauren and Miss H were adopted from the same Babyhouse in 2003 and these 3 girls had a mighty good time together!

Arrrggghhhh E mateys.......here is the pirate who guided us to our dining choice Saturday evening. LOL Some folks opt for word of mouth or ratings when selecting a restaurant...our fam. let's the pirate be the guiding hand....er....hook, as it were. :)

Both kids thought it was a grand treat eating outside and during our meal we bumped into several Kaz. families heading to or returning from their dinners too!

We all wore our Kazapalooza t-shirts Sat. afternoon, but did I manage one family pic??? No....sadly, no.

Saying goodbye to new friends Sunday morning. I wish we could have had more time, but hopefully next year!! Tyler, Lauren and Miss "E".

Oh, please take a peek at the sweet face behind the stroller. Meet "M" ~ he is just a wee bit older than Tyler and has been home for just a few months. His incredible family waited SO LONG for him and could not be more happy and in love with this incredible little guy!! AND he too is so blessed with an amazing family ( I just love his Mama!!) and 2 beautiful big sisters!! P.S. This is the best shot we could get of the 2 boys....they were SO SO busy!! P.S.S. Tyler made another little friend who I DON'T have a picture of ....the lovely Baby Hannah~ but its all good, cuz we Mamas have already decided they can attend prom 2025 with one another! Tyler is already practicing his dance moves! ;)

Lauren and Tyler with both Miss "E"'s. Could they be any cuter or sweeter???

Our family simply feels so blessed and lucky to be part of 2 such amazing adoptive communities; and really its more than 2 as we have been fortunate now to follow along with and cheer on families from all over the world, adopting children of many nationalities. The stories and faces may vary, but the shared joys and blessings of these children (born both near & far) truly unites us all.

Discovery Cove

2010-06-24T09:58:00.001-07:00

As promised I wanted to share a bit about our unbelievable day swimming with the dolphins at Discovery Cove during our recent trip to Florida. DC is affiliated with Sea World but is its own exclusive day resort, offering an all inclusive dolphin and sea life excursion.

This was truly a day for our big girl and I know some of you wondered why we did not spend more time at Disney proper; for years Lauren has been dreaming of a swim with dolphins and while many kiddos yearn for Disney, our budding pint sized marine biologist had her heart set on this experience from the time she was very little. Tyler was too little for the swim(you must be aged 6 or older) so he spent a glorious day basking in the attentions of Mimi & Papa at our resort. And oh yes, we will be anxious to return to Disney again someday to see much more!!

AND what an experience it IS. Located near Sea World, its tucked away and extremely private, offering a white sand beach, cabanas, water falls and caves to swim in and explore, an exotic bird aviary lagoon accessible by water, a large salt water pool for snorkeling with sting rays and schools of tropical fish and a smaller sting ray pool where you can touch and experience them close up. Part of our fees included our snorkeling gear, wet suits and our meals, snacks and beverages for the day. It felt like an extravagant and first class day from the moment we arrived till the moment we reluctantly left. But more importantly it felt like we were part of something special ~ a conservation effort to preserve these incredible creatures and mammals and to (where possible) return them to their natural habitat ~ the oceans ~ when feasible.

For years, but mostly before kids ( BK for short! LOL ) Scott and I have been avid snorkelers and we wondered privately how Lauren would do in wetsuit, swimming with a mask and snorkel. Many of the adults around us were experiencing some initial anxiety in the waters and we watched with nervous caution to see how our girl would do. She did incredibly well!! She took to it with no qualms and within a few minutes was spitting into her mask ( it reduces fog ya know!) like a pro and gliding through the water eager to explore.

Our dolphin swim was scheduled for later in the afternoon, so we had many hours to snorkel in the fresh and salt water pools. I'm not certain if our snorkel etiquette was at its best, but swimming beside Lauren, witnessing her awe, amazement and glee at glimpsing gigantic string rays and schools of tropical fish below and around us, was something I will always treasure. She spent more time bobbing up and down excitedly to make certain that Mommy had seen the 6 foot wingspan of a Southern Ray or Lemon shark ( viewed underwater BUT through a protective glass!!) than actually gliding, but for me that was part of the wonderful experience of sharing the day and there was always another spectacular site to see up ahead IF one or two of the creatures swam away(quickly )in the wake of her abundant enthusiasm! *smile*

Our day just zoomed by and soon it was time for to meet our dolphin trainer and small group for our swim. They go to great pains to ensure that folks are properly educated and prepared and the dolphins treated with care and respect ~ even down the special (non harmful ) sunscreen provided to us for the day. As our time neared to head to the actual dolphin cove we were told that there was a delay ~ it would seem that our dolphins were taking an unexpected break and since they are never forced to work ( nor should they be!) we all waited anxiously for our turn.

As luck would have it and as a result of this unscheduled break, our group of 7 were fortunate to meet 2 different dolphins ~ one a young mother ( we could glimpse her calf too off in the distance) and one an incredibly rare breed of dolphin ~ the "tween" C.J.! No cameras are allowed and the water was chilly which is best for the dolphins. Little Lauren was standing in shoulder deep water, shivering and shaking but honestly I don't think she even noticed her discomfort! One at a time we were allowed to touch, kiss (unbelievable!!) and feed these amazing and highly intelligent creatures. Our visit culminated with each of us swimming out, holding on to a fin and being swam back in beside these strong, breathtaking dolphins! Some of us worried it might be too taxing for the dolphins to carry our weight, but our instructors laughed and assured us they could, if desired, probably carry us all en mass ~ and for those who get twinges ( like I sometimes do at zoos, etc.) about animals in captivity I can assure you that each dolphin in residence was either rescued and unable to be returned safely or was born in captivity and again would not survive alone in the wild. Dolphins are very loyal to their families/pods and this was evident to us all during our visit. We were also told that the average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 25 years ~ the oldest living dolphin ( and the largest!) at DC was 45 and absolutely the alpha male! :)

Its honestly hard to even describe our experience and its something I think we will all keep with us forever. Something very unexpected was C.J.'s extra attention on Lauren, which surprised even the trainers. At one point he was swimming by each of us giving each guest a high five(fin) when he abruptly stopped in front of Lauren and began clicking and spraying a light water mist through his blowhole. For just a moment Laure froze, a bit uncertain ( these are powerful creatures after all) and then it was like 2 kids finding each in a crowd ( the way kids always seem to be able to do) and she smiled and clapped and C.J. waved his fin and raised himself up and did a little jig. Even the trainers were watching silently and later one mentioned a dolphin's incredible ability through echolocation to be able to tell size, mass, possibly even age and other specific traits of folks and other sea life in the water and speculated that he knew perfectly well she was the only other child in that lagoon with him and he wanted to play! I also personally wondered if he intuited her deep love and passion for dolphins ( and really all animals) and recognized her awe, joy & respect. Who knows, but it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a moment we will never forget.

Yikes ~ this is turning out long ( again ) and I don't really feel my description has done our day justice. I will share that our package included our admission into both Sea World and Aquatica Water Park ( both of which Tyler COULD attend )making it a triple delight for our budding scientist! How blessed we felt that we could tailor this trip a bit for Lauren this time around and we would not have traded away a single moment.

Most of our pics from that day were taken with our water camera and did not scan well. But I can share the ones taken with the dolphins that we purchased on site and a few others taken with our regular camera.

Look at that joy............Lauren has this photo hanging in her room and treasures it above all others. This is the Mama dolphin and she was sweet as sugar & very patient with us all! She kept sneaking glances at her baby who was nearby and she melted my heart with her nurturing tendencies.

Our family photo with young C.J. ~ can you see how spirited and exuberant he was?!? He is so rare there are only 2 of his kind known to exist in the world!

Our sweetheart taking a break from the wetsuit and snorkel to enjoy the natural pools.

And cuz I just can't leave him out ~ and yes we missed him that day!! ~ here is Ty sunning himself at Cocoa Beach a few days after our dolphin excursion.

P.S. YES, this IS the very same excursion as seen on Kate Plus 8. *LOL* So many folks have asked us and then sheepishly add that they don't really watch, but wanted to see how the kids had grown! :) I don't watch either (and we were in Florida when the episode aired) but they confirmed at Dolphin Cove that it was one and same! Thought it might be fun to share that bit of info.!!

Mickey Found

2010-06-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

We were on the road once again, but this time it was a flawless flight to Orlando, Florida to dabble in all the delights and magic of its attractions. Our long awaited and planned for vacation to Disney and its neighboring sites was A-Mazing and though we battled some extreme heat, a few sprinkles our first full day( Magic Kingdom) and some mighty crowds just about EVERYWHERE :) we relished each moment and definitely flew home last night( late!!) already anticipating another trip to Florida in the coming years!

We are SO grateful to our generous friends who gifted us with the use of their gorgeous time share( Hilton Grand International Resort ) and our 2 bedroom suite was splendid ~ we are now SO incredibly spoiled from here on out! We are thankful to Papa Bill for shuttling us to and fro the airport AND especially to my folks who joined us in Florida and added that extra sparkle to our stay. My Mom surely witnessed more than a few heat induced squabbles and as we were practically newbies to this whole thing Disney ,our learning curve was mighty huge! And we loved sharing this special vacation with them both!

There is simply so very much to share, but I have added tons of photos which I hope will tell the story better than I possibly could. I can say that our kiddos were angels on the flights( I had been a bit concerned about Little Man ) and that despite the age gap, we managed well with the bigger rides ~ with lots of help from Mimi. Lauren adored Splash Mountain ( we rode TWICE!!) and we all were enchanted with the rides It's A Small World & The Peter Pan Ride (Magic Kingdom) and the incredible Dolphin and Orca shows at Sea World. Scott loved Space Mountain!! Also if you plan to visit this summer don't miss the Electric Parade which is running at 9 p.m. June through August after a 9 year hiatus.....its stunning and we were So lucky to see it!!

While in Florida we took in a grand and full day at the Magic Kingdom, a breathtaking excursion to Discovery Cove ( which I will share much more about in another post), a day at Sea World ( it has changed SO SO much and is incredible!), an unbelievable Character Meal at the Polynesian Disney Resort, Aquatica Water Park ( affiliated with Sea World) and a glorious day at the beach. ( Cocoa Beach ) In between we shopped a few outlets, swam and chased a couple of sunshine kissed monkeys who never seemed to tire! :) (and YES, we did get tired from time to time.....but that's just us ~ the grownups!!) LOL

We can't wait to go back one day and take it all in again.Your tips and emails from my original Mickey Fever post were so helpful and encouraging and I suspect that each time you visit Disney you leave armed with a few new strategies for the next time around and a sense of its overall size and magic! And ya know what? A big part of it all is watching the sheer joy on your children's faces throughout it all! And staying hydrated. :)

So here are WAY too many pictures to share in one post, but my Mom can't see the slide shows on her computer, so I appreciate your indulgence!! (AND I did try to just pick my favorites!) Can't wait to pop around and visit with you all ~ it feels like ages since my last post and I'm sure you all have been busy too!!

Lauren picked the Lilo & Stitch Character Meal and it was FANTASTIC!! We were treated to great food and 4 characters who visited each table!! Stitch especially loved our girl as he spotted her stuffed Stitch and recognized a big fan!!

Stitch picked his nose and wiped it right on Tyler's shirt......LOL So of course.......here is Tyler picking Stitch's nose too! Ack!! But look at those faces of joy!!

Here's Mickey again........just had to share it one more time, cuz look at those faces of happiness!!

Tyler LOVeD it all too!! We had worried he might be afraid ~ not so much!! :)

Cutest waffles EVAH!!

Pretty ladies!! Mimi & Lauren

Our first meeting with Stitch at Magic Kingdom.

A bit of the Electric Parade........

Feeding a bunny in Disney.

Cup O' tea anyone??

My folks!!

Our family.....

Our best girl........

Our Baby Boy........

Peek-a-boo Mickey OR no more pictures please Mama! LOL

At the resort....

In awe watching a show at Sea World.

It's hard to see, but we are in a glass tunnel of sharks......Lauren loved it of course!!

Shamu welcomes us to Sea World.

It was a bit steamy....... :)

Tired kiddos at last! :) Lauren leaned over at the last minute, proving that she was NOT in fact asleep! LOL

Life's a Beach.........*chortle* I could never ever tire of the beach! We had an almost ideal day to visit....low tide, warm waves, few crowds....bliss & a bit of sunburn!

Beach baby......both of our kids adored the ocean ~ so happy we took the drive and time to visit.

Looking homeward........... BUT not before we had 2 special visitors........

Elvis in the HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Elvis came too. :)

Today

2010-06-03T19:03:00.001-07:00

Today I sent my little girl to school as a First Grader.

Today a proud, jubilant (almost) Second Grader hopped along beside us on the walk back home, following a shortened final day of school.

How does that happen? Its a strange and somewhat baffling phenomena when you begin marking passages of time and milestones for your child, not based solely on birthdays but also on the school calendar. When the cadence of your days takes the familiar patina of making school lunches, helping with homework, car pooling with the neighbor, scheduling play dates.........shopping for teachers gifts at the holidays, signing permission slips for field trips, chaperoning those very field trips ( soaking in the tub, sighing with relief, later that night!) helping in the class when time allows and assisting with preparations for class parties........a Valentine for each classmate and monthly Family Night events at the school.......extracurricular activities, parent teacher conferences/report cards & endless fundraisers & concerts.........a little girl's joy and love of learning, carefully guarded and celebrated along the way.

And for her: multiplication facts.......Junie B. chapter books giving way to Ramona the Brave & Magic Tree House collections, essays and short stories......fractions (YES, even in First Grade...LOL ), 3 digit subtraction, money & Time ........hatching chicks from eggs ( crying when one egg didn't make it), having your Baby brother and Mama come in for lunch(once in a while) cuz he misses you SO SO much during the day........Rocket Dog and Twinkle Toes shoes, a bit of peer pressure.........sadness for a buddy who didn't receive an invitation to the birthday party scheduled for next Saturday, but deciding to attend anyways cuz this friend counts too (comforting the sad friend and asking Mama if they can over and play one day next week)....... awareness that some classmates struggle in reading and understanding that sometimes the teacher will ask you to help them out a bit.....to be their buddy on that day or maybe for the week( and doing so with kindness)........gaining independence, successes and confidence in subtle but profound ways all throughout the year. Finding your footing in all day school.

All. Ready. Then . For . Second. Grade.

Today my little girl came home...........eye on the prize already imagining next year. Who will her teacher be? What friends will be in the same classroom as her? Which backpack to choose?

All. That. Will. Wait. (Please??) Summer beckons still..........

Today I watched her hug friends goodbye and run with abandon into my arms, bursting with news of the morning's assembly and her teacher's farewell words. Reaching for her Baby Brother, eyes alight with joy ~ digging through her bag to show me her treasures of the day.

Today. She. Took. My. Breath. Away.

I think tomorrow she will too..........

:)

A Bit More..........

2010-06-03T17:54:00.001-07:00

and what of this tiny firecracker of joyful boy? These past few mornings, with Daddy's schedule reflecting a summer change, I have been able to slip away some mornings for my long walks. I love, need and relish those walks......they help to center and calm me ~ make me a better Mama, wife, friend and neighbor. But towards the end of each journey, despite being fatigued from the miles, my pace gets a bit brisker and I click the Ipod off. Someone awaits me, a darling face pressed against the sliding glass doors ~ fingers waving, giggles ringing out through the open window, dimples flashing......."Mama - home!!" he cries out with glee and as I dash through the open door, my walk already forgotten, chubby arms encircle my legs......up he goes into my waiting arms and oh yes....... I. Am. Home. and so very blessed...........

Little man sees & celebrates all the little things, without losing sight of the big ones. From tiny bugs & blooms to airplanes bursting through the sky. So busy these days, its a wonder he'll sit for a moment to let Mama take a quick pic. But click away I do, just don't be surprised if he's not always looking and if Mama blurs the shot when he darts off or dashes head first for a big bear hug! And I don't mind one tiny bit!

Jeepers!

2010-06-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness ~ it has been WAY too long since I have been able to post and the culprit (this time) can't even be blamed on lack of time, but rather a hard drive in crisis and no access to a computer or Internet for the past 11 days! Ack!

To make a long ( and not very interesting story) short, our hard drive jumped overboard and despite our best efforts we were unable to restore our computer without loads of help ~ the kind of help that takes time and plenty of it! The kind of help that treats your computer to an extended, all expense paid holiday with the local Computer Guy who promises a 24 hour turnaround but fails to take into account the feisty nature of said computer! LOL

And its a mess ~ oh yes, it really is! Thankfully we were able to back up our key files, photos, etc. but we now find ourselves with a completely foreign looking desktop, missing icons/favorites, different functionalities that will need careful exploration as time allows ( which is pretty much never) and inboxes overflowing with emails that require attention. AND that's not mentioning all the blogs I simply can't wait to visit ~ YES, you guys ALL know who you are and YES that was single hardest thing about being "unplugged" for so long ~ missing updates on your families and adventures AND missing my almost daily emails with my folks! Suffice to say my weekly phone calls to my Mom became a bit more frequent and quite a lot longer than usual. (grin).....and yes, that's actually a silver lining of this whole thing!

Just before this all began I was experiencing a bit of "bloggy block" and was stymied on topics for a post. Trust a forced time-out to remedy that right away! LOL Naturally over the past week or so I have wanted to share so many things.....mostly just the little moments of our days.....and oh, pictures too!! But they will wait........mostly I just wanted to post something quickly tonight and then get down to the business of checking in with all of you!! Yay!!

Please know we are all doing great and though Lauren technically still has 2 days left of school, our summer fundamentally began the weekend before last when we ended up with most of neighborhood kiddos dashing through our sprinklers and little pools, shrieking with glee while they tried to stay cool in the almost 90 degree heat! When I think back on my childhood, those moments of spontaneous fun with the kids on the block always leave me a bit wistful and always smiling. Could there be anything more innocent and joyful than that? Oh and Tyler?? LOVES that water and plenty of it, once again this year!! He's not picky either ~ he likes it in any form, at any depth and at any time of the day! :)

Happy summer one and all! If you hear someone shuffling around a bit on your "bloggy" doormat, don't worry, its just me!! :) Now I just hope I can't find everyone and stay awake long enough to visit!

Black & White Wednesday

2010-05-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Of all the treasures one might have..............

diamonds, riches, properties, jewels.......

Of all the moments, both big and small, to cherish.........

graduations, weddings, holidays, promotions, celebrations........

Nothing compares to the love of a child.

Wishing Mama's everywhere peace, harmony and joy each & every day of the year........

My 2 greatest treasures...............

Another fun photo from our trampolining excursion, but our niece Allison experimented with adding a hint of color to Tyler's cheeks and I loved how it turned out! Thanks Allison!

I adore that my best girl spontaneously made a heart shape with her hands ~ that's my spunky Lauren!

Two Hearts for Hope

2010-05-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

Please if you have a spare moment, visit the link provided below to the Two Hearts for Hope organization. This foundation was started by 2 families who traveled to Kazakhstan to be united with their miracle blessings and later were called to do something more for the ones left behind.

Right now there is a small group of volunteers in Kazakhstan visiting 2 Babyhouses: one in Almaty, where among other things they installed an incredible playground for these precious children ~ imagine a child never before having access to a park......tragic.....and the other: Karakastek ~ which was Lauren's Babyhouse. Lauren's.....

Reading their thoughts on this Babyhouse(and the children) is utterly heartbreaking for me. They describe the terribly poor conditions that exist today ~ but our family knows firsthand that things were worse all those years ago(and maybe better in other ways). Over the years we have sent donations to this Babyhouse via our agency and in communicating with other families who traveled to this region, we know things have improved; but sadly not enough. When we attend Kazapalooza this summer, our collective group fundraising efforts will go to support this worthy organization and for that I am so thankful. So. Very. Thankful.

Sorry, I know this is scattered ~ battling my emotions today as I follow along with this incredible team of parents & siblings. Hoping one day that we might stand among that group.

Please, if you can, take a moment to scroll down and share in their thoughts and photos from this trip. They also have a powerful video at the top of their site.......... And if you can spare one, please save an extra prayer tonight for all the waiting children of the world. May they know there is love, compassion, hope, grace and beauty in their lives.

Thanks to you all! I couldn't think of another place or group of people I would rather share this link with and know those reading along will understand.......truly understand my thoughts and feelings today.

http://twoheartsforhope.blogspot.com/

Motion

2010-05-03T18:39:00.001-07:00

My kids in motion..........

I could have just as easily titled this post "Fun" or maybe I could create a new word combining the two ~ "fotion" or "fun-notion"! :) We spent this past weekend at my Sister's house participating in their community wide garage sale (whoooo hoooo for making some mad money AND removing a bit O' the clutter from our casa!) and celebrating our youngest niece's birthday(Happy Birthday Alyssa!). As always it was a grand time and was the perfect bookend to a busy busy week. Is there any other kind of week?? :)

Right back to basics this week and more sorting as I prepare boxes for donation or to pass along to friends.

AND yes, still battling some downloading issues with our photos but I did find a "backdoor" method that seems to be working tonight. The only glitch is that it limits my editing function a bit ~ so frustrating! I also wish to give big thanks to our wonderful niece Allison for lending her photography skills and sending along a few of the pictures featured below( and a few I'm tucking away and saving just in case!!). She rocks!

I know its WAY too many to share in one post & the order is a bit scrambled, but since I don't know when I will be able to share photos again........well, better safe than sorry I suppose!

Hope everyone is doing well and relishing this gorgeous Spring we have been blessed with this year! It felt so summer like this past weekend and today was even warmer! Sadly it seemed the camera was mostly out during the overcast moments over the weekend.......LOL but we didn't let those clouds get in our way one bit!

Fun AND motion on the trampoline! My sweet little man.......

Small but mighty!!

This was Tyler's perpetual expression of glee during his trampoline time!

And we've been to the park a time or two also. My girl sitting pretty on top of a slide.

Gotta add this one cuz look at those cheeks and mouth! I also just think he looks so much more like the baby of last Spring in a hat ~ AND he keeps his hats on(most of the time). Oops, now I've probably jinxed myself ~ ack!

Windy(I'm talking 50 mph gusts!) days don't stop my kids.........we just head to the indoor park at Menard's! LOL

Silly sideways motion on the trampoline!

A bit blurred, but look at that jumping bean! Tyler is probably teetering but somehow still standing tall! AND never does he lose that death grip on his sippy cup! *grin*

A "hair-raising" jump!

Or 2............

And I always love to end my posts with my 2 cuties together ~ they make me smile each and every day, even when the "motion" leaves me exhuasted! I wouldn't want it any other way!! :)

Kazakhstan

2010-04-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

I think for most families that have been blessed with a child through international adoption there comes with it the understanding that your child arrives with both a full history separate from us and a first culture that is completely and distinctly their own, or would have been had they been raised in their country of birth.

As April has marked 7 years since our journey to Lauren and Kazakhstan, I have been reflecting back on the choices we have made in sharing and honoring her birth culture and how those same decisions have helped to shape our family and ultimately her perception of her blended heritage.

Early on we realized with some dismay the great task that lay before us in blending aspects of a culture into our own that we knew very little about; certainly our 3 weeks in country gave us a sampling of Kazakhstan's rich past and of its traditions, but of course as visitors (and new parents at that!) our focus was primarily on bonding and caring for our beautiful baby girl. We were fortunate, as Lauren's Babyhouse was truly remote, to experience both the ammenities of Kazakhstan's largest city and former capital (Almaty) and the rugged, harsh beauty of its rural farm lands, mountain landscapes and one tiny and impoverished village. The contrast between the 2 was astonishing and stark ~ yet each held its own magic for us and each left us gaping out the window in awe as we sped through the streets during our daily visits to see Lauren. Certainly there was poverty and ugliness ~ much as there is in most major cities or disadvantaged areas. Certainly there were aspects that would be easier to "forget" or tuck away into the passages of a dusty journal, but that wouldn't do justice to the land, its battle for independence after Soviet control or its courageous people ~ Lauren's people. In so many ways, our people too.

And we stumbled quite a bit in the beginning. I know we did. We knew very little of the native tongue(s) spoken ( Kazakh/Russian), had no access to an immigrant population from Kazakhstan here in the States (none exist to our knowledge ), no restaurants that specialized in Kazakh foods, no recognized Kazakhstani celebrations here in the U.S., no Kazakh-town to visit, explore and learn from. No idea where to begin beyond her life book, our own perceptions, photos, journals, videos and keepsakes brought back from our travels. We doubted ourselves and took 2 steps back for every one forward. Somedays it just seemed too large a task. Complicating things( in our minds only ) was the fact that had Lauren remained in her birth country she may have been raised with a Ukrainian background ~ celebrating Ukrainian holidays and traditions. ( a very very small minority in Kazakhstan) We also understood that had she remained in her Babyhouse ( something I just can't even contemplate) she would have been within her culture of birth, but not truly part of it. That loss occurred long before we set eyes on our beloved daughter and in all the big ways the decision that led to that initial loss was also the decision that allowed the 3 of us to become a family. (now we are 4!) It was sometimes hard to reconcile the 2 once upon a time. Our tremendous gift of her and her initial losses.

Yet when we looked into the eyes of this precious little one, we knew without a doubt we had to do better ~ for her and for us.......but mostly for her. She could not grow up celebrating basic Kazakh or Ukrainian cultural tenants with pride & understanding without our purposeful intentions. We may not have been (or be today ) the best folks for the job, but it is our responsibility and one we discovered along the way was a true privilege & joy. We are her ambassadors, her allies and really her team to keeping that part of her birth legacy alive and meaningful for her. How amazing it has been to discover it together, to learn as we go both through the missteps and triumphs and to make it a part of our family today. Not so much even hers or his or mine anymore.........simply ours. And Lauren? She has been both a forgiving and patient partner in this journey. More than we could have hoped for or really deserved.

So we honor her birth culture in both little and big ways. The treasures tucked away for her are intended for milestone events, but we display pieces of lovely handmade Kazakh. pottery right alongside the Hummels in the China cabinet. A dombra (a Kaz. guitar, lovingly wrapped and transported with extreme care home from Kaz.) hangs in our living room and has been mastered by Scott so that someday Lauren can learn this indigenous instrument should she wish to. Ukrainian ornaments hang on the boughs of our Christmas tree, each one telling a different story and eliciting a sweet smile from our girl when we unwrap them each year. A Russian fairytale collection sits proudly along side her other books, its pages creased with use. A tattered recipe collection of Kazakh/Russian dishes, some marked with a triumphant smiley face (others with an "ack!") is tucked in with my other (admittedly few) cook books. We talk of returning one day to visit and know it will be difficult to do so.(few travel Visas are issued) A miniature Kazakhstan flag nestled into a glass keepsake box displaying her many treasures from both here and afar, are just but a few. And still these are just things..........(we know culture can't really be found in a recipe or restaurant or even a trip downtown(its a start though!!), but gosh there are days I wish it could be. For her & for him.)

Just things yes, but tangible and approachable. Threads to her unique past and also as our journey as a family. Less tangible, but equally precious have been the family connections ~ the friendships found with other families that have been fortunate enough to bring home a Kaz. angel. Over the years watching these amazing children grow & thrive has been incredible and though some dear friends have moved away and it becomes more difficult each year to find a weekend ~ a day ~ to meet as a group, the effort continues and the rewards are immense ~ for the parents AND the children. How lucky & blessed we are to now count Taiwan adoptive families in our circle also.

And the holidays and traditions......... in lieu of a family day celebration we have, over the years, found great joy in celebrating the Nauryz, a Kazakh holiday celebrating the arrival of Spring. This holiday was all but wiped out during the occupation of Kaz. by the Soviet Union but is a cherished and ancient holiday of significance honoring their early nomadic origins. Imagine how delighted we were to discover it has strong parallels to the Chinese New Year ( though in no way is identical to it) and in fact this holiday is celebrated across much of Asia and along the Silk Road. On this day, usually held around March 21st or 22nd ( to mark the Spring Equinox) our family has taken the best parts of it or rather the parts that suit Lauren best :) and we celebrate the love of one special girl by taking a hike to a local nature preserve, or building a bird house from scratch or picking up litter at a local park ~ whatever our girl picks and loves most for that year! We understand that our connections to her birth culture are in large part dependant on Lauren too ~ its never static and has changed dramatically over the years as she has grown to embrace some aspects of her heritage(or how we celebrate them) more readily and eagerly than others. And too, as a child grows, so does their capacity for understanding and participating in these decisions, in shaping the direction of this exploration. That has been fun and interesting to watch unfold too! And sometimes means taking a big ole step back and remembering its really about her (or him).

With a sense that its always and forever evolving has come the inevitable feelings of loss when one door has closed ( such as a Kaz. adoptive family moving away ~though still in our lives and hearts ~ etc. ) but with that comes a reminder of embracing and being open to new gifts ~ to never stop looking for ways to embrace what I sometimes have thought of as a ghost culture for children growing up apart from their birth heritage. This year our family is eagerly anticipating a weekend long stay at a resort with almost 100 other families, all of them adoptive Kaz. families. We will meet to celebrate these children, share our respective journeys and to raise money for the ones left behind. No one is more excited or proud than our Lauren to have this weekend circled on the calendar and as its now an annual event, we hope to participate each year in the future!

Finally and oh my, this is becoming a rambling post (ack!) I wanted to touch briefly on something I have shared before ~ the contrasts between Tyler's seemingly more accessible and recognizable birth culture and of Lauren's. Of course I (we ) have worried and being a Mama (being a parent!) means the worry won't ever end. I have been concerned that she might feel left out or envious of the avenues we have available to us for exploring Tyler's birth culture or feel his is more accepted in the mainstream or better understood. I can share with you all, that at this time at least, that simply has not been the case. Just the opposite ~ no one and I mean no one has been more proud, enthusiastic and eager to share, cultivate and even advocate for his birth culture than Lauren. And I think, though I have not asked and though she has not articulated this to me.......I think that perhaps she just knows and understands something that maybe we cannot at a basic level. If so, then I think, hope & pray that we can aid Tyler in his exploration so that he too will grow to embrace, honor and cherish not just his own, or hers, or our family's, but cultures of the world ~ to find the beauty and commonality in them all . If we can do that, then maybe we will have done something right for them both, despite the false starts, stumbles and ignorance afterall. And maybe despite the dropped or missed threads of their birth cultures this too can be a place to start and grow from.

Edit to Add: I have to smile to myself cuz once again this is SO NOT the direction I intended this post to take. Initially I wanted to share snippets of Kazakhstan culture and my thoughts on exploring Lauren's birth culture with her in small, sporadic posts. Well......life got in the way again with lots of busy fun :) and the result is this mini novel featured above! LOL If you made it all the way to the end I thank you in a HUGE way!!

Lauren

2010-04-15T09:59:00.001-07:00

In April of 2003 we embarked on a remarkable journey to bring home our precious baby girl. Our travels took us around the world ( and back again ) and while aspects of our travels were daunting ~ we would do it a million & one times over again for the gift of this beautiful baby ~ the baby we were blessed to find in Kazakhstan ~ our Lauren.

Last year I shared with you all a longer summary of our time in Kazakhstan, of its raw ~ almost harsh beauty and landscape ~ of its solemn, courteous and courageous people ~ of the many acts of kindness bestowed upon us from virtual strangers.......of one sweet tiny infant girl who opened her heart to us in all the important and big ways, making us the parents & family we are today. Looking at the photo above.....seeing those eyes peering over Scott's shoulder ~ I'm right back there; standing in a Babyhouse in a remote corner of Kazakhstan, watching the moments tumble by that would become the bedrock ~ the threads ~ of our family history. Seeing in those eyes both a keen curiosity and probably bits of trepidation, for we were still strangers to this child. I wrote last year ( Her Story: April 21st, 2009) that the moment ~ that very first time ~ I gazed into those eyes it was instant clarity.......... I was home ~ I was her Mama ~ and so very blessed. Still very far away from the place we called home....but "home" just the same.

7 years doesn't seem like such a great span of time and there are still moments I see bits of that baby in my 7 year old big girl today. Her spirit, infectious laugh, intellect, compassion, mischievous twinkle all still remain. The cheeks have thinned and the legs are much longer......more hair to style and once in a while an abundant stubborn streak too. An amazing big sister now too. 7 years ago an angel found her way into our arms ~ how thankful and fortunate we are for the miracle of this child. How amazing it still seems, despite this passage of time that we were chosen to shepherd this remarkable child of God and delight daily in all that she is.....all that she was.....and all she has yet to become. How lucky we are to watch her continued journey and story unfold each day.

Lauren,

Never forget for a moment how loved & cherished you are and by so many. On April 18th, 2003 a judge in Karakastek, Kazakhstan made official what we already knew in our hearts. On that day, our adoption decree was granted ~ we passed court ~ and became a joyous family of 3. We spent 3 weeks in your country of birth, with many highlights throughout our stay; but on this day we knew without hesitation that we were yours' ~ always & forever

Thank you for finding your way to us............the joy you have brought us over these past 7 years is beyond measure. It was the gift & staggering bliss of you that gave us the courage to find your incredible baby brother last year ~ he too is part of your legacy.

I love you, always & forever.

xoxo

Mama

Hopping Along......

2010-04-07T07:07:00.001-07:00

We have been hopping along right through a fabulous Girls' Weekend(with our little man too of course!) of shopping (outlets!!) which launched our Spring Break, followed by a splendid Easter and extra long visit with my folks.(which I love!)

So many things to share about these past couple of weeks and oh my has the weather been gorgeous, even summer like for many of our Spring Break days. Our days seemingly zoomed right by but the moments I remember most are the sweet ones of flying kites, hunting eggs, watching a little one ( or 2!) discover the bliss of eggs laden with M&M's, bargain hunting with my "girls", long chats with my Mom, creating sidewalk chalk masterpieces with my best girl, trips to the park and watching my 2 munchkins delight in the company of family/cousin joy!

We returned home to find EVERYTHING, absolutely everything in bloom and while this week has brought those April showers ~ and a raging sinus infection for me (Mama), it seems that Spring has Sprung for real and I had almost forgotten how green and luscious things can grow around these parts. Or at least the hint of luscious growth around the corner.

Soccer season has began once again for our Little Miss and her days are filled with school, friends & music ( her tune de jour this week is the Black Eyed Peas, "I Got a Feeling"). We are all excited for the first game this weekend which coach just called to tell us about!

And what about her biggest fan? Yep, Tyler is anxious for the games to resume too as he spends a rapturous hour racing along the sidelines hollering out (with plenty O' gusto, I might add ) for his Big Sis. Course he also takes every opportunity to attempt to "lose us" and dash ONTO the field for some real play.......so its a win/win as Mama gets her exercise too! :)

AND he adored Easter this year( he was so very little last year!). Watching his pure delight with each egg & he was so pleased with just one or two. Of course his sister made certain that his basket was full and watching them together.......well, it just never gets old for me.

Also this week I am attempting to wean our littlest dumpling from his steady diet of candy (fed by loving family members) LOL of LAST week. Oh well! What a sweet tooth he has! All last week we heard, "beana(jelly beans ya know!), yeah? peesh." That's kinda hard to resist! *grin*

We are also having some techie problems with our photo downloads much to my great disappointment. Many of our pics are being written as "read only" and I have not been able to decipher the cause yet or a remedy. I know what to do but our "pesky puter" won't go along with me. :( But I was able to snag a few before the problem began, so I will share those with the hope the rest might follow. We actually had many great ones to share.......I mean how can you NOT have loads of decent shots when you mix in candy, eggs, fab. weather & cousins? I'll keep working on it!

In the meantime here is a sampling and as always thanks for stopping by!

All dressed for church.

I just have to share about this shot: Tyler was the first to spot and grab ahold of the Bunny Eggs my folks had filled with money for each grandchild ~ upon snagging one of each color he gleefully took a victory lap all through the living room/dining with this HUGE smile of glory on his face! And my Dad had been worried that T wouldn't be impressed with those eggs.....*giggle*

And the below shots are courtesy of Lauren & Tyler's wonderful cousin Allison and were taken the day of our shopping excursion to the outlets. So fun!

YES, that is a REAL snake the girls are holding.......and YES it was all Lauren's idea! *gulp" I love T's expression...... & yes, this mall has it all!!

Tyler loves his A. Beth and sipping through a straw!

Lauren and Alyssa's dream sport utility vehicle. ;)

My girl has a big heart for all critters......and I stock plenty of hand gel! lol

Tyler was a good sport for our shopping day........but eventually the strain got to him. Getting so big now & doing so many things........but always my baby boy.

Black & White Wednesday

2010-03-24T06:01:00.001-07:00

It's been so "Dog-gone" busy around here of late that I have not been able to play along with Lisa's Black & White Wednesdays for some time. But I just had to share a pic ( or 2! ) of our furry girl, Lexi, as she really & truly is......both black AND white, photo treatment or no treatment!

Here are the vitals on our furry baby:

Age: 10 1/2 by Dog standards that makes her a genteel lady, one in her upper 60's. BUT absolutely NO ONE believes that's she's anything other than a puppy due to her boundless energy and sass!

Breed: Lexi is a Maltese and was considered a "teacup" at birth. By the time we first glimpsed her it was clear she was going to exceed the expected 4 pnds. most teacups average. We laughed, scooped her up and called her our "cappuccino mug"! Nowadays at 9 pnds. we've dubbed her "our platter". We love our furry girl so!

A bit about her: Hmmm....loves chicken & ham. Heart of a lion and I don't honestly believe she knows she's tiny. What she lacks in size she more than makes up for in tenacity. The big dogs on the block are both fascinated and a bit intimidated by her....LOL........she loathes water & shakes & shivers if she knows its her day at the groomers. :) She's fiercely loyal, playful, sweet as sugar and most definitely is a Mama's girl. (which I LOVE ) A bit neurotic about being left alone for too long.......and still a touch indignant about these 2 fur less kids that invaded her scene. ;) Nonetheless she adores and guards those very kids as if her life depended on it, day in & day out.

She made co-sleeping fashionable long before it was, tolerates Halloween costumes, doggy sweaters and dresses at Christmas ( at Lauren's insistence ya know!) :) and takes so little, while giving us all SO very much.

She's a bundle of contradiction and we couldn't adore her more!

I love this last one.....I call it, "Kissy Face"......Tyler is so intent on kissing her, all puckered up and ready.....and Lexi....well, she looks a bit like........help me??

And just in case I don't make it back on to post again before Easter ( company coming....travel, etc. ) Wishing you all a grand Easter and I'll be anxious to check back in with you all when I can!