MERRY CHRISTMAS

May your day be full of love and joy.

Nutcracker

We have a tradition.  My sister-in-law and I plan on taking each kid to the Nutcracker this year was Nathaniel's turn.

The problem was SIL went and had a baby the night before the ballet.

O.K not a problem cuz now I have a beautiful new niece.

So my sister filled in for her.  and we had a good ol' time.

Tried to make it fun night with pizza before hand.  Then off to the ballet.

In all honesty he got a bit bored with the snowflakes and fairies but once the soldiers started waving their swords and the guns fired he was all eyes and ears.

All in all we had a good time.  The next morning my little man was doing ballet twirls on the kitchen floor.

I just got to hold my new niece

and she is PERFECT!

see I told you.  Absolutely perfect.

So happy that her mommy and daddy shared cuz I am kinda a baby hog.

It is going to be an extra special Christmas.

Pete's brother . . . one happy daddy

Gotcha Day

Three years ago today I was given the most precious gift.


This morning I went back and read  this post then this one and another and all of them in-between, my words were sparse but the memories oh the memories. And the tears just came and did not stop for quite a while.

Adoption is just amazing and beautiful completely unimaginable.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have put our family together in this way only God could orchestrate such a miracle.

If any of you are pondering adoption I say take the leap the reward is AMAZING!

Fill Their Stockings

Check out my sidebar a new button has appeared.

3 amazing ladies
3 amazing organizations
all supporting Orphans in China

Check it out  "Fill Their Stockings"

HAPPY DONATING!!

Happy Birthday

to my Hubby.  

Every year we have a "Friends Thanksgiving"  this year it happens to fall on Pete's birthday.  We will be celebrating surrounded by friends.  . . Sounds pretty good to me.

 I feel pretty blessed to have this man in my life.  

Anyone recognize this?

 

  

Hainan Air - Flight to Beijing. 

3 years ago today on my hubby's birthday he drove me to the airport, kissed me goodbye, never again would we be a family of 4.

My sister, dad and I boarded a flight to China that forever changed our family. 

Oh the memories!!!!

Can you tell we were just a little excited??

My Girly @ 104

Naomi had a fever of 104 a couple of nights ago.  Today no more fever but a cough and a run down little girl.

I hate to say it but it is kinda fun for this mamma.

She is snugly and can sit still for more than 2 seconds and her voice is a little horse so she is whispering. 

You see my girl is an ON THE GO kinda gal and a bit LOUD most of the time.

A little break from the norm is kinda nice

especially when I get to hold and love on my girl.  I always remember that there was a day that she did not have a mommy to just sit and hold her.  I LOVE being this girls mommy It makes me happy.

Halloween in Pictures

Just in case you can't quite tell who's pumpkin is what . . .  Nathaniel made "Jump Rope Guy"
Zach 's is a mummy and Naomi made Hello Kitty

We had a bunch of neighbors over for a quick dinner before we all went trick-or-treating. At one point I counted 20 kids never counted the parents but all the kids had at least one parent most had two.  We had a great time but I never got out my camera.  You know kinda busy getting dinner on the table.

These pictures are from today.  I tried to just forget about getting shots of the kids but it just did not seem right.  I NEED them for history.

So here goes

My girl was an Fall Fairy, she never put on her costume yesterday. Too scary!!

Truth be told she really wanted to be a green apple.  We went to the fabric store to get the supplies but when we got there this costume was 70% off . . . I was sold.  I kinda "sold" her on it.  This mamma does not know how to sew.

Look how beautiful she looks as an Autumn Fairy

Pirate Zach

ARGH!!

Ninja Nathaniel

I will be glad when it is over - Halloween

You see this sweet little face

the poor thing is ABSOLUTELY terrified of  Halloween - it is SCARY.

The pumpkins are fun, the not so scary Halloween books are good, the farm was great. . . other than that she is a mess.

She does not like Target - scary guys are there

Grocery store - today she cried when I told her we were going and had her head buried into me the most of the time.

She sticks to me like glue once it is dark outside, not just the same room but within a foot of me at all times.

My girly is a nervous nelly.

Bring on Thanksgiving.

Trying out . . . Jumpin Rope

Last Thursday my Nathaniel tried out for the school jump rope team.

Sponsored by the American Heart Association, I kinda like that cause my boy is a heart baby.

I kept hearing things like "people try out for years and never make it"  and  "it is so hard to get on the team"

The "LIST" was posted today at 3:30. . . let's just say this mamma had a bit of a tummy ache.

Nathaniel . . . he played it cool.

He told me he did 40 double unders at tryouts with no misses on his routine.

This boy

He Did it

He made the team.

Oh GEESH I am so excited for him

Polka-Dots

Oh how I love this girl. 

Pumpkin Cookies

It is starting to look feel like fall around here.  Still waiting for the beautiful fall colors.  Soon, I am sure of it.

Fall in Washington is BEAUTIFUL.

While we wait for the fall colors we thought we would make some of our favorite cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar then combine egg, pumpkin and vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

mix wet and dry ingredients

add 1 cup chocolate chips OR 1 cup raisins

drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet
bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes

store them in an airtight container and they are even yummier the next day . . . kinda cake like.

The Farm

This was Naomi's very first field trip.  To the pumpkin patch

At first she played shy -  She wanted me in the corn box with her, I have to say it was pretty cool a bit dusty but it felt good on the feet.  Probably the closest thing to a spa that I will see for a while.

Old School pumps - love the red color

Petting the kitten

Can you guess what baby animal we were looking at here??? *

 Simply FUN!

I just loved this Basset he ran this farm, I could tell - he demanded a seat on the hay ride and well he got it.  Who could resist those eyes and ears? Not I

The hunt is on for the perfect pumpkin

She found it!

* 3 day old baby bunnies