Our Suzhou Princess

My Girl

2009-12-17T12:47:00.003-06:00

Chloe decided she didn't like her hat and gloves that she had from last year. Luckily we end up at the store quite often so I let her pick out new ones. Chloe is very opinionated and often times it just isn't worth the struggle with her to hash this kind of thing out. She will wear clothes-that is what is important. They usually match too. Sometimes she even has to have coordinating underwear! LOL! She doesn't care when I explain that no one will see them except her and I. She let me take a few photos of her in her new hat, gloves, and boots. I think she looks pretty darn cute. The new pants are a little big. Oh well.... :)

Funny Chloeism

2009-12-14T21:40:00.005-06:00

I am so silly....

Posing for the camera

Cheese!

Chloe and her gingerbread house

Today Princess Chloe was in rare form. Sometimes in the morning she likes to play on nickjr.com. I will let her for a little bit while I clean and get ready for the

day. Today I hopped in the shower really quick. As I was getting out I heard something fall to the floor. I knew it wasn't Chloe per say because it wasn't that loud. I called down to her and she said everything was fine (which I just knew wasn't). Quickly I put on my robe and went to check out the commotion. Princess had gotten down my gourmet M&Ms and eaten all of them, painted her right fingernails with a red marker, put about $3 in change in the printer, and eaten a Toblerone bar. This is all in the span of about 10 minutes. I said to her, "Chloe! I can't trust you down here for even a minute by yourself!" She looked up at me so casually and said, "Well.....I just didn't know any better."

Allergies.....

2009-12-02T09:59:00.002-06:00

Princess has snored since we came home from China. It is so loud. Finally we took her to the ENT and he referred us to the allergist. Her tonsils are fine but her adenoids are enlarged. We went Monday and they did some allergy testing. They used the scratch tests and we had to wait in the office for about 20 minutes for the results. I was so glad Matt was with me. Trying to keep her occupied for 20 minutes (with her shirt off-which she did NOT like) would have been difficult. We played with rubber bands, lip gloss, and colored on paper. She did pretty good. We could see she was reacting to something because one of the marks was getting red and raised. Chloe started complaining that it itched and suddenly broke out into song. How fitting when she belted out, "Oh....what you do to me...." from the Plain White T's. LOL! Turns out she is allergic to mold-the kind that grows in dirt. Can't do much about that! The allergist didn't think that was causing her snoring so we're back to the ENT next week.

Miss Personality

2009-11-30T21:52:00.003-06:00

Can I be silly? Well....of course!!!!

Pucker up and give me a kiss!

This is my serious, reflective pose....

Look out people.....Stand back! Chloe has arrived!

Oh yeah....I know I'm cute!

A few weeks ago I took the kids to a forest preserve for our annual fall photo session. They walk around and I take tons of photos. The kids are all good sports about my fanatical posing and snapping. I took these photos of Chloe. I didn't prompt her or anything. She just starts to strike these funny poses. She is so comical and I think it shows almost all the time.

On a side note I wanted to share a little story about how sweet she can be too. Last night I stayed up really, really late scouring the grocery shopping ads for the week. My newest obsession is super couponing and I am on a mission to save some mucho money. When the coupons all started blending together I decided to go to bed. It was probably pretty close to midnight. Chloe was fast asleep already in our bed. I crawled in and she sat straight up! She looked at me all wide-eyed for a second. Suddenly she blew me a kiss!!! She laid right back down and started snoring again. LOL! I don't know where it came from but I'll take it. Usually she wakes up all cranked. Definitely not sunshine and rainbows for sure. Matt and I just looked at each other and laughed. It was too cute!

Great Day!!!!

2009-11-17T23:04:00.003-06:00

Strike a pose!

Today we had our one year follow-up with the pediatric cardiologist. We made the hour and fifteen minute trek into the city all the while Chloe was listening to the Taylor Swift music Daddy downloaded to his ipod for her. When we brought Chloe home from China she had a small VSD in her heart. We knew this when we accepted her referral. She did great for the echo and other tests. A few times she started to get nervous and whine a bit. The staff was wonderful and you could tell they really have a heart for kids. *Wink Wink*

When the echo was done the doctor walked in and said that he had been watching in the next room on his screen. He then asked, "What have you been doing? What have you been feeding her?" Huh? Then he said the most beautiful thing, "Because it's gone!" I almost started to cry. It was very emotional. It is GONE!!! She had a 40% chance that it could heal itself and it did. He seemed a bit surprised and said to us, "I wish I knew the date this happened." Me too, because we would be having a nice celebration.

Chloe's VSD was never going to require surgery and she didn't have any health restrictions. It was something she could have lived her entire life with and never had a problem. I just loved hearing her heart was whole and healed.

Tonight we were laying in bed with her helping her fall asleep. She leaned over and said to us, "Momma....you make my heart so happy and Dadda....you make my heart so happy too!" Oh man, that really brought tears to my eyes!

Princess Turns 3!!!!!

2009-11-15T11:06:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Princess Chloe is now 3 years old!!! The last few days when ever anyone would start singing Happy Birthday she would stop them and say, "It's not my birthday yet." This morning she woke up next to me and I starting singing Happy Birthday to her. She looked at me all wide eyed as if she was thinking that everyone must get a birthday but her. She just acted like "Pinch me! It can't be MY birthday!" She is so happy today. This week when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said a Belle dress, crown, princess necklace, and princess bracelet. When she opened it she was giddy with excitement. She Ooohed and Ahhhed at everything. After many Thank Yous she said, "I can't believe I got everything I wanted!"

We can't believe we have been blessed with being her parent's. How could we be so lucky? She is all we could have dreamed for and more. Happy Birthday Princess!!!

Dancing Queen

2009-11-02T21:50:00.002-06:00

*Disclaimer-I have no idea where she learned any of this. It certainly wasn't from us. LOL!*

I just had to post this video of Chloe I took yesterday. Whenever she hears music, she just has to bust a move. She is especially fond of really bad 70s music but she won't discriminate. Anything with a beat will do. Rachael was practicing some new music on the piano and Chloe broke out into her interpretive dance. It looks like a cross between Michael Flatley and Michael Jackson. She cracks me up when she closes her eyes and shakes her arms and legs. Make sure to watch it until the end. She does this moon walk thing. It is hilarious!!!!

Few Fun Chloe Photos

2009-06-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

These are pictures of Chloe at the Brookfield Zoo. We were checking out the Dinosaurs Live! presentation. I'm not exactly sure where this face came from. I think she got a few pointers from Nolan. He is her Suzhou sister's big brother and she had such a fun time hanging out with him. We had such a great time with our friends and I will post more about that later. I just had to add these pictures of our delicate, sweet princess!

Disney Vacation Day 2

2009-06-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

The following day we went to the Magic Kingdom. We hit Fantasy Land first. Luckily the line for Dumbo was short and we knocked it out. It is hard to imagine why we, as parents, wait so long for a 90 second ride. It is fun, of course, but not worth a 45 min or longer wait. Chloe loved all of the rides. She was fascinated by the characters Alice and the Mad Hatter when the climbed on the teacups. She kept turning around and staring. Her favorite was Captain Hook! She is a HUGE Peter Pan fan so when she saw him she had to have her picture taken with him. After lunch we headed back to the room for a much needed nap by all. I think everyone of us crashed for a few hours!

More Photos from our 1st full day at Disney

2009-06-01T10:22:00.002-05:00

Disney Vacation part 1

2009-05-29T13:10:00.004-05:00

Chloe on the Triceratops Twirl. Can we say Thrill Seeker?

Ryan in Dinoland

Jacob hanging out prehistoric style. The amazing view from our room!

Granny and Jacob on the plane.

Earlier this month we traveled to Disney World for our first trip since late 2005. The last time we went Jacob was 17 months old and we were getting ready to start our China adoption. Little did we think that on our next trip we would be celebrating our 1 year anniversary of adopting Chloe!

We had such a wonderful time. This time we splurged and upgraded to the Beach Club Resort. Wow!!! It was sooo nice and really spoiled us. Our room was wonderful-overlooking the quiet pool. There were so many kids activities that we didn't even get to do all of them. Our flights were good and the kids traveled so well.

Above are some photos from the day we arrived and our first full day. We visited the Animal Kingdom.

I've Been a Bad Blogger.....Finally some pics

2009-05-23T16:42:00.003-05:00

Smiley Jacob

Princess Chloe

Okay....it has been WAY too many months since I have updated our blog. I won't give a million excuses-just a few pics from last month. I will try to be better and catch up by blogging about our new adventures!

Reindeer Food-Christmas Eve

2009-01-22T21:03:00.001-06:00

Christmas Eve was so much fun with Jacob and Chloe. Rachael and Ryan are gone until bedtime. Their Dad's family celebrates the holiday on Christmas Eve and we celebrate Christmas Day so Daddy and I were alone with the little ones. After they had changed into their pjs we realized we had almost forgotten to put out our reindeer food! They both got bundled up and Mom risked life and limb to take a few photos of Chloe's first time waiting on the big guy. She loved it! Jacob was such a helpful big brother and shared so nicely with her. We are so blessed.

Jacob's Preschool Christmas Party

2009-01-21T15:58:00.003-06:00

Like my fat lip? I fell at my Granny's house while I was playing with my new Matchbox car set.

Aren't I just too cute?!

School is so fun!

Now I am starting ot get tired.....

Performing.....I love it!

Jacob had his preschool Christmas party the same day as our FCC cookie exchange. Grandma Ruth and I were both able to make it. They sang so many cute songs. They even had a few musical instruments and used sign language for one song. It was just adorable. At the end we got all of the crafts he had made in December at school. They used them to decorate the classroom. We brought them home and decorated our house with them! Priceless.....

FCC Playgroup Cookie Exchange

2009-01-19T07:57:00.002-06:00

Chloe had fun at the cookie exchange but the photo was just a bit too much for her. She gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes when there are a lot of people she doesn't know and Mommy can't hold her. This is one of 2 photos Rachael got of the group before I swooped Chloe out.

When we got home from China we joined a local Families with Children from China playgroup. We haven't been able to make all of the dates but the ones that we have gone to have been so much fun! One of the wonderful Mom's reserved her club house for the cookie exchange. Besides the yummy cookies, there were fun crafts and some of the children sang songs. We enjoyed a fun and fantastic lunch with our friends and headed back home for Jacob's Christmas party at school. Rachael and Ryan came with us too which made the cookie exchange even more fun!

FCC Holiday Party

2009-01-18T18:49:00.004-06:00

Part of our local FCC group

Eating snacks-mmmmmm!

Catch me Rachael!

Waiting for their turn with Santa.

Santa (aka Grandpa) in his glory!

Last month our local FCC had their annual holiday party. Last year we assisted with letting Santa know about the festivities and we did the same again this year. I couldn't make it because Ryan was at a swim meet so Matt took Chloe, Jacob, and Rachael. This was Chloe's first time meeting Santa and she LOVED him! She wasn't frightened at all. It really surprised me. All of the kids really enjoyed Santa and from what I heard, he really enjoyed being at the party and seeing all of the smiling faces. The kids made an adorable ornament. It was a clear glass ornament filled with white paper shreds and a red thread. On the outside they glued a red thread poem. It is now one of my treasured keepsakes. Matt said the food was amazing and he had such a great time seeing everyone. I was so sad to have missed it. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful local FCC group. The other families are so kind and fun to be around.

On another note, Ryan did really well at his swim meet. He got to "swim up" for one of the relay races. He moved up to the 11-14 age group and they placed 4th in the meet. This one was a huge meet with sometimes over 50 swimmers in a single event. Overall Ryan did extremely well and shaved off a lot on his best times.

Chloe and Baby Abigail

2009-01-16T13:27:00.002-06:00

Chloe loves her new cousin Abigail. She talks about her all of the time. I think I mentioned over the summer about how much Chloe LOVES babies. We would go to the water park and a little one would catch her eye. She would slowly make her way over and, if okay with the parents and myself, would gently touch their head or hand (or both if she was really lucky). She is just so sweet and gentle with babies. It makes me wonder sometimes if she was in a foster home with a younger child. She loves to imitate so it wouldn't surprise me if that is how this started. It makes me feel good to think that maybe her sweet, gentle personality (when it comes to babies) is because there was a lot of love in her foster home.

Few More Cute Photos from Nolan and Monica's Wedding

2009-01-15T22:01:00.003-06:00

Chloe and Aunt Judy

Jacob and cousins Claudia and Dylan. They are each a year apart. Won't high school be interesting.......

Ryan and cousin Thor-Can't you just see these two in trouble together in a few years? Yes, that is a pirate drink sword on Ryan's pinky. He is the kiddie cocktail king!

I saved these photos in another spot on the computer. I just came across them. I thought they were so cute and I wanted to share them. :)

Pictures from Chloe's Birthday in November

2009-01-13T08:06:00.003-06:00

I am ready to go shopping!

I really like this, but I am not sure about everyone looking at me!

Grandma Ruth and Chloe-what an amazing cake! Quite fitting for a princess.

Grandma always makes such beautiful cakes.

Showing off for party guests. Believe it or not, this is a relaxing pose for her.

I just realized I didn't post photos from Princess Chloe's birthday party. Grandma Ruth made her a wonderful princess birthday cake. She really enjoyed opening all of the presents. Until then, she hadn't really opened too many. She did get a lot of gifts when we came home from China but most of them were clothes and in gift bags. It didn't take her long to figure out how to rip them open to see the magical surprise inside. She got a bit overwhelmed when it was time to sing happy birthday. I don't think she liked everyone looking at her. By the end of the song she put her head down and cried. I felt so bad for her. She bounced back quickly and enjoyed her cake.

I just can't believe she turned two. On the other hand, sometimes she seems like she is 5! She is so very, very smart. She knows so many of her colors, numbers, alphabet letters, shapes, and concepts. When I think that she has only been here for 8 months it amazes me even more. I get so surprised when she says things like, "That's me!" It seems like she should be saying, "That's Chloe!" I can't believe she knows how to use pronouns. Last weekend we were at my Mom's house. Chloe loves her new cousin Abigail. There is a photo of Baby Abigail on a small table in the living room. Chloe put a toy over the photo and my Mom asked her, "Where is baby Abigail?" I figured she would pull the photo away and gleefully say, "Right here!" Sort of a "peek-a-boo" type of game. Well, smarty pants Chloe moved the toy, looked at Granny and said with her "Well H-E-L-L-O?" kind of voice, "Baby Abigail is behind here" as she moved the toy. I just laughed because I couldn't believe she got the concept of things being in front and behind (all of the spatial stuff). I guess I should have figured she was a genius when she said her first sentence in English after only being with us for a month. She was in the pool and looked at Matt's dad and said, "Grandpa, I want to get out." He said, "She just said she wanted to get out!" I said, "No. She just said-Grandpa, I want to get out!" Oh......what are we in for..........

Gingerbread Houses-from November

2009-01-11T21:57:00.003-06:00

Making gingerbread houses at Grandma's house with our cousins.

Oh man! I love doing this!!!!

Cheese!

I don't think I have eaten enough candy yet.

Jacob and his finished house.

I am still playing catch-up from 2008! A family tradition in our family is to make gingerbread houses over Thanksgiving weekend. Grandma Ruth starts making the gingerbread from scratch starting the beginning of November. This year she made 40 molds! That an amazing woman! Poor Chloe was sick over Thanksgiving though and had to wait until the following Thursday to make hers. She loved it! It was quite funny to watch her. She would carefully put on a few pieces of candy and then sneak one off. Shortly afterwards she would replace it (plus add a few more) and then eat another. She was eating a sucker by the end. She decided it would be smarter to put it in her mouth and then add sprinkles. They stick much better to a wet sucker!

Jacob had a lot of fun too. He actually got to make two houses this year. He did a great job and I was so impressed with them. He put them together on his own and did some really creative decorating. He made logs of tootsie rolls, gingerbread boys, and even an ice cream cone tree! Ryan and Rachael made houses too but didn't really feel like spending quite as much time on them this year as in years past. It was fun to see all of them finished.

Wow! It has been awhile.....

2009-01-08T22:13:00.004-06:00

Since my last post! The holidays were so much fun. We went to Nolan and Monica's wedding on Chloe's 2nd birthday. We had so much fun. Chloe and Jacob were the king and queen of the dance floor. They had such a great time playing with their cousins Claudia and Dylan. I think Chloe would have danced until she collapsed. When we first came home from China she had no idea how to dance. She didn't even bounce to the music. Now she doesn't stop! Jacob and Ryan were doing their best attempts at break dancing until Mom put the kabosh on it for fear of them injuring other guests! LOL! Rachael wasn't in too much of a dancing mood so she hung out with the older cousins at the table (probably laughing at the rest of us!).

Poor Chloe was sick on Thanksgiving. She had her terrible fever with no other symptoms again. It gets crazy high and she spends a lot of time in the tub. I went over to my Mom's house with the other kids while Matt stayed home with Chloe. When it was time to eat I filled up a few plates and took them home to eat with Matt and Chloe. She was sick most of the weekend. Poor thing!

A little late-Halloween Pictures

2008-11-24T12:47:00.003-06:00

The kids had a wonderful time on Halloween. Jacob had a fun party at preschool with his friends. Chloe was a bit leery of Jacob's skeleton costume. She would tell us over and over-"That's scary!" or "That scares me!" She liked her fairy princess costume. Ryan was Jango Fett from Star Wars and Rachael wore one of her cosplay costumes. She is the biggest anime fan and blew alot of her hard earned money on some costumes at the mall the last time she went with her friends.

Chloe never seemed to tire of trick-or-treating. The girl was going strong still even after 90 minutes. We finally went home because Jacob was more than done getting candy. Ryan squared (Ryan and his best friend Ryan) went to every house in the subdivision. Rachael happily manned the door for us while we went door to door. Her and Jacob both enjoyed seeing all of the kids come to the door in their costumes.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-11-05T09:06:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday Jacob, Chloe, and I went to lunch with my friend Stacy for her birthday. I won't go into our lunch experience except to say that we won't be going to a sit-down restaurant again too soon for lunch. I just doesn't work. On the way home Chloe fell asleep. Because we had to get Rachael from school for an orthodontist appointment soon after we got home, I didn't put her in her bed. I just put her in the front room so she could rest for a bit. She looked so cute so I had to take a few photos of her. After I bit, I started to stage the photos. She was out!

Abigail Maria

2008-11-04T21:22:00.003-06:00

Mike and Abigail. The devoted Daddy.

Julie and Abigail. Doesn't she look great for just having a baby!

Proud Aunt-I just love babies!

Granny is in love!

Abigail Maria-Welcome to the world!

Here is my new niece. Isn't she lovely? She was born a week ago today. She weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was 17 inches long. She is such a peanut! I was able to go see her at the hospital last Wed and we went to their home on Sunday. Everyone is doing great. I think my brother is on cloud nine with no plans to come down anytime soon. My sister-in-law is a very doting mother. She was such a champ. It is so wonderful to see their beautiful family and we couldn't be happier for them.

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-02T19:40:00.004-06:00

Pumpkins carved by AWESOME kids!

More magnificently carved pumpkins!

Chloe handing the goop to Mommy.

Look Dad! This stuff is really interesting!

I don't like to scoop the guts.

This is fun!

I am just like my sister-no photos please!

Don't take my photo! I have a lot of teen angst going on.....just kidding

I rock at carving pumpkins!

The kids had a lot of fun carving their pumpkins last week. As I expected, Chloe enjoyed scooping the guts! She thought she was pretty funny "pretending" to eat the insides. Jacob was cute and didn't want to touch any of it. He cracked me up when he said, "Oh man! Mine has NUTS in it!" Rachael's was very creative and she even wrote a few things in Japanese on it. She is always so imaginative. Ryan came in on the tail end of the carving. He had a busy night with swim team but still had fun carving away. He did the entire face himself. It is hard to believe how quick he is growing up!

Busy Week

2008-10-30T08:21:00.003-05:00

Library Fun-Dancing with our Teddy Bears (and Chloe's Puppy)

Jacob and his Teddy Bear Certificate

Snack Time at the Library

Fairy Princess Chloe

This has been a busy week for us! I still need to post pictures from Rachael's confirmation on Sunday. She missed the confirmation back in May because we were in China so luckily another church let her be confirmed with their congregation this last Sunday. It was amazing! There were over 150 children confirmed! We went to Olive Garden afterwards and had a nice dinner.

Saturday we did the business trick-or-treat here in town. Chloe caught on really quick to the candy thing. Our girl likes her sweets! Ryan had a lot of fun doing the guitar hero contest. He is amazing at it and is not so modest about his abilities. I had to tell him several times to stop talking to strangers and to be a bit more humble about sharing his scores.

My brother and sister-in-law had their baby Tuesday. Her name is Abigail Maria and she is just adorable! She was 5 pounds 7 ounces and 17 inches long. She is such a peanut! She has a lot of brown hair and dark eyes. Yesterday I got to go see her and she is just precious. Everyone is doing well and they are headed home today.

It has been such a busy week with lots of fun things yet to do!

Chloe, Jacob, and I attended Toddler Time at our local library on Tuesday. It was teddy bear day

Chloe and the Cupcake (Sappy Mom Rambling Too)

2008-10-27T21:08:00.004-05:00

Chloe just love frosting and sprinkles. She got them up her nose even!

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful kids. It seems like such a miracle that this little person that fits so perfectly into our family was born so far away from us. I was reflecting yesterday that there had to be a hand somewhere into her being placed with us. I mean, out of over 200 agencies that get lists of waiting children around the world she went to ours. On top of that we were told our agency had hundreds of clients that requested special needs. Out of all of the agencies and all of the clients-we were chosen for her. I cannot imagine my life without her-as with the rest of my children. People told me how when you meet your adopted child from China you see how perfect they are for you family. I though, "Yeah right...what are you supposed to say?" I think you have to live it to understand it. I do now. She IS perfect for our family.

Giggle Girl

2008-10-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

This is how I look when I am "pretending" to sleep. I wake up and say, "Here I am!"

Sometimes when I laugh really hard I snort. Mommy said it is very lady like!

On the way back from the pumpkin farm Rachael was playing with Chloe. You can see her hand on her head. Chloe was just having a blast. She laughed and laughed at "Ray Ray". Rachael still calls Chloe "Rou Rou" most of the time. It is so cute. I have Ray Ray and Rou Rou. I told Jacob and I am going to call him JJ. Ry Ry just sounds a little strange. He prefers his new nick name from school-Bread. I don't know if it will stick though. They are calling him Bread because of his name Ryan or Ry for short.

Chloe is doing so well. I can't believe she will be 2 in less than 3 weeks. Her vocabulary is getting so large. I am amazed that she knows so many words in English in less than 6 months. Yesterday Matt was bringing her downstairs in the morning and the conversation went like this, "Daddy!" "Yes, Chloe." "Look Daddy! Two kitties!" He was surprised because Oreo and Poochie were sitting in the living room. There were two kitties! I asked her to blink today and she did! I then asked her to blink for Granny and Grandma and she batted her cute little eyes. This girl is scary smart.

Picking Pumpkins

2008-10-24T14:21:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we went to a pumpkin patch. The kids had a lot of fun. Chloe loves pumpkins and we had to watch her pretty close to make sure she didn't try to pick them up on her own. Poor Dad will have to do a lot of scooping and carving (yeah, Mom will too) Sunday when they all get carved. It will be interesting what Chloe thinks of scooping the guts out. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if she really liked it. She loves bugs. Why wouldn't she like pumpkin guts too?

Jacob's Field Trip to the Fire Station

2008-10-22T20:28:00.003-05:00

Whoa Mom! Look at me!!

Listening intently....

Say it isn't so! How cool!

This really is more fun than it looks right now.

Someday I am going to drive this thing too.

Last Friday Jacob's preschool class took a field trip to the fire station to re-enforce Fire Prevention Week. They got to see the antique fire engine. They also got to walk through an ambulance and a fire truck. It was very interesting and I learned a few new things. The highlight for the kids was holding the fire hose. They were all on cloud nine and fortunately stayed dry!

Brownies with Brother

2008-10-21T22:05:00.002-05:00

Last week I Ryan and Chloe made brownies. Jacob took a turn stirring too. I think they were gone in less than 12 hours. They were the Double Chocolate ones. Talk about weakness! I think they went straight to my waist but boy were they good!

Ryan was so patient with Chloe and he just loves cooking. You can tell too that her hair is getting much longer. By the end of the day she has had it with clippies, hair ties, and bows. They get ripped out and the hair just hangs in her face. I will be so glad when it finally gets long enough to tuck behind her ear-or when she finally submits to me pulling it out of her face!

Catching Up

2008-10-21T21:56:00.003-05:00

Chloe, there are rollie pollies in here!
You can't touch them though!
Let's check out some other things.
Life is full of fun adventures!

Things have been so busy around here the last few weeks. Rachael has been performing with the band quite a bit. Last weekend they took home 5 trophies in their competition. They did so awesome! Ryan is preparing for swim meets and needs to grow gills with as often as he is in the pool. Jacob started swim lessons too and is just loving it! Chloe is a bit jealous but her time will come. I have been taking them to Toddler Time at the library and that went over surprisingly well.

Sadly, Matt's Grandfather passed away yesterday. It has been hard for all of us. Grandpa Hester was an amazing person and he will be missed greatly. When you see all of the love and support that has been outpouring from everyone it makes you feel so blessed. I don't think it is ever easy to say good-bye though.

Princess Gets Her 1st Haircut (here in the states)

2008-10-07T12:42:00.006-05:00

You can still see my accident from the karoke machine. I get into everything!
Look at how long my hair has gotten!
It is coming together. I sit so good for Mommy!
I can play with that thing? Really?
Cheese! Mommy and Me!

On Sunday I gave Chloe her first haircut. I took about 2 inches off the back to make it more of a bob instead of a mullet. She cooperated really well. I had no idea what to expect. I had heard that it can be really traumatic when they give haircuts at the orphanage and obviously from her referral photo she was the recipient of one of the head shavings. I am trying to grow her bangs out too and we are at that in between point. The poor kid looks so disheveled most of the time unless we get her to keep her hair ties in. Then it looks so cute. The top and sides are getting enough length that they don't look so much like "pokey tails" and more like "pig tails". We think she is adorable no matter what! I just love it when she says things now like "I'm cute!" or "I'm a princess!" Guess she is hearing them enough!

My Big Girl is Growing Up

2008-10-06T13:38:00.004-05:00

Rachael and Granny
Isn't she so pretty!
My big girl.

It is hard for me to believe that my big girl is growing up. She can't be getting older because that means that I am getting older. That's just not happening, yeah right! This weekend was her first Homecoming dance. Friday night we went and watched our football team get whopped on. The band sounded wonderful and we really enjoyed watching and listening to them. Saturday morning we watched Rachael march with the band in the parade. I couldn't get any good pictures because I was on the opposite side from her. Afterwards we got a very quick bite to eat and we were off to have her get a mani/pedi. The black polish she was sporting just wasn't working for either of us. Next we stopped by the house and I washed her hair quickly, gathered my hair things and we were off to Susan's house for make-up. Susan is an outstanding make-up artist and has been a friend of mine since our kids were very little. I had so much fun watching her do Rachael's make-up and reminiscing about her son Taylor (who is the same age as Rachael) and Rachael were little. I was able to do her hair while Susan worked her magic. Finally we jetted home. Rachael looked stunning in her dress. I liked that she still looked her age (somewhat) in the dress. All of her body parts were covered and it really reflected her personality.

After a lot of discussion this week we decided that we would invite her friends to come over for dinner before the dance. Everyone brought a dish to pass and we invited the parents to take photos before dinner. Chloe and Jacob went to Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Mark's house and once we served dinner, Matt and I retreated to the basement. It was nice to have them here. All in all, there were 8 kids here Saturday evening. Matt and I drove them to the dance and they all were responsible for their own ride home. It sounds like the had a great time at the dance and we suggested to Rachael that they consider doing something similar again in the future.

I just can't believe she is in high school. I used to get looks when she was a baby. I figured they were, "Oh poor teenage Mom" when in reality I wasn't. Now I am pushing the "older Mom" end of the spectrum. I was okay with the first and I am okay with the second. I am just so happy I am a Mom. I have been so blessed with such great kids.

Fun at the River Walk

2008-10-02T10:26:00.003-05:00

I just LOVE water!
Can I please get in there?
Someone was a bit crabby at first.
A friendly passerby took a few photos for me.

Last week we went to the River Walk to meet our FCC Playgroup friends. I got there early with Jacob and Chloe and we had fun checking out the sites. It was so beautiful and peaceful in the morning. The birds were flying close to the water. The weather was perfect. It was the serene experience. The only problem was that I forgot to check and see exactly where we were meeting! I called Matt in a panic and he was able to look up in my email where the group was located. We were a little late but still had a wonderful time with our friends.

Super Star Kid

2008-10-01T09:15:00.004-05:00

I'm an All Star!
My Mom needs to fatten me up!
I love little critters-just like sister!

Jacob is so funny. He loves his school so much this year. Today is our day to bring snack for the class. He has hemmed and hawed about what to bring. Gogurt? Teddy Grahams? Finally he decided that goldfish would be best. We are going to stop by Target on our way to school so he can pick the variety.

Over the last two weeks he has been on a bug hunt. I found a fuzzy caterpillar when I was doing yard work. He loved the little thing so much. Unfortunately it didn't live too long. Now he has a rolley poley that he is nurturing.

My Little Girl is Getting So Big Too!

2008-09-30T13:29:00.003-05:00

Chloe amazes us on a daily basis. As time goes by and she gets more and more comfortable with us we start to see all sides of her. One minute she is doing something silly or mischievous. She teases Jacob something awful. In the car she touches, pinches, and scratches him all the while working him into a complete frenzy. It is really tough to listen to sometimes. Last weekend during an especially irritating car experience, I looked back and saw her. She was saying in this cute little voice quietly, "Pinch....Pinch...Pinch" while putting her pointer finger and thumb together. All the while she was accomplishing her goal-making Jacob scream at the mere thought of what she may do. What a little sneak! Other days she is so sweet and thoughtful. She gives kisses and shows genuine concern for others. If she has a cookie-she needs one for Jacob. She wants to hold every baby's hand-whether they want it or not. Whether she is a stinker or sweetheart, we love her so much. I cannot imagine her not being part of our family.

My Little Boy is Growing Up!

2008-09-29T22:24:00.002-05:00

Jacob started preschool this month. He seems so much older and taller to me suddenly. Thankfully he is really enjoying his school. We had such a bad experience last year. I won't go into it and if I did I probably couldn't stop.... This year things seem so much better-more like preschools should be. He does some kind of project every day. He has started learning letters-A, L, and B plus a few colors. His favorite activity is, of course, playing outside. When he gets home I just want to hug and cuddle him. In true big boy fashion, he wants none of it and just wants to play. I can't believe he is growing up!

Fun In the Sun

2008-09-27T22:48:00.004-05:00

Whoo! It's hot out here!

I'm gonna get you!!!!

Man, this water is refreshing!

Sure Jacob, I'll share!

Okay, I think it's my turn again.

Well, it has been awhile since I have updated our blog. Here is some of the fun we had over Labor Day weekend. We set up the Bonsai slide one last time and had quite the kid fest at our house. Jacob and Chloe started with Daddy. After awhile we had Kyle, Josh, Kayla, Lindsay, Eric, Eric (2), Kelly, Gwen and her brother too. It was hilarious that the neighbor kids stayed an played for hours after ours went down for naps. We didn't mind at all though. It was great that they were having so much fun. That's why we invested in the slide two years ago. It was a fitting end to summer.

Chloe and the Cicadas

2008-09-04T23:05:00.004-05:00

Look Mommy! This one is for you!!

I love cicadas.

See Daddy-if you hold them like this the little pincher feet don't prink you.

I don't know why Mommy doesn't like these Daddy.

How many are in the bag anyway?

Besides being a princess and sometimes a diva, Chloe is a bug lovin' little girl. Over at Grandma Ruth's and Grandpa Mark's house they have tons of cicadas. Chloe just loves looking at the shells. She calls them, "My bugs!" as she proudly holds them. They even found a dead cicada bug and she carried around that disgusting thing all afternoon. To be honest, the things creep me out but she LOVES them! She had to bring home a bag of the nasty critters too. Maybe it was to see the look of fright as she tries to get me to hold them. This is one of the many things that she shows no fear while she explores. She is such a funny little girl. Everyday is an adventure!

At the Local Museum with Grandpa Mark

2008-09-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

Princess Chloe

2008-09-03T21:02:00.002-05:00

Every little princess needs a crown!

Our little Chloe is every bit a girly girl. She loves her jewelry that she calls "Bling Bling". Sometimes she refuses to eat breakfast before she has it on. She also loves shoes. Honestly, when she is upset she goes to her closet and picks out her favorite shoes. It just seems to make her feel better. One of the first things she does in the morning is she puts on her shoes. It is hilarious! Dresses too make her happy. I was joking with Matt by telling Chloe to say to him, "But Daddy I NEED this!" and "Charge It!" He knows full well that this little girl is going to break the bank. She is certainly a little princess.

How Cute am I?

2008-09-02T13:50:00.003-05:00

Chloe just seems to get cuter each day. Her personality is showing through more and more. Either she has quite a spunky attitude or she is starting the terrible twos. A few weeks ago we think she rolled her eyes at Daddy when he told her not to do something. Of course it was followed by a grin and a laugh but I really think she was trying to throw us off! The "No!" she now says to us is filled with much assertiveness and authority. The NNNNN sound goes for quite some time. Chloe is quite the climber and won't let much slow her down. Over the weekend Matt was washing her high chair tray in the sink. In the mean time she had pushed the chair to the pantry, climbed the front, and was proudly picking out snacks from the higher shelves that were not available to her before. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or reprimand her. It was quite a smart thing for her to do! I also found her climbing the banister-from the outside. She was putting her little feet between the spindles and pulling herself hand over hand up the side. She got as far as it would go-about three and a half feet off the floor. I about had a heart attack!

Even though she is quite a handful we are completely in love with her. She is like a little ray of sunshine and fits in perfectly with our brood. Everyday she amazes us with her humor, intellectual and physical feats. How did we ever get so lucky?

Mermaid Chloe

2008-08-27T09:26:00.000-05:00

Our 3 Month Adoption Anniversary

2008-08-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

Golfing With Grandpa

2008-08-05T22:54:00.002-05:00

My Goof Balls

2008-08-04T22:11:00.003-05:00

Use the force Chloe-use the FORCE!

Robot Jacob

How did he get this thing on his head?

Jacob and Chloe are really starting to bond as brother and sister. She loves him almost all the time-except if he is cuddling too much with Mommy. She gets a wee bit jealous and certainly lets him know. He has come a long way too. He rarely tells us that he wants us to send her back to China anymore. If she is sleeping he is usually disappointed and wants her to wake up and play with him. If they are apart he misses her and wants to see her too. They do gymnastics together in the living room, wrestle, and play with the playskool toys together. My hope was that they would be close enough in age that they would enjoy each other's company and that seems to be the case.

Video of the Giggle Monster

2008-08-04T16:02:00.003-05:00

This is video I shot after I took the photos below. Ryan had her laughing so hard! Her laugh is just infectious! Chloe is just adorable and Ryan is so wonderful with her. Actually, we are so fortunate because all of the kids love her and she loves them. It seems like we have always been a family. It is sometimes hard for me to believe we have only known Chloe for a little less than three months. She just fits right in with us!

Giggle Box

2008-08-04T15:53:00.002-05:00

Yep, I'm so cute!

Ryan, you are hilarious!

I am laughing so hard my stomach hurts!

The culprit!

Chloe cracks us up! She has the funniest laugh and her brothers can really get her going. Here are some photos that I took when Ryan was making her laugh.

How Much is Too Much?-Bling Bling of Course!

2008-07-31T07:54:00.005-05:00

Our Chloe just loves her pretties. She is completely fascinated by any jewelry. Granny had a bunch of cheap, bright beads and our girl was in HEAVEN! The thing was though, she insisted on wearing all of them. We thought she was going to fall over on her face from all of the weight of the necklaces around her neck. Of course, our princess was in her glory!

One morning she refused to eat her breakfast until she had her "bling bling" on. She even keeps her elbow bent and hands in the air when she wears her bangles so they don't fall off. It was funny when she decided she wanted her bracelets on her ankles. They kept falling off, so what should a diva do? She brought me her shoes. Once they were on, the pretties stayed put. Not only beautiful, but smart!

Chloe and the Critters

2008-07-30T21:03:00.002-05:00

Here is a short video of Chloe and the Critters. It was just too cute! She loved those little frogs. She must have spent an hour playing in the little pool. At first she was so gentle. Later on she got a little more into grabbing them and picking them up. Unfortunately there was one poor little frog that got loved a little too much.

The Wild Things....More Derby Photos

2008-07-29T08:03:00.003-05:00

Checking out the critters

See, they are friendly

Go ahead Chloe, you can pick them up!
Ryan is trying hard to catch some fish!

I got it! I got it!
Now, these little critters were the highlight of the derby. the gentleman that owns the property had several plastic pools set up under a large, shady pine tree. They were filled with things his children collected in and around the ponds for the event. There were crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, minnows, turtles, and even an aquarium with a snake. Both of the kids were a little apprehensive at first-Jacob more so than Chloe. It didn't take her long to start picking things up after Daddy showed her how to do it. Finally Jacob joined in. It took Chloe handing him a frog before he became brave enough to stick his fingers in the frog pool. She is fearless and it never ceases to amaze me her zest for life. It was adorable watching her gently pick up the frogs and put them back in the pool. The gentleness didn't last all day and she is only 20 months. By the time we left Jacob was putting the frogs on the turtle's backs and letting them sun themselves. It was adorable.

The Photos Never End-Fishing Continued

2008-07-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

Mmmm.....I love cotton candy!

Snow Cones rock too!

I love cotton candy too!

The Gang from the derby

I shot so many photos from the derby. The kids just had so much fun. It was cute that they even had a replica of the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo. Talk about Cool! They had home made cotton candy, snow cones, hot dogs, watermelon, a jumping pit, sprinklers, wiffle ball, and tomorrow I will share the photos of the things the kids really enjoyed. Let's just say Chloe loved them to death!

Even More Fishing Photos

2008-07-25T08:30:00.003-05:00

Waiting for the fishing to start

Grandma with Chloe and a friend-Chloe was so cute with this little girl. She gently grabbed her hand, put her arm around her and tried to kiss her. As you can see, the little girl really didn't want Chloe to get to affectionate and was telling her so.

Reeling in the fishes!

Grandma and Chloe

Look! I caught a big one!

Here are a few more photos from the Kid's Fishing Derby two weeks ago. It was so cute to see Jacob try to reel in the fishes. He loves to fish for about 15 minutes and then he is done. It was great to see that at least during that 15 minutes the fish were biting!

More Photos from the Fishing Derby

2008-07-24T07:42:00.003-05:00

Chloe's idea of fishing was patting her leg while making kissing sounds and calling for the "fishies"! I think she thought they would jump out of the water right to her!

Studying the pond for the best fishing spot.

Our little angel.

I think I saw a frog!

Daddy, Jacob, Chloe, and Mommy

As I said yesterday, we had so much fun at the fishing derby. The weather was perfect. Here in July you just don't know. There was a nice breeze and it was in the low 80s. The fish were biting, kids were playing, games galore, and fun to be had by all. We just had Chloe and Jacob with us in the morning and about lunchtime Ryan's Dad dropped him off so he could join in on the fun. Too bad it wasn't sooner though. He loves to fish and they were full by then and all he caught were frogs and crayfish.

Kid's Fishing Derby

2008-07-23T16:27:00.003-05:00

Daddy and Chloe

Checking out the pond

I love sand!

Jacob and Grandpa Bob

Jacob and Adam playing in the sand.

Two weeks ago we took the kids to Grandpa Mark's fishing club's fishing derby. It was a perfect day! The kids had so much fun. The fish were biting and all they had to do was drop a line in to catch them for the first 30 minutes. That was perfect because that is about all the kids could stand attention wise. They had a bouncy house for them to jump in and games for the kids to play as well. Chloe was in her glory with the sand beach. It will take me a few days to post all of the pictures so stay tuned!

More Photos from the Children's Museum

2008-07-22T07:16:00.002-05:00

Water is so much fun!

I could play here all day.

Look out bad guys! A new sheriff is in town!

Captain of the sea.

Aren't pinwheels fun!

The Children's Museum

2008-07-21T10:16:00.004-05:00

This is how you hit these Chloe.

Oh this is so cool!

Hmmm...what kind of interesting thing can I build here?

Dad, you make awesome bubbles!

Whoa! I am surrounded by a giant bubble!

I am finally starting to catch up with my photos! Two weeks ago we had plans to go see Ralph from Ralph's World (from the Disney Channel). Unfortunately they had to cancel the concert due to standing water from heavy rains overnight. Matt, Jacob, Chloe and myself were already on our way so we detoured to the Children's Museum. It was really fun. It was perfect for kids maybe 8 and under. They had a musical room, sensory stations, a giant light brite looking thing, a water station, bubble area, and tons of things that used wind. They played for about two hours and then Mom and Dad had hit sensory overload. We enjoyed a nice lunch at On the Border and afterwards Chloe and Jacob crashed for a few hours and took a much needed nap.

More Pool Pictures

2008-07-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

We love the water!

This is so much fun!

We come up with all kinds of fun games.

Mmmm......freezer pops.

I love popsicles!

Here are a few more pool pictures from last week. Grandpa Mark and Grandma Ruth always have tons of freezer pops. The kids eat their weight in them I think! Chloe and Jacob just love their cousins Claudia and Dylan. It is so nice that we get to see them at least once every week. It has been great this summer because they have been spending even more time together!

Playing in the Kiddie Pool

2008-07-17T08:28:00.003-05:00

I just LOVE your pool Grandpa!

Time for my push-ups!

Woo Hoo this is fun!

Kisses from Claudia

The kids had so much fun last week playing in the kiddie pool at Grandpa Mark's and Grandma Ruth's house. Cousins Claudia and Dylan came over too. The kids are so lucky because I would fill up the pool with hose water-cold. Grandpa Mark ran the hose through the basement widow and hooked it up to the faucet so the pool would be warm. They had so much fun. Chloe is pretty fearless when it comes to water. I want her to be comfortable but also not too comfortable if you know what I mean.

Claudia just loves Chloe. I think she is really enjoying having a girl cousin that is younger than her. She hugs her, kisses her, and would really like to carry her all over. Chloe will oblige with two out of the three-most of the time.

Bad Hair Day

2008-07-16T08:30:00.002-05:00

Jacob prefers his hair in a buzz but I like it a bit longer. This is the result though when he first wakes up. This day he awoke in a mood and did not want me taking his picture. I think he is still adorable!

Big Girl!

2008-07-15T09:26:00.002-05:00

Chloe never seems to amaze us. Last week she told me she wanted her diaper off. It was more like "dipper, dipper, dipper" as she pulled on the tabs of her diaper. She saw Jacob on the potty and, of course, wanted to get on it too. To my amazement, she actually went! We have tried a few times since then without success but she did actually go once! She loves toilet paper, hence the lack there of above. We would really be low if I let Chloe have her way!

Summer Celebration

2008-07-14T12:59:00.003-05:00

I love swimming with my swan!
One......two.......
THREE!!! HERE I COME!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

We had our second annual summer celebration over the July 4th weekend. It was nice to celebrate Rachael, Ryan, Jacob, and my brother Mike's birthdays. We also made sure to mention Rachael graduated from 8th grade! It was a beautiful day for fun in the sun. Everyone swam in the pool and spent time on the Bonsai Slide. I will try to do a slide show to showcase the hilarious photos from the slide!

Interesting Ensemble......

2008-07-11T20:26:00.003-05:00

I rock this outfit!

Mmmmm.....bananas!

Can you give me a little assistance with this please?

Finally the underwear are off and I am enjoying my favorite pop-up books.

Well our Chloe definitely has her opinions. She LOVES bananas. I think it is because I let her walk around the house and eat them-it's a control thing. They are healthy so it is all good. She LOVES bling too. The other day she wouldn't eat breakfast until she had on her necklace and bracelets. After that, she was as happy as a clam. A few days ago she wanted Jacob's Spiderman underwear. I have no idea why either. In fact, they were dirty underwear. (I know-yuck!) She insisted on wearing them so I just put them over her clothes to indulge her. It didn't last long and she was fine when I took them off. I can't tell if it is a fashion thing or her funny little sense of humor!

Pictures from the 4th

2008-07-11T09:14:00.003-05:00

Please throw me candy!
Do you have more bling for me?
Rachael and Kylie in the parade.
Ryan too!
Jacob and Claudia

We had such a nice time on the 4th. Rachael and Ryan walked in the parade. Jacob proudly waved his flag hoping it would bring him more candy. Chloe loved seeing all the floats and cars. At one point she seemed a little intimidated by the loud sirens-I think I was too though! Afterwards we went to the town square for the foot races. Jacob was ready to go! He stood there fists clenched and in his best running stance. Too bad he didn't hear the guy say "Go!" right away! We decided to enter Chloe since she is always running around here. Matt held her at the start and I wanted a short distance away at the finish line. She was draped in her bling bling. They shouted go and she tripped over her sandals and fell down. Next she stood up and looked like-Dives Don't Run-and slowly walked to the finish line. It was hilarious! Afterwards we went to Sarah and John's to celebrate his graduation from the police academy. Matt's friend Joe invited us over for a picnic at his house so we stopped there next. It was nice to see old friends. Following that we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for our annual July4th celebration and Grandma's birthday. It is always fun spending time with family. The kids had a fun time watching the fireworks too. Too bad Chloe fell asleep right after they started!

Oh My!

2008-07-07T08:16:00.002-05:00

When we first met Chloe she liked to be clean, very clean. She had a little runny nose while we were in China and she even blew her nose! She would patiently wait for us to wipe her hands and was so tidy all the time. Well....those days are gone. Our girl has learned to make a mess and she had gotten really good at it!

Bling Bling and Popeye

2008-07-04T12:52:00.003-05:00

He just *thinks* I am sleeping!
Daddy where is the credit card?

I was trying to look through my pictures to show some of the ones that can help people visualize Chloe's personality. She is so funny, smart, and beautiful-it will most likely prove to be lethal for Daddy one day! LOL! She gets this hilarious look on her face sometimes. We call it her Popeye look because she shoots us a grin and winks! She is also a diva. She loves her bling bling, shoes, sunglasses, dresses, etc. Yesterday I took her to Kohls and as we were quickly passing the jewelry department she started lunging out of her stroller screaming, "Pretties! Pretties!" all the while trying to her her little hands on the bling. Of course I indulged and bought her bangles that she proudly wore like a badge the rest of the day.

Pictures from Rachael's 8th Grade Graduation

2008-07-03T09:33:00.002-05:00

My girls!

I am a little behind, but here are a few photos from Rachael's 8th grade graduation. I can't believe my big girl is that old now! It seems like yesterday she was Chloe's age. She can't possibly be going into high school.

The Cuteness Never Ends!

2008-07-01T14:52:00.002-05:00

Swimming at Granny's

2008-06-30T10:03:00.003-05:00

Is it time to go swimming?
I know the pool is out here!
Finally! I love swimming with my big sister!
Daddy is my buddy! This rubber duck is cool too.

Chloe just LOVES the pool. She can't get enough of it. It doesn't bother her one bit if her face gets splashed and the crazier the better when things are going on in the pool. She is quite the dare devil! She was jumping in the pool to Daddy before the day was over!

So Cute!

2008-06-29T21:25:00.002-05:00

I'm too cute, don't you think?
Yes me. I am too cute right?
You really think so?
I can do funny faces too! My shoes squeek as well!
Yeah, I am so cute and funny!!!

The Next Week at Grandma and Grandpa's

2008-06-29T21:03:00.003-05:00

Playing in the sandbox
Here is how you do it Chloe
This is so much fun!
See it is really easy!
Mmmmm.....

The next week Chloe felt so much better. She LOVES the sandbox. Claudia has so much fun playing with Chloe. Of course, this makes Jacob quite jealous sometimes. It is so much fun to see the four of them interact.

First Time at Grandma and Grandpa's House

2008-06-29T20:52:00.003-05:00

Chloe and Grandpa Mark
I love this princess scooter!
Jacob, Claudia, and Dylan
We are pretending we are on a pirate ship!
How do I get this to go faster?

Chloe had fun playing at Grandma and Grandpa's house the first time with Jacob and cousins Claudia and Dylan-except for the raging fever we found out about later! Poor thing!!!! Mommy thought she was just overwhelmed but it turned out she was coming down with a virus that caused her to have an almost 105 degree fever for 4 days. Luckily no one else caught it!

Memorial Day Photos

2008-06-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

I am just too cute!
Ninja boy with flags.
No cavities Chloe!
Watch out for my eyes Chloe!
Ryan helping Chloe direct the band with her flag.

Okay, you can tell it's been awhile since I last blogged since it is almost Independence Day and I am just posting about Memorial Day!

We had a very nice time seeing Rachael play with the band at the Memorial Day celebration in the Town Square. We were a bit worried since Chloe had gotten a bit leery of strangers but she did really well. It helped that people gave her space. She loved crawling all over Ryan. Jacob had a blast with the American flags the Boy Scouts passed out too!

2008-05-25T14:14:00.003-05:00

Here is some video of Rachael and Chloe playing the piano. Chloe seems to really enjoy singing. She sings when she is at the piano and she was singing in the car earlier this week when the radio was playing. It drives Jacob a little crazy in the car and he asks her quite frequently to be quiet and stop touching him. Siblings......

First Tea Party

2008-05-25T14:08:00.001-05:00

I wonder if we should start ballet soon?

Entering Our Home for the First Time

2008-05-25T13:58:00.002-05:00

Everyone Loves Chloe

2008-05-25T13:51:00.003-05:00

Of course, our girl went to everyone-Granny, Grandma Ruth, Grandpa Bob, Uncle Tim, Uncle Bob, Aunt Dee Dee, Grandpa Mark. She was just adorable!

Chloe is Home!

2008-05-25T13:44:00.002-05:00

It was wonderful arriving home. We were greeted by Grandpa Bob with pizza. Granny had grocery shopped with us and arranged the cute sign. Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Mark (along with Uncle Tim) got us home. Uncle Bob, Kelsey, Kylie, and Kylie's friend came by with a gift and Uncle Tim, Aunt Dee Dee, Claudia and Dylan stopped over. It felt so good to be in our home, drink tap water with ice, and breathe fresh air! Chloe was adorable meeting her new family too.

Princess Chloe arrives home...

2008-05-25T13:41:00.002-05:00

We were prepared for anything when it came for Chloe and our ride home from the airport. Honestly we expected this screaming and crying fest for an hour or so. Uncle Tim pulled up in the minivan and I put Jacob in one car seat and Matt put Chloe in the other. That is when a miracle happened-She LOVED it! I have never heard of this in my China circles. We joke now about why wouldn't she like it? She likes just about everything. She acted like, "Finally, now I am riding in STYLE!"

Meet the Newest Johnson-A US Citizen

2008-05-25T13:35:00.004-05:00

Here are two photos of Chloe just as we were getting off the plane. As soon as her little feet touched US soil-she was a citizen. We felt a little haggard from our flight but it was wonderful to experience this monument in her life.

The Last Two Days in China

2008-05-25T12:43:00.002-05:00

Friday we spent most of the day packing and shopping for last minute souvenirs. In the afternoon we took a 40 minute bus ride to the US Consulate to get Chloe's visa and take her oath of citizenship. It was quite a drive and seeing the city was interesting. The consulate was on the third floor of a newer building. We actually took escalators to get there and had to pass through security. There were about 40-50 families also there ready to do the same thing. The longest part was waiting for everyone to arrive. For security purposes we couldn't bring our cameras.

We left early on Saturday morning-5:40 am to be exact. We ate our breakfast on the bus while we drove to the airport. Our flight for Beijing left on time and was uneventful. We enjoyed McDonalds at the airport in Beijing. Funny, you can substitute a cup of corn for fries! Just to show how inexpensive things are in China, a family of six ate for less than $15 US dollars! Our flight for home left about 30 minutes late. It was long and tiring but also uneventful. We did get a complimentary upgrade to Economy Plus. That was such a blessing! Chloe did pretty well. She didn't want us to hold her when she slept-impossible....

We landed almost and hour early and passed through immigration and customs without a problem. Grandma Ruth was waiting for us and Uncle Tim drove us home. It was wonderful to be back but we will miss China.

Chloe Loves The Pool!

2008-05-16T01:20:00.004-05:00

Here is some video of Chloe, Matt, and the kids. They are swimming in the pool here at the White Swan. The water was cold and we wouldn't let her stay in very long. She was quite upset when we made her get out! Her little personality is really starting to come out. She sure lets you know when you make her mad. She was yelling at Matt earlier today and stomping her feet. She really told him off! It is cute now but in a couple of years it probably won't be.

More Photos

2008-05-16T01:10:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more photos from the other day.

Photos of the Kids

2008-05-15T03:27:00.002-05:00

More Photos

2008-05-15T03:22:00.002-05:00

It was nice that we took a photo of the group after our red couch picture. Jacob didn't really want to cooperate but it is nice to have a photo of all of us anyway.

Princess Chloe

2008-05-15T03:14:00.002-05:00

Here is our Princess Chloe! Mommy couldn't resist the purple outfit with the ballerina skirt. All she needs is her crown! It is hard to see, but she has matching purple silk squeaky shoes. When the kids walk in the shoes the squeaky thing in the heel makes noise. To answer your question, yes-you can remove the squeaker. :)

The Suzhou Cuties!

2008-05-15T03:05:00.003-05:00

We made sure to get a picture of our Suzhou cuties together. That is Chloe on the left, Sara in the middle, and Bei on the right. Bei is really shy and maybe slightly intimidated by the beautiful girls next to him. Sara and Bei seem to know each other well from the orphanage. We speculate that they may have been in the toddler room and Chloe in the baby room. It is adorable to see Sara and Bei interact with each other. We are looking forward to our first reunion already!

Red Couch Photos

2008-05-15T02:42:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we took our famous "Red Couch" photos in the lobby of the White Swan. It has become a tradition to purchase traditional silk dresses for the adopted children to wear for the photos. Anyone that had done this before can attest that at least one child is not happy. Our girl did great. She is the one on the couch in the purple (far right). She was in diva form as she sat for her photo shoot. Poor Timothy, Nina, and Lilly really didn't feel like having their pictures taken. It was still fun and we will treasure the photos always.

Our Visit to the Buddha Temple

2008-05-15T02:32:00.002-05:00

We went to the Buddha Temple on Tuesday for a blessing for the babies. In this life, you can never have too many blessings. The grounds were beautiful. There was a large pagoda in the middle. Our guide told us that every Buddhist Temple has to have at least one pagoda. There were beautiful fountains too. It was very interesting to see how other people express their religious beliefs.

And the Award for Parents Of The Year......

2008-05-15T02:24:00.003-05:00

Well here are photos of Chloe enjoying her first Chips Ahoy cookie and first bowl of ice cream. I think that successfully takes us out of the running! Ha! Ha!

Since we weren't there for a lot of Chloe's "firsts" we are creating our own. I wish I would have taken a few of her on the plane. She really did so well but things were so crazy I think we should be happy we actually made our flight.

What were you doing during the quake?

2008-05-15T02:07:00.004-05:00

The medical exam office.

A local church.
There are beautiful statues all around GZ.

The devastation in the affected areas of China is almost unfathomable. Our hearts go out to all of those effected. Looking back now, what were you doing when the quake hit?

I was either at the clinic while Chloe was having her medical exam or walking back to the hotel. Poor Chloe cried and cried during her exam. When they checked her over and listened to her chest the woman quickly had me walk with her into another room. I was a bit frightened when she started pulling at the white coat of a man who seemed to be in charge. After she got his attention she had me sit on a bench while he attempted to listen to the chest of my wailing daughter. Next we went back into the first room and my guide said that everything was fine and she just wanted the director to listen to Chloe's chest since I noted on her paperwork she had a fever for 1 day a week ago. Nothing like freaking out a new mom!

On my way back I took my time strolling along the streets of Guangzhou soaking up the experience of being in my daughter's birth country. Needless to say, my daughter was still very angry at me and I was not allowed to look at her or touch her because I was the mean Mommy for taking her to the doctor. She is just going to LOVE me when we get home and she has to have all of her shots and medical examinations! While we walking along the streets I noticed people exercising and relaxing. It was hot and muggy but the mature trees offered shade and there was a bit of a breeze. It was nice taking a walk just Mommy and Chloe. All the while we were completely unaware of the destruction not that far away.

Back at the hotel Matt, Rachael, Ryan, and Jacob were enjoying a swim in the pool at the White Swan. I don't know if it is because of the mountains or that we are just a bit further away but we really didn't feel anything here when the quake it.

Medical Appointment and Playing at the Park

2008-05-14T01:44:00.002-05:00

After we got our photos taken we ventured over to the medical facility to have the babies examined briefly for the visa application. When we got there it was very busy and our guide arranged for us to return at 2 o'clock the next day.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped by the park. School was in session and we got to see the little ones on there way for some physical exercise outside. At the park the older children were doing their PE exercises. It appeared that they were racing each other in a 25 yard dash.

Photos for Visa Application

2008-05-14T01:35:00.002-05:00

Our Girls!

Some of the gang!
She loves her brother!

Monday morning we went across the street to a small store to have the babies pictures taken for the visa applications. One by one the families went into the store to have a passport style photo taken. I have to say, Chloe's was just adorable. She shot the man a cute little grin and we were off for our next adventure.

Don't shoot the Buddha

2008-05-13T09:04:00.009-05:00

We went on a little adventure today with 3 other families to a Buddhist Temple in Guangzhou. It was a beautiful temple with 3-4 buildings that housed the Buddha's and a 8+ story Pagoda in the center of the grounds. We could photograph anything in the temple except some of the Buddha's. We were told by our guide Michelle... "Don't shoot the Buddha". I immediately thought that would be a great band name... I'll add it our list.

Our journey had one main purpose... get the baby blessed by a Buddhist monk. This is the main religion of Chloe's culture and in all probability the religion of her biological family, so it felt like a great thing to do for her. It is quite possibly something that was done by her birth mother before she was abandonded, although we'll never know.

After walking around the temple a bit, we were led into one of the buildings with 3 large Buddha statues inside... they had to be 30 feet high each. We were asked to take our shoes off and sit on a rug in front of the Buddha. A monk came in and started praying/chanting, then he started to sprinkle water on us. Jake's comment to me was "Hey... he's getting me wet", I was proud of him though, because he didn't yell it out. We got another doozy of a photo after getting blessed. I am having fun on this trip... really! I told Beth, it would be nice to have a picture of me on the blog where I look happy to be here! I guess it's just my M.O. on this trip.

As you can see, we were allowed to take photos inside this building with the 3 Buddha's. It was very interesting, they had bowls of food everywhere in front of the statues and they also had cans of some soda drink stacked like cans at a carnival game. I was praying that Ryan and Jake didn't see these and try to knock them down. They also had offering boxes where our guide suggested we give a 5-10 rmb ($1.40 USD) for the blessing... I threw in more for my family. I figure that they deserved it, since the boys hadn't left the building yet :-)

Doug (a dad from Ohio) pointed out this sign in the courtyard that I had to end this post with. I figure it points out the common link between all religious beliefs around the world. I also added a picture of a cat I saw in the temple. There are literally stray cats everywhere! Jake even found a white one in the dairy section of a supermarket in Nanjing... and it wasn't for sale :-)

Matt

Earthquake in China

2008-05-12T08:40:00.002-05:00

We were surprised to learn that there was an earthquake here in China. When I logged on to the computer earlier this afternoon we saw the story. We never felt anything here in Guangzhou and were surprised to hear that it was felt in Hong Kong.

Sorry to worry everyone back home! We can't get into our email now. Yahoo keeps giving us an error message. I could access it this morning but it was out by afternoon. Hopefully when we get up tomorrow it will be back. Everything is fine here.

Tomorrow we are visiting a Buddha temple to get a blessing for the baby. In the afternoon Jen and I are shopping with Ann from Red Thread China. Later this week Matt is taking Rachael and Ryan to the electronics market with a few other Dad's. The ones that ventured out to it today were raving about it.

Relaxing by the Pool

2008-05-12T02:42:00.003-05:00

Even though the weather was very mild yesterday that didn't stop the boys from getting in the pool. It didn't last long, but they still got wet. Rachael, Ryan, and Jacob spent a lot more time by the pool today because it was HOT! They said the water was quite chilly though.

The Chen Family Museum

2008-05-12T02:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Chen Family Museum. It was very beautiful. It wasn't as busy as the rest of the sites we have seen so it was nice to wander around at our own pace.

GZ and the White Swan

2008-05-11T22:29:00.002-05:00

The first two days here in Guangzhou were wonderful! The weather here was unseasonably mild. It was in the mid 70s and there was a wonderful breeze that kept the humidity low. Normally here it is in the high 80s to low 90s and 110% humidity-seriously!

The White Swan hotel is wonderful. It is the nicest hotel we have stayed in during our trip. We are getting spoiled with the turn down service at night and the chocolates they leave on the nightstand! The buffet breakfast is really yummy too. Chloe is getting sick of congee and seems to prefer eggs and yogurt. Jacob has found some chocolate muffins he likes. Ryan is eating his body weight in bacon and Rachael always finds new and interesting dishes to try. The boys tested out the pool yesterday but it was a bit too cold for them. We may try later today.

Our first night here we ate at at Thai restaurant. It was soooo good. Ryan found something he loved-chicken satay. Rachael had fish cakes and Jacob ate a lot of my chicken fried rice.

Yesterday I went to the Carreforr. Whew, what an experience! I rode in a taxi with our guide Michelle and Sara's dad Doug. I learned quickly to look out the side window and not straight ahead. We must have been going about 60 mph between lights. It was a 10 minute ride and was less than $1.50. I don't think you can even get in a taxi for less than than that in Chicago! I just needed diapers, munchies, and water. That took over two hours. The place was a mad house! I have never been to anywhere like that in the US. It looks like our grocery stores-it was just like wall to wall carts. You go up and down ramps that look like escalators with your carts. There are magnets on the wheels so you don't roll back down.

Last night we were all craving western food so we tried Lucy's. All of the Suzhou families went together and it was wonderful. I had a great spaghetti with pesto. They had burgers/fries, burritos, grilled cheese, etc. It was a nice change and it tasted good to have something familiar. It was a beautiful night and was fun to share it with our new friends. Overall we have enjoyed GZ!

Our Suzhou Princess

My Girl

Funny Chloeism

Allergies.....

Miss Personality

Great Day!!!!

Princess Turns 3!!!!!

Dancing Queen

Few Fun Chloe Photos

Disney Vacation Day 2

More Photos from our 1st full day at Disney

Disney Vacation part 1

I've Been a Bad Blogger.....Finally some pics

Reindeer Food-Christmas Eve

Jacob's Preschool Christmas Party

FCC Playgroup Cookie Exchange

FCC Holiday Party

Chloe and Baby Abigail

Few More Cute Photos from Nolan and Monica's Wedding

Pictures from Chloe's Birthday in November

Gingerbread Houses-from November

Wow! It has been awhile.....

A little late-Halloween Pictures

Sleeping Beauty

Abigail Maria

Carving Pumpkins

Busy Week

Chloe and the Cupcake (Sappy Mom Rambling Too)

Giggle Girl

Picking Pumpkins

Jacob's Field Trip to the Fire Station

Brownies with Brother

Catching Up

Princess Gets Her 1st Haircut (here in the states)

My Big Girl is Growing Up

Fun at the River Walk

Super Star Kid

My Little Girl is Getting So Big Too!

My Little Boy is Growing Up!

More Slide Photos

Fun In the Sun

Chloe and the Cicadas

At the Local Museum with Grandpa Mark

Princess Chloe

How Cute am I?

Mermaid Chloe

Our 3 Month Adoption Anniversary

Golfing With Grandpa

My Goof Balls

Video of the Giggle Monster

Giggle Box

How Much is Too Much?-Bling Bling of Course!

Chloe and the Critters

The Wild Things....More Derby Photos

The Photos Never End-Fishing Continued

Even More Fishing Photos

More Photos from the Fishing Derby

Kid's Fishing Derby

More Photos from the Children's Museum

The Children's Museum

More Pool Pictures

Playing in the Kiddie Pool

Bad Hair Day

Big Girl!

Summer Celebration

Interesting Ensemble......

Pictures from the 4th

Oh My!

Bling Bling and Popeye

Pictures from Rachael's 8th Grade Graduation

The Cuteness Never Ends!

Swimming at Granny's

So Cute!

The Next Week at Grandma and Grandpa's

First Time at Grandma and Grandpa's House

Memorial Day Photos

First Tea Party

Entering Our Home for the First Time

Everyone Loves Chloe

Chloe is Home!