Happy 35th Melanie!

Today marks my sister Melanie's 35th birthday. She is my only sibling and we are extremely close to each other in our hearts but not in distance. She lives about 2 hours away but we try to talk every day. She is having a great weekend in Chicago shopping while I am home cleaning all weekend! We went to the apple orchard yesterday to celebrate and then went out to the little restaurant that we have been going to since we were little girls. This picture was taken at Mark and I's wedding and is my favorite of us sisters. Happy Birthday little sis! ( I promise this is my last birthday wish for a while, my whole family had huge milestone birthdays this month, whew!)

**By the way, the orange tutu and wand that Myah is wearing in the Tutu Cute post is from a company called Pamela. My cousin bought it in Florida and sent it up to Myah. I have made a few tutus before but I love this one because of the "floaties" inside the tulle. If you would like to know how to make a tutu feel free to leave a comment and I will post it if there is enough interest, it is really simple.

Thankful Thursday

Wait a minute, it is Thursday already? Seriously, I have been so busy this week I thought it was still Monday! Boy do I have lots to be thankful for this week! I am thankful.....
-For Mark, for working so hard with Dayton for the baseball tryouts, for making Myah laugh from her belly, for staying up with me till 1 am tying ribbon on the decorations for Grandma's party, for taking Dayton on a memorable hunting trip with my dad. Boy do I love you!
-For Dayton, for the big week that you had, for your successful hunting trip with Dad and Grandpa something we have waited 12 years for you to be able to do! For working so hard during your baseball tryouts, it surely paid off buddy, congrats on making the team! For your good grades in lang. arts, I think we have a writer on our hands! For being my buddy on the nights that dad works!
-For Myah, for being such a good girl at Grandma's party with no nap all day! For waking up early on rainy mornings so we can drive Dayton to the bus. For waking up every morning and asking me if I "sleep" good!
-For my parents 41 years of wedded bliss.
-For the wonderful day we had celebrating Grandmas birthday!
-For my sister Melanie who turns 35 this weekend!
-For the season premiere of The Office tonight!
-For Kendra for letting me put some of our junk in your garage sale!
-For the sweet email from Heather!
-For the information from Lori about the doll house!
-For everyone who was sent us such sweet comments! I can't wait to hear about your families too! Keep the comments coming!
-For Kimberlyn's upcoming travel to her little boy! Can't wait to see Evan in your arms!
-For the birth of Madison A. We are so happy for you all!
-For the beauty of autumn! Bring on those glorious colors, warm fall sweaters, yummy cider and donuts, bright orange pumpkins, and crisp evenings!
-For the UAW and GM agreement, I am not personally affected by this but know so many who are ( we do live near the motor city you know!)
-Last but not least, for Wayne Newton, can you believe he is on Dancing With the Stars!? I had the pleasure of being the recipient of one of his wet sloppy kisses one night at a hotel where our friend was getting married, he was staying there after a show and we got a private hello with him, I also was in the elevator with him. Many women would have loved to be in that position, we weren't so much! Hee hee! Boy,has he had some work done on his face! Lots of cologne too! And jewelry! I am anxious to see how he holds up on the show!

Tutu Cute!

This was right before the bench incident!
Sarah on left, Myah on right
Isn't Sarah beautiful!
Myah is modeling her new Halloween tutu ensemble from cousin Sheri
Sarah posing by my favorite door!

Hard telling what this conversation is about!
My pretty baby

Here are just a few previews of the pictures I took last week of Myah and Sarah. Some are good, some are silly! They are the closest thing to sisters that each other could have. They were both from the same orphanage and are very close in age. Myah is just a few weeks older than Sarah. We love their family so much and are so thankful that our adoption has brought us together! I have been super busy this week so I apologize to all of you who have been asking! I haven't edited all of the pictures yet. We have a few good ones, I could not get Sarah to smile very much but I still think she looks beautiful! She would not let Myah near her that day! We laughed so hard we almost, well, you can fill in that blank, when Sarah gave Myah an elbow to the shoulder and pushed Myah off the bench! These little girls are Spicy!!! We went shopping afterwards and these little old ladies walked by and said "oh they must be twins". There are many similarities between our girls that would make you wonder if there are family ties connecting them. We hope that they will grow to love each other and appreciate the special circumstances that brought all of us together.

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

top to bottom: I took pictures of her to use for her invitations and the newspaper; Her cake table; Grandma at her party with all of her great grandkids; Mark loves his Grandma so much!

Today marks a huge milestone in the life of Mark's Grandma Dorothy, she turns 90 years old! We had a huge party for her on Sunday, she easily had over 100 guests come to wish her a happy birthday. A true testament to the life she has lead. She is a social butterfly! She has always been very special to Mark and I. When we started dating I was 15 and couldn't go out on a date until I turned 16. Except if we went to see his grandparents. So every Friday and Saturday night we would spend playing euchre with Grandpa and Grandma. We had so many good times with them. They were like our best friends. They were so cool, they loved to laugh and they were very much in love. Great role models for a young couple. Sadly, Grandpa passed away 6 years ago after 62 years of marriage. One summer Grandma and I even worked together at Mark's uncle's Deli. We had the best time! I wasn't old enough to sell alcohol and she couldn't run the cash register so I would take care of that end of it while she took the money and handed over the booze. Grandma has the best sense of humor, everyone who knows her can appreciate it! She is known for beautiful quilts that she makes, the delicious breads and cookies that she bakes and for playing cards and sending cards. She is a super lady and we wish her the best day possible! She sure deserves it!

Happy Moon Festival!

Today marks our 2nd Moon Festival with Myah. Many of you did not follow us on our baby jelly beans site so you did not see our celebration last year. We have a special " Chinese Fairy Godmother" who makes sure that we celebrate these special Chinese holidays with Myah. She works with my neighbor and sends little gifts through her. We have never met her but she is from the same province as Myah. Last night there was a knock on my door and my neighbor had 2 little tins with moon cakes inside. I could not believe that a year has passed since we ate our moon cakes last year! I found this information on about.com and thought I would pass it on to you all!
The Chinese Moon Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. It's also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Chinese culture is deeply imbedded in traditional festivals. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.
The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can't help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.
The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romatic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival. Hope the Moon Festival will bring you happiness.
The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Happy Moon Festival to you all!!

Happy 41st Anniversary Grandpa and Grandma!

Today marks my parents 41st wedding anniversary, and I just wanted to wish them a great day! We had a super busy weekend up north with our family, full of some great moments, I will post later about all of that! Thanks for all of the sweet messages, I look forward to "meeting" you all!

Don't be shy, We don't bite!

I really appreciate those of you who left a comment introducing yourselves, I was so excited! However, there are almost 1,000 visits in a week, That would mean my mom and dad are checking it almost constantly and I know that isn't possible, you see, they still struggle with using their speaker phone! (Sorry mom and dad, you know I still love you). So don't be shy! Please just leave a little note, I would love to know that our journey and back to Myah has touched your heart in some way. I never dreamed that adopting a daughter would be a huge opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. We are very flattered that you enjoy peaking into our lives, we really are just normal average people, who happen to have a blog! So, welcome to our blog, we are Mark, Leslie, Dayton and Myah, and you are........?

Thankful Thursday

Whitney and Myah enjoying one last boat ride!

It's been a busy week but I have lots to be thankful for, here is a sample:
-For Mark, for so many little things that you have done this week to make my life easier, for spending quality time with the kids so that I can have a girls day and and a girls night out.
-For Dayton, for spending hours on your homework at night and not complaining, I am sure there are many things you would rather be doing. For doing your best at all of your baseball tryouts.
-For Myah, for enjoying your Ready Set Play class so much that you didn't want to leave, mommy has waited a long time for you to be ready for something like this. For all of the I love you's throughout the day. For success on the big girl potty this week!
-For Grandma Dorothy's 90th birthday party this coming weekend, we are excited to celebrate this huge milestone in her life with her.
-For an evening with five of my dearest friends, it was so nice to hang out again and laugh!
-For the success of several of our friends on the Sgts. promotion test.
-For a great conversation with Kim from 3 Peanuts, I felt like I had known her forever!
-For everyone who ordered Matilda Jane from me, I can't wait to see pictures of your little darlings in their new outfits!
-For getting to spend all day today with Sheri and Sarah! Myah and I are so excited!
-For Gracie and Ellie and their parents who are in China right now, we are very happy for all of them!
-For Jim and Beckie on the birth of their son Jospeph Phillip.
-For my cousin Jed and his wife Annie who are expecting their first child.
-For my parents who celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary on Monday.
-For the new season of Survivor, in China! We are fans of the show and are excited to tune in tonight!
-For a great summer, it always goes by too fast! I do look forward to fall though!

Ready Set Play

Yesterday Myah and I went to her first playgroup run through our community ed program called Ready Set Play. I know the lady who teaches it, she has a daughter in Dayton's class. I don't think she knew we had adopted so the look on her face when I walked in with Myah was priceless! There are only 6 kids in the class, Myah just happens to be the ONLY girl! How is she supposed to meet new little girl friends in a room full of boys!? I had to laugh! I said, don't worry, Myah will hold her own in this crowd, and she did! At first she started to cry, I think she thought that I would be leaving her. I finally reassured her that I would not leave her (it is a mom and me class) and showed her to the Playdough, she loves to play with it! It was so much fun, just an hour but by the end of the class she had already warmed up to everyone and hugged the teacher goodbye. She felt very important! It was adorable, she seemed like such a big girl! She was really excited when the teacher mentioned a snack, she put her bike away and lined up immediately. Her favorite part was when she got to drink out of a small dixie cup for the first time, she politely said "thank you mommy" when I handed it to her and held it so delicately with both of her little hands, no spills! We ended the hour with a song and a sticker. We call it her school and she was waving "bye school" while we were leaving. I didn't take my camera, can you believe it?

Positively Perfect in Every Way

I just had to post about my Mary Poppins Day! There aren't many days where I feel at the end of the day that "wow, this was a great day" but yesterday was one of them. It is amazing how the simple things can make your day! First off a huge day for Gracie and Ellie, twin girls who were placed in the arms of their parents after 29 months of paperwork and waiting! What a blessing! Double Happiness as they say in China. I don't know them personally but know their proud aunt! It was so fun to wake up and check their site in the morning, that was my first good thing of the day. Secondly, it was my dear friend Sheri's bday and I got to talk to her all of the way home from up north! What a way to make the time go fast. I also was excited to see the Matilda Jane collection at my sisters' house, such cute things! Bonus during this visit was her new chocolate fountain that I was cozied up to, she informed me I am getting one for Christmas! Yeah! The house smelled like warm chocolate all day, makes me drool just thinking about it! Plus, a gorgeous sunny day to drive in the car, the trees are starting to change, I just love this time of year! Myah took a nap the whole 2 hours, this never happens, so I was thrilled that I could actually listen to my music and sing instead of listening to Toy Story the whole time. I even had a few extra minutes to stop by my favorite store Violets Blue and visit with Susan! Love that place and love them! I love my hubby too! He put Myah's car seat back in my car, filled the tank full of gas and made sure that I had ice cubes in the fridge. Our ice maker needs to be fixed and I am addicted to ice remember! All without me having to ask! I know, what is the big deal, but with him on midnights he doesn't get much time to help me out so I love love him for doing this for me! I know simple things, but so meaningful! And to top off my night, I took a long hot bath, I never get to do this. While in the tub I was messing around with my wedding ring and I finally got it off of my finger, the first time in 4 years! I need to get it resized but didn't want it cut off! Yeah! I stayed up late cleaning all of my jewelry, the diamonds just sparkle now, I don't have alot of fine jewelry that I wear but all that I have is very special to me and I loved how it just glistened. I can't leave Dayton out, he was with Dad all day and last night he said some of the sweetest things about Mark that I have ever heard, brought tears to both of our eyes. Sorry for the long post but I just couldn't resist this opportunity to document my life when things actually go my way for a change!

Happy Birthday My Friend!

I know you will check this today! I wish I was there to celebrate with you! Have a great day! Miss you so much!

Misc. Cuteness!

I am trying to get reorganized now that school has started, one goal of mine is to get all of the pictures off of my computer and archived. I found a few favorites while I was going through them and just had to share them. If you are stopping by please leave a comment for us, I have had 400 hits on the blog just this week, my family isn't that big! :) My mom always said make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.

This was the next morning after Gotcha Day, I got to bathe her and dress her for the first time! Oh those cheeks! I love kissing them! She had this blank stare for several days, ( ok weeks!).
One of her first naps as our daughter, she looked like a little doll. Takes my breath away still to look at this.
I took this of her last fall, she is wearing the first thing that I had ever bought for her while we waited.
I love it, her first trip to Disney with us this past Spring Break, unfortunately it started pouring rain shortly after this! She loved Disneyworld as much as we do!

Happy 16th Taylor!

Happy 16th birthday to our nephew Taylor! I had to include a video of one of his touchdowns from Friday night. He earned the position of quarterback on the Varsity team this year and he is doing a tremendous job. If you are a friend or family, you will want to google his name and look at all of the ariticles written about him! He is such a special young man, an all A student, a great sense of humor, a smile a mile wide, and he is humble. He is growing up so fast! Uncle Mark can't get enough of watching him lately, we drive almost 2 hours on Friday nights just to see more of this: (actually, he passes and runs alot farther than this but this is all I caught on video!)

Thankful Thursday

Honestly, I can't believe a week has gone by since last Thursday! Here is what I am thankful for this week:
-Mark, for weeding out our flower beds for the season, I really don't like doing that job, I appreciate the help! For hooking up my printer/scanner to the laptop, I have missed it!
-Dayton, for giving your all time favorite blanket to Myah. She loves it as much as you did! For sitting on the sidelines in gym class while your foot heals, I know how hard that must be for you, a few more days and you can join in!
-Myah, for having success yesterday on the big girl potty!
-For our nephew Taylor who is 16 today!!!
-For my friend Sherry S who has a b-day this weekend! Wish I was there to celebrate with you!
-For a conversation with Sheri W. yesterday, I love catching up with you and can't wait till you get your blog up and running so I can get my daily dose of Miss Sarah!
-For heat and warm clothing, it is freezing here in the morning!
-For my cousin Sheri in Florida for sending Myah the most adorble tutu and wand for Halloween! What a sweet surprise, she loves it!! How funny that my list includes 3 Sheri's!!
-For Myah's naptime! It is amazing how much I can accomplish in such a small amount of time!
-For my neighbor Heather's healthy pregnancy, she is due any minute with their 2nd daughter!
-For people who give the gift of life through organ donation, our family has been affected by this on a few occasions and I pray that everyone will at least consider it.
-For people who still send a written note, I have been cleaning out boxes all weekend and love looking through all of the special letters that we have received through the years. I wouldn't part with them if I had to! Go buy a pack of stationary, help Hallmark stay in business! (my friend manages one and she said that Webkins are keeping them in business, isn't that sad!)

Twenty-Seven Months Old

I know I am a little late but this month has had a rough/busy start! I have to start out by saying that both of my kids are changing daily. I am just amazed at how they both seem to be maturing, who would think that a 2 year old and a 12 year old have that in common! I think the best word to describe Myah this month is particular. Her vocabulary is expanding so quickly and she now knows how to say the things that she wants. We don't have to guess anymore that she wants juice or that she is hungry, she tells us. And repeats herself over and over again until she gets results. Are we creating a monster or what? Fortunately she is becoming very polite also, I always get a "thank you mommy" after I do something for her. I feel like she is losing a little bit of her "edge", now that Dayton is in school she is enjoying her time at the house alone with me, this seems to make her more mellow if that makes any sense. She also is playing on her own too, it is a nice break for me to actually have time to catch up on things while she colors, watches Sesame Street, plays with her kitchen or pushes her baby in her stroller around the house. I love that she will finally sit with me long enough to read a book, I love reading to the kids but she never will sit still long enough to finish a book, her favorite book is The Monster at the End of This Book, (thanks Vicki), I loved this book as a little girl and use my little Grover voice to read it to her, she also loves Alice the Fairy, and 8 Silly Monkeys. She surprised us one night while we were looking through a picture book and she named just about everything in the book, I didn't know she knew what all of those things were, let alone get the names right. She is a sponge and is absorbing information like crazy. She loves music, I catch her dancing all of the time! The other night at Taylor's football game she was dancing to the marching band, I will have to upload that video for you to see. She is sad to see Dayton get on the bus in the morning but has told us that she wants to ride the bus and go to school too, we'll see about that in a few years (wink!). I love how comfortable she seems, her laughter is so natural now and she squeals in delight when we are playing. She captures our hearts when she tells us she loves us. At night she will always say, "goodnight Dayton (or momma, or daddy), love you". We are so in love with her too! With each new month we are amazed at the changes in Myah, she has come so far in the year and 3 months that we have had her in our lives. Dayton misses her while he is at school and always asks if her can wake her in the morning before he leaves. He has been suffering from severe allergies this week and also is having alot of trouble walking, we took him to the Dr. on Monday and they said his achilles tendons are being stretched because his bones are growing faster than his tendons. They say it is common in boys at his age but we have to take him to see a physical therapist. Poor little guy, not a good first week of school for him. He is growing by leaps and bounds also, the other night he was as tall as Aunt Lora! I think I am next! He is loving 7th grade, he loves his school and seems to really care for all of his teachers. What a blesssing! I have to say that another common thread with my kids is that they have both outgrown everything that they own. Nothing and I mean nothing from their previous fall/winter wardrobe fits them at all, Myah is now wearing a 3T and Dayton is mostly in 14's! Looks like a shopping day is on the horizon! Woo Hoo!!

In Honor of September 11th

We will never forget where we were on that fateful day, sadly, everyone in the picture below became a victim of the attacks on our nation that day. We will never forget about all of the victims and heroes of September 11th. We visited Ground Zero 7 months later and couldn't help but think about all of those individuals who died so innocently that day. I remember Mark being ordered into work that night, he called me and said he had a call from the White House concerning a security detail. It was a day that forever changed the way we live.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today my Grandpa Friend turns 85!! This is a picture of him and his "lady friend" ,as he calls her, Maybelle. He was married to my Grandma for 59 years until she passed away 5 years ago. My Grandpa and Maybelle met when they were in high school many years ago, Maybelle dated my Grandpa's best friend and evidently he had a crush on her and always wanted to date her. She ended up marrying the best friend and he passed away a few years ago. They were reunited last year and have been an item ever since. I love my Grandpa so very much. He owned a steel reinforcing business for 50 years and has built many of the buildings and stadiums in the Lansing area, especially at MSU. I spent all of my summers growing up with my grandparents so I became very close to them. I was their first grandchild. The story goes that I always wanted my Grandma to hold me when I was a baby because she had all of the necklaces and bracelets on that I liked to play with. This made my Grandpa very jealous and one day he showed up to my parents house wearing a few of Grandma's necklaces! He won my heart that day and has ever since. His trademark is his very deep voice and his gorgeous head of white hair that he has had since he was 40 years old. He is still very active and lives on his own. He is a WWII Veteran and is very proud of it. He is very patriotic and drives his blue pick up truck around with those clip on flags on each window. He is just adorable and we all love him dearly. Happy Birthday Grandpa from your little Sessie!

Matilda Jane Party

My sister is having a Matilda Jane trunk show this Sunday at her house if any of you are interested. So many people ask me about Myah's dresses and if you want one here is your chance. If you would like something, I can help you order it, and have it sent to your house. Please go to http://www.matildajaneclothing.com/ look at the fall catalog and if there is something you would like please feel free to email me at daysmom@charter.net . I love her stuff and she is getting very popular and very busy. Just to let you know Myah wears a size 3 and a large size hat. She is wearing a Matilda Jane hat in the picture featured on my header.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad and Grandpa!

This picture of my dad has won awards and has been on display in the Meridian Mall several times, it shows his true spirit, his love for his country and for the Veterans of our land.

This is where dad is happy, on the water or in the woods!

Today my dad Roger turns 60 years old! We went up north yesterday to celebrate because Dayton has baseball tryouts today. We always have fun when we are together, full of laughs, my dad is a jokester and can tell the funniest stories, his memory is amazing and I can't believe how he can tell a story about his childhood and remember every detail. He has led a crazy life (he would be the first to admit it!) and loves to share his memories, I swear I don't know how he has lived to be 60 after hearing about some of his adventures in life! My dad raised us girls to be strong individuals, he always had a firm hand and we grew up knowing that you didn't want to make dad mad :) . He was a tremendous athlete in high school and wanted to play football in college, he got drafted just a few months after graduation and served in the Army for 4 years during the Viet Nam War. He had married my mom just 6 weeks before leaving. My dad became injured on the job when I was 8 years old, rupturing discs in his back. He would never be able to do labor like that again. He eventually opened a sporting goods store when I was 11, he has always been an avid outdoorsman and this was the perfect place for him. He became well known in our state and served on many boards and committees in Michigan concerning wildlife and the out-of-doors. He had been a frequent guest on the news relating to the hunting and fishing in our area. He was a professional fisherman and enjoyed traveling to tournaments. My dad became a huge advocate for the physically challenged and fought to give them easier access to the outdoors. He became very passionate about helping the veterans in our country and serves as the chaplain of many Veteran motorcycle chapters. I would have never believed that my dad would bring Christ into the lives of so many people, but he does. He has a way of relating to so many people, he reaches out to the people that are usually forgotten or overlooked by so many. I know of several accounts where people on their deathbeds have accepted Christ as their savior with my dad by their side. He never gives up on people. He might seem unconventional to alot of people but he gets through to the individuals that need the love of Christ in their life in order to save their life. In so many ways I am nothing like my dad and in other ways we are very similar. He is not a healthy man, actually, it is a miracle he is still alive, he has suffered from diabetes for 20 years now and it has definately taken a toll on him. He has recently been told that he had been exposed to agent orange while in the service, after learning more about this subject it really explains alot about his health issues. His kidneys have been failing and he has been told he needs to think about dialysis, something he refuses to do. We never know what life will throw at us and we truly enjoy our times together. Period. He is a tough person, I have seen him bounce back many times in my life. We keep our sense of humor and go on. We have to. So today, I celebrate my dad and his life, all that he does for others, and for his undying spirit and patriotism, God Bless You dad for everything! Happy Birthday! We love you!

Must See TV

I forgot to mention that today a new episode of the cartoon Arthur on PBS airs today at 4:00 pm. It is a 2 part episode about one of the characters, Binky, getting a baby sister who is adopted from China. I caught just the last half this morning while Dayton was getting ready for school and we both thought it was adorable. It is so cute, they show Binky getting his shots to travel, flying on a plane, gotcha day and sitting through an acrobat show in China. Someone did their research! I love that in the middle of the show they show two little girls who were adopted from China. I am sure if you go to PBS online you will be able to see when it airs again.

A few Goodies

Here are a few little gems that I have around the house that I thought might bring some inspiration to those of you who have or are waiting to adopt. I am always on the lookout for special items everywhere I go. I cherish old pieces that have been in our family and wanted to include some things to celebrate Myah's heritage also. These are a few of my recent favorites.

I found this sweet little ceramic Chinese girl at a local antique shop for $6. She reminds me of Myah with her long hair and sturdy build! I love antiques and am always excited when I spot Chinese inspired things like this. You can find similar items at your local antique dealers.
This is the American Girl Bitty Baby. Myah adores her! This particular doll is the Asian doll. They have dolls in just about every hair/eye color combination and the Bitty Baby is just the right size for little girls. The stroller is also for the Bitty Baby.

This box I recently found at Target and found that it holds all of our adoption documents (from start to finish) just perfectly. It is sturdy and has a nice linen lid. A great place to hold all of those precious papers that we worked so hard for!

I had this picture taken of Myah shortly after she arrived home. I love old family pictures and wanted a picture of Myah celebrating her heritage in her custom made dress and hat from China. I had it hand colored in a sepia tone which made it look old. She was just learning how to stand so I had to hold her up! See her jade 5 generation ball that we purchased in China next to the picture.
I found this baby book recently by Chronicle Books called My Family, My Journey. It is made especially for an adopted child. The pages are so sweet and soft. It will be a great keepsake for our family.

This is my favorite picture of my sweeties, very simple but so special. I had this done when we arrived home too, I am so glad I had this taken, they have both changed so much already. I love seeing how Myah's eyes have changed from looking so scared and serious here to looking so safe and full of love now. (Notice our etching of our family that we had done in China!)

Favorites Meme

Danielle has tagged me with a favorites meme. I don't even know if any of you care to know so much about me but here it goes:
~My Favorites~
Sound: laughter,music
Late night snack: ice cream
Smell: tiny babies, fresh lilacs, peonies, Mark's cologne
Color combos: I love brown with pink, blue or green right now, I also love white with pale colors
Nut: cashews, walnuts
Time of Year: I love the change of seasons, especially Spring and Fall
Author: Martha Stewart
Books: Decorating books, Rachel Ashwell books, childrens books, cookbooks
Vegetable: lettuce
Male Actor: movie:Tom Hanks, tv: Steve Carrell
Female Actress: Resse Witherspoon
Flower: peony, lilacs, roses
Vacation Spot: St. Augustine Florida, Mackinac Island Michigan
Pizza: extra thin crust
Sport to Play: used to be track, now I like watersports, golf, bikeriding and walking
Subject in School: Health
TV Channel: HGTV
Radio Station: I am a channel changer, I also like to listen to cd's
Holiday: Christmas and Easter
Perfume: Princess by Vera Wang, White Cherry Blossom by Bath and Body Works
Shoes: flip flops, slip ons from 9 West, anything comfy ( i have problem feet)
Candy: chocolate!, red licorice, gummy bears
City to Shop: Chicago, Bay City, actually anywhere!
Beauty Products: MAC
Items To Shop For: Myah's clothes, home accessories, cool old picture frames, antiques, candles,purses
Whew, I guess you can tell, I am pretty indecisive, I have a hard time narrowing down my favorites to just one thing, I love just about everything pretty!

Thank you Kim

I was nominated for the Nice Blogger Award by Kim at 3 Peanuts, I am flattered to receive this from someone who I believe is a super nice person. Kim is a classic beauty who has a great sense of style and grace. She has brought smiles to so many of our faces by posting gorgeous pictures and stories about her adorable family. I found her on Rumor Queen quite a while ago, around the time she received Kate Emerson's referral. I followed her journey to Kate and remember the day that she saw her daughter for the first time, I made Mark get internet service while we were on Spring Break so that I could see her reaction to meeting her for the first time ( her husband and son went to China) I was so happy for her and her family. Kim always is well spoken, classy and elegant, on top of that she is a wonderful, loving mother to her 3 peanuts! Thanks Kim for thinking of me in this category! This award is for those who are nice people, good blog friends and inspiring in the blogging world. I am a bit embarrassed to accept this but it is something that my mother would be proud of, my maiden name was Friend so you can imagine the pressure to live up to that!

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:
-Mark, for being such a great dad, you put our families needs above everything else and we love you for being such a good provider for all of us. I am thankful for the way your eyes well up when you talk about how proud you are of our kids.
-Dayton, for becoming a Jr High student and for being so excited about it! For riding the bus every day so that we don't have to wake up your little sister.
-Myah, for making our house full of laughter. You have brought so much happiness to us all, you are becoming such a character and we love your sense of humor. You are a perfect fit for our goofy family!
-School starting, I hate to see summer leave but I love the routine that school brings.
-Dayton's teachers, I can't imagine being a Jr. High teacher, God Bless You All!!!
-My Dad Roger who turns 60 on Sunday! Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa!
-My Grandpa who turns 85 on the 11th! I love him sooooo much!!
-For a 2 hour phone call with my dearest friend!
-For a great Labor Day on the lake with good friends.
-For Regis and Kelly, they are having their 20th anniversary, I have watched them for at least 18!
-For Kimberlyn, so happy for you that you will be traveling to your little boy soon!
-For referrals that came out this week! These families have waited about 2 years!
-For a great summer full of wonderful memories.
-For the Steckel twins, who turned 1 this past weekend, such little miracles! Happy Birthday Sweethearts!
-For little Annabelle's first day of preschool, she loved it!
-For everyone reading this, sometimes when I feel like the time has come to stop doing this, someone will send a message my way encouraging me to continue. Thank you for still caring about our family.

First Day of School

I can't believe that Dayton is starting middle school today. He is growing up so fast, the past few years especially. I hardly slept last night worrying about how he would handle the big school, his locker and 7 different classes. Our 5th and 6th grades are all in a huge school together so he has had a somewhat preview of what the official "middle school" would be like. Seventh grade! Yikes! Mark took him to school today because they had an assembly to meet the teachers and they wanted parents to join their kids on the first day of school. I made Dayton a copy of his schedule with a map of the school on the back. We went around and circled where all of his classes were so that he could easily see where he had to be next. He is all over the place, I pray that he isn't late, it is the old high school so it is a pretty big school. I have never felt so unprepared in my life, there wasn't a supply list sent out yet, so we picked up a few notebooks, pencils and gum of course, (he can chew gum in 7th grade, I didn't know that). I also learned that he needs a $100 calculator, they said that he will use it all the way through high school. I pray that he has a great day and that he will like his teachers, I hear that alot of homework is on the horizon for the year! Little Myah slept through all of the festivities so she doesn't know that Dayton isn't here yet. I wasn't ready for summer to be over yet, but there is something exciting about a new school year too.

Trip to the Zoo

We went to the Toledo Zoo this past week with Aunt Melanie and the girls. It is such a nice zoo, it wasn't crowded at all, which made viewing the animals pretty easy for the little girls. At one point we were near the window where the baby orangutans were and Myah walked up to the window, started pointing her finger at him saying "no, no no". You all know how bossy she can be! All of the sudden the baby charged at the window and was face to face with her, she freaked out, screaming, crying, Aunt Mel was standing close and she practically jumped up into her arms. It was very funny but I felt bad for her that it had scared her so badly. She loved the rest of the animals though. We saw a baby polar bear, camels, sharks, lions, tigers and penguins. The Gorilla exhibit is really neat too, the young gorilla stared at Dayton through the glass and kept spitting at him. I had my old camera with me so the pics aren't really great. This is my first attempt at posting a video, my EasyShare has a video camera built in so it isn't the greatest quality but it is something. She is explaining how the monkey scared her. She was very interested in her new cup!