Angel Eyes from China

My sweet girl has done it!

2011-05-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

It is sooo hard to believe but she is officially a first grader now. This morning she got on the bus as a kindergartner one last time. I am just amazed at how much she has grown but physically and emotionally this school year. I was so proud of her today. She received several awards including Random Act of Kindness Award and An Artist award- her drawing was picked as the best drawing by a Kindergartner in the whole state.
She had a wonderful teacher and a great group of classmates which set up a wonderful foundation for her school career.
Now we are looking forward to summer and some warm weather so we can get out and have some fun.
Hope you all had wonderful school years this year!
Joanie

These last two pictures show how much she has changed this year!

Meina's one year Family Day at Disney!

2011-05-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

It was 9 days of Disney fun and our first big vacation as a family of four! We had a blast and enjoyed the warm weather. Here are a few photos.... Enjoy

Ready to go to Mother's Day Dinner

Last year it was hailing!

2011-04-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, almost a year since our trip to bring Meina home. So much is different this year. First of all Mike is home and not half way across the country in Georgia. Last Easter it was Ramzie and I celebrating by ourselves. This year was a whole different holiday and I LOVED it.

What a fun weekend we had. we decided this year to head back to the "small" community egg hunt instead of the MEGA HUNT that we did last year. IT was perfect for Meina's first time and Ramzie really enjoyed seeing a few of her friends that are going to different schools but live in the same area we do. All week Ramzie has been doing practice egg hunts with Meina and giving her tips. I would hear "Warm.... no not there look up Meina. Meina up....NO UP!" just can't beat that.

Anyway, on the day of the Egg hunt Ramzie and Meina were in different groups (due to age of course) so I was a mad women, trying to run and get pictures of Ramzie and then run back to hold the basket for Meina because she would not let her dad do it. The result- a "few" pictures but alot of fun!

We went to church service on Saturday night so Sunday we could just hang around and not go anywhere.

Sunday we had a wonderfully lazy day. Of course bright and early the girls were up ready to look for eggs and their baskets. That took about 30 minutes and then 30 minutes later the girls were in a chocolate induced stupor. Meina thought she was in heaven. She kept looking at me while eating the Jelly Beans like she was getting away with something. IT was pretty funny. Bot does she have a sweet tooth. Ramzie loves it to but took her time. I think she has learned from

years past to pace herself for the day. LOL

The rest of the day we played and worked in the yard. It was actually a nice day so we wanted to be out as much as possible. Mike and I were discussing how well the girls play together. I really thought due to the 4 year age difference, they would not play quite so well but they are great together. Ramzie is the little mother teaching her how to do things step by step and when she does try to go off to play by herself Meina is always yelling "Help Sissy" and "Sissy, Are You?"

I am always smiling to myself when I hear that. I Had hoped they would be close and so far it is working out much smoother than I dreamed. Just proving once again that God knew the timing and the plan all along.

We ended the day with a nice dinner and a family puzzle. It was a Disney themed puzzle as we are counting down to a trip in May!

Speaking of bed arrangements, Meina is in her toddler bed. She really thinks she is something too.We set up bedside stand (identical to Ramzie's) with a water cup and Kleenex and she has not missed a beat. I have caught her in her sister's bed sleeping a few times, but as long as they sleep that is just fine with me.

She is a big girl now!

2011-04-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Little Meina is now 2 years old. She can tell you and show you (by holding up her fingers) any time you ask. We had a great day on her birthday. She LOVED being the center of attention all day. Her Oma ad Opa made it up to celebrate with us too! Both of the girls have been busy this spring although it has been more like winter than spring. I am going to just put up pictures now and fill in details later..../

Joanie

Family life

2011-03-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

That about sums it up..... The last month has been busy just doing "stuff". This past week little Ms. Meina has had RSV which is the first time she has really been sick. She would not eat and would barely drink. Those who know our girl know that is unheard of, so we knew she was really sick. The fever lasted about 6 days and finally today she woke up ready to play and have breakfast. It is good to have my spunky lil one back! Her other accomplishment is she is potty trained. I am not sure how we got so lucky, but both of our girls have potty trained before they were two. Makes it nice to not need diapers anymore. Next step is a big girl bed, but she keeps saying no when we ask. She LOVES her crib and I am okay with her staying in it for a while longer.

Yesterday was the first day of spring and boy do we have spring FEVER. Ramzie and I went to the store and picked out seeds for our garden even though we have at least 2 months before we can plant them. Mike fixed up the trampoline and the girls spent time playing and jumping during the warm part of the day.

Ramzie lost her first tooth in February. She is so happy to have joined her friends who are getting tooth fairy visits.

The other big event this last month was Ramzie's b-day party. We usually wait till Feb/Mar to celebrate with friends because Christmas is a hard time. This year she invited just a few friends to go to a local indoor water park with her. It was a great way to spend a day. She really enjoyed it. She asked everyone to bring food to take to the local food bank instead of presents. We ended up with a trunk full of food to donate. She was very proud to take her donations in and tell them what they were from. Way to go Ramzie!

Mike and I are doing well. We are doing the P90X program and it is alot of fun. HARD but really good for us both. We usually do it in the evenings after the kids are in bed. It is our time and we are able to talk about our day and such. So far- I have lost about 12lbs and Mike is getting really cut. I highly recommend the program. It is a killer the first few weeks but it really makes you feel great too.

Happy Spring everyone.

Happy New Year- Year of the Rabbit!

2011-02-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

Geez- so much for improving my blog record and updating once a week! To my defense we have been pretty busy and changed our Internet service. Of course there was a hiccup or two with that so now that I am back online it is time to catch everyone up.

First, on February second we marked the one year anniversary of Meina's referral. Wow- how far we have come (and traveled) in a year. As we spend each day as a family it is pretty amazing that she was not here last year.

So like most of the country Montana has been very snowy and cold this winter. We are so ready for spring and it is only February. Ramzie has already burned through two pairs of snow pants and boots, not to mention the number of mittens that have come home with holes in them. Our girl knows how to play for sure. Meina on the other hand HATES the cold and will grab her arms and say Brrrr as soon as she feels a draft.

Meina and I have been spending our days when Ramzie is in school playing and just hanging out. She is pretty attached to me and follows me from room to room like a shadow. She is also a mini-tornado and has not yet grasped the concept of putting away her things. If she loses interest in something it hits the ground and off she goes to the next thing. She is good at directions though and will happily pick things up when asked.

She is crazy about her "thissy" as she calls Ramzie. Once Ramzie is home Meina becomes her shadow.

Meina is getting better and better with her speech. She is pretty clear with the words she uses. She just does not jabber constantly like Ms. Ramz did so she seems a little quieter.

Activities this month have been many. At the first part of January, Ramzie went ice skating for the first time and I got to join her which was a lot of fun. I think we will make that a more consistent activity. Of course she is still doing gymnastics and wants to join the YMCA track team this spring.

The best activity we did this month was the Chinese New Year party with our local FCC group. Each year we get to reconnect with families that have also adopted children from China (or other countries in Asia). Of course with the slowdown in Chinese adoption there have been fewer kids come home recently. Meina was actually the newest in our group. There is another family though that just got a referral for a DARLING baby girl in the last group received on Feb 3rd!

Anyway, we really enjoyed the party and love to be able to bring some of the girls culture into our celebrations each year.

Yesterday- I visited Ramzie's class to discuss Chinese New Year traditions and pass out a few goodies (red envelope with chocolate coins, panda stickers, fortune cookies and some dragon headbands). It went well and Ramzie was very proud to share some trivia about her birth land with her peers. After our trip to school Meina and I went to the store and got stuff for our family celebration dinner. We enjoyed dumplings, noodles and brown rice sushi along with jasmine tea and oranges for dessert. We decorated with red lanterns and red banners and used the special bowel set and table runner that we picked up on our last trip to China. All in all a very nice evening.

The pictures are of everything from the past month..... Enjoy.

Joanie

Boy did we have FUN!

2010-12-28T09:56:00.001-08:00

Cute Kids huh?

The gang of kids with Cora

Check out the disaster we made of Mom and Dad's place!

What else is in my stocking?

Sisters-these kind of photos always melt my heart!

My 6 year old birthday girl!

I got Sissy this one!

Can you believe the pile of pillow pets?

Princess Ariel

The boys and pictures= mayham!

The best seat in the house!

This year Christmas was such a blessing in more ways than we could have hoped for. We got to spend it with my mom and dad, my brother and his family and of course our two EXTRA special girls!

When I look back on last year's Christmas- I would have NEVER thought we would be spending this one with another daughter. We had all but given up on adopting another child from China, but God had another plan for our family. That plan of course was our sweet baby girl Meina. She has added to our family in such a wonderful way. She has spunk and laughter that we did not know we were missing. She is loving and just amazing in her ability to adapt and learn new things. People are drawn to her where ever we go. She has allowed us to grow as parents and has allowed Ramzie become a big sister. What an amazing year indeed!

We went to Wyoming on Christmas Eve morning. We had packed the truck the night before with everything so we could just scoop the girls up in the morning and head out. They passed the time by watching Tinkerbell and snacking on banana's and oranges. I figured that I would load them up with some fruit because once at Oma and Opa's all nutrition bets were off....

Anyway, we made it there by mid morning. It was so good to see Frank, Cora and the boys. I sure wish they lived closer- Iowa is a long drive.

Anyway, after a short shy period by both girls (about 10 minutes) they were off playing and having a blast. Let the festivities begin! We had out traditional Oyster stew meal for dinner and then started the present opening marathon!

After a short night of sleep- the kids had us up by 6:30 am it was apparent that Santa thought the kids had all been very good. Meina was kind of unsure of it all happening this early in the morning (she is not a morning girl) but warmed up and was in the middle of it all very soon.

The rest of the day was filled with play and food. We had a lovely turkey dinner and then it was BIRTHDAY TIME for Ramzie.

She now has all of the necessary items that a 6 year old could want. List (not complete just a hint)Easy bake oven (santa), Airbrush Nail Design center (santa) Life Size Tangeled Doll (Oma and Opa) Art Supplies (Mom and Dad) Pillow Pets (everyone) Princess Games (Frank and Cora) Clothes and a new Coat.

Meina was loaded up with ELMO items (Cora and Frank), finger paints and paper (Santa), Rocking Horse (Santa), Clothes and dolls (Mom and Dad) and of course-Pillow pets!

We ended the night playing Sequence. I think this is my new favorite game.

Hope everyone has had a great holiday. Now on to 2011!

Joanie

How can parents be so lucky?

2010-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

One of Meina's favorite things to do is lay and talk to Ellie our dog.

You caught me mom!

Matching Jammies!

My butterfly fairies

Meina is 20 months old now. She is just blossoming in front of us.... I really marvel each day that I am the mother to these two sweet amazing children. So here is an update on Meina and her development.

She is now 25 lbs and 33.5 inches tall! Yes- that is tall for her age. She is wearing 24 month clothing and loves the color purple! She really has an opinion about what she wears already. She is running and climbing everything. She loves to color and will sit and draw for lengthy periods of time. She also enjoys story time asking for a story (again) over and over.

Every morning she will wave goodbye to her sister as she gets on the bus and then turns to me and says "Elmo". This is my que to turn on her Elmo ABC video, Lol. It is nice because it runs just long enough for me to get a shower :-) She is also talking and laughing more- both music to my ears.

She is becoming more and more attached to us as her family now. She is in a stage where she wants to be held a lot of the time and will just lean in as tight as she can, put her thumb in her mouth and take a big deep breath as if to say "finally". She was not much for being held close for any period of time up until about 2 months ago- so we are making progress. She also calls out Mama and Dada if we are out of the room. As for her relationship with Ramzie, she LOVES her. The minute Ramzie gets home from school she is her little shadow. She follows Ramzie through her after school routine (washing hands, putting away her boots and coat, showing me her seat work for the day, snack and playtime). I will be upstairs preparing dinner and hear them laughing and playing while Taylor Swift plays in the background- It just does not get any better than that.

This next week will be busy. Ramzie has a Christmas program and then we are all headed to Wyoming for the holidays. Mom has been fighting an infection and we have not seen her in a while- so it will be good to see her and my dad. Frank (brother) and his kids will be there also. It will be fun to see all of the kids together.

Well- off to wrap some presents.....

Have a good week-

Christmas

Snowmen and sisters

2010-12-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Giant boxes are the BEST toys!

My little helper

This week we spent the week getting the house ready for Christmas. Ramzie is so excited to have the Advent calander out and she loves to wake up early to turn on the lights before she heads off to school. My tree is a bit candy cane heavy but the girls sure had fun putting them on. Meina is LOVING the decorating and she is obsessed with the snowglobe collection. It is pretty fun to see the excitement in her eyes as she is experiancing this season for the first time.

She has also become obsessive with brushing her teeth. She got a new electric toothbrush and LOVES it.

One night- I gave the girls fun (edible) stuff to build snowmen with. Well...... Meina did not make it to the building stage as you can see, but Ramzie did. It was a fun activity and one I recommend. I actually borrowed the idea from this http://salsainchina.blogspot.com/ blog.

On Saturday Ramzie and I went to her regular gymnastic class and then on to get haircuts. She has been saying she wanted her hair cut shorter and bangs (yes after all that pain of growing them out). I told her the only rule was that it must be long enough to pull it back for gymnastics and swimming. She is getting old enough to make decissions about her own hair right? I must admit when she walked around the courner after her cut- I was shocked! She looks so different. She likes it and it was very easy this morning before school, both good results if you ask me!

Off to get going on the day. May your day be blessed.

Wow- December already!

2010-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Halloween= Witches and Bumble Bees

And Mulan.....

Sister's working together to make a scarecrow

Yeah we are through security- ready for San Antonio!

Where IS tha plane?

Before the big trip (to the airport not San Antonio-darn weather)

Kitchen helpers

Meina's first reaction to snow

Wow- time does fly when you are having fun. The last month has been filled with lots of activities. I am not doing a great job of posting to this website as I need to be, but I have been taking pictures, so I will give you a snapshot veiw of our lives for the past little while.

As I keep saying- Life is good.

I do not LIKE snow ! Brrrrrrrrr

Sister time

My baby has blessed our family for five years now!

Waiting for our turn to talk during the National Adoption Day celebration

Re-finalization of Meina's adoption

Five Months- a Family of Four

2010-10-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Geez- did you all think I fell off the edge of the planet? I haven't but we have been VERY busy.

We have had an absolutely great summer and fall. Mike is loving his new job, the girls are growing and thriving. Meina had been such an amazing little girl! Her willingness to trust us and let us love her is simply amazing. Everyday we see more of her personality and what a personality it is! So today's post will be about what I love to "talk" about most- MY GIRLS!

First off, Ramzie is doing so well in school. She comes home everyday laughing with a fun story to tell. She has a great and involved teacher which we are sooooo grateful for. I cannot believe the change in her maturity level in this short amount of time..... Boo hoo she is growing too fast! She has made some new friends and seems to have a new confidence that I am so proud of. She has also resumed her gymnastics classes. She has decided not to return to dance this year, but wants to try some of the YMCA programs this winter. She has been on three field trips with school- one to the fire station, one to the pumpkin patch and one to a local theater to watch a play. She loves to go to plays! Last winter we went to a production of Annie and for this winter, we have The Wizard of OZ tickets already purchased.

She has decided that she is going to be Glenda (the good witch) for Halloween this year. We found the costume at the Cracker Barrel gift shop of all places! To sum it up for Ramz- she is doing really well and THRIVING as a big sister.

Meina has also had a busy and fun-filled few months. She is getting to do quite a few firsts with us. First trip to the Zoo, first trip to Oma and Opa's, and first activity group- she is taking music (and loves it), and last Thursday she had her first trip to the pumpkin patch.

She is growing and fast! She is now 32" tall and 23 lbs. That puts her in the 75th percentile for height and 45th for weight. She will eat just about anything. The two things she is not fond of are bell pepper and lettuce. Her vocabulary is starting to expand. She has the beginning of many many words and says mama, dada, please, yes, no, ball, bus, more, Ram (Ramzie), up, down apple, green, and hungry pretty clear. She will also hold up 1 finger and say "one" when we ask her how old she is. We had her evaluated by EI (early intervention) for our post placement visit and she did very well overall and most areas she scored at 20+ months!

Not bad for a little one who could not pull herself up or crawl 5 months ago!

We have continued to keep contact with the orphanage and Meina's foster family. They are so happy to get updates from us each month.

Personality wise, we are still figuring her out. She is an extremely easy going girl most of the time. She is sweet and sensitive (we barely have to look at her cross and she melts) and really funny. She is falling into the "baby of the family" role well and can sometimes be a pill to her sister if she wants what Ramzie has. She will be a Bumble Bee for Halloween.

As you can tell by the pictures, she still will not smile for the camera- but I promise she is a really happy kid.

As for Mike and I we are both busy enjoying these two sweet girls we are blessed to raise.

Joanie

Kindergarten!

2010-08-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today is a BIG day. My little Ramzie is at school as I post this! She did great- it was much harder on mom. Lol!
She really wanted to ride the bus so we put her on it and then followed it to the school. She was very brave- marched right up the stairs and sat down without hesitation. When we got to the school I could see she was happy to see a few familiar faces. After a few hello hugs she walked to her classroom, found her bag hook, hung up her bag and coat, and then looked for and found her name at her station. Her friend Abby sits right across from her. The only time she acted nervous was when the bell rang. I think she thought it was a fire alarm at first.

When we left she was happy and coloring a picture.

As much as I am sad to see her grow so fast, I am so happy for her to begin this new adventure. We have had a blast getting things ready for the big day. She and I spent the whole day Sunday school shopping. She has very particular taste all of the sudden so it was fun to watch her ponder her decisions. The shoes seemed to be the biggest debate in her mind. hmmm- pink or black Sketchers? I almost let her get both but she also wanted a pair of flats so I made her choose. As fast as she is growing (3/4 inch in August) I know we will have the opportunity to change styles later in the year :-) Trust me she has plenty of shoes to get her through.

Life really IS good.

Here she is in her carefully chosen "first day" outfit
Waiting for the bus at the end of the driveway

Getting off at school after a 5 minute ride

I found my spot!

Ramzie- You are such an amazing person. We are so proud to be your parents and cannot wait to watch you blossem this school year.

Our Sweet Girls

2010-08-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post we had professional photos taken of the girls. Here are a few of my favorites. Tina the photographer is amazing! If you want to check out her work you can see it by clicking the link for Itty Bitty Portraits in my side bar.

I placed my order today.... Can't wait to get the prints in person!

Enjoy,

Joanie

Pictures of our last week or so.

2010-07-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

We have not done anything exciting, but we always seem to be busy! Ramzie and Meina have been doing swimming every day for the past two weeks. The lessons are scheduled at 12:45pm so right in the middle of the day. I wasn't thinking that all the way through when I signed them up. It really makes it hard to do anything in the afternoon because we have to go straight home for nap time. Meina must have a 3 hour nap and Ramzie is still taking about an hour or so. I am trying to get her out of it because she starts school in August, but she will even ask for a nap if she is tired. She isn't getting to bed at her usual 8-8:30 either, so I think that doesn't help matters.

Ramzie has had quite a few play dates which are good for her and it gives Meina and I some special alone time. It seems that most of the pictures below are of Meina and I took them while Ramz was either at the neighbors or out on her trampoline (another favorite activity). Meina is getting quite the personality. She LOVES music and starts dancing and laughing every time she hears Taylor Swift. This happens to be quite a bit because Ramzie has the CD and plays it ALL THE TIME.

Speaking of pictures, last Thursday we had family pictures and pictures of the girls taken. I cannot wait to see how they turn out. I am hoping there is one or two that can be put on a canvas to cover some of the bare areas on our walls. We have been in this house almost five years and I still have some VERY bare walls in places.

Mike has been out of town on an assignment so it has been just the girls this week. As always happens when he leaves town, we had a few minor issues...
First and (kinda) minor, my washer is blinking an error code during the final spin cycle. I was sure we had not had the washer more than 3 years and "thought" I had bought the extended service plan. Turns out we bought it 4 years ago on July 30th AND I did buy the extra plan...... a four year plan. Yes, we lucked out and it had issues just days BEFORE it ran out. The not so lucky part was they did not have anyone to come out to repair it until Friday (tomorrow). I really hope it is a simple fix and they can do it while they are here. Otherwise, I will not be able to find my children in the piles of laundry that are forming downstairs!
The second thing that happened this week was I got rear-ended sitting at a stoplight. My car is only 5 months old! There does not appear to be much damage, small crack in the bumper, but it sure made me think twice about going with a smaller type vehicle.
So that about sums up our lives. Things are good.....

Sister gave me a makeover!

I gave myself a makeover and Mommy took the make-up away!

Best,

Joanie

A full life

2010-07-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sisters holding hands after a long day at the Zoo!
The New Mexico and Montana Smith kids

Exploring the Zoo

Hubei girls

Daddy and his grils looking at the Tiger

Day at the park

Wading pool fun!

We have been busy this month so not much time to post to the blog.

I will start with an update on the girls.

Meina is really walking (and running) everywhere now. She has suddenly become fearless and has many boo-boo's to show for it. We are not going to get by without gates for the stairs with this little one. Several nights ago I was cooking dinner while the girls were downstairs playing in their "kitchen". Anyway, I heard a sigh or grunting sound coming from the stairs. I thought uh-oh she is going to try to come up the stairs by herself so I ran over to look. Well, the little bug was AT THE TOP ALREADY! Our staircase is not a few steps either- it is fifteen and steep. I was scared to death since 2 days earlier Mike was teaching her how to go up the stairs and had to catch her from falling back no less than three times. That is what we get for teaching her how to climb them- Lol.

We had a pediatrician visit last week for more vaccinations and she is growing well. She has grown 1 inch and gained 1.5# in 7 weeks! That places her in the 40% for weight and 90% for height. We are not surprised based on how much she eats. She will eat anything.... not picky at all.

She continues to be a easy-going kid. She does not like to be told no though and I get big tears when I take something away from her that she thinks she should have. She follows Ramzie around everywhere goes. She also loves for her daddy to wrestle and chase her.

She has wonderful receptive understanding and will follow directions very well for a 15 month baby.

She is saying many words now like- Yes (ye), more (mo), please (pss), hungry (ungy) mama, Elli (e-ie) I love you ( I uooo) and finally in the last days -dada. So all around she is doing great and we love watching her personality blossom as she starts to understand that this is IT- we are here family.

Ramzie is becoming quite the girl. all signs of baby and toddler hood are gone (sob). She is loving summer and all the swimming we get to do. She is growing like a weed also. She is 43 inches tall and 37.5#- staying steady at 20% on the growth chart. She continues to love gymnastics and has really improved. All of a sudden she can pull herself around and do a back walkover and swing around twice on the bars. She is excited to start Kindergarten in August- I am having a hard time with that thought! She is such a good big sister! She plays with Meina all the time and is VERY patient even when she is getting into her things.

We took a quick trip to Denver this last weekend to meet some dear friends from New Mexico. We met them on our first trip to China when we adopted Ramzie. We get together every year for a vacation with them and the Rice family (from New Jersey) because we love to see the girls together AND we really enjoy the company. This year, we have not been able to do a long two-week vacation together mainly because of our circumstance- trip to China and Mike starting a new job. We decided we had to at LEAST see each other, so we met up in Denver on Friday and had a great weekend. It was 103 degrees so we spent the AM at the Zoo and the PM at the Museum. We also planned to stop by CCAI (the agency we used for both adoptions) but never got there. I did call and talk to them to see when the best time to stop in was because they had just received referrals and were making calls and they said to come by in the afternoon. Well, time just got away from us so that was a bit of a bummer! But we will plan to make another reunion in the near future.

We also hit the American Girl store for a new outfit for Ramzie's Carissa doll. Wow- that place is fun!

I only have two more weeks until I head back to work so I have a lot to get done. The big thing this week is applying for Meina's passport.

Enjoy the pictures!

Joanie

Our 4th of July with our newest American

2010-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice holiday weekend. It started Friday when I picked up the mail and Meina's Certificate of Citizenship was in the box! Yeah!!!!!

We live in a subdivision that is zoned out of the city limits so everyone in the neighborhood had been previewing their firework supply most of the week but Saturday it sounded like a war zone around here. We did yard work and played most of the day before hitting the local firework stand ourselves :-)

On the 4th we went to T and M's house to enjoy the local festivities and a BBQ before heading home to spend the rest of the evening watching fireworks and hanging with the neighbors.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Joanie

Daddy and his girl

2010-07-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

One night last week after Meina had gone down to bed Mike, Ramzie and I were sitting out on the front porch enjoying the evening. Ms Ramzie got the bright idea to get out her super-soaker and.....I am sure you see where this is going. Mike warned her not to spray us but it was more than any 5 year old could resist and she did. So Mike got up and dunked her in the little pool and the next thing I know BOTH of them are in! I could not resist and ran for my camera!

They had a lot of fun and this is why I love my husband so much- he is such a kid at heart!

Joanie

Summer Pictures

2010-07-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

We are having a great time so far this summer. Other than our scheduled activities like swimming and camp activities, we are spending alot of time outside. Most of it is during the heat of the day since we have been having TERRIBLE thunderstorms in the evening. So far we have lucked out and not had any major property damage from the hail. Some of our friends have not been so lucky :-(
We are not planning anything to exciting for the holiday weekend. I am on call during the nights (yes-even though I am still on FMLA until August) so we will just have a BBQ and watch some fireworks. We have a friend who lives in an area that has a parade and community BBQ so we are planning that for Sunday. We are also planning some type of weekend trip in July- just have not decided when and where. I know- this is soooo NOT like me! I love to plan but it is Mike's schedule we need to work around so we should know soon.

Here is wishing everyone a great 4th of July. We will so enjoy it and celebrate it as the first for Meina as a US Citizen. God Bless you and God Bless America!

She cannot quite reach the ground, but loves to be pushed on this old tricycle I picked up 5 years ago at a garage sale when Ramzie wasn't even here!
She is getting closer to not needing the training wheels

We had the first 90+ degree day this week so we had to pull the plastic wading pool off of the garage wall shelf. It was too hot to drive into town for one of the park pools or I was too lazy.....

She really is having fun I promise- she just won't let me catch it on the camera.

This ball is for what?

My sweet girl is getting so big!

They can have fun anywhere!

Ramzie's newest obsession- Bouncy Balls

Sisters hanging in our "pool"

Hey Mom- I want that!

I will come get it myself then!

Yes Mom- I KNOW I should not be getting into this cupboard!

Joanie

Father's Day Weekend

2010-06-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

These three are TROUBLE Meina got some special time with Opa

Grand kids with Oma and Opa. How cute.

Meina got to try corn on the cob for the first time-Big hit.

Cousin Love

Does Chris look like his dad or what?

Chris taught Ramzie how to climb the tire by herself!

As you can see we had some visitors this weekend. My parents brought the boys (my brother's kids) up for the weekend. Ramzie was sooo excited to see them. They live in Iowa so we only see them once or twice a year, but when they show up they all play like they are together everyday. The boys are so good for Ramzie. She comes right out of her conservative shell and tries new things with them. They are staying with Mom and Dad for two weeks. We had lots of fun playing outside and having a BBQ on Friday. We even broke some of the leftover fireworks from last year. Just things like smoke bombs and parachutes. It was fun and the kids (except Meina who was in bed by 7:30) all crashed about 10pm.

Saturday involved a trip to the movie- Toy Story 3 and a trip to Costco (you know my Dad). Then we just played and visited the rest of the day.

They left Sunday morning before the big storm. Mom and the Boys will be back up this Friday and we will leave on Saturday morning to take the boys back. Ramzie and I are going to go with Mom. It will help her to have someone help drive and I will get to see my brother.

We have a busy week ahead on the home front with swimming and bible school for Ramzie and lots of playing and reading for Meina:-).

Have a nice week.

Joanie

An attempt at pictures

2010-06-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were playing outside because it was really the first real warm day we have had this spring. The girls were wearing the cutest dresses and were laughing and playing. The minute I ran to get my camera Meina stopped smiling. I swear she absolutely HATES the camera. I did get some fun candid shots though. Oh, one more thing, I promise I am not going to make them wear matching dresses all the time. Ramzie actually picked these out and you have to admit they look pretty stinking cute! I also had to add the picture of daddy with his girls and the one of her dresses like Cinderella (sort of). As you can see- big sis is training her early!

Happy Summer.

Joanie

WOW- One month

2010-06-11T07:33:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe we have been Meina's parents for one month already! It is truly because of faith that we have her today. Many of you know that we had all but officially given up on a second adoption. We had been logged in for over three years and had been waiting for a medical needs child for two. Mike and I had accepted that it was not God's plan to have a second child. We were actually quite excited that we had made the decision. I was going to call and tell CCAI to take us off any lists THE VERY DAY that they called with our referral. We were just waiting for HER.
She is doing so well and her personality is emerging more each day. She is funny and S-M-A-R-T! She has an amazing capacity to trust and accept love and affection even after the trauma of leaving people whom she obviously loved very much. She gives slobbery, open mouth kisses which we all accept openly. She is growing every day and she is doing a pretty good bear crawl right now. We keep saying one day she will just get up and that will be that.
We got a message from her orphanage director saying they still miss her and wonder how she is doing. I sent an update and some pictures. I hope it helps them know that she is safe and happy.

We moved Meina's Crib into her and Ramzie's room last night and she did great. Ramzie LOVES having someone else in with her. Yesterday when I dropped her (Ramzie) off for swim lessons she started crying. I asked her what was wrong because this is very out of character for her especially when she is going to something she loves like swim lessons. She responded " I did not get enough cuddle time with Meina this morning"! Hmmm- use to be she was going to miss ME. I have been pushed aside for sister love and I love it.

Today we are going to watch Ramzie at her swim lessons, then we are going over to a friends house for dinner. The plan was to let the girls ride thier bikes, but the weather is pretty soggy. Anyway we should have a good time. Tomorrow we are participating in the Heart and Soul run.... Well Mike and Ramzie will be running. Meina and I will walk, lol.

2 weeks

2010-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

We have now been home for two weeks (as of Saturday) and things are feeling very "natural" . IT really is amazing how this little girl just fits our family.

Last week we spent most of the time at home getting into a routine. We had a break between activities with no scheduled places to be.

We have Meina on a nice daily schedule now. She still takes two naps and sleeps 12 hours at night with one diaper change at around 10pm otherwise she is soaked in the morning. I mean PJ's, blankets, sheets, and whatever else is in the crib. We are using Huggies, which worked just great for Ramzie, but they leak all the time on Meina. Part of the problem is she is so long and lean. The size 3 are way too lose on her legs and abdomen. We did not have issues with the Pampers in China, so I guess, I will go get some here and try them. We are still working on getting Meina to pull up and sit down. She will just lay in her crib on her back and not even try to get up. She is talking more.... at least making sounds. She has a few words that are clear like Mama, Ellie and dada. She can walk with a finger to hold, and loves music.

Over the weekend we had some of our friends over and Ramzie had a blast playing with their daughter. She and Tia gave us a real concert American Idol style!

This week summer activities kick into gear. Ramzie is starting swim lessons and gymnastics and the summer reading program begins also. She is really excited and it will be fun to watch her progress. The other thing we are planning is to try to phase out her naps in the afternoon. She is like clockwork with them, so it may be a challenge. She likes her beauty sleep!

Here are a few random pics of the week.

I love the ones of the two snuggling on the couch watching Nemo.

We have nothing exciting to report other than we are just enjoying our lives as a complete family.

Best,

Joanie

Layed back holiday weekend

2010-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

First juice bar- it was a sticky hit!

The dirt did not taste as good as it looked Mom.

My little helper.

My other little helper

What is this stuff?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS PICTURE WILL NOT DELETE!

We had a wonderful weekend= just the four of us. We made a trip to Costco on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend doing yard work. We really got behind going to China when we did and then it rained the whole week last week. You can just imagone how long the grass was and the weeds.... I filled the whole garbage can. The girls played while I was working.

Ramzie and I went and picked out flowers for the pots and tomato plants for the garden today and we planted them this afternoon. As you can see Meina wanted to help also but ended up trying to eat the dirt so we put her in the wagon with a Popsicle to occupy her.

The girls are doing great and we are amazed at how natural it feels to have two.

This week we need to finish getting the garden in and then we are going to work on some additional flower beds. Mike keeps coming up with ways to decrease the mowing time, Lol.

We are still waiting results of Meina's blood work and her chest x-ray- should know by weds. I guess.

Take care,

Joanie

Medical update and photos

2010-05-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to head to the Pediatric Cardiologist

Mama and her girls

Sisters

Sweet girl

I am so excited to post that Meina's cardiology report went so well this morning! She only has a murmur at this point- no septal defect! This means NO SURGERY! She can have unlimited activity and it should not need major follow up other than antibiotics when she has procedures and a yearly check up for the first 5 years. This is such an answer to our prayers. We were fully prepared to support her through surgery if needed, but I am so happy that is not needed!

We kind of thought this might be the case given her superb condition and growth over the past 6 months. She will have her regular pediatrician appointment this pm- so that means labs and shots :-(.

Just had to share the HAPPY news and put some photos up!

Joanie

We are home with our two girls!

2010-05-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Sisters playing together the first morning

The night we got home- aren't they cute?

So this is my new house huh?

Together in thier room for the first time.

We made it back safe and sound. All is well, we are spending quality time with the girls and just adjusting to the time change. Meina has woke up around 1 am each morning since arriving back home. We give her a bottle and hold her for about an hour and she goes back to sleep. Mommy on the other hand can't go back to sleep so easily!

So far the sisters love each other. Ramzie wants to do everything for her, which is a problem when we are trying to encourage her to try words verses just grunting and pointing. We missed Ramzie so much while gone and it is soooooo nice to have both of the girls together. I will post more details and photos soon. Just wanted to let everyone know we are home and HAPPY.

Joanie