Jetty has taken over my favorite little mug. I don't mind and I think it is adorable. I found the mug at a thrift shop and it reminds me of all the Owls and Mushrooms that decorated our house in the 70's. Oh, how I loved those Owls and when I found this mug it reminded me of my lovely Mom. Jetty likes to pretend she is lounging and drinking coffee just like Mama. Mornings are our lounging time when we sit on the couch for about 20-30 minutes and the girls cuddle with Mama and Daddy. I know we won't have this luxury when she starts school in a few weeks so I will cherish it while it lasts.Thursday, July 17, 2008
Just Like Mama
Jetty has taken over my favorite little mug. I don't mind and I think it is adorable. I found the mug at a thrift shop and it reminds me of all the Owls and Mushrooms that decorated our house in the 70's. Oh, how I loved those Owls and when I found this mug it reminded me of my lovely Mom. Jetty likes to pretend she is lounging and drinking coffee just like Mama. Mornings are our lounging time when we sit on the couch for about 20-30 minutes and the girls cuddle with Mama and Daddy. I know we won't have this luxury when she starts school in a few weeks so I will cherish it while it lasts.
Birthday Party for Bear
We seem to have a birthday party for Bear at least once a week. Jetty made special crowns for the Bears to wear and we sing "Happy Birthday". The best part is that the birthday cake is always sliced bananas with two candles stuck in the top. I wonder how long I will be able to get away with the fruit instead of cake?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Labeling
Jetty has been enjoying writing out labels. She writes words on paper, cuts them out, and tapes them on the proper item. She was apparently tired of waiting for her slacker Mom(Me) to label items around the house to help with reading.
Notice the label on the hat.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A visit with new friends
Jetty and Ana Claire playing at the beach.
Two weeks ago we were lucky enough to meet another family that was on vacation in our little beach town. I actually met the other Mommy through her blog. They have two lovely teenager boys, Jetty was very smitten with the oldest, and a beautiful daughter from China. It is so nice when you have a instant connection such as adoption but even better when that connection goes even deeper. Lisa is one of those women that I know I would be friends with even without the adoption connection and I am grateful that link brought us together. The girls and I were able to meet them at the beach twice and they were able to come to our house for a bit. Lisa, we can't wait for your next visit to see your family:)
The girls had a wonderful time and Jetty keeps asking for sweet Ana Claire. Unfortunately, Doug was not able to join us because he was out of commission. I mean really out of commission...Doug's back went out at work Sunday and he was sent home. The girls and I went to a baby shower and left Daddy resting safely on the couch. Well a couple hours later I get a call from Doug saying he can't get off the garage floor and he had been there an hour. I raced home and his brother was there and we couldn't get him off the floor. I ended up having to call 911 and they rolled him on a scoop and off to the hospital. After being in the emergency room for 6 hours and putting a load of drugs in him I was able to take him home. By the time we left his respiration's were 10 and his blood pressure 89/45. I mean a LOAD of drugs. He was not able to even sit up for 3 days. I am happy to say he was cleared for work last week and is even back on his bike.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
4 years ago today
Four years ago today our lives were changed forever. Jetty was placed in our arms at the Lottery Hotel in Nanning, Guangxi, China. It was amazing... she looked right into our eyes and it was like we knew each other forever. She always wakes up happy in the morning, loves telling jokes and acting very silly. We are celebrating tonight by watching her video, reading her toddler lifebook, eating at a Chinese restaurant and giving her a gift that we bought for her in China. Last night I pulled out all the gifts and Doug and I decided which would be best to give her this year. We decided on a children's porcelain Chinese tea set in a pretty brocade box.
I found this letter I wrote on our 1 year family day or gotcha day...
One year ago today……
One year ago today our lives changed forever. Our sweet daughter that we had dreamed and prayed for was placed into our arms.
We began the day finishing up paperwork before being united with the babies in the afternoon. It seemed so surreal that the baby we had longed for was finally going to be placed into our arms. As we walked through the lobby of the Majesty Hotel in Nanning to board our bus it was full of other adoptive families with their babies. What a beautiful site to see all of those forever families together. We boarded the bus with the eight other families to journey to the Lottery Hotel to pick up the babies. I think the ride was about fifteen minutes to the hotel but it seemed like an eternity. I felt like I could have jumped out of my skin.
When we reached the hotel and we were boarding the elevator there were other families leaving the floor with their new babies. There was lots of crying, both of babies and new parents. We were told to sit in the seats against the wall as a government official spoke to us from a podium. I never heard a word she said because I was looking at the doorways trying to get a glimpse of the nannies and babies in the hallway.
Finally, the babies were brought in by the nannies and we had to wait for our names to be called. There she was, our little Jin Jie Li. We knew her right away. I had stared at that photo for eight weeks and knew her face by heart. As she was held in her nanny’s arms she was mesmerized by the lights on the ceiling and kept sticking out her little tongue. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and she was our daughter! When our name was called and she was handed to us I felt a sudden calm that I never expected. Our journey was finally coming to an end. Jetty never cried but just looked at us as if to say, “ What took you so long?”. We had our daughter and it felt so perfect.
On the ride back on the bus Jetty Jie Li fell asleep. We just stared at her and I fought the incredible urge to wake her up. At the hotel we placed her in the little metal crib that we had been preparing for her in the room. We all sat around watching her sleep. She woke up a short time later and we all laid on the ground playing with her. Grandma was the first to get a good belly laugh from her that night and Grandpa took lots of pictures.
Now I can’t imagine our life without that laugh and smile. Jetty fills our heart with laughter and we are better people because of her. Each time I walk out in the backyard and find seashells in her familiar hiding places or crayons in the dishwasher I think of her and smile. She has us laughing and smiling more then I ever could have imagined and it feels so good. Jetty Jie Li has turned into a loving, adventurous, curious and joyful toddler. There is no doubt that God chose Jetty to be our daughter and we are so blessed.
One year ago today our lives changed forever. Our sweet daughter that we had dreamed and prayed for was placed into our arms.
We began the day finishing up paperwork before being united with the babies in the afternoon. It seemed so surreal that the baby we had longed for was finally going to be placed into our arms. As we walked through the lobby of the Majesty Hotel in Nanning to board our bus it was full of other adoptive families with their babies. What a beautiful site to see all of those forever families together. We boarded the bus with the eight other families to journey to the Lottery Hotel to pick up the babies. I think the ride was about fifteen minutes to the hotel but it seemed like an eternity. I felt like I could have jumped out of my skin.
When we reached the hotel and we were boarding the elevator there were other families leaving the floor with their new babies. There was lots of crying, both of babies and new parents. We were told to sit in the seats against the wall as a government official spoke to us from a podium. I never heard a word she said because I was looking at the doorways trying to get a glimpse of the nannies and babies in the hallway.
Finally, the babies were brought in by the nannies and we had to wait for our names to be called. There she was, our little Jin Jie Li. We knew her right away. I had stared at that photo for eight weeks and knew her face by heart. As she was held in her nanny’s arms she was mesmerized by the lights on the ceiling and kept sticking out her little tongue. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and she was our daughter! When our name was called and she was handed to us I felt a sudden calm that I never expected. Our journey was finally coming to an end. Jetty never cried but just looked at us as if to say, “ What took you so long?”. We had our daughter and it felt so perfect.
On the ride back on the bus Jetty Jie Li fell asleep. We just stared at her and I fought the incredible urge to wake her up. At the hotel we placed her in the little metal crib that we had been preparing for her in the room. We all sat around watching her sleep. She woke up a short time later and we all laid on the ground playing with her. Grandma was the first to get a good belly laugh from her that night and Grandpa took lots of pictures.
Now I can’t imagine our life without that laugh and smile. Jetty fills our heart with laughter and we are better people because of her. Each time I walk out in the backyard and find seashells in her familiar hiding places or crayons in the dishwasher I think of her and smile. She has us laughing and smiling more then I ever could have imagined and it feels so good. Jetty Jie Li has turned into a loving, adventurous, curious and joyful toddler. There is no doubt that God chose Jetty to be our daughter and we are so blessed.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Worn out
We took the girls to the Springs the other day and it was beautiful and refreshing. Jetty's snorkeling is amazing and cute little Ella insisted on wearing a mask even though she wouldn't put her face in the water. Ella was wiped out on the way home and fell asleep in the mist of eating her sandwich. You can see the sandwich hanging out of her mouth in the picture. What made it even funnier was that when she woke up 40 minutes later she finished chewing and picked up right were she left off.
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