The Many Days of Christmas

The slide show below has several pictures in it. I started it with the pictures I recieved of Lillie about this time last year.
Next, I included our Christmas DAYS pictures. The first are a few from our celebration with my immediate family... Mom, Dad, Erik and Cristy. There are a few of Lillie on her new bike from "Bid E" and "Risty". ( Lillie will sometimes call my brother Big E after hearing his friends call him that. Cristy's name is very clear...just missing the C sound at the beginning).
The pictures in her PJs are from Christmas morning.That morning, after Lillie woke up, I told her we needed to go downstairs. I explained that Santa Claus had come to bring her presents...and although she does not exactly understand Santa, she knows the word presents! Nai Nai and Bop bop came over to watch her open gifts. The last group of pictures are from Glasgow, where we celebrated with our extended family. Lillie loves spending time with all of the cousins and was excited about seeing everyone.

I watched Lillie in each setting, each time thinking about what a difference a year had made in both of our lives. Last December, I was awaiting approval and LID and looking at the pictures and video that Mimi and Herbert Backhausen had taken of Lillie while in Fuling adopting their daughter Michelle. Now, just one year later, I got the opportunity to make my own beautiful pictures and video. I saw her smile light up the room and heard her wonderful giggle and her sweet voice singing songs. I cannot even put into words the feelings that come when I look at her. She is my most precious gift!

I chose the song that goes with the slide show because it is the closest I can come to explaining last Christmas to this Christmas. ( I added the you tube of it because I couldn't get it linked to the slideshow. You can click the song and it will start, then the pictures) I know that Christmas can be so hard for some people...those struggling with loss, or the loss of a dream. But as I shared with someone I love dearly, sometimes the end of one dream just becomes the beginning of another. Lillie is my dream come true.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Trip to the Farm

We had another wonderful trip to Roam Acres! Here are some pics!

Anyone Need Help Wrapping their Gifts?

Needless to say, Lillie is very interested in this whole wrapping process. She loves the scissors and tape, so what better way to use both!

Visits with Bopbop

Lillie is settling in to her days with Nai Nai while mommy goes to work. She is enjoying her time with her grandmother and loves when my dad comes to visit. She is now spending lots of time hanging out in Bopbop's lap. (For those of you who don't know, My grandfather and great-grandfather were both Pop pop. Lillie has given her own little twist to her grandfather's name!)
After snuggling with Bopbop, she enjoyed a "spot of Tea" in her rocker. What fun!

Christmas Is Coming!

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago when we put up our tree. Mom took them and they really show how excited Lillie is about the Christmas Tree and Nativity Set. She loved the Nativity so much that a King lost his head, and the sheep lost his legs, so we finally had to put it away! We did replace it with a plastic one though, so she can still play with baby Jesus!

Children at Fuling SWI

A family who recently returned from Fuling took pictures of the children there and put it to music. It is beautiful, and you can see several pictures of Lillie's first home, and friends who remain. I have so very much to be thankful for this year and thank God daily for bringing Lillie into my life. Even on the hard days (or hard nights), there are still so many wonderful things about this journey we are on together that I cannot imagine not having her. I have so many more posts to add, but for now, enjoy the music and pictures.
Blessings to you all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BOo3k5mGGM

Thanksgiving and the family Rock Band

We had a wonderful thanksgiving dinner ...Mommy, Lillie, Nai Nia, BopBop, Erik (Cristy had to work) and Emory....Wednesday night. Then Lillie, Mommy and Nai Nai went to Glasgow to have another Thanksgiving feast! While there, we had the chance to spend time with lots of our family...but one of the favorite activities was "Rock Band". It is a game Miller received as an early Christmas gift and everyone wanted to play...including Lillie. Miller was so kind, and let Lillie pretend to play the drums and sing into the microphone! It was great fun to watch!

Alexander's birthday

While we were in Glasgow for Thanksgiving, we went to our cousin Alexander's birthday party! It was fun to be with all the family and to celebrate with him... and as the pictures show Lillie enjoyed his gifts and his cake as much as he did!

The Newport Aquarium with Trish

Lillie and I had a chance a few weeks ago to go up to Northern Kentucky to visit my friend Trish. We had a wonderful visit and had a chance to go to the aquarium. Lillie loved the fish, the sharks, the squid..... but her favorite seemed to be the turtles...who knew! It was a wonderful trip and a blessing to spend time with a good friend!

A Request of Friends and Family

Today I learned about a young family that needs your thoughts and prayers. The couple (Sandy and Dennis) adopted through an Atlanta based agency and has been in China these past two weeks. They were there to adopt their first child, Hannah, who was a waiting child (special needs). While there, Dennis went into a diabetic coma and passed away. Although the adoption was complete (or complete enough) and Sandy is bringing their new daughter home, I cannot imagine the pain and difficult times that lay ahead for her and the rest of her family. Please pray for Hannah and her family, whatever your faith. It is stressful when bringing home a newly adopted child...I can't even fathom doing it under these circumstances.

Life with "Miss Independence"!

As you can tell, Lillie knows what she likes and how she likes it! She is a HUGE fan of Popsicles, and loves her rocker. She also has become quite a fan of doing things herself...including changing her clothes. She took off her shirt tonight, then found the yellow t-shirt and put it on without help. So what if it is inside out AND backward (notice the tag) we still did it ourself!