A Busy Thanksgiving Weekend...

We've had such a busy Thanksgiving weekend that I haven't had time to blog about it! I know, I know...shame on me.

Well, here goes...

Thanksgiving Day we headed out around 2PM to pick up Nana and Uncle Lee and go to Grandma and Grandpa B's house for turkey. Since 2PM is smack in the middle of Carson's nap time, Daddy put him down early. When we woke Carson up to leave, it was CLEAR that he woke up on the WRONG side of that bed! He was in a fowl...I mean foul mood! (Get it...turkey, fowl...oh, never mind.)

Meggie (in her ever present wisdom) tried to cheer him up by putting on one of the hats Carson made at preschool this week...
...and encouraging him to put on the other one...
...then our Indian princess and our Pilgrim posed together...
...but it really didn't help. He was SUPER crabby until we got to Grandma and Grandpa B's. Ugghhh...

Dinner was fabulous, as always...which really sucked for me this year since I tried to stick to my Weight Watchers goals for the day. I actually did OK with dinner...but then the appetizers and desserts made their debut. Aunt Beth brought out a fabulous appetizer made of brie cheese that I just could NOT resist. Oh, well...it's not like I get offered that kind of food every day.

After dinner, I realized I had brought my camera but not taken a single picture yet! Grandma took this great shot of us on her couch...
Getting the kids in a picture together just wasn't happening. So, I stalked 'em all around the condo and get their pictures individually.

We have Peyton...
...Olivia...
...Hannah...
...Carson, Sarah, and Peyton (again)...
...Meggie (so happy that I got out my camera)...
...Meggie (looking a little happier)...
...Jillian, Sarah (again), and Maddy...
...and Griffin and Alex!
Got 'em all! Carson was so cute with Jillian...they played "house" together all day. It was cracking us up hearing him yell for her all day...."Mom! Mom!"

Here, they took a break from playing "house" and decided to make a giant Rubbermaid bin into their pirate ship...
...AARRRGGHHH!! Think I'll buy 'em both Rubbermaid bins for Christmas...just kidding!

Saturday, I took Meggie to Traders' World to do some shopping. She has been begging me to take her there for weeks now. Traders' World is a huge flea market where you can get (among other things) jewelry and purses at great prices. I'm not a huge fan of shopping and the crowd at this place was...hmmmm, how shall I say this?...a bit rough around the edges. When we first started shopping, Meggie seemed a bit hesitant...even slightly afraid. I couldn't help giggling at her...she was all dolled up with her big sunglasses on and looked slightly petrified. The fan of shopping that she is, it didn't last long. Before too long, she was haggling with the sales people and demanding a closer look at the merchandise. (OK, maybe "demanding" is a bit harsh, but she was definitely a woman on a mission.) I keep teasing her about it and she told me I could blog it, then I have to let it drop. We re-enacted the scenario that made me laugh the most...

"Excuse me. May I see the Coach wristlets, please?"
Whoops...wrong kid. Let's try that again.

"Excuse me. May I see the Coach wristlets, please?"
It was so hysterical to see her...big sunglasses, cute scarf, purse on the arm, pointing at the bin of wristlets behind the glass. She ended up having a BLAST!

Here's the loot we ended up bringing home, all purchased by Meggie...
...the wristlets that made the cut...
...her much-desired Tiffany style necklace and bracelet set...
...and my favorite purchase of the day...the Burberry knock-off (or as they said in China, "original copy") purse she bought me for my birthday!
The little purse is a temporary wallet until we can find the matching Burberry wallet...we searched all over and couldn't find one. We're planning on returning to Traders' World this coming Saturday to search some more. My Megster loves her Mommy and wants her to have only the best!!

Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving, as well!

It's Like a "Tag Sale" Around Here...

While the entire purpose of my blog is to brag and rave about my adorable children, my cyber-friends keep "tagging" me...forcing me to talk about ME. OK, Emily, you got me...guess I asked for it when I "tagged" you, huh? Seriously, Emily now has four children in her beautiful family. I followed her blog when they adopted Amy, then lost contact for a while, then got reconnected as they journeyed (very quickly) to their adorable Ben.

So, here's the deal on this "tag." It's a "List of 8's"...

8 Favorite TV Shows (in no particular order):
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. Lost
4. Desperate Housewives
5. So You Think You Can Dance
6. Dancing With the Stars
7. Will & Grace (reruns, obviously)
8. Everybody Loves Raymond (reruns, obviously)

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Slept in!
2. Took Meggie shopping at Traders' World
3. Received an early birthday present from Meggie (something she bought at Traders' World)
4. Took a nap
5. Attended a 3-year-old's birthday party
6. Went to a Christmas light show with the above-mentioned 3-year-old and her family
7. Drank hot chocolate in a barn with my kids
8. Went to bed with a migraine headache

8 Things I Look Forward To (in no particular order):
1. Going to China to get Molly
2. Losing 30 more pounds
3. Starting my new job in two weeks
4. Daily kisses from Carson
5. Daily laughter with Meggie
6. Getting my laundry caught up (...a constant battle...)
7. Napping
8. Watching my children grow into wonderful adults

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Chipotle
2. Olive Garden
3. P.F. Chang's
4. Red Robin
5. Montgomery Inn
6. The Melting Pot
7. Greek Isles
8. Any neighborhood Chinese restaurant

8 Things I Wish For:
1. A long and happy marriage (...nearly 20 years so far...)
2. To adopt more children
3. That all of my children reach their potential and have happy and fulfilled lives
4. No more fighting with my sibs (...long story...)
5. Calorie- and point-free food that would FILL ME UP!
6. More hours in a day
7. Better spending habits
8. To be a better wife and mother

Since Emily wasn't specific about how many people I should "tag," I will just select a number. Hmmm...who wants to play? I think I'll tag Peggy at Everyday Life With Gracie, Shannon at It's a Wonderful Life!, Nicole at A Gaggle of Giggles with the Gowers, Deb at Digging a Hole to China, and Sarah at Sarah's World.

Fourth Folder, Fourth Photo...

On Thanksgiving Day, my cyber-friend, Denise, from There's Always Room For One More tagged my blog. This is a different kind of "tag." I don't need to share seven random facts or eight favorites...I simply needed to go to my fourth folder and share the fourth photo. Sounds simple enough, right?! Problem is, my fourth folder only had TWO pictures in it. So did my fifth! Are you KIDDING me?! So I had to post my sixth folder, fourth photo. Here it is:
Isn't she lovely? And photogenic?!

That picture was taken on the airplane headed to Newark, NJ that was going to connect us to our flight to Beijing, China! (Our flight to Newark was CRAZY early and The Teenager wasn't quite awake yet...) Yes, folks, we were headed to get Carson in this photo.

Quite appropriate that (on Thanksgiving Day) Denise's tag led me to a folder of photos that truly remind me how thankful I am...for my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, my sweet son, and the adorable little girl still waiting to join our family.

The rest of this "tag" is that I tag three other blogs. Here we go: I tag Emily at Outnumbered!, Erin at The Life and Times of "Our" Family, and Kristin at A Family is Forever. Come on, ladies, share those pictures!

Our Holiday Wish For All...

Is It OK If I Brag...On Myself?!

Yes, this blog is about my children, first and foremost. However, I have had a pretty decent couple of weeks and feel the need to share.

First of all, if you notice the Weight Loss Ticker on my side bar, I have now (in 6 weeks on Weight Watchers) lost a total of 13.8 pounds! While I still have 30 pounds to lose, I have lost every week I've been on the program! So many people have told me they find it hard to believe that I need to lose 30 more pounds. I thought I would show you all a picture from MANY years ago when I was at my thinnest...on our honeymoon in April of 1989. Hard to believe I was really this thin:
In comparison, here is a picture of me from September of this year:
NOW do you all believe I need to lose 30 more pounds?! Pictures like the one from September are keeping me motivated to stick with this new way of eating, that's for sure.

On another note, I start my new job at the College of Nursing in mid December. In preparation to teach pediatric clinicals, I signed up to take a test to become a Certified Pediatric Nurse. I studied for about six weeks for this thing...it's sort of like taking Nursing Boards, but only on pediatric subjects. I took the test two weeks ago and got my results Monday (yes, I passed!), along with this...
...lapel pin! I can't wait to stick that on my lab coat lapel for all to see!! Yeah, for me!

Finally, as we near the Christmas season, I enter the time of year that stresses me out the most. Not only do I stress myself wanting to find the perfect gifts, but I need to send out multitudes of original Christmas cards (created with photos on Snapfish) AND organize our annual family picture. I typically put off the Christmas cards and family picture appointment until the second week of December...then panic. AACCKKK!!

This year, the Christmas cards are already ready! And we had our family picture taken last night! Yes, folks, I am ahead of the game this year!!! I will be mailing my Christmas cards this weekend, then I'll post the finished product on the blog. (Don't want family to see the card on the blog before getting it in the mail.) Also, I can't post the family pictures 'til after Christmas since they are gifts for both sets of grandparents...we want them to be surprised at the final product since they already know what they're getting! Suffice it to say, I am THRILLED with our pictures this year...we even incorporated Molly into 'em. (Thanks to Gina for the great idea!)

OK, I'm starting to blush...I'm embarrassing myself with all this attention. Enough about me. The blog may return to normal now.

A Very Special Baby Picture!

A couple of months ago, I contacted Brian Stuy of Research-China to see if he could locate Molly's finding ad. This ad would have been placed in the local newspaper in LuoHe after Molly was found, in an effort to locate her birth family. The ads run for 60 days and, if no one responds, then the child is considered an orphan and can be placed for adoption. The finding ad photo is the youngest photo we will ever see of Molly, since it would have been taken shortly after she arrived at the LuoHe SWI...at the age of six months.

It took a while, but Brian was able to locate Molly's finding ad. In addition, Brian was able to provide us with a copy of the entire newspaper in which Molly's ad was run...a true treasure for her and something we unfortunately did not get with Carson's finding ad. While we are still waiting for the delivery of the newspaper and laminated 5x7 of the finding ad, Brian was kind enough to e-mail me the ad:
He also translated the text into English for us. It says:

Dang Yu Han
A girl
She was born on October 21, 2004
On April 14, 2005 she was found abandoned at the door of the toilet on Xin Street, Yancheng District, Luohe City
The next day she was sent to the Luohe City Social Welfare Institute by the Chengguan Police Station, Yancheng Branch, Luohe City Police Bureau
Characteristic: She has a round face, big eyes, and she has congenital spine protrusions. She had two pieces of clothing found with her.

We are truly grateful to have this photo and the information in the finding ad. And, some day, I'm sure Molly will also be glad to have this tidbit of info from her very early life. While being left "at the door of the toilet" doesn't sound very glamorous, her family must have figured that it was a busily trafficked area where she would be found quickly...a true gift for her. I can't help but think that the "two pieces of clothing" were a memento from her family...I surely hope the SWI kept those for her future adoptive family!

What a bittersweet gift, this finding ad.

It's Pitiful the Lengths She'll Go...

...to get her face on this blog!

It is a well-known fact (if you read this blog, anyway) that The Teenager feels slighted on this blog. Never mind that she was our only child for 14 years, pampered and spoiled like no other. Suddenly, since she has to share the family spotlight with a brother (and soon a sister), she's feeling slighted. Awwww, poor Meggie!

Two weeks ago, Meggie and I had another Girls' Getaway for a dance competition. She asked me as we were leaving if I was going to take the camera (I hadn't planned to) in case something "blog-worthy" happened. Oh, when you put it that way...sure! I took these pics of her in our kitchen before leaving...
...and didn't use the camera again the rest of the weekend. It's not that I don't adore my firstborn, I just get so wrapped up in the dances that I forget to take pics. Oops!!

Anyway, in her pathetic need for attention, look what she has done...
...injured herself!! Yes, Meggie, THAT is blog-worthy! At dance team practice last night, while she was kneeling on the floor, a girl landed a leap directly on the side of Meggie's right foot. Ouch! The trooper that she is, she danced two more hours on her foot.

She came home limping. I did a quick assessment and figured it was bruised, maybe sprained, but certainly she'd be better by morning. We all went to bed. The idiot that I am, I was wrong.

This morning, she could barely walk on her right foot and most certainly could NOT get a shoe on it! Realizing what a horrible Mommy I was for sending her to bed in pain last night, I called in to work, telling them I'd be late, and we headed to the emergency department for x-rays.

The diagnosis? A bad sprain with a possible hairline fracture!! And I was going to send her to school with instructions to "suck it up." Yikes. I need to spend more time thinking like a Mommy and a little less time thinking like a nurse.

They put her in a post-op shoe and told her to rest and elevate it, ice it as needed, and come back if the pain isn't gone in a week. A return visit may result in a cast. She walked on the post-op shoe for the rest of the day at school (no, I didn't let her have the day off!) and came home in horrible pain. Daddy set her up with my old crutches so we could go out to dinner and she'd still be officially "resting" the foot.

Meggie's never been on crutches before, but you'd never prove it by this...
...that girl has skills! And look at how nicely her left foot is pointed in that lovely crutch-assisted leap! Her dance coach would be SO proud!

As if Thanksgiving isn't enough pressure -- trying to look one's best, yet still picking an outfit that will allow for post-feast bloat -- now Meggie has to coordinate what she wears with this monstrosity:
She may or may not wear the pink and green striped socks on Thursday.

Carson has decided he will take care of Meggie all day tomorrow. He helped me get her set up in my bed for our Friday night movie...
...but as soon as Carson and I started watching "Monsters, Inc." Meggie fell fast asleep on Daddy's side of the bed.

Take good care of her tomorrow, Carson. Hey, I have an idea...find your doctor kit and give her lots of shots!! She'll love it!

And the "Molly-Palooza" Continues...

Getting impatient while waiting for our translated information from Adele Hall, I e-mailed her last night. Hey, when you tell me Tuesday, you'd better mean Tuesday! Poor woman stayed up late to translate it 'cause she e-mailed me the letter at 1AM. Adele, sorry you are sleep-deprived this morning...but I am one happy Mommy after reading that wonderful letter!

Oh, YOU wanna see what it says?? OK...

Yu Han is a very active and lovely little girl. After she has lived with a foster family for some time, she has become smarter and cuter. She has also made great progress in her language development. She can clearly express her thoughts and at the same time, she can understand very well what adults say to her. We have received the package her parents sent to her. We often show her the photos in the package, explaining to her the parents in the photos will be her mommy and daddy. We often use the camera to take pictures of her so that we can record her daily life. When the adoptive family comes to adopt her, we will give them an album that includes photos of her daily life. Please tell the adoptive family that they will have a very lovely and smart little angel who will definitely bring surprising happiness to their family.

Xiao Yang
LuoHe City Social Welfare Institute

My thoughts after reading that? First of all, I think it is hilarious they say she has gotten cuter after living with the foster family. I'm pretty sure that would have happened no matter where she lived. The best part? For me, it is the fact that she is being prepared for our arrival. We sent a care package hoping it would get to her. Knowing that she received the photos and is being introduced to the concept of being adopted will make her transition into our family so much easier on her...what an awesome gift for all of us!

Counting the days 'til we get to meet our "lovely and smart little angel"...

Uh, Mommy...You DO Have Two Other Children, You Know!

Looking back on my past few posts, it has become apparent that I have forgotten to talk about Meggie or Carson -- it's been something of a "Molly-palooza" of late. I was hoping to have the translated information from Adele Hall today (not yet!) or possibly Molly's finding ad, which I have ordered from Brian Stuy and was hoping to get today (nope!). However, there IS news to report.

First off, Meggie just completed her first quarter of 10th grade. To say this year is challenging her would be a huge understatement. She has ditched her social life and cried many a tear over the homework and test load under which she is buried. (How's THAT for proper grammar, Juliette?!) She has struggled with some bad grades...and with some REALLY bad grades. However, take a peek at her first quarter grades:

English -- 95 (A)
Geometry -- 86 (B)
Science -- 95 (A)
History -- 86 (B)
Aerobics -- 100 (A)
Spanish -- 87 (B)
Fine Art -- 94 (A)

That's right, folks...The Teenager pulled out all A's and B's for first quarter!! Having helped her study for endless tests and proofread tons of papers, I was so proud of these grades! She has worked incredibly hard during this rough year. Way to go, Megster!! Keep up the great work!!

In Carson news, he had his annual well-child checkup this afternoon. (Which is actually pretty bad timing, because he's sick for the first time since coming home with us!) Cough and cold symptoms aside, he got a clean bill of health. He had his vision (20/25 in both eyes) and his hearing (no issues) tested and did great. During the hearing test, he was cracking us up...he was wearing headphones and when he heard the beep, he would yell, "I HEAR!" and raise his hand. He sounded like a hard-of-hearing old man...it was hysterical!! And he was so serious about it!

When Carson had his first well-child check last year at this time, he weighed 34 pounds and was 39 inches tall. Today, he weighed 39 pounds (45th percentile) and was 42 inches tall (40th percentile). So, while he has only gained 5 pounds in the past 12 months, he has gotten 3 inches taller!! This kid's gonna be a GIANT if he keeps growing at this rate!! When the nurse told me the percentile numbers, she said, "So, he's average." Oh, lady, you have no idea how totally ABOVE average this Little Man of mine is. "Average" does not BEGIN to describe this amazing kid!

Have I redeemed myself, Meggie? Do you and Carson feel the Mommy love now??

Hope You Don't Mind...

...but I just HAVE to show you some more pictures of Molly!! I know...can you believe it?! Catherine and Pete are in Luohe adopting their beautiful Emma and were sweet enough to share some pictures they took with the families still waiting to travel. Catherine created a Kodak Photo Gallery and I was able to see the pics but couldn't get 'em to upload onto my computer.

Bill to the rescue!! Remember Bill? Of Bill and Midge?? Come on, people, pay attention!! They were the ones who spotted Molly on an adoption agency's website and told me about it a couple of days ago. Bill saw my desperate plea on the Yahoo group to get my hands on those pics...and he e-mailed 'em to me. So sweet! I know, enough small talk. On to the pictures!

First we have a group shot at the playground...Molly is in the front on the right, wearing the pink pants and the red jacket...
...then a couple of our Pretty Princess all by herself...
...and finally Molly and a buddy.
I'm beginning to get spoiled by all these photographs of our baby girl. What am I going to do if none arrive next week? How will I survive?!?!

Wait, I forgot...we're still expecting the translated information from Adele. Things WILL be OK!

More About Molly...

When Adele Hall sent us the birthday party pictures, all those pictures filled up my inbox and the last one didn't come through. I e-mailed Adele and we've been waiting...forever, it seems...for that last picture. (She tried to send it over the weekend and it didn't work for some reason.)

Isn't that picture adorable??! It is one of my favorite of the bunch and was totally worth the wait!!

OK, now would somebody PLEASE wipe the icing off of my baby's face??!!?!

A few days after getting the pictures, I got the following e-mail from Adele:

"Dear Teresa,

We have obtained the current measurements of your child from the orphanage. (cm=centimeters, kg=kilograms)

Height: 90.5 cm
Weight: 15 kg
Head circumference: 49 cm
Chest circumference: 58 cm
Length of foot: 14 cm
Number of teeth: 10 upper teeth and 10 lower teeth

We have also received some recent information about your child from the orphanage."

The "recent information" is a document containing approximately 210 words...it is being translated and we should have it by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Can't wait to see what it says!!!

While waiting for the I-797C is frustrating, I have to admit seeing pictures of our baby girl are certainly making THIS week a bit more bearable. Be sure to check back next week when I post the translated "recent information."

A Bittersweet Milestone...

Today at OT, Miss Mary and I decided (after she did some measurements and testing of Carson's abilities) that he is officially FINISHED with occupational therapy! Done! Completed!! Graduated!!! I wanted to hug her!! (Actually, before we left, I DID hug her.) We did a lot of reminiscing at this appointment about how far Carson has come...he has truly amazed both of us. I would venture a guess he will spend the rest of his life being pretty amazing!

As much as I'm thrilled beyond words for Carson to be completely free from all forms of therapy, I must admit it was kind of hard to say goodbye to Miss Mary. I liked her the instant I met her...for her enthusiasm, for her creativity, for her ability to stand up to my willful Little Man when he was giving her fits of attitude (all the while giggling into her arm as she turned her head). She has pushed him hard, been his biggest cheerleader, and really helped and encouraged me as we did our best at home to work with him on everything we learned at the OT sessions.

I drove nearly an hour (counting traffic) to his OT appointments when I could have gotten him in at the location that is 10 minutes from our house...Miss Mary was THAT important to us! Every time we pull into the parking garage at the hospital where she works, Carson happily yells, "MARY!!" He has loved their sessions...and loved aggravating her the way he aggravates his big sister. (While it embarrassed me when he would yell at her, I think Mary secretly loved the fact that he felt comfortable enough with her to do that.)

Mary told me that she is seriously contemplating a move to South Carolina before the end of the year...boy am I glad Carson graduated before THAT happened! While I think her moving would be a huge loss to the OT Department, we truly thank her for everything she has done for Carson and wish her only the best.

Miss Mary, you're like one of the family...we will miss you terribly!!

Does This Little Girl Look Familiar?

She should...'cause it's Molly!! Where did I get this great close-up picture? Off of this web site! I got a comment on my prior post from Bill and Midge who said they spotted a girl who looked like our Pretty Princess and I should check it out. Oh, it's her, alright!! Guess that makes her famous, huh?! Can't wait for those modeling royalties to start trickling into our bank account...

The adoption community is such an awesome group of people. Bill and Midge, I don't know how you found my blog or this cute pic of our baby girl, but THANK YOU so much for letting me know!! You made my day!!!

Speaking of Angels...

The pictures of Molly's birthday party were sent to us from Adele Hall at Blessed Kids. While Adele is running a business delivering cakes and care packages and obtaining pictures of the kids in the orphanages, I truly consider her an angel. It is difficult to put into words the joy we got from seeing our little girl, smiling and giggling, in those pictures. Knowing that she is OK and looks so happy is such a gift. (And the fact that the cake we sent made her so happy makes it a bit easier that we weren't there in person for her 4th birthday.)

Today in Sunday School, Carson learned the story about how an angel rescued Peter from prison. At craft time, they cut out an angel, colored it, and glued a magnet on the back. When he showed it to me after Church, I asked him what angels do. "They rescue people." Then he stopped for a minute to think. "They're God's superheroes." Never thought of it like that.

Move over, Spiderman and the rest, you have some very good company...

Birthday Pictures of Molly!

Continuing the Journey has switched it up a little! It is now Meggie's turn to blog! So exciting, I know!

I'm not sure if my mom told you all or not, but we sent Molly a birthday cake a few weeks back and asked for new pictures. I felt like the e-mail took FOREVER to arrive, I asked my mom everyday about them, hopefully I was not too annoying! (: Well, today was the day, and my first response for some odd reason was, "Does she have hair?" I know it seems like a silly question, but I want to doll up my baby sister the moment we get her! I've already started making my mom buy little cute bows and such from Target! Haha, anyways I'm sure you all would LOVE to see these photos of my adorable little sister! So take a peek at our little Molly Jayne! (: P.S. These were taken the 29th of October, eight days after her birthday.

Our sweet little girl on her belated birthday!
What a messy little girl, with icing all over!
Sharing with friends....
Looks like she gets babied too -- lucky for Grandma B! Haha
Doesn't it look like they are eating cake with a pitchfork?! Not the smartest idea!
What a cutie!
And the best for last....
Could you not just eat her up?!

My mom told me that Molly's birthday cake was nicer than her wedding cake! How crazy is that?! Actually, that is just pitiful, but it is alright! Hahaha(: I am SO ready to go get Miss Molly, not only to get out of school for two weeks (WOOHOO!) but to FINALLY spoil her and make her the fashionable little thing she will be.

Also, I'd like to prove to my mom that I am THE best blogger in the family, and to do so I have a challenge. I want to see if I can recieve more comments on this post than ANY other post she has written. Think ya'll could do that? I hope so, and I know a few of my mom's cyber-friends will do that job! (Ms. Denise, Ms. Kristin, Ms. Donna and Ms. Erin, that job is for you!) Hahaha, so let's show my mom who the 'excellent blogger' of the family is! (:

As for now, I'm off to pack up my dance costumes, pounds of homework, and travel needs for a dance competition tomorrow! Hope you all enjoyed my writings!(:

P.S. Ms. Emily, I'll be praying for you and your family as you travel to Ben and hope he is getting better!