farewell 2012 ....welcome2013

Just the other day, I was sitting in the chair and looking out the window. The snow was falling and the wind was blowing hard. Immediately, I was so thankful for a warm house, a wonderful little girl and an amazing husband. 2012, has been a great year for us. It's been the first full year that we spent as a family of three. She has brought us pure joy and filled our hearts with love.

Jason returning to work, shortly after the new year, sent our"normal" for the last 9 months into a tail spin. Baba out of the house by 3:30 am, momma doing everything during the day and Miss Diva having to go everywhere with me during the day was all something we had to get use too.Baba was such a wonderful blessing to me with my daycare kids.

Miss Diva's had her 3rd birthday, june 2,2012, which brings all kinds of emotions, schedules and parties to the table. We celebrated with her here, but constantly thought of our birth mom in China.

My mom decided she was moving back, came and things didn't work out the way she had planned. This made me very sad and a little angry. She returned to Newfoundland and that's where she continues to live.

Purchased and put together miss diva's play structure. This was like a 3 week project.

Jason's granddad was diagnois with lung cancer, his mom moved home to care for him and we try to spend as much time as possible with him because miss diva loves him.

Fencing the back yard...which as make us very happy and keeps us a little safer

Our friends traveled to China to bring home their second little girl, which we are dying to meet and trying to keep everyone healthy.

Then the holidays. Plus working from 7:30am to sometimes to 8:30 pm makes for a busy life.

People have asked me what my New Year's Resolution is for 2013.Well, I have a few things I want to do. First, I want to get more organized. Second, I want to spend more time with the three of us doing things together. Experiences is what makes life worth living. Third, I want to worry less and trust more and last, I want to live like there is no tomorrow.

Good bye 2012.....excited to see what 2013 brings..

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Christmas evening

Jason's dad and Eleanor came over later in the evening to bring over presents. Also, jason's mom was here as well.

 Nanna Dobbie and Aunt Doreen came for dinner. Miss Diva and nanna are playing with Hello Kitty map on the floor. She has a ton of hello kitty lego, pj's, books, stuffies and who knows what else.

                                              Playing Runaway Log. This game is fun

 Miss Diva got in a fit of laughing when the log picked up one of the beavers and kept rolling away with it. She loves this games and gets excited when the die tells you to pull the lever to make the log roll.

                                    Hello Kitty PJ's from the Motz's....super cute.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Hope you have a wonderful New Year. Please don't drink and drive!

Christmas morning @ home 2012

 This is actually christmas eve....Miss diva is writing her note to santa claus.....she did excellent!

         Almond milk and oatmeal raisin cookies for santa and his note that said "merry christmas santa"

 All the presents have been delivered to our house safe and sound. Mine and baba's stockings were here but santa put miss diva's by her big girl bed.

       A big stocking for a a little girl who is now sleeping in a big girl bed.....
Jason and I took this picture christmas morning. We were both wide awake @ 5:30and stayed in bed until 6. Then I was itching to wake her up. I am a big kid @ heart, so of I went to wake her. She was sleeping so peacefully and soon as I told her that santa was here, she was out of bed. God I love this little girl.

 Her she is half asleep still, opening her stocking. She was so excited she couldn't even get the wrapping paper off.

 She was content with 1 train she had opened and these wonderful things......SMARTIES..

                                                           giving baba his stocking

                                          giving mama her stocking...look at that expression

 Every adoptive parent that reads this will know the how important these shoes are when I tell you they are squeaky shoes from China. When we met Wang Feng Yan in Hohhot, in the Sheraton hotel lobby, she was wearing red squeaky shoes. She loves them is very sad that they are now to small. I had another friend who just travelled to China, bring these home. She is very happy!

 I saw this game on a website and I read the instructions. I thought it sounded like a fun game but it was for 5 year old. It's called Runaway Log. I am so glad i bought it, she loves it!We have played it endlessly since she opened it. It's really fun!

 She got lots more trains to go with her Thomas set. She loves her Thomas trains....

                             helping baba open one of his presents..she is such a good helper

 melissa and doug wooden food, she has plastic stuff right now that is taken a beating from the years of daycare kids abusing it. We need to get a new kitchen centre as well. Her's is in really rough shape.

                                                                2 silly billies

                                        dress up stuff, she loves dressing up as a princess or a "cutie patootie"..

 Miss Diva went shopping with baba and told him that mama would like this....she is 100% correct, mama loves it!

                      underarmour from me and miss diva, I loved the orange in this hoodie

                                                      looking @ the sparkles on her jeans

 She just about when nuts when she opened this hello Kitty bus, she has played with this non-stop

 this is a strider bike nanny Budgell gave her, she loves it and as been riding it around the house.

                                      Uno Moo, another game we have been playing non-stop

 These are presents that I had all my daycare kids make for their parents. The red bulb has Madisyn's hand print on it, then I painted the fingers up like snowmen. The bulb belongs with the card. This is what the card says:
                                 These aren't just five snowmen
                                      As anyone can see
                                  I made them with my hand
                                      Which is apart of me
                                  Each year when you trim the tree
                                    You will look back and recall
                                  Christmas of 2012
                                     When my hand was just this small
Jason was in tears, and was speechless. She is growing so fast, we are trying to capture things as a reminder.

                                                                     The bulb!

                                                          her doll house

                                               The strider bike,put together, she loves it

                                                                  on her new bike

                                                                   our little girl

Christmas Eve with the Schraud's 2012

                  Ye Ye and Grammie with their little mongolian princess.......love this picture

                                            Renate and Miss Diva....I really like this picture

                                                                    Oma Schraud

                                                    The Motz boys...Rob and Brandon

                                                     always lots of food @ the Schraud house

                                                       mama and her little princess

                                                                 opening presents

                                                                           us!

Silly Billies

This was the day before christmas eve, Miss Diva wanted to ride baba's back because he was a turtle. They were laughing and having so much fun. Life dosen't get much better then this.

New thing

She figured out if she uses the stool, she can reach the light switch. She's carrying the stool around everywhere turning on and off the light switches. Funny kid

Cora's for breakfast

We love this restaurant....the food is wonderful!

 Yan Yan and baba colouring while we wait for our breakfast to arrive. She loves to colour!

 mama and Yan Yan waiting and playing a game of I spy. This is a new game she is learning to play.

                                                                      Food!!!!

Waterloo Park lights

This is a tradition that Jason and I did even before Miss Diva. Now, we want to make it a family tradition every year. We love looking at the lights.

                                                Aniamls running thorough the woods

                                                                     candy canes

 The Navitity scene....the true reason for the season......Happy Birthday baby Jesus!

                                                                  Santa Claus

                                                                   The Grinch

                                                                  christmas tree

This is santa claus....he dances in there. I thought Miss diva was going to cry but she was okay with it as long as she could stand a safe distance.... Walking away from him, we hear Miss Diva say "Ho ho ho Merry Christmas Santa." I love this little girl so much.