Loving Life With Lucy and Kit

Father Daughter Dance

2012-02-04T10:15:00.000-06:00

Last night the girls attended their first Father Daughter Dance. They had been counting down the days until their night out with their Dad. They have been practing their dance moves for the past couple of weeks. They were so excited to get all dressed up. We did manicures and pedicures and they had me blow dry their hair for the big night. They couldn't wait to show Rich their dresses. When they saw him dressed up they both told him he was going to be the "handsomest" Dad at the dance! They had so much fun and were worn out by the time they came home. Rich told me they (the girls) danced to every song. They danced with all of the "big girls" from school. There was a DJ who would get them all together and show them how to do a certain dance. Kit was first in line for every dance!! Rich said she listened to everything he said and then would immitate all of his moves. He said she didn't want to stop. Lucy was fighting a bad cold and ear infection and wasn't quite herself. Rich said she was a good sport and danced most of the night but was ready to come home. Kit on the other hand told him she didn't want to leave and could dance all night! Yikes - I'm afraid she might be the life of the party and the last one to leave everytime! Wonder who she gets that from? They both saved a few dances for their Dad and told me they had the best night ever!

Practicing their moves!

With their favorite date!

One silly picture before they leave!

The Gateway To The West

2012-01-22T14:03:00.000-06:00

Whenever we drive to St. Louis from Chicago as we get close to the Mississippi in the near distance we see one of our favorite sites - The Gateway Arch. Once I see The Arch I know we are almost" home". The girls love when we spot it and they laugh with excitement. Everytime we drive by they ask when we are actually going to go into The Arch. Well our last trip home over Christmas we took the girls to the Arch for what proved to be a fun experience. They couldn't believe how big it was when you were actually standing beneath it. They both loved the elevator ride up and once at the top they couldn't believe what they could see! I think we looked out every window. When they spotted Busch Stadium they were so excited as they know how much their Dad Loves The Cardinals! We happened to go on a very windy day and you could actually feel the sway of the Arch while in it! A bit scary but fun none the less!

Waiting to ride the tram!

Finally at the top!

Loving the view from the top!

Spotting Busch Satdium!

Like all tourists we had to get our

picture at the top!

What a difference a day makes!

2012-01-13T21:07:00.000-06:00

We have had a very uneventful fall and winter as far as weather goes! The past two weeks have been unseasonably warm. On Wednesday the temperature reached 50 degrees which is unheard of in Chicago in mid January. I told the girls I had a surprise for them when school got out. I packed up a little bag and off we went to our favorite destination - The Beach!! Lucy and Kit were so excited. We dropped our bag and beach towel and got right to work on one of the things we love the most - that is collecting sea glass. Lucy could search for hours on end for sea glass. She gets so excited when she spots that sparkle of green or white or her favorite - orange somewhere in the sand!! I'm told that there is much more sea glass to be found in the fall and winter than in the summer. It is true!! We found more in one visit then I think we found all Summer. Not only that but we ran into one of the girls favorite friends from school on the beach and she helped up with our quest!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

We're back!

We can't believe we are here!

And we're off!

Collecting our finds

A little cold - we might need our mittens

Nothing better than finding our friend!

Buddies!

As we walk up the hill I tell the girls

this might be our last time at the beach for awhile!

twenty-four hours later......

January 12, 2012

Our old friend Winter is back for a visit!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2012-01-02T00:12:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!!!

May 2012 Be A Wonderful Year!!!!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T00:03:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! Lucy woke up VERY early and came running into our room so very excited. I told her she could get in bed with us as it was still much too early to go downstairs. She fell back aspleep for awhile and soon after she woke up - Kit woke up. The girls sat at the top of the stairs and waited while Daddy went down to see if Santa had visited our house. Sure enough he did - so it was downstairs we went! When the girls got to the tree they actually jumped in the air and screamed!! Then it was time to see what Santa had brought! They had so much fun unwrapping their gifts. With each gift came a squeal of excitement. They would hold their gifts up to show one another and scream again!!! It was so much fun to watch. After the gifts were unwrapped they played with their new goodies and had so much fun together. They loved every minute!!!

Waiting to hear from Daddy!

Good News!!!

Jumping for Joy!!!

Checking the stockings

Visions of 11 years from now!!!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

2012-01-01T23:34:00.002-06:00

We had a perfect Christmas Eve!! We stayed in town this year for the first time. We decided it would be fun for the girls to wake up in their own house on Christmas and open their gifts from Santa. We missed being with everyone in St. Louis but we enjoyed the easy day we had. Lucy and I went to the bakery in the morning and couldn't believe there were 21 people ahead of us in line! Luckily we had ordered our bakegoods ahead of time and just had to wait patiently. We visited some friends and then the girls took a good nap so they could be ready for the evening ahead. We went to early Mass and had to arrive 45 minutes early in order to get a seat. Time passed by quickly and the wait seemed like nothing. After Mass we went to some friends for a party and dinner. The girls ran around with all of the other kids and we enjoyed a delicious dinner. At 7:00 there was a knock on the door and to everyones surprise (especially Lucy and Kit) Santa came for a visit. I am not sure I have ever seen Lucy more excited!!! The girls waited in line to see Santa - they could hardly believe he was right here on Christmas Eve. After theytold Santa want they were hoping for, they got a candy cane and then Lucy ran over to us and told us to get the coats. She said we had to get home and get to bed because Santa was already in Chicago and she needed to be asleep before he came to our house. So we got our coats, bid our farewells and went home as fast as we could! The girls ran inside and got the reindeer food that Grandpa had sent to them. We went outside, sprinkled the reindeer food all over the front lawn and then came inside to set out the cookies and milk! The girls ran upstairs put on their pjs and jumped in bed. We never heard another peep from them until very early on Christmas morning. It was so fun witnessing their pure excitment!

Before we left for Mass

Look who showed up!

Lucy cannot wait to see Santa!

Kit either!

Now we have to get home!

There are Reindeer who need to be fed!

Cookies and Milk to put out and then off to bed!!!!

Christmas Symphony

2011-12-24T11:41:00.004-06:00

We have tried to take in lots of Christmas activities this past month. Yesterday we took the girls downtown to go to the Yuletide Symphony performance. We attended the three o'clock matinee. Orchestra Hall was so pretty! It was decorated beautifully for Christmas. The show was just as pretty. The symphomy played all of our Christmas favorites as well as some songs we had never heard before. They were accompanied by the largest chorus I have ever seen. The girls seemed to really enjoy it. They both sang the songs they knew and listened quite well. After the performance was over we went outside and Lucy hailed a cab for us (her favorite thing to do in the city!) We then went out for a nice Italian dinner. It was a perfect way to end our month of Christmas activities!

Kit taking in all the sights on the way to the show

Intermission break

One of the ushers asked if she could take our picture

This is what we got :)!

Kit belting out a Christmas tune!

Lucy enjoying her dinner!

The Christmas Pageant

2011-12-21T14:57:00.001-06:00

The girls just finished their last day of school until after the new year. The pre-school, Jr. Kindergarten, and Kindergarten class put on the cutest Christmas Pageant. The girls practiced their songs for weeks and I never tired of hearing them. We went to the show and loved every minute of it!!! Both Kit and Lucy spotted us in the crowd and gave us a big wave. When it was their turn to sing they sang "loud and proud" and Kit threw in a few dance moves:) I loved it!

Before The Show

Kit being Silly!

Kit spotting us in the crowd

Lucy spotting us

Singing loud and proud

Look at the faces:)

Everyone together

When we came home the girls sang their

two favorite songs for me:)

A Little Elf

2011-12-15T08:10:00.002-06:00

We have a little Elf in our house who is causing quite a stir. The girls get the biggest kick out of him and they can't believe where he shows up every day!! Oh the places he's been. Wherever he is he can always see them and they certainly are good when their are in his view!! Every night he goes to sleep on the bookshelf but every morning he wakes up someplace else. One morning he was sitting on top of a candle in the kitchen, another day he was on the wing chair in the living room staring at the Christmas tree, one morning he was in the shelf in the girls bathroom holding their toothbrushes!!! We never know where we will find him and when we do we laugh and laugh.

On Saturday night we had a big Christmas party. I put the elf on his shelf and got on with the party. The girls were on the third floor with their favorite babysitter. They were having their own party upstairs while the adults were having one downstairs. Their treat for the night was that they were going to sleep in their sleeping bags in the guestroom. They were fast asleep long before the party downstairs ended. The next morning I was cleaning up from the party and noticed the Elf was missing. Had perhaps someone had a little too much fun the night before and thought it would be funny to hide my Elf or maybe even take him home? Ugghhhh I couldn't find him anywhere!! I searched and searched to no avail. Rich helped me as well and still nothing! I was perplexed. We had to go to a party so I decided I would worry about it later. When we got home the girls told me that the elf really is magic - he made it all the way up to the third floor and was on the bookshelf watching over them in their sleeping bags! I think my sweet babysitter might know how he got upstairs!

Gingerbread House Party

2011-12-13T20:53:00.016-06:00

On Sunday we attended a gingerbread house decorating party. The girls were so excited to go and the party did not disappoint. After putting on their cute gingerbread man aprons they got right to work on decorating their house together. They iced it with a little help from Dad and then went at it with all of their decorations. It took everything in my type A - controlling personality to just let them decorate it the way they wanted to with no help from me. The end result was an incredibly cute house that only two five year olds could create! They were very proud of their final masterpiece and it now sits front and center in our kitchen. They are loving every minute of the Christmas season!!

Hard at work!

Making sure the candies taste okay

Getting every piece on just right!

Teamwork!

SSneaking a little taste!

The end result!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-09T07:05:00.001-06:00

This past weekend we attended Breakfast with Santa. The girls had so much fun. They decorated cookies, made ornaments , had their hands painted (they didn't want paint on their face when they saw Santa), listened to the Christmas music, played with their friends and last but certainly not least - talked to Santa! It was a perfect way to start December!

Kit hard at work!

Lucy sampling her creation!

Telling Santa everything on their list

So happy that Santa told them they have been good girls!

Fancy Nancy

2011-12-08T12:30:00.005-06:00

The girls were lucky enough to meet the author and illustrator of some of their favorite books ~ Fancy Nancy. Jane O' Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser came to school last week and talked to all of the students. Everyone got dressed up in their "fanciest" outfits for the big day. I wish I had pictures from school as many of the boys dressed up as well. They had on sport coats and ties, bow ties, hats and some had on feather boa belts. The girls had tiaras and boas, jewels and gloves. They all looked adorable!!

Fancy Lucy

Fancy Kit

My Fancy girls!

St. Nick

2011-12-07T10:05:00.006-06:00

When I was growing up one of my favorite days was St. Nicholas Day. We would all come downstairs after waking up to find St. Nicholas had left us a little gift the night before. I think I was as excited for St. Nicholas Day as I was for Christmas. I have to say Lucy and Kit were excited for St. Nicholas day as well. On Monday night we set our shoes out by the front door. Lucy opted for her cowboy boots - I think perhaps there were ulterior motives:) Anyway when they woke up Tuesday morning they ran downstairs and found that St. Nick had stopped by the night before. They were so excited and so cute and talked about it all day. When they went to school they found out St. Nick came there as well and left them both a candy cane!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-04T21:46:00.030-06:00

We had a fun weekend getting the house decorated for Christmas. The girls loved every minute of it. I brought everything up from the basement while they were at school on Friday. I unpacked everything and actually had some sense of order when we started to decorate. The ornaments were all unpacked and ready to be hung on the tree. Lucy and Kit wasted no time decorating the tree. We had to look at every ornament (and we have quite a few) and decide whose it was, where it came from and when we got it. Now that took some thinking and perhaps a little embellishing:) Lucy remembered every ornament she has ever received and she knew just who gave it to her. Kit loved finding all of the ornaments we bought in China. She also loved finding the "K" ornament and couldn't wait to find a special spot for it. Both girls each had two new ornaments to hang on the tree. Uncle "Joe Joe" gave them each one when he came to visit for Thanksgiving and I had bought them each one as well. They were so excited to hang their special new ornaments in the perfect spot. At one point I tried to explain that you try to hang some ornaments inside the tree - not just at the ends of the branches. Soon thereafter I found both girls lying on the ground under the tree hanging their ornaments! We also have a section at the very bottom of the tree that is FULL of ornaments. I left the ornaments just as they put them and smile whenever I see them! One of my favorite moments was when Lucy found an ornament that was from Grandma Wilma - she told me to hang it at the very top of the tree so Grandma could see it from heaven. I did just that!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T21:43:00.012-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week!! We were fortunate to have a house full of family this year! Our first guests arrived on Monday and our last guests left on Sunday afternoon. We had 20 house guests in total - only 16 stayed at one time though:) We cooked, ate, played games, sat by the fire, laughed, stayed up late and thouroughly enjoyed one anothers company. The girls were in heaven having so many cousins, aunts and uncles and Mimi and Grandpa all under one roof!! The older kids were so sweet to the younger ones and they all got along so well! Kit and Lucy were quite sad on Monday morning when they woke up to a house with only four people in it! Not to worry - we will see everyone and then some next month when we celebrate Christmas! I was having too much fun to take many pictures - but the ones I did take seemed to capture the moment. I packed away my Thanksgiving decorations yesterday and now I guess I need to start thinking about Christmas. For now I will enjoy the memories of the last week before I get in gear for the next holiday! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

While I was getting the house ready for Thanksgiving dinner. The girls were indulging their Aunt Ann and cousins Catherine and Maggie to manis and pedis! To say the girls and Ann were good sports was an understatement!

Lucy and Kit taking their job seriously!

We were so lucky to have nice weather on Thanksgiving. It was bit cold but it was sunny and blue skies. Rich organized a flag football game at the park. The girls were thrilled to be included. I didn't go as I was doing last minute preparations for dinner. I was told a good time was had by all. When the game was over a few brave souls -(one adult and five boys) stripped down to their skivvies and jumped into Lake Michigan! When they came home they were proud to announce they were part of the polar bear club. I wish I would have seen that - I did see a picture so I know it happened!

Getting ready for the game!

Just a few guests!

The two girls I am thankful for every day of the year!

All smiles all week Long!

A Crisp Fall Night

2011-11-16T14:16:00.016-06:00

We have had an almost perfect Fall here at our house. For the most part we have had nice warm, sunny days and cool nights. The past few days have cooled down and we are starting to get frost on the pumpkins. All Summer long we ate dinner outside and then would sit, play or dance on the patio until the girls bedtime. With shorter days and cooler evenings we have been eating inside and staying warm. The girls wanted to continue our weekend evenings outside. So we put on their coats and had a big pit fire. They ran around the dark yard with their flashlights, collected leaves and warmed up as needed either by the fire or in their Daddy's lap! It was as much fun as our Summer evenings - just a little bit cooler!

We even got to see the moon through the smoke!

One Year Ago Today

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

One year ago today Rich, Lucy and I walked into the Civil Affairs building in Guangzhou ,China. As we entered the building we were anxious, nervous, excited, happy and somewhat unsure what the next hour would hold for us. It was hot, crowded and very loud. There was a lot of activity but what seemed like very little order or organization. Lucy was carrying a special pink backpack filled with lots of goodies each one hand picked by her for the little girl that was soon to be her sister. In her other hand she carried a pink sock monkey that she picked out especially for Kit. I had my camera and Rich had the video camera all of us waiting for that moment that we were going to see the soon to be newest member of our family. We looked around for what seemed like a while until we saw....

The sweetest little face we had ever laid eyes on! There she was our little Kit. The girl whose photos we looked at for hours on end. The girl we couldn't stop talking about, thinking about, praying for or longing to be part of our family. She walked in strong and brave sipping a carton of milk and holding something in her hand. She looked at us like she knew who we were but was guarded and cautious - just like she should have been. We went up slowly and said hi. It took everything in me not to grab her, hug her, scoop her in my arms and never let her go. But I didn't do that. I let her take the lead, check us out and come around on her terms. It didn't take long and she was by our side. She opened her hand and gave Lucy the little piece of candy that she was holding. She let me hold her hand, say hello and introduce her to her new family. In a matter of minutes we were no longer a family of three but

A happy and excited family of four!

Kit and Lucy hit it off from the minute they met!

She was still cautious but was oh so sweet!

She never left her sisters side and Lucy was always there to comfort her,

show her the way and love her like only a sister can!

It is hard to believe that it has been a year! So much has happened, yet Kit seems like she has been part of our family forever. She has come a long way since that November day in China. She has mastered the English language, she has let down her guard and defenses. She has come into her own and has a personality that is sweet and funny and nothing but lovable. She is smart, and brave, silly and stubborn. She is fun and serious all at the same time. She loves to make us laugh or anyone for that matter. She understands a joke and likes to play them on us as often as she can. She could spend her days coloring or painting or putting together any puzzle you put in front of her lickety split! She doesn't mind being by herself just doing the things she loves. She lights up when she sees us. Whenever one of us gets ready to go somewhere she hugs us and says, "I miss you" before we even leave the door. She loves to snuggle and cuddle and if she had her druthers she would have me hold her all day! Everyday she thanks me for making dinner, or lunch or breakfast for that matter. If we go to a class or an outing she always thanks us and tells how lucky she is. She always hugs and kisses Lucy and tells her she is the best sister in the whole world. She loves giving compliments and will tell me I look pretty when I couldn't look worse. She loves Rich and tells him all the time. She loves school and is friends with everyone. Her teachers tell us that her favorite part of the day is when she makes her clasmates laugh - which apparantly she does often. She is a real joy to be around and she puts a smile on the face of everyone she meets. She has brought nothing but love and happiness to our family! We can't imagine life without her. so on this the anniversary of meeting our sweet Kit for the first time I want her to know how much we love her and we couldn't have a better daughter or sister!!!

We love you to the moon and back sweet girl!!!!!!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T08:40:00.018-06:00

We had a perfect Halloween!!! The girls have been looking forward to it for so long. Lucy might have the biggest sweet tooth around - so I think it might be here favorite holiday. She has been prepping Kit for the day for months. This being Kit's first Halloween Lucy has explained to her over and over again what to expect. At least once a week I heard this conversation:

Lucy- "Kit you won't believe it. You walk up to someone's door, you ring the doorbell, you say Trick or Treat and they give you candy!!!! Can you believe it that is all you have to do and you come home with a bag of candy! It is the best night ever"

Kit - "Are you serious?!"

Well they did just that and they had a ball!! Trick or treating begins at 4:00 in our neighborhood. Which is so nice because it is light and warm and you actually get to see all of the kids. We walked for blocks and blocks as the girls had lots of people they wanted to see. Every block we hit I would hear, "hey Kit and Lucy" and there was one more friend from school they would see. We ran into lots of "big kids" from school and the girls knew them all. They loved all of the decorations, costumes and scary houses. I wish I would have brought my camera along as there were so many over the top decorated houses. Our favorite was the "Haunted Dinner Party". There was an entire dining room table set up in someones front yard complete with linens, china and goblets. There was a chandelier hung above the table with a witch hanging on. Every seat was filled with a goblin, monster or witch eating a creepy meal. Each goblet was filled with "blood" (red wine) there was smoke and music and blinking lights. The girls loved it as did I. We finished our trick or treating visiting our favorite friends and then coming home to find Daddy on the front porch handing out candy! Lucy's favorite part of the night was saying Trick or treat to Rich and picking out her favorite treat from our basket of goodies!

My Favorite Queen!

and My Favorite Mummy!

My little Mummy made me laugh every time I saw her!

Eating the loot!

Sharing treats!

Helping Daddy hand out candy

Sitting by the warm fire Daddy made for the girls

when they returned home!

Boo!!!!

2011-10-28T16:23:00.005-05:00

BOO!!!!!!!

A Perfect Fall Day

2011-10-15T17:24:00.018-05:00

Fall is here and today was one of those perfect fall days! Blue sky, crisp air, and falling leaves as far as the eye can see. There was a huge pile of leaves in front of our house and it didn't take long for the girls to find it, play in it and jump in it. After their romp in the leaves we went to a pumpkin patch for a birthday party of one of their buddies. They went on a hayride, picked out pumpkins, walked through a corn maze and ran around until they were wiped out!!! It was a fun day!

Happy Fall!!!!!

Days of Old

2011-10-13T12:24:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago I was reading our neighborhood paper. There was an article about, "The Knife Sharpener". It seems that once a year there is a man who makes his way around town on foot pushing his knife sharpening contraption. You cannot contact him by phone, email or any other modern way. You just have to listen for the sound of his ringing bell. When you hear the bell you know he is in town.

It has been unseasonably warm and I had all of the windows open one morning. All of a sudden I heard a ringing bell. I wondered, "could it be the one and only knife sharpener?" Sure enough it was!! I gathered up the girls and all of my knives (something about that doesn't sound right:) and went outside. I stopped him and asked to have my knives sharpened. He was a man of few words and really wanted nothing to do with Kit and Lucy or me for that matter. He was strictly about getting to business. I handed him the knives and he got to work. The girls stood and watched him in somewhat amazement. They tried to talk to him as well as show him their balancing skills. He wasn't interested! Oh well - The girls and I both enjoyed watching him and the end result was a butcher block and drawer full of sharpened knives and smiles on the girl's faces!

Here he is at work!
Kit getting a closer view

Lucy didn't want to miss anything!

Showing off their balancing skills

(He was unimpressed)

Until next year........

Catch Up

2011-10-10T16:11:00.026-05:00

It is hard to believe that September has come and gone and we are almost in the middle of October. We have been very busy. We have had lots of school parties and activities, we have started ballet, gymnastics and art classes. We have toured the fire station, gone on a library tour, gone to the beach, picked out pumpkins and decorated the house for Halloween. With every event I failed to do one thing - take pictures! I must say though I have enjoyed everything we have done and haven't really missed lugging my camera bag, stopping what I am doing and interrupting the girls for the "perfect" (never perfect) picture. I think they have enjoyed it as well:) I don't have many pictures but lots of memories. So I have no fall pictures to share as of yet but I have finally organized some of my Summer pictures - imagine that. We had a fun Summer and enjoyed every minute of it. I think the best times were those that we didn't really do much of anything. As I looked through my pictures they all brought a smile to my face because this was the first Summer the girls were together! They loved it all and they loved each other!

We never missed a chance to get our face painted.

Kit perfected the Hula hoop!

We all learned new dance steps compliments of Wii

Lucy finally got to sit on the beach lifeguard stand

when the guards went back to school!

Kit blew bubbles until her heart was content!

We had dance parties on the patio

The girls enjoyed six weeks of camp!

Lucy insisted on "helping" the contractor with our patio!

I scream, you scream we all scream for ice cream!

We caught Grasshoppers

Took naps together

Looked for the moon on the nights we got to stay up late!

And just had fun being together!

Hoping the rest of our fall is as fun as our Summer was!!

Next post - Fall!

A House Full Of Princesses

2011-09-17T22:44:00.026-05:00

If you read the title of this post you might be thinking this is what Rich says every day. Perhaps it is, but today it was all about Lucy and her Princess buddies. Today we celebrated Lucy's birthday with all of her friends. All she wanted was a Princess party so a princess party is what we had!

Getting everything ready for the party!

My two FAVORITE Princesses!

My two favorite helpers!! With my favorite girls!

The first guest arrives and Lucy couldn't be happier!

Time for crafts!

We decorated Tiaras, Princess wands and strung beads to make a beautiful neacklace!

It was so pretty and warm we decided to continue the fun outside!

We played one of Lucy's favorite games - Simon Says!

Everyone played so hard they were ready for Lunch

and of course....

Princess Cake!

Dad came home from a business trip before the party ended - just in time to walk Her Majesty down the steps (Lucy told him exactly what to do!)

No party is complete without a little Duck, Duck, Goose!

Lucy had a great time at her Princess Party!!! She told me she loved it and that she had so much fun. All of the excitement wore her out and she was ready for a little nap after her buddies left. When she woke up I told her we could play with anything she wanted (as she had lots of new things to choose from) She told me that she just wanted to go outside and play with her balloons that we bought for the front of the house!

I think that may have been the BEST part of the day!!!

Oh to be Five again!!!!!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2011-09-07T21:28:00.020-05:00

We now have two five year olds in the house and we couldn't be happier!! Lucy celebrated her Birthday yesterday and I think she enjoyed every minute!!! She woke up like she does every day full of energy and pep with a smile on her face. The only thing different was she was screaming, "It's My Birthday, It's My Birthday!" She jumped into bed with me and gave me a huge hug. She layed next to me all smiles and laughs. At one point she said, " I don't really feel five Mom, but I feel happy!" And happy she was! We started off the day with her very favorite breakfast - a chocolate chip pancake!

She ate every bite!

We then had to hurry and get ready for school.

She had picked her outfit out the week before:)

Here she is all ready for school!!!

When I dropped her off she ran into her classroom and told everyone it was her Birthday. She was so excited! At 10:00 I came back to school accompanied by Mimi and Papa with treats for the class. Lucy picked out pretty pink and green cookies with a big "5" on them!

The kids all sat on the rug and the teachers announced

Lucy's Birthday ~ she was so happy

She got to go to the front of the room and all of the kids sang Happy Birthday to her.

After that we all got to eat the cookies and lucky me I got to sit right next to the Birthday Girl!

Kit was right across from me! I couldn't have had a better seat!

Lucy decided to skip lunch bunch at school and opted for a mani/pedi. Mind you this is not something we do regularly - just a special birthday treat!! The girls loved it.

We came home had a little lunch then the girls took a nap! When they woke up they ran around and had so much fun with Mimi and Papa!

Lucky girls to have such wonderful visitors!!!

We all went out for dinner and then came home for cake and gifts! Lucy picked out this little Lady Bug cake and thought it was the cutest thing!

She loved having all of us sing to her!

After cake she opened her gifts!! Each one was better than the one before. She let Kit help her open almost every single one! They both were giddy over every gift!

When the last gift was opened the doorbell rang and in came Lovey (and his family:) They brought Lucy the cutest little stuff dog that she took to bed with her!

It couldn't have been a better day!! Lucy was happy from the time she woke up until she went to bed. She loved having her Grandma and Grandpa here for her birthday along with her cousin Tommy and of course Kit!

Happy Birthday Sweet Lucy!!!! You find joy in every day - not just your Birthday! You bring a smile to the face of anyone who meets you or knows you!! You are silly and sweet and have a heart of gold! You have a personality and wit beyond your years. You like to play tricks on us and make us laugh. You never forget anything! You have an imagination that never stops and you could talk for days on end. You like to be in charge and we all let you most of the time. You are kind and empathetic and are always polite. You are a girly girl if I have ever known one! You are so fun to be with and so easy to love!! I hope you have a great year ahead of you!!! We can't wait to see what it holds for you!!! We love you to the moon and back my little five year old!!!

First Day of School!

2011-08-31T17:18:00.007-05:00

Today was the girl's first day of Jr. Kindergarten!!! They were both very excited. They couldn't wait to see their teachers and their friends. We went for meet and greet on Friday and they were able to see their new classroom! Lucy has talked about her locker ever since. She can't believe she has a locker. She is sharing it with Kit but it is a locker instead of a cubby. As we were getting ready to leave she ran upstairs to grab a sweater. It was very warm outside and there was really no need for a sweater. That is except to hang it up in your new locker when you got to school. Kit was all smiles and hugged her teachers when we walked in. She gave me an extra tight hug when I left and told me she would miss me. Lucy gave me a kiss and ran away to go socialize with all of her classmates! They will start out going three half days and one full day. I am going to miss my girls. I have one more year before they will be going five full days - so I will enjoy this year with them!!

Waiting to go in!

Right in front of their locker!

Loving their new teachers!!!

Kit's Birthday Party

2011-08-29T21:37:00.010-05:00

We had a little birthday party for Kit with some of her friends from school this past Friday. It was a beautiful day and we were able to have the party outside. Kit wanted a tea party so that is what we had. We made a few crafts, played a few games and blew lots of bubbles!! The girls were all sweet and seemed to have a fun time. It was a bit hectic trying to keep ten little girls busy and happy - so I don't have lots of pictures. It doesn't matter though because I will always remember how much fun Kit had!!!

A Very Special Day For Kit!

2011-08-17T21:21:00.025-05:00

Hey I want to tell you something!

Today there is a special little girl who is not one...

Or Two

Three

Or even four!

Today that sweet girl is......

FIVE!!!!!!!!

And could not be any more excited about it!!!!

I woke up very early this morning to the sound of little feet running towards my bed and then I heard one of the sweetest voices I know yell, "It's my birthday today!!!!!" Kit hopped into bed with me and asked me to sing her Happy Birthday!! I did just that. Not long after, we heard another sweet voice coming from Lucy's bedroom singing Happy Birthday to Kit!!! Not a bad way to start the day:)!

We went downstairs and Kit opened a few presents that had been delivered to her. She was so excited!

She especially loved the Hello Kitty mirror that Mimi and Pa Pa sent her with a special note inside when you open it- the note says, "Hi Beautiful!" Love - Mimi and Pa Pa. I can't tell you how many times she opened and closed her new mirror. Each time her grin was bigger than the last!

Lucy loved celebrating with Kit. She was a great sport all day and let the day belong to her sister!

I had asked Kit what she wanted to do for her birthday and she told me she wanted me to paint her nails. We decided it would be more fun to go and get a mani/pedi!! The girls loved it and Kit seemed to be in heaven!

Showing each other their polish!

We waited for Baba to get home and then Kit opened her gifts. She loved her Hello Kitty purse from Lucy and all the Hello Kitty accessories inside!

She loved everything and must have thanked us a million times!

She was thrilled to receive the bowling set she put on her list! I think the pins are as big as she is!

We then went out for a nice dinner to the restaurant of her choice!!! It was a good choice indeed. She was the only five year old celebrating a birthday there. As a matter of fact she was the only five year old in the restaurant!! She told everyone there it was her birthday!

We came home to have the cake she had been waiting for. Guess what kind of cake it was - Well Hello Kitty of course!!! If you can't tell Kit LOVES Hello Kitty!!!! She saw a cake like this months ago at the grocery store and has talked about it ever since.

The most beautiful cake a five year old

Hello Kitty fan has ever seen!!!

She blew out the candles and made a wish!

She received lots of phone calls with Birthday wishes today. With each one she had a grin from ear to ear!

We were just about finished with the festivities when her good buddy showed up!

A birthday wouldn't be complete without a visit from Lovey!

Look what he brought Kit - A mini stuffed Lovey!!!! She loved it and is sleeping soundly with him (the toy) in her arms right now!

Today was a special day not only for Kit but for all of us! It was a year ago this week that we found out we would be adopting Kit. It was a few days before her Birthday that we received the approval from China to complete the adoption. I was sad that we wouldn't be spending her fourth Birthday with her. We were able to send her a birthday cake, a photo album with our pictures, some little gifts and notes telling her just how happy we were that she was soon to be our daughter. I was happy we could do that for her. I knew the next year she would be with us and we could celebrate together.

What I didn't know then was what a special little girl would be joining our family. Miss Kit has had quite the year and has transitioned so well! She has mastered the English language, she has done so well at school, she has learned how to swim, and to spell and to write. She is fearless and she is sweet. She is stubborn and she is kind. At times she is shy and at other times she can captivate a room! She loves to give and receive hugs and kisses. She loves to rub my face and back. She loves to give me a shoulder rub and she loves to tickle me until I laugh out loud. She loves to be silly and at times she can be so serious. She is independent yet loves to be right next to me. She loves to help me in the kitchen and she is the best laundry folder I have ever seen!! She loves her sister and tells her often. She gets giddy when her Dad walks through the door each day after work. Every night when I tuck her in she tells me that she loves that I am her Mama. Even on days when I am probably not so fun to be with. She has a laugh that could make the crankiest person crack a smile. She has a big heart and a sweet disposition! Every day I am amazed at how far she has come in nine months time. What I am more amazed by is how much I love this little peanut. I can't remember days without her. She has been a true blessing! Today on her Birthday (the day that she has been counting down to for months) as she told me all day, "I so lucky Mama" I just hugged her tight and told her how lucky we are to have her in our lives!!!!!

Happy Birthday sweet Kit ~We love you to the moon and Back!!!!

May you be as happy for the rest of your life as you were today!!!!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2011-08-09T15:03:00.018-05:00

The girls and I just returned from Michigan. We spent the week with my two oldest and dearest friends along with their families. Peggy, Mary Ann and I have been friends since we were six years old. We have remained friends for all these - and that is more years than I care to mention :) Peggy's family always vacationed in Michigan. When we were 12 Mary Ann and I were invited to join her family on vacation. We continued this tradition through college. I have the fondest memories of my time in Michigan with Peggy and Mary Annn. We still laugh about the times we spent there.

This year Mary Ann and her family were going back for a visit. Peggy was stayng with her family who has continued vacationing there all these years. Peggy was kind enough to invite the girls and myself to join them. Needless to say we had a wonderful time!!! Peggy and Mary Ann have 9 children between them. Six of their kids were with us and each one was sweeter than the next. They are all quite a bit older than Lucy and Kit but they kept the girls occupied every minute that we were together!! They doted on them and included them in everythng! The girls were in heaven!!!

My wish for Lucy and Kit is that they will be as fortnate as I have been and make wonderful friends who last a lifetime!!! Thanks Peggy and Mary Ann!!!!!

We kept busy while in Michigan!

We ate Ice Cream!

Played Putt Putt

Made lots of new friends!

Caught up with old friends!

Had wonderful dinners!

Laughed all day at the big kids!

Had a bon fire and made S'mores!

Watched the sun set over the lake

And spotted a crescent moon not much later!

The best part of all was.........

Being with four of my favorite girls in the world!!!!!!!

A Few More Vacation Pictures!

2011-07-26T15:45:00.019-05:00

Hilton Head ~ 2011

2011-07-25T10:48:00.030-05:00

We just returned from our annual family vacation to Hilton Head. What a week it was!! I must say that it is our favorite trip of the year. The girls get to spend time with their cousins, their aunts and uncles and Mimi and Pa Pa. We love seeing everyone and we are all a bit sad when the week is over! We swam and swam, we spent hours at the beach, we played our bocci ball tournament, we went on a dolphin ride, we ate lots of good food and had enough treats to keep a smile on our face. We went crabbing at night, we played soccer on the beach after dinner, we looked for shells and we stayed up late! Every minute was filled with fun and family!! The girls were never lonely as someone was always ready to play with them. We all had a great time as usual and the best part of all was that Kit was with us this year!!!! We miss everyone already and we are looking forward to next year!!

We spent a few days in Savannah prior to

meeting everyone in Hilton Head
The girls loved the trolley ride!

Then off to the beach!

Kit loved every minute!

Lucy could not have had more fun!

Lucky us to have such great cousins!!!!

The girls could have swam all day!

Their favorite mode of transportation!

Nothing better than a walk on the beach with Grandpa!

Getting ready for our dolphin ride!

Look what we saw!

Chasing Fireflies

2011-07-10T21:03:00.013-05:00

It's that time off the year when our backyard is a glow with lots of little lightening bugs. Lucy loves them and just last week when we saw them for the first time she showed them to Kit and now she loves them as well. They aren't usually up late enough to get to see them but this weekend they stayed up a little late on Saturday so they could chase them around until their hearts were content. They squealed everytime they saw one and they chased them until they caught them. We didn't have a bug catcher so a Ziplock bag would have to do. After lots of running and a bag filled with little lights - they let them all go and waved good bye!! One more reason to love Summer!!!!

Look what Daddy caught!

We're going to get you!

Filling up the bag

Letting them go

Waving Good Bye!

July 4, 2011

2011-07-05T06:58:00.005-05:00

We had a great fourth of July!! The girls had so much fun with their cousins who came for a visit. We went to the beach, ate lots of bbq and watched the fireworks!

The Best Patient

2011-06-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kit recently fell down the front steps outside and had to make a trip to the E.R. There she had to get staples in her head where she hit it on the concrete. She cried when she fell down but there were no tears afterwards. Rich and I were able to take her to the E.R. while Lucy stayed home with Di and the girls. She was such a trooper - not a wimper out of her. They cleaned her head ad then put in the staples while she lie on my chest. When they were finished she looked up, smiled at the doctor and said, "Thank you!" The doctor told her he wished every patient was as good as she was.

We were told to put ointment on her head every day for a week until the staples came out. Lucy was very concerned about her and asked if she could help take care of her. I agreed that she could help me put the ointment on every day. Day one came and I told Lucy it was time to help. She told me to hold on a minute. She left the room and came back dressed in her Doctors uniform. Which she proceeded to wear for seven days in a row while we applied the ointment. She felt the need to wear the uniform when we went to the pediatricians office to have the staples removed. Everyone in the office referred to her as , Dr. Lucy! She was thrilled. The pediatrician even let her stand on a stool to "help" him remove the staples. Kit just smiled the entire time!!

Who is that coming toward me?

It's Dr. Lucy!

Quite the helper and quite the trooper!

My sweet patient!

This and That

2011-06-21T14:54:00.010-05:00

Well Summer is finally here at least that is what the calendar says - our weather not so much! That's okay we have been finding lots to keep us busy. I love Summer as do the girls so we are making the most of it! School ended on June 6th and Lucy was so sad. She and Kit got to "fly up" to Jr. Kindergarten on June 5th and meet their teachers for next year. They loved meeting their teachers and seeing their new classroom. Lucy was dissappointed when I told her she doesn't go back to school until September. They did start camp this week and are back together with their school buddies - so Lucy is quite happy!

One of Lucy's favorite things to do is sit in the backyard and watch birds. She and Rich love to fill up the bird feeders and watch who flies up. Lucy decided we need a new birdfeeder so Kit can have one of her own to fill. The girls went with Rich to the nursery and picked out two new feeders and different kinds of birdfood. Our backyard is now filled with birds and Lucy is teaching Kit all the different varieties - well at least three - Cardinals (our favorite!), Robins and Finchs. She also showed her how to fill up the feeders.

A must is to wear your gardening gloves so your hands don't get dirty!

Kit doesn't care if her hands get dirty!

The girls and their favorite guy!!!

Here's to a fun Summer!!!!

Visitors From The North

2011-06-11T18:05:00.013-05:00

Well I guess you have to have visitors from the North to bring you a little hot weather and smiling faces!! We had just that this past week as our good friends from Minneapolis came for a visit. Ainsley, Sienna, Ruby and Miss Di arrived in style and filled our week with lots of fun, laughs and good times. It was the first time Kit met most of them and she couldn't get enough! We had two days that were in the high nineties and we enjoyed them at the beach. The girls ran around in the sand and in the water, they built sand castles, ate snacks and wore themselves out! We had fun at home with dolls and crafts and playing lots of school on the front porch with the help of Ainsley! The girls laughed and laughed and got along so well. They went to bed early and Diana and I stayed up late into the night. I guess I must have had too much fun to take many pictures - but Di took alot so I will get those later. Thank you Rouse girls for making the beginning of our Summer just perfect!!!! You are the best house guests and friends that anyone could ask for!!!

My Little Gardener

2011-06-07T08:51:00.001-05:00

Lucy loves to plant and garden as much as I do. She loves picking out the floweres, smelling the herbs and digging up potting soil. We have had a rotten Spring so our planting has just started. We have had a big project going on in our yard so we still have to wait another week or so before we can do our real plannting. This weekend we were able to do a few planters and Lucy filled her favorite window box with all kinds of herbs. She ligned the herbs up in just the right order so her window box would be perfectly symmetrical - like Mommy like daughter:) She actually did 4 planters all on her own with just a wee bit of assistance from me! Kit wasn't much into planting - but loves watering. I should have known that gardening might not be her thing when she brought home a paper from school during gardening week titled, "What would you plant?" the page contained all of the students names and what they would plant. The list included roses, tulips, apple trees, etc. Kit said she would plant, "Monkeys" Go figure!

Organizing her herbs!

Taking good care of her hard work!

Lucy's planters!

My Little Gardener!

Bubbles!

2011-06-05T20:44:00.007-05:00

Simple Pleasures!

Hopscotch!

2011-05-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

From Ballet to T- Ball

2011-05-25T13:23:00.019-05:00

Lucy and Kit just finished their Spring T-ball season. They played on a team with their classmates from school. There were enough players for two teams. The girls played on the team with all of the boys in their class! The other girls in their class played on the other team. Lucy and Kit fared just well with the boys. It was and (still is) a cold Spring so most of the games were played in pants and coats! Which was a problem for Lucy as she did not like the color of her uniform shirt because it did not match any of her pants!! Oh the fashion dilema we faced every Sunday prior to the game! Her other dilema was the fact that Rich was their coach and she wasn't sure whether to call him Coach or Daddy! All things worked themselves out and the girls had lots of fun and learned a few things along the way!

Who knows?!

I don't think Kit will catch anything standing like this!

Or Lucy!

That's better!

Their favorite part was batting!

And of course making it on base!

The best part of all was.......

Getting their first trophy!!!!!

Running to show us her trophy!!!

Lucy and "Coach" walking to the car!

Ballet Recital

2011-05-22T14:38:00.011-05:00

The girls had their first ballet recital this weekend. They danced The Butterfly Dance. They have practiced for months and months. They did a great job and I loved watching them. They had a small class of only 5 so they looked so little up on the big stage. They enjoyed it for the most part. Kit told me afterwards that she was scared because it was so dark and she couldn't see us in the audience. I think she was a little relieved when it was over. Lucy on the other hand loved it and didn't want it to end. She curtsied throughout the rest of the day and slept with her costume next to her. It was a sweet recital. The girls have one more class and then we are going to take a ballet hiatus for the Summer.

Before the show

My little butterflies

Taking their bow!

Silly Kit

Lucy loving it all!

Kit's glad to be getting into the car!

My sweet girls!

Ruby Tuesday

2011-05-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming another visitor!! It was a surprise for Lucy as well as Kit. Lucy's best buddy Ruby flew in from Minneapolis with her Dad. Her Dad had a business trip here and brought Ruby along so she could stay with us for a couple of days!!! Lucy was counting down the minutes until her arrival!

We patiently awaited at the baggage claim
Lucy was so excited when I told her the plane was at the gate

Kit ran toward Ruby when we saw her!

Buddies reunited!!!

Lucy greeted "Mr. Handsome" as she likes to call him

with a smile and a big hug!

We came home from the airport and rode bikes and scooters, played outside and then went out for a nice dinner!!! The girls acted as if they had just seen one another yesterday! Ruby and Lucy were both so sweet and included Kit in everything!

The girls all snuggled up in bed

Lucy reading a goodnight story!

Today we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day! We packed up our things and headed to the beach!

The girls ran back and forth to get wet sand

so they could build lots of sand castles

Ruby was on a mission to find as many

shells and rocks as she could!

We had a perfect day with our perfect house guest!!

We love you Ruby!!!!

A Few Visitors

2011-05-09T20:39:00.002-05:00

It is starting to look a bit like Spring around here. We are all getting excited for warmer weather, longer days and lucky for us lots of visitors scheduled for the next few months!! Last week Patsy, Sean and Aunt Ann came up for a quick visit. Patsy had a soccer tournament here and we were lucky enough to get to spend a couple of days together. The girls always love to be with their cousins and they certainly were not dissapointed. They got Sean and Patsy's undivided attention and lots of hugs and kisses!!!

The older cousins were sweet enough to play dress up!!!!

Lucky us!!!

May Day

2011-05-01T17:40:00.020-05:00

For as long as I can remember May has always been my favorite month of the year. whenever I turn the page on the calendar and it reads, May 1 ~ I am a happy girl! It is the start of Spring and feels like we are surrounded by new beginnings. Everyone seems a little bit happier and are all hopeful for what lies ahead.

Four years ago today on May 1, 2007 I woke up, flipped the page on the calendar and was happy as could be. I was looking forward to new beginnings and hope for what was ahead. Believe me when I say I had no idea what the day had in store for me. Later that morning I answered the telephone and received one of the greatest calls I ever had. I was told that there was a little girl who was 7 months old and she was waiting for us in China! It was the call that we had been anxiously and patiently awaiting for so long. The day that started out with a hopeful smile ended as a day I will never ever forget! I saw a picture of a beautiful baby girl who lived half way around the world and was soon to be my daughter! I instantly loved her and wanted to have her in my arms the next day. Though that would have to wait for another seven weeks.

As I prepared to get ready for the little girl who would soon be joining our family I could have never prepared myself for the love and happiness that lie ahead! Four years later and I still can't believe my good fortune! Lucy is a true joy! She has a personality that blows me away and a smile that melts my heart! She goes to bed happy and wakes up the same way. She is quick with a hug or kiss and whenever she thinks you need it she gives you her special "squeeze hug". She has a heart of gold and always thinks of others first. She never likes seeing someone sad , hurt or upset. She makes sure everyone is included in every activity. She is quite social. Somehow she has managed to meet almost everyone at school- no matter what age or grade! She loves talking to adults as much as she loves talking to children. She just loves to talk and she talks all day! She asks more questions than I ever imagined possible. When she goes to bed at night she tells me her brain is tired. I am sure it is. She sleeps well at night because she is busy, busy, busy all day.

She is a neat freak and a rule follower. She loves to pick out her outfits and is very particular about everything matching from her bow to her shoes! She is always giving a compliment and is very sincere. She is quite competitive ~perhaps a bit too much although we are working on that. She is a tad bit nosey and hates to miss out on anything. She is intuitive and clever and has the wit of someone much older.

Over the past six months I have witnessed her become the sister that anyone would love to have! She loves Kit with all her heart and tells her just that every day. She has been Kit's teacher, her protector, her playmate and her best friend! From the minute she met her she has shared everything with her and has made her feel part of our family.

I could go on and on about Lucy. Like all little ones she has her moments, but I must say for the majority of the day she is nothing but a treat to be around! Her sweet voice and her infectious laugh could make anyone happy!

There is nothing I love more than being her Mom! I have loved watching her grow up over the past four years. I am proud of the little girl she is and I look forward to seeing the person she becomes. Every night when I tuck her in I ask her what her high and low was for the day. She never has a low unless Rich leaves to go out of town for work. She always asks if she can give me an extra high and just act like it is a low:) just about every night she tells me that her high was spending the day with me!! It melts my heart every time and I will never tire of hearing that! Every now and then she asks me to tell her , "Her Story". I explain to her our Journey to Lucy. I always end the story by telling her that if God told me I could choose any girl in the whole wide world to be my daughter I would choose her. Lucky me I didn't have to do that God did it for me!!! I love you to the moon and back sweet Lucy!! Thank you for making the past four years of my life the best four years!! I could never imagine life without you!!!!!

A glimpse of our sweet girl for the very first time!

May 1, 2011

I love you to the moon and back !!!!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T10:48:00.026-05:00

We had a great weekend and had so much fun celebrating Kit's first Easter with us! Just like I thought she loved every minute! We started with an Easter egg hunt at school on Saturday morning. We have had nothing but cold, rainy, dreary weather for the last three weeks. I am happy to say Saturday and Sunday were sunny and much warmer!

The girls couldn't wait for the Easter egg hunt. They were counting down the days all week!

Racing to the car to get to the hunt!

Right when we got there we ran into The Easter Bunny!

Let the hunt begin!

Lots of eggs and lots of smiles!

Later in the day we colored eggs! The girls thought it was so much fun. They made lots of pretty eggs and left them for The Easter Bunny to find!

We woke up early Sunday morning to find the Easter Bunny had made a visit the night before!

Searching for the baskets!

Looking through all of their Easter goodies!

Favorite basket items -a pink tape dispenser and little pots with herb seeds!

All dressed up and ready for Mass

After Mass we enjoyed a nice brunch with lots of good food! The girls had so much fun. They loved their balloon animals that they received. After we were finished brunch we went and visited the petting zoo. Kit was not too excited to enter the zoo but Lucy held her hand and showed her the way!

Not sure about all of those animals

Lucy loved it!

SStill a little unsure!

C'mon sweetie it will be okay!

(yes Lucy calls Kit sweetie!)

Kit loved the bunnies!

We had a wonderful Easter!!!

My Little Ice Skaters

2011-04-16T16:27:00.011-05:00

Today the girls finished their 16 weeks of ice skating. Normally I would not know the exact number of lessons we have for anything. The reason I know this is that after lesson number one Lucy told me she wasn't interested in going back to ice skating lessons. I explained that we had signed up for the lessons and we weren't going to quit. She needed to try again. That is when she asked me how many more lessons, I said 15 and she asked if that was a lot. I smiled and said no but knew it would seem like a lot if she didn't like them. After week two she was on board and both girls loved their winter activity! They improved quite a bit after 16 weeks and each came home with a badge and a certificate moving them up to the next level. We had fun watching them and they had fun skating! Excuse my blurry pictures I was taking them behind the plexi glass wall.

Proud Skaters

A Few More Vacation Pictures

2011-04-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

Our last night of vacation

Lucy staged these two shots!

Do you think they are tired of smiling?

Spring Break ~ 2011

2011-04-04T11:39:00.035-05:00

We just returned from a sunny and warm Spring break vacation. We had such a great time. It was Kit's first family vacation with us and she made it quite special! She and Lucy loved every minute at the beach, in the pool and just lounging around. I must admit I loved every minute as well! We were lucky enough to have Mimi and Grandpa join us at the beach. The girls loved their time together with their Grandparents. Mimi played lots of Go Fish and Grandpa had endless staring contests with them! They had a few dinner dates together (sans Mom and Dad) and we always ate breakfast together and spent the day at the beach with one another! We had perfect weather and loved every day we were away!

Kit's first day at the beach!

Lucy loving the beach as always!

Both girls loving having Daddy to themselves all week!

Always searching for the perfect seashells!

Playing every beach game!

Kit played a mean game of paddle!

I think their favorite part of the trip was spending time with two of their favorite people.....

Mimi and Grandpa!

Having a pizza party with Mimi and Grandpa!

Kit took to swimming like a little fish! I must say she is quite the natural. She dove (belly flopped) off of the side of the pool and would swim under water for what seemed like forever. After a couple of days Rich taught her how to come up for air:) Not bad for a little girl who had never been swimming before!Lucy loved swimming as well. She would swim all the way to one of us and kick as hard as she could! She was proud of herself as she worked really had to conquer her fear of swimming and succeeded with flying colors!! Both girls could have played in the pool all day! Needless to say they both slept well at night!

Fearless Kit!

Swimming on her own!

Just enjoying the water!

My two favorite beach girls!!!!

Everything about our trip was just perfect! From the weather to the food to the accommodations! Most importantly was the company we kept! We loved having Mimi and Grandpa spend a week with us. They made for the perfect travel companions and we loved having them with us! Needless to say Kit added something special to this family vacation. She is the perfect addition to our family for countless reasons! We are all so crazy about her and could not imagine our life without her. She is sweet and funny and oh so loving. She has come such a far way in just a few short months! I will have to say I have many things that could top my vacation list ~but if I have to pick my favorite thing that which brought a smile to my face everyday it would be watching Kit and Lucy play on the beach together, swim together for hours, lie on their beach chairs and share an afternoon snack and giggle away! Walk hand in hand collecting shells and each night after an event packed day kiss each other goodnight and give one another the biggest hug! I love that Kit is part of our family and no matter what we are doing be it vacationing away for a week or just hanging out at home with one another our sweet girl is right where she belongs!!!

Ahhhhh!!!!!

2011-03-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

For at least today the boots were put away, the coats were in the closet, the hats and gloves in the baskets and the dreary days of our long cold winter somewhere far away!! It was warm, sunny, blue skies and nothing but smiles on our faces! We packed up the wagon, got out our buckets and shovels and made our first trip to the beach this year~Kit's first trip ever!! I am happy to announce she will fit right in with our beach loving, warm weather loving family! She kicked off her shoes, put her feet in the sand, plopped down her bucket and collected every rock and shell she could get her hands on! Lucy ran around happy as a lark and for the first time in a long time we all came home wiped out from fresh air and happy as could be!!!! Our warm weather might only last for a few days - but it is a reminder of what's to come and the fun days ahead!! Here's to a Happy Spring!!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T00:00:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The girls celebrated with a big party at school today. I walked them into school this morning and as soon as Kit walked through the door she yelled, "Kiss me I'm Irish!" Grandpa would be proud!!

Kit's Baptism

2011-03-14T10:19:00.018-06:00

This past weekend we went to St. Louis for Kit's Baptism. Uncle Dan baptized her just like he baptized me when I was a baby and all of my siblings as well as Lucy and all of Kit's cousins. Saturday was warm and sunny and a perfect day for a Baptism and a party! Kit was so excited as she knew it was her special day! She smiled all throughout the ceremony and laughed when Uncle Dan poured the water on her head. She was so sweet and I think she liked being the center of attention for awhile! We had a big party afterwards to celebrate the day! All of the kids got to play outside and run around and have fun. Kit and Lucy loved spending the weekend with all of their cousins, aunts and uncles and Mimi and Grandpa! It was a perfect weekend!

Miss Kit!

Family picture before the Baptism

Enjoying the Day with Mimi and Grandpa

The Girl of the Hour

Kit and her Godfather Uncle Joe

All Smiles!

Lucy shared in the fun

Kit and her Godparents - Uncle Joe and Aunt Megan

Uncle Dan

Blue Bird Of Happiness

2011-03-07T09:50:00.009-06:00

Years ago when Lucy was quite young we were visiting my parents for a long weekend. While we were at their house Lucy became quite enamored with some little glass birds that my parents had in their living room. The entire time we were at their house she played with the birds. She was very careful with them. Not long after we came home a package arrived in the mail for Lucy. Mimi sent her some of the birds with a note explaining that the birds were blue birds of happiness. She was sending them to Lucy she explained because Lucy brought so much happiness to our family! The birds have always been special to Lucy. When she moved into her new room she carefully placed the birds on her nightstand - or her "treasure chest" as she likes to refer to it. She keeps all of her favorite things on top of her nightstand. The note from Mimi is in the drawer of her treasure chest.

Not long ago Kit's nightstand was delivered after being on back order for months. She was so excited when it came. We brought it up to her room and set it right next to her bed. Lucy told Kit how lucky she was to finally have a "treasure chest". We put her new lamp on the nightstand along with a framed picture of Lucy and Kit. The girls thought it was great. While we were standing in the room Lucy announced that she would be back in a minute. She ran to her room and returned with one of her little blue birds. She put it on Kit's nightstand and said, "You can have this because you make us so happy." It brought a smile to my face and a little tear to my eye. I don't like to sound like the bragging Mom but I must say that Lucy is the sweetest sister to Kit. She includes her in everything, she shares whatever she has and she never lets Kit feel left out! Everyday she kisses her and tells her she loves her and is so glad that she is her sister! I can't tell you how happy that makes me for both of them!

Nothing makes me happier than seeing these two together!

Winter Blues!

2011-02-28T09:50:00.003-06:00

Happy Last Day of February!! We are hoping March brings warmer, sunny days! We are getting tired of snow, ice, grey skies and dreary days! Our Southern China girl likes nothing about this weather!! I keep promising her that she will love it here once Spring and Summer roll around! Until then I guess this is the look I will receive every morning when we go outside:)

Poor Kit!

America's Next Top Models?!!

2011-02-21T16:25:00.010-06:00

For most of last week we enjoyed warmer weather and all of the snow in our yard melted!! One day we actually walked to the grocery store, we rode scooters around the block and we ran up and down the street! I must say it was a very nice reprieve from our long, cold, snowy winter. Well I guess all good things must come to an end! The past few days have been cold, snowy and dreary!!! Ughhh we are stuck back indoors and trying to make the best of it!! There was no school today so I asked the girls what they wanted to do. They asked if we could go to the library and then out to lunch at their favorite spot. I agreed and off we went. When we returned home the girls told me they had a surprise for me. They went to their playroom and returned all "dressed up" for their fashion show!! I must say Kit loves to strike a pose! They walked back and forth, spun around and gave me a bow at the end of their performance. For a cold snowy day we certainly had fun. Hope you all are staying warm and enjoying a nice holiday!

Having fun together - warm weather or not!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:26:00.013-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

We were busing getting ready for Valentine's Day! We strung necklaces for our teachers and babysitter. We made cookies and candy and we wrote out all of our cards!

When we woke up on Valentine's Day we were excited to find cards, new gardening gloves, stickers and heart shaped bowls at the breakfast table!

We made special Valentine's For Daddy/Baba!

We got lots of cards and treats at school! We also got to go to a cupcake decorating party!

Happy Valentine's Day ~ 2011