Kelsey Begins Ballet

Kelsey, last Saturday was a dream come true for your Mommy. When I was a little girl I wanted to take dancing lessons, but MY Mom didn't think I meant it (plus I was a chubby girl) so I never got to do it. But I always thought that ballet was absolutely beautiful. 14 years ago I sat in a dark hot auditorium in Oakland and watched your cousin Alyssa being led onto the stage dressed as a fluffy little ducky with her own dance class. I sat there every year she performed until she didn't want to do it anymore. Every single year I cried, hoping I'd have the opportunity to watch my own daughter dance...and on Saturday I was able to fulfill that desire. Now, I didn't get to watch much dancing...but these pictures are so precious to me. We had a lotof fun shopping for her dance wardrobe and buying the most adorable pale pink ballet slippers.

Kelsey loves to dance and has been excited about taking dance lessons for a while now. We are so fortunate to be able to give her these things...and she really enjoyed herself. She even showed me a "new move" from her dance class. Not that I'm prejudiced or anything, but our girl is graceful and flexible. I hope she enjoys this and does well...but even if she's a spazz, she'll always have these memories.


A seriously beautiful dancer
Gracefully executing her steps (prior to a single class!)
With her class
Future Prima Ballerinas and future good friends!
The little girl sitting next to Kelsey is her friend Maeve, who is the daughter of my good friends Gretchen and Tom. The little girl on the left is Maeve's good friend Kelsie. All 3 girls are born in the same month, July 2005. The little girl in the middle is Alaina who is a classmate and friend of Maeve and Kelsie's.


Pre-school is still going well. Added bonus is that Kelsey is falling asleep well before 9pm every night. SCORE!

Kelsey's First Day of Pre-School

I took the morning off so I could send my pre-schooler off in style! We woke up at 7am and she began singing with happiness that she was going to pre-school and would play and learn to count and learn her colors.

We had breakfast and then came up and got dressed. After she was dressed, Kelsey looked in the mirror and proclaimed that her adorable kitty shirt was for "babies" and she demanded a big-girl shirt! She knocked my socks off with that reply, but we quickly found a replacement (her sparkly monkey shirt apparently fit the "big-girl" category.)

Then we finished packing her lunch and her school backpack. LOL it was too heavy for her to carry! But she kept her spirits very high indeed!

We drove to the school singing and arrived at the school. Kelsey ran to the other children in the line and said "here I am friends!" and couldn't wait for her turn to go into the classroom. Finally (for her) the doors opened and the kids lined up in the hallway. Kelsey couldn't wait to go into the classroom and barely stopped to give me a hug and kiss goodbye. I turned away, holding back a few tiny tears and went to the "boo-hoo" breakfast (I only had coffee!) and chatted with the other parents there. All the kids in Kelsey's class did great and I left after an hour. Whew!
(however, the school director warned that pre-schoolers often have delayed crying and next week and the week after would be the real test)

After work I rushed back to pick up our pre-schooler from the aftercare program. I was told that Kelsey did very well (although she doesn't like kids in her "space") and we went home. Kelsey fell asleep in the car (a 5 minute ride) and slept the whole night through missing dinner. When I opened her backpack I found that she didn't eat very much lunch either. I am going to write the teacher a note...Kelsey is a good eater and was probably distracted...she didn't eat much breakfast either. Our girl can't miss meals...she's a peanut!

Kelsey had a great first day at school and is looking forward to tomorrow when she goes back.
Tomorrow I will fill you in on Kelsey's first day of dancing school...another home run! :)

I'm Blissfully Domestic!

Well, don't fall on the floor laughing or anything...what I mean by that is I have been asked to be a contributor for an online magazine called Blissfully Domestic in their home/gardening category.

I have had 2 posts up already and am really enjoying writing about the art of creating a warm and friendly home.

Please check out http://www.blissfullydomestic.com/ and send a comment or 2 my way if you like it!

I highly recommend poking around the site, but if you MUST read my contributions, you can find them here:

http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-home/decorating/my-favorite-gifts-of-course-they-are-for-my-home/ and here:

http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-home/decorating/joann-hoppe-new-home-and-garden-contributor/

I do have to say it is awfully nice to see my name in a bi-line. :)

But seriously, check out all the sections...we have some amazing women contributing to this magazine!

btw, I leave for DC tomorrow for a short (35 hour) trip and Kelsey has said to be at least 6 times..."You go on business trip?" and when I say yes, she says "You miss me?" It breaks my heart every single time...of course I hug her and tell her yes and that she has to be brave for Daddy because he'll be sad....

I presume this gets easier...but I am not happy about boarding that train tomorrow!

Another Day, Another Year Older *Updated*

Yes, Bloggyland, I am another year older today. My real problem, as I have explained to numerous folks in the "real world" is that I am living the life of a 35 year old, but am definitely NOT 35. Oh well, nothing can ever change that I am not a good number (in fact, there was no number I really liked after 33 anyway)


Onto the photos!

Birthday Dinner
Our Brave Girl on a Pony!
Obviously this is not The Renaissance Festival! We decided to go to Turtle Back Zoo today instead. Kelsey's First Carousel ride where she's not riding in the sled!
My very cute and not dark hair! Kelsey is pondering the question when Mommy asked her "I know I am fat, but do I look "old?"
Eating the worms in her "dirty" dessert!



On Sunday evening we went to a block party at our good friends house. We had an amazing time, great food, wonderful friends and fantastic music! Little Kelsey and I really danced up a storm. Thanks Sue for inviting us!

Kelsey and I baked cupcakes, frosted them and decorated them for the party. She's so funny. When I let her cook or bake with me, I pull up a kitchen chair and put a pillow on it so she doesn't slip. As soon as I mentioned it was time to bake, she went right over, pulled the chair and got the same pillow. She has an incredible memory --when she wants to.

Oh, and we have an "official" potty trainer on board...she's gone almost twice a day (except for today when we were out all day) I am betting within one month she's done :)

We decided that a full size or twin bed really won't fit in her room, so we're just going to replace her bedding with Ariel Mermaid and get an inflatable mattress for her room, so we can sleep in there until she feels comfortable. She knows we want her to sleep in her own room and she wants to...she just can't do it without me currently.

What a great weekend! We had a blast!

**Updated and a very happy birthday to my BIL Michael, good friend Ashley, Mrs. P and anyone else lucky enough to share a special day on Sept. 1****

Hanging In There

This is an interesting time in my life.

• First of all, the blessing of loving Kelsey and being called "you GOOD Mommy!" lights up my heart in ways I can't ever explain.


• The Olympics AND the DNC all within the same 3 weeks? What riveting real life events playing out on the tube.


• Kelsey has rejected the potty again (yes, even the Princess potty is not worthy of her pee) I did buy her the new Ariel Mermaid movie, but I told her she can't watch it until she pees again on a potty (any potty!)


• Pre-school begins 2 weeks from tomorrow. Where does the time go?


• Kurt's traveling and I am really tired this week. This makes my patience level go into the toilet


• Tana's being a bit better about the peeing in the house...which means she gets to be here longer


• We've spent the last 2 weekends very busy and I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. I've turned down 2 invitations that sound like a lot of fun (sorry SIS!) but I did get a phone call from a good friend inviting us to a block party...about 1/2 block away. That I think we can do.


• I'm going to Washington DC with one of my schools. We're meeting the President. (yup, W) and going to a huge event on the White House lawn. I am going overnight (scary! my first business trip since Kelsey)


• My high school reunion is coming up soon. Its really expensive to go, so we made the decision that I'll go for a short time and then come right home. I hate going without my trophy husband (hi baby!) as my arm candy...but we have a lot on our plate right now.


• Plus, Kelsey won't be stressed about being left (we were going to let my sister sit for the first time...but this will be okay and then Kurt and I can use a night out for ourselves!)


• I've been doing a ton of writing lately, all for work. Hopefully the fruits of my labor will bear some hefty fruit (please!)


• Kelsey is now over 37" tall. While she's still teeny compared to other kids...how did my baby get so big?


• She's got her 3 yr old check up a week from Sat, then the Dentist for the rest of her xrays the following Monday...poor baby.


• Being overly tired makes me think some dark thoughts sometimes. People can be really irritating and I can be very overly sensitive.
  
• I am hanging onto a number for the last few days...freakin' annoying that these numbers get bigger!
• I volunteered for a new blogging opportunity that I am actually excited about. Stay tuned for more details shortly
• I love the photo on top here...my little poser!
• I am loving my new hair color...it's a bit blonder/caramelly than I ever thought I'd be
• Things I am doing this weekend:
• Going to dinner at the Bonefish Grill
• Shopping for a new twin bed for our girl
• Shopping for a new rug for our bedroom
• Coaxing my Trophy Husband and my fashionably in style daughter to the Rennaissance Festival in Tuxedo...I love that place.

I've edited myself for political reasons

I had a rant up here last night about the DNC. I have deleted it to be a bit more gentle.
I do not care for Michele Obama and no amount of scripting will ever change my mind.

I am a Slacker...

Wow, has it really been a month since I blogged? No, but I've been cheating on my blog and I have created a few business blogs I've been working on.

Plus, I am writing all the time, proposals, grants, concepts, strategic plans...I have a done a ton of writing lately. But you're not here to know my thoughts...you want to see what we've been up to...

okay :)

We posed and took photos of all Kelsey's birthday presents. (we are still sending them out, sorry..I slack off on this kind of thing too!)



We spent the weekend with Mema at the Beach...

Kelsey rode on rides on the board all by herself...my heart was literally frozen for each ride...I can't believe my girl can ride by herself...and LOVED IT!

And spent some time getting ready for last weekend, which was our Travel Group Reunion for China 130. We had an amazing time and I will dedicate a few posts to that special trip.

Oh, and my beautiful baby girl is FINALLY on her way to potty training! She gets that she has to do this now and has actually peed on her little potty! Now, if we can get her to sleep in her own bed, my life will be heavenly!

Okay, Sesame Place Completely Changed My Mood!

Kelsey ran right to Zoe and hugged her!
Still not a fan of carousel horses, but she likes the sleds
Floating in bliss down the river with Daddy
Kelsey and Dorothy! (Elmo's pet goldfish) on the stage of Elmo's World
Kelsey and Daddy in the toddler pool.

As a ride amusement park, Sesame Place was okay...however the water park is amazing! The shows are really great too! Kelsey especially loved Ernie's Water Works and the kiddie tidal wave pool, and the sandy beach...you actually feel like you've been to the ocean, except the water is fairly warm. It was a great day...not too hot and Kelsey had a great time. She was very well behaved and really enjoyed her time at the park. She ate fairly well (she shared my sandwich) and skipped her nap, yet wasn't really cranky. You can tell that she really appreciated going to see Elmo! Kurt and I had a great time too, we stayed until 7pm, which really surprised us. We had a really good time hanging out on the water park section. So much so that we planned to go to the beach today, and I was okay skipping it because I felt like we had been to the beach already...sat on a sand chair, dug my toes in the sand and the kiddie wave pool was the best because you waded out slowly and the water never got really deep. Unfortunately we didn't get shots of Kelsey dancing with glee in the Waterworks (pipes and fountains of all types shooting water into great jumping pools) because we took a lot of video at Elmo's world and ran out of memory. She really really loved it all...and so did we :)

The park is really well laid out...anyone going to Sesame Place, make sure you take water shoes and wear your suit under your clothes...life goes much easier! Plus kids not potty trained must have swim diapers on, easier to do this at home than have to buy one expensive diapy!

*not funny story...my cell phone rang the second we got out of the car...and I just said...this has to wait until Monday, I cannot talk to anyone at Sesame Place!

A Rant in Bullet Form...

• This is my only week of vacation until December and I've been working every single day. I'm not happy about it, but feel my hands are tied.
• I have so many things I want to rant about work...but won't in this space. I do have to say I am pretty disappointed to be nearing 48 and still having to face work paranoia. When does this stop?
• I have my 6 month review the day I go back to work. yuck.
• We took Kelsey to her first pediatric dental appointment and she freaked out getting xrays. She also has 3 cavities that they can see (so far!). The solution to the cavity problem isn't pretty at her age. I really feel that I've let her down. She hates getting her teeth brushed and some days I'm not as strong an enforcer. Well, that's now over and she's getting really watered down juice and we are fighting the teeth brushing 2x daily.
• Potty training...she's peed twice in her panties in her booster seat...pee all over the kitchen floor, literally 2 minutes after she's insisted she can't pee on the potty...she's simply just not ready.
• The weather hasn't been much fun this week. Every day its threatened to rain and we've postponed our plans...and it hasn't rained (except for yesterday) tomorrow come hell or high water we are going to Sesame Place.
• Sorry this isn't an inspirational post. We've had some fun this week, but I am just not in the mood.

Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Wow! I can't believe our beautiful girl is 3! She's not a baby or a toddler anymore --she's a full blown little girl. Kelsey had a great day, but the best is yet to come....her Princess Mermaid Party this weekend!

Notice Kelsey's birthday shirt...I am proud to say that her wishlist is completely checked off.
Presents...yes, a few!
Cake...cupcakes at daycare this morning (Mommy stayed up late to bake last night!)
Ice Cream...Carvel Ice Cream Cake! mmmmm
Balloons!...One Strawberry shortcake mylar heart balloon

She really loved her cake, and the Chinese food we had for dinner. But what she loved most of all was the people who love her most called to sing/wish her happy birthday on her special day. Thank you family! (and the bloggy family who posted many lovely things!)

p.s. here's a bonus shot of Kelsey's toes and my toes from last Sat's trip to the nail spa! She looooves her pink toes with the flowers! Can you believe how tan she gets?

3 word special July 4th edition

Hi All!

Here is my girl in all her focused glory looking intently at the parade on July 4th! (and notice my handsome hubby smiling adoringly at her!) She had a very special weekend... I have to say, I adore our town parade and have not missed one year in the 7 years we've lived here for the parade (we bought our house in 2000, but didn't live in it for the July 4th weekend) The parade focuses on the best our town offers and I have to say I tear up at times during the event (hey, I am sappy and fully admit it!) I especially LOVE the marching bands and the drum corps. I also love our local Lions although they do love to soak us with their water blasters! (Kurt is a Lion...but he's inactive right now) I like our town for its small town appeal...it feels very Mayberry-esque at times :)

After the parade (and the dunkin' donuts coffee!) we went to TRU and got our Princess a special birthday present...a Princess Tricycle! We also got a few other little goodies for the soon to be 3 year old (Wednesday!) we had a relaxing rest of the day.

On Saturday, Kelsey and I went out ourselves and did a few errands. We got some things for her big party next weekend and the best part is that we got matching pedi's (okay, she got a mani too along with some cool flowers on her big toes and thumbs!) She looooved getting her big girl special treatment at my local place and I was so happy that she was a good girl and enjoyed herself! Then we went to the pet store and got an aquarium for the kitchen. On Sat evening, we went to Janet and Mike's house for a holiday BBQ. Kelsey played in the pool with Daddy and had a wonderful time with her cousins.

On Sunday, Mommy got to indulge herself in some gardening (some badly needed weeding!) and then we did some food shopping and went to another holiday BBQ at our friends' house. Well, Kelsey almost ditched us for her 12 year old friends! (She and Lily call themselves big sister and little sister) and everything Lily did Kelsey wanted to do! :) Luckily Lily is very willing to be worshipped by little Miss Kelsey, and adores her! We had a great time and then the big kids and their families went to the fireworks and we came home.

Tomorrow is stitches removal time for me (my little back surgery) and my poision ivy is almost gone (although I might have encountered more today- we'll see) and this week is exciting for a few reasons...

1) My org's staff retreat (all the teams gathering in NJ from all over the country) and we have team meetings/presentations from Tues-Thurs.

2) Kelsey's birthday is Wed! She's gonna be the BIG 3! I can't believe tiny girl is going to be 3...she's growing up WAY TOO FAST!

3) Her family/friend party is next Sunday...so much to do...not enough time, but we'll get there!

Hope you all had a great holiday!

6 word challenge

A very sweet Panda Sister of mine challenged me to a 6 word sum up of my life. Here are the rules:



You need to describe your life in 6 words....link back to me and tag 5 other people (Leave them a comment to let them know you've tagged them)...It's that easy! This was a fun one!



Here is mine:

I feel very blessed right now.



Happy marriage of over 11 years- check

Wonderful and fun daughter - check

Family and friends I love - check

No skin cancer - check

Good job - check

Hubby has good job - check

Money in the bank - check

Wonderful daughter about to turn 3 - check!

Planning the Princess Mermaid Party of her dreams - double check!

Comfy and cozy home - check

gardens blooming - check

Great friends and family to celebrate the 3 day weekend - check

Freecycle fun - check



There is always a "but" BUT right now I just want to stop and smell the roses, the lilies and the lavender and enjoy my life.



Thanks Colleen! I am tagging YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU and YOU and anyone else who wants to play, consider yourself tagged!



I do have some great photos but need to download them from our camera, so that will have to wait another day.



Enjoy the holiday!

3 Word Sunday...

It's every where all over the net, but so true...
Happy Father's Day to an amazing Daddy, Husband and Friend.

I am a very lucky woman to have you for a husband.

I'm missing my own Daddy this day as well (as well as my FIL) as yesterday would have been my parents' 50th anniversary (my Dad passed away almost 6 years ago) but they made it to 45 years.

So Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, especially Kurt, Michael and Jimmy. And for Kurt Sr. and my Dad, Frank, hopefully you had an extra special day in Heaven today.

Love,
JoAnn

A post for Jimmy and Kurt

For boys that like to play war or hunt, there's a cool website I just found that sells all kinds of night vision goggles, hunting supplies and military gear.

My baby brother used to enjoy hunting (I think boating has replaced this passion) but I told him I used to pray that he wouldn't hit anything when he shot...and to this day (I believe him!) he actually never got a deer, moose or anything large.. No boating stuff on this site, but you'll still enjoy the summer "manly arts" promoted. Funny thing is, when Jim was in the Coast Guard, he won medals in marksmanship....hmmmm...maybe I don't believe him, although I never saw a Bambi or Moosehead in ME.

Kurt, on the other hand, is a Navy Man. Loves the camo, gun stuff...etc. I'm anti gun. We definately cancel each other out. There's a lot of stuff on this site he might really enjoy dreaming about. Enjoy the fantasy honey!

However, if the "Manly arts" don't appeal, you can buy binoculars and other things for fun summer hobbies like birdwatching. My Mom loves to birdwatch.

Boots....does a workin' body good!

I absolutely subscribe to the philosophy that you need to wear clothing that suits your work/life style. I wear professional clothes to my office, play clothes on the weekends, swimsuits when I swim and I wear appropriate gear when working in my garden.

If your work or lifestyle requires you to wear work boots, look no further. You can get boots for hard work, light work or anything in between.


Nothing is harder than working a long day in footwear that doesn't quite suit the job...enjoy the comfort (and style) of a well made, right for the job shoe.


Hey, it's not Prada or Manolo, but you can't pitch hay or dig out a garden bed in stilletos!


Happy shopping!

3 Word Sunday One Day Late, plus extra photos!

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Well, we had a lovely relaxing weekend. And we now have a Robot in our home. I decided to make a little splurge because of the cats...my God the hair Tana is shedding lately!

Anyway, we've named it Robot, R2, Data and now Kelsey has dubbed it Princess. She is in love with the thing. Except when it is coming at her.

We like it, not sure if we love it yet. I have 2 weeks to decide if we'll keep it. It's done a pretty good job on most of the floors, but our main problem is our bedroom with a deep burgundy rug. It is cool for us to have a robot cleaning. And it talks too!

Anyway...for the extra bonus photos...Kelsey's Aunt Liz has a special gift in mind for her birthday that requires a head shot. Well, asking Kelsey to pose for a photo is like trying to herd cats...or 2 year olds! here are some of the out takes from our photo session tonight.

Ah....the joys of living with the Angel Face!

Torn...

Anyone who has ever met me knows I love my kitties, but I am sorely challenged right now by Montana (aka Tana).

She is an indoor cat and has been so for the 8 years we have had her. She is FIV positive, deaf and declawed. She can be incredibly sweet despite her ferral nature and she will bite if provoked. Recently she's been diagnosed with hyper thyroid and has started meds.

She's never been perfect about using her litter box, but Tana is frustrated that she hasn't been able to go on our screened porch. This is her outside and in her world, she is Queen of her porch. We just were able to get to power washing it this weekend and we let her out yesterday and today. However, she's been expressing her displeasure at not being able to go out every time she wants by peeing on everything. I've reached my limit on this...tonight she really went too far and peed on the kitchen table where we eat our meals every day. She's peed on Kelsey's bean bag chair, on our clothes, on anything I leave on my counters...and I am sick to death of smelling it/finding it unexpectedly. I am a clean person and I like a clean house and in addition to the peeing, she's been pulling out clumps of her hair and leaving them all over the house. She has serious bald spots. I could put up with this if this were all...but the peeing is killing me!

How do I balance this to make life sane for my family and keep her? Tomorrow I am calling my vet and we have to have an option....Kelsey's 3rd birthday party is in less than 2 months and I cannot invite people to my home and have Tana acting as she's doing right now.

Cheyenne has always been the best cat on the planet...not ever a pee problem, doesn't bite, is incredibly affectionate/tolerate and likes people...all told a dream cat. Jazz was always great too, once we cured his urinary tract problems. (Tana doesn't have this issue....she's fine except for the hyper thryoid and the FIV and is healthy and has been for all her life...we take exceptional care of her)

I'm frustrated and torn and upset....I don't want Tana put down and I don't want to continue as we are...I need a solution and quickly. Right now I am so sorry I said we'd take her....this is challenging!

One Thing I Used to Enjoy But Now Have Zero Time For...

Shopping the pre-holiday sales! Especially Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Sure, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt as much as any girl does, but as the busy Mom of a busy girl, hey I think I'm going to sleep in instead of going out...oy the parking, the crowds, the LINES!

Are you a busy Mom like me or just someone that loves a good deal, but hates to stand in line? Fear not, there is help on the way! Simply check out this site which offers the same deals, lets you plan your shopping BEFORE Black Friday and will let you shop from the comfort of your home.

I love the sales at Target, Walmart and Toys R Us for the Babe, however, in college, my first real job was Toys R Us at Christmastime! NEVER AGAIN! I used Cyber Monday to plan what I wanted to buy and then if I wanted to, I could "divide" and conquer with my Husband or order it on line. Good deal, in every language!

On a separate, but amusingly shopping note... in the mall by my home, a builder recently demolished a cool Asian sushi place to put up a large store. For months I wondered what was going there...mall extension? one store? furnishings? kids stuff? My mind raced with possibilities.

Last night I got my answer...and I was really surprised! It's one STORE that is definately in the wrong place at the wrong time...Yes, Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but they don't put gas in the tank, pasta on the plate or pre-school tuition. Good luck, but I believe it's a matter of time :(

3 Words - Squeeking in at the last minute

Had a great weekend

Registered Kelsey for Dancing Lessons this fall (she'll be in tights and tutu!)

Gardened (FINALLY!!!! Now I can stop whining!)

Shopped

Relaxed

Did Laundry

Saw Alvin and the Chipmunks (Kelsey adored this movie!)

Went to Church

Reconnected with friends

Hope your weekend was as fun!

Can't wait until next weekend....a big one!

Perspective

I am heartbroken over the earthquake situation in China. I have been reading the accounts and looking at the photos of the deaths and the damage and there are just no words to explain how I feel. I'm going to try for Kelsey's sake in the future...

Dearest Kelsey,
This past week a terrible earthquake happened in China. It was a severe one and many people were trapped in collapsed buildings and died. Many were children and there are all kinds of photos all over the Internet of little feet sticking out of the rubble. Damn technology to share something so devastating. The pain in China is palpable.

I was very thankful that Hunan province wasn't affected by this tragedy, which means your birth family is mostly likely safe. However, your birth country is shaken and in great pain. I feel pain for China because you coming into my life means that China is part of my soul. We experienced the joy of a lifetime by adopting you and shared it with the Chinese people. I feel connected to China in ways I can't explain.

I feel anxious and sad the same way I felt when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11 2001. (but this time I am not scared for myself, the way I was on 9/11)

One of the ways I endured the pain of Sept 11th was to dig in the dirt to create something beautiful. I'd like to create something in homage to the people who are suffering greatly now

This is the 2nd tragedy to hit China in a 6 month period...the last time it was massive snow storms that hit the more tropical regions of China, devastating crops, livestock and people. That time, Hunan and HuaiHua was at risk and I worried about your orphanage family and your birth family. Orphanages are always last on the Chinese government's list of groups to assist, so outside help was needed. I also have to say that the caregivers in orphanages are extremely dedicated to their small charges and braved many treacherous weeks to get from their homes to the orphanages.

Honey, I hope that China finds a way to heal itself after this terrible tragedy and will rebuild their cities. I wish we had more money to donate...but we'll do what we can.

You've looked at some of the photos with me tonight and I tried to explain in gentle words what happened.

We are so privileged that China allowed us to adopt you and love you forever. It breaks my heart to see China so broken and in pain now...may God help them through this and heal

The perspective component in all this is that the US is currently in a Presidental election year that isn't pretty (see my posts this year) and gas prices are $3.55 in NJ today...we're all feeling the pinch, but after seeing what's going on in China...we've got a sweet deal here.

All my love,
Mommy

p.s. you had a double whammy tonight! First you hit the corner of your eye on Judy's doorknob and gave yourself a little shiner and then you pulled a book off the TV and beaned your little head with our clock! You're sleeping soundly next to me as I write this...and you are fine, but I think I lost at least 6 months off my life when i heard you scream tonight!