Gotcha Day!

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And How Daddy Loves Her

Happy Easter Part II

Maddie had a blast with her own little hunt here at the house. All she wanted was superhero stuff - the Easter Bunny did a good job!!

Happy Easter Part I

Easter is one of my favorite holidays - easy preparation and welcoming Spring. We went to the Peoria Sport Complex for the morning - hot, hot, hot! Maddie had fun with little kid games and a candy hunt. She's so funny - she never really eats the candy. Next year I'll have to remember to have her ask the Easter Bunny for little rings and non-candy items. Then, home to decorate eggs. We LOVE doing this. I bought extra for later on - who says we can't decorate eggs more often!

Maddie is doing great. She's such a sweet girl. VERY CHATTY right now. If there is a word she doesn't understand, she asks. Pretty amazing vocabulary and we're always tickled at what comes out of her mouth. She kisses George's chest nightly - to help it heal. He's doing well and we're steadily back into our little rythm. Happy Spring!

March Madness

Digital slideshow customized with Smilebox Happy March all - I can't get over Spring is here. We're getting ready for summer - bathing suits for Maddie bought - I'm in denial. George is steadily feeling better and the household is back into a rhythm. Hope all are well and happy this spring!

Three Years Ago Today

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Wow...really...that's gone by fast. So...here's what happened 3 years ago today. I was home from work on a day I just decided to take off after a loonnngg training. Because of a mix up in the referral process, we were still in the doldrums thinking it would take more months of waiting for our referral...AND THEN...it came, I opened, I cried, I sent to George, I cried...and then we saw she was 15 months...and I cried. I could open the referral pics...George couldn't. We were in shock with the age because we had asked for a 3-6 year old. Holy cow...15 months. I saw her picture with these fat cheeks looking like the Michelin tire baby. I knew. George was apprehensive. So...he came home and I was outside. He stayed inside for about 20 minutes staring at her picture and then came out and simply asked..."when do we go get her". And that was it. Our daughter was waiting for us. Little did we know how special she (as well as all of her Jiangxi sisters) would be. All that time waiting served a purpose...we got the one that's a perfect fit into our arms. We love you so Maddie...your smile, your intelligence, your independence, sense of humor, little chin, cheeks, beautiful eyes and our friendship. Thank you for adding so much to our lives our daughter.

Thank You Mei Mei!

Thank You!

An update and a huge amount of thanks. George's quadruple bypass went well - sorry to have not updated sooner...but as many of you already know via outside e-mail it's been a Hell-za-poppin' recovery...and we're both pooped. I took off about 3 weeks to play nurse - George was extremely tired - pain was pretty well managed, but he couldn't and still can't lift anything more than 10 pounds. Tomorrow he's back to the cardiologist - hopefully cleared to drive and we're thinking in about 2 more weeks back to work. All well so far - but it was quite a scare. We're all 3 trying to get back into a bit of a rhythm. Getting there :)

Times like these, you know who your friends are. These are the ones that can stop focusing on themselves for a quick bit and send an email of support, take time letting us know of a prayer, offer to babysit, tell a joke, make dinner, watch George and give me respite...and the care packages have been INSANE!! Thank you all...appreciated beyond words...and brought smiles to us daily. A HUGE THANKS to friends and family for all of the help. You made it so much easier.