Memorial Day Weekend

We have been doing some odds & ends around the house and yard this weekend. We visited a nice nursery yesterday that sells perennials that is located in Lino Lakes. It is located in the woods & had trails covered with samples of what they sell to get an idea of what the hostas, lilies, bushes etc. look like in action. Maddy had a lot of fun seeing walking around the trails and looking at the fishes in their pond. She also got to ride on the cart daddy was pulling to collect our purchases.




Our lilacs are in full bloom in the yard this weekend, so I have been in heaven. These are my favorite flowers (I actually has them as my wedding flower). Here is a picture of Maddy & I by the lilacs:



I want to give a couple of birthday shout outs to Auntie Janita & our nephew Isaac (he turns 2 today!).

Please take time this weekend to remember those who have laid their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day.


Maddy looks like she is text messaging (Thanks Uncle Scott & Izzy for the chair!)

Routines

It's amazing how routine our life has gotten with a 15 month old. Bath time at 7:30, play in the tub with all of the tub toys, lotion & jammies and then books & milk. Maddy has her dolly that she loves to snuggle with when it comes to bedtime. Lately as soon as the last book is finished & she's had a bit of milk, she asks for dolly. She says 'da,da' but that really means 'I am ready to lay down with dolly & go night, night.'

With the weather being nicer she is also really digging the whole walk & go to the park routine. She loves to swing & go down the slide. The only bad thing is the mini meltdown that occurs when it's time to leave. It helps on our walk home to go by the lake & see the duckies.

Here is Maddy & Mommy reading a book before bedtime:

Happy Mother's Day!

I just want to say how blessed I am to be celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mom. There have been so many sad days leading up to this day that I can't even begin to tell you the joy I am feeling. For my friends out there still waiting for the dream of motherhood to come true, hang in there! I know what you are feeling and how lonely and left out you can feel on days like this.

To all of my new mom friends, congrats to you on this special day! I made a couple of scrapbook pages as gifts for today. I wanted to share one below, this is Maddy in her new sunglasses hanging out w/daddy:

Scrapbooking Sunday

Today some of the MN Red Thread moms got together to do a little scrapbooking & work on life books. We had about 1/2 paper & 1/2 digital scrappers so it was fun to see the different approaches. We had a lot of fun sharing stories and talking about our travels to China and other places. There were also a few waiting moms there so it was fun to share tips with them & help them pass the time a little bit during their wait. I remember how helpful it was for me when we waited to be around other families and to get advice for those home with baby. It's so nice to be part of such a sharing & caring community!

Here is a picture of the event:


This is a picture of Maddy getting ready for summer trying on one of her hats:

Six months ago today we became a family of three

One 1/2 year ago today we held Maddy for the first time. So much has changed in our lives since then, but definitely in a good way. We are amazed & blessed at this wonderful baby that is growing into a toddler and learning so much every day. There are times when I get tears having been entrusted with such a wonderful blessing.

It's been fun to see Maddy pick up on new words. This week is has been 'hi' and we also learned that she waves when we say 'Ni Hao' (hello in Chinese). Daddy has also taught her 'stinky' with the corresponding hand motion by her nose. Too cute!

Here is Maddy 6 months ago:



Here she is reading the Sunday paper yesterday:

The Rocking Chair

I was reading an article recently in Adoptive Families magazine about a rocking chair. It talked about the significance of the chair in this family's nursery to their overall journey & now that their son was 4 & almost too old to be rocked, it brought a little sadness to them. It brought a tear to my eye as we have a chair in the nursery that has been a big part of the journey (even before Maddy's coming) and has played such a huge part in our daily routines. This chair was my dad's chair, it's not much to look at, but it comfortable & holds a lot of memories. There have been many tears shed in that chair before her coming & since Maddy has been home we have spent many hours in that chair rocking, reading, & cuddling.

Here is a picture of Maddy in that chair & also a chair that she got from her Great Grandma Julie (that she used as a little girl):

Happy 75th Birthday to my mom!!!

My mom turns 75 today. Talk about milestones, this is truly something to celebrate. I am so blessed that Maddy has not only my mom & Matt's mom around but she also has 3 great grandmas! We are taking mom out for dinner tomorrow night along with Matt's grandma who shares her birthday. She is 89 today. Thank you so much to everyone who showered my mom with cards, she got lots of them.

I also want to give a birthday shout out to my nephew (April 2) & my sisters-in-law Erica (3/28) & Lydia (4/4). This week is a big birthday week in my family.