St. Louis and Michigan Trip

What a fun family vacation Delaney and I had to St. Louis and Michigan this month! We travelled to St. Louis to attend a reunion picnic given by Children’s Hope, the adoption agency I used to bring to Delaney home. There were children from all over the world from all parts of the US. Delaney was so excited to get on the airplane and when we took off she put her hands up in the air! When we landed in St. Louis, she was yelling, “I’m here, Mommy, St. Louis, I’m here!” I had been talking to her about the trip for some time now, so she was so happy to finally get there!

We meet up with the three families we tavelled with to Russia, as well as some other families whose children are from Baby House #2 in Novokuznetsk. It was wonderful to see all the kids and how well they are doing and how happy and healthy they are! I just wanted to hug and hold them all so tight!

St. Louis is a really nice town! We spent a couple days with the Earls ~ Jeff, Jane, Joseph and Svetlana and visited the CHI office, the zoo, and Grant’s Farm (where the famous Clydesdales live!) The kids loved swimming in the pool at the hotel and Delaney discovered the “Hot~Tub Tub!” A lot of attractions in St. Louis are free, so that was nice! It was fun spending time with our friends from Tennessee that we haven’t seen since coming home last August! At the hotel, we visited with the Blalocks from Flordia, the Marshalls, also from Tenn., and the Kubes from Illinois. Delaney saw several other children who were adopted last year that she had been with in Russia: Alina, Tatyana and Lauren!

A long time family friend, Pam, flew down to meet us from Chicago and Delaney loved “Ham!” Pam went to the picnic with us and we visited the arch and walked along the river one evening. The picnic was fun, and we saw even more families from our on-line groups. The kids got to play in packing peanuts, do arts and crafts and get their faces painted. We all had fun visiting and seeing the kids and catching up!

After St. Louis, Delaney and I flew to upper Michigan to visit Aunt Gail and Uncle Earl and their gang! We flew into Green Bay, Wisconsin and visited Lambeau Field, which was really fun. My uncle has Delaney running around saying, “Go Packers!” The other day I told her to say “Go Niners!” and she said no! Well, Little Missy could just do no wrong with my aunt and uncle and had a blast on their small farm riding tractors, playing in the sand, having water fights with her cousins….we went to swim in Lake Michigan and had a bon fire while the kids roasted marshmallows. They day we were going home I asked her if she was ready to fly home and see grandma and she said, “No, another house!” Guess she enjoys being a world traveller like her Mommy!

Delaney keeps asking about EVERYBODY she saw in St. Louis and Michigan and wants to know where they are now and where they live! I can’t believe she is remembering all those names and faces. She looks at the pictures and can tell you who it is and where they live now! Well, I am hoping this is just one of many trips we can share together, as we plan to get together with our friends in the future so the kids can all see each other as they grow up. I now need to go “de-program” my child so she doesn’t get beat up here in San Francisco by screaming, “Go Packers!”

You can see all the trip photos by clicking on the photo gallery link to the left!

Delaney ~ American Citizen!

Delaney's first 4th of July was kind of quiet. We had a few friends over for a bar-b-que and Little Missy got to swim in her pool while Mommy sat in a chair with a drink and with her feet in it! I had planned to take a picture of her holding up her Certificate of Citizenship and all day long she keep saying to me, "American Citizen! Have it!" And I would tell her she did have it but she likes her certificate because it has her picture on it! he he!

Well, I never took her picture because by about 1 pm she had guacamole, cranberry juice and salsa all over her new dress I bought her that said, "American Sweetheart" on it! But we made star sugar cookies and put white frosting with red and blue sprinkles on them. She had fun with that! It was well over 100 on the holiday so our bbq headed inside! But we had yummy ribs, Mom's famous potato salad, corn and shrimp wrapped in bacon. We didn't make it to fireworks, she's still so little to stay up that late and Mommy had to work at 7 the next morning! Maybe we will try to find some this weekend, I think Marine World has some thru Sunday. But she knew it was a fun day and enjoyed herself and is still enjoying the cookies!! Here's a few picks I snapped of her!

Animals and Rides at Discovery Kingdom

Over Memorial Day weekend we headed over to Marine World, which is only 20 minutes from us. I knew Delaney would love it and, of course, Mommy was right. It's called Discovery Kingdom this year, but everyone in the area still refers to it as Marine World. Nothing went high enough or fast enough for Little Missy! And she is barely tall enough to go on the rides we did get to ride and I had to go with her! I got my mom a season pass so they can go whenever they want over the summer, and they have been a few times now. Guess some of the folks have let Delaney just barely hit the height line, her favorite ride now is the frog jump. She kept telling the elephant to go faster, too! We are still working on her sitting like a "big girl" at the shows, but I'm sure it will come as she gets older. She likes the sharks and dolphins, but her favorite animals are the tigers and lions and giraffes! She keeps wanting to touch them! She watched Mommy ride the "big roll" (roller coaster) and said, "yea, Mommy no fall!" I was also glad I didn't fall!! he he!

Just For Fun ~ Headshots!

My goofy little girl, loves to put things on her head. The other day, she wore a purse on her head all evening and held on to it so tight for fear of it falling off. When I tried to get her to put her hands up in the air for a picture, she would only put up one, the other holding on to the purse on her head. I would say, "Put the other had out," and she would switch her hands! It was so funny. So I thought I'd find all the pictures I have of her with things on her head.....a bucket, her potty, hats, a pair of pants, her Baby Einstein DVD box......what a flipping nut!! She also, for whatever reason a 2 year old has, likes to put on her hat and gloves, tells me to sit at the end of the upstairs hallway, goes into her room by her bed...then runs to me and jumps into my arms! This is only done while wearing the hat and gloves, however. Well, at least she found a use for them, she would not keep her gloves on in the snow!

This is only one of the reasons I am so blissfully happy to get to be this silly, wonderful, happy child's Mommy! There are some days I don't always feel that way....she is 2 after all !! he he!

My First Mother's Day!

Although I had met and petitioned to adopt Delaney last year, we were not together on Mother's Day! This year, we were and it was so sweet! Delaney and Grandma gave me presents in bed and Delaney kept saying, "open it, open it, Mommy!" From Delaney was a lovely heart pendant with three diamonds that said "Mom". From my mom was a beautiful colored stone bracelet with gold. Delaney and I bought my mom a bike. Delaney kept saying all week, "Grandma's bike, garage!" But Grandma never caught on! They have been having a blast going on bike rides during the day and Delaney sits in the back singing and snacking. How did I end up putting together the bike trailer on MY first Mother's Day? We took video instead of pics of them riding the bike, just in case Mom fell over!! he he!

We had champagne in the evening and Delaney had Sprite in a martini glass! We went out to brunch and little Missy discovered the Chocolate Fountain! She thought she'd gone to heaven!

My Little Fish!

We have been to the beach a few times and Delaney's has loved it! Not afraid of the water at all, would swim to China if I let her! So it didn't surprise me when we took swim lessons in April that she was a little fish! She blew bubbles, dove under to get the rings, jumped off the side! She still asks to go to swimming lessons! I will probably put her in another session, but she has gymnastics and music right now! A long cry from the first time I tried to give her a bath in Russia! She keeps saying she wants to be a swimmer or a tennis player. But she has also said she wants to play football and soccer, too! Oh, and dont' forget ice skating! She does keep coming back to swimming, though. We took this picture when she was crying during her first bath! I am such a mean Mommy! Her first trip to the beach was all smiles, though!