Happy Christmas to You!

Hello my friends! Sorry to not post for a while, hope all had a wonderful Holiday, which ever ones you celebrate! We had a lovely Christmas from the get-go!
Here's a look at our busy Christmas Season! Blessing to you all!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Re-Adoption finally Complete!

Well, after two years home, I finally did Delaney's re-adoption! My adversion to paperwork after the adoption process was the hold-up....plus, I need deadlines or else...he he!
The judge was so nice (Delaney nicknamed him "Judgie") and gave Delaney a teddy bear and a balloon and let her sign her name on the part where the form would have an older child sign and then when he said he declared approval of the adoption, Delaney exclaimed, "You get to be my Mommy all the days?!!?" with great excitement!

So, later when I asked her if she understood what the judge had said, she said we were together forever! Then I mentioned, he also said you had to listen to Mommy and be good for me....her eyes opened wide and she said, "I didn't hear him say that part!!!"

We celebrated with breakfast at IHOP and then headed over to a little amusement park we have that for little kids. When I asked her if she had a good day she said yes and, "I'm so happy we are together all the days and forever!" I am so lucky to have this child !!

Wanna Hear A Joke?

This evening Delaney told me her first "joke".....we were playing her Memory game and she said, "Wanna hear a joke?" So, of course, Mommy said yes....

Three year old Delaney: "How does a birdie poke a violin?"

Mom: "I don't know, Baby, how?"

With all the exuberence of a late night talk show host:
"With a HOT DOG, of course!!!!"

Okay, the joke isn't really a joke, and it really isn't funny at all, but it was correctly formatted and delivered!! So she's not ready for Jay Leno, but it was pretty funny and she was very proud of herself!

She proceeded to tell me jokes involving hot dogs and animals and snow all night!
I suspect there will be a lot more wherever those came from!!!

First Day of Official 3 Year old Pre-K

The big day was yesterday...Here are what decent pictures I could take, lately she will not stay still for any photo or video. I know what you are going through, Jen!

Delaney's first "official" day of pre-school. She went to the same school last year in a sort of "pre" pre-school program in a different class...and went to the same classroom with the same teachers for the summer fun program and we have been there three times in the last week for a work day, interviews and orientaion.....so isn't ALL new to her...

but it is her official first day of offcial pre-school and she was excited and picked an outfit and got new shoes and a new cross necklace.......when I asked her what they did, she said, "Oh, nothing. Well, we just sang, and that's all we did." I said, you sang for three and half hours? Finally last night she told me what they did. Ugh! Getting any info out of her lately is also grueling. She will make a good spy or FBI agent some day!

Family Day #2

Delaney and I and Grandma celebrated Family Day #2 Saturday, Aug 9th, the official day a judge in Russia declared us a family being August 8th! Poor baby was sick this past week, so we changed our plans from the water park to the little rides at Nut Tree, closer to home, as well.



After presents, making our famous heart shaped cake, riding the rides at Nut Tree, and dinner at Olive Garden, Little Missy could not go any furhter, and pooped out on the sofa quite early!

We finished the cake the next day, and she had a blast playing with her gifts! She especially loved her new camera and Candy Land game! I found this really cool "kids" camera and she went outside and took pictures of everything, her swing, the flowers...etc.

I can't believe these past two years...it is trully awsome and amazing to be this wonderful child's Mommy, we both cannot be any luckier! Today she said she was so happy because she had a nice Family Day and that her heart was a happy heart because she loves her family! Can you belive it!!!??? I love this kid more I ever imagined!!!

Here are various pics from the day, plus one two years ago, just after I changed her to take her from the BH! She sure has grown!! Yikes!!!

A Smokey Mountain Vacation

Delaney and I just got back from our vacation to Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains! We had a great time visiting with our Russian Families and two other adoptive families I know, also Russia and Kaz.





We stayed with our friend near Nashville for a few days before heading to meet the other families in Gatlinburg. The kids got to swim, go to the Rain Forest Cafe, make a Build a Bear, and then we visited my friend and her little girl from Kaz for a cook-out (as you folks on the east coast say!).




When we got to the Smokeys, we had fun at the resort swimming and visting and going to Dollywood, where nothing went high enough or fast enough for Delaney, who was one of the youngest of the six kids! She'd be on a ride and ask if this thing went any faster!






We picniced in the mountains and got wet in the streams. And....finally...I got Delaney to pee in the woods! he he! She would not ever do it before, but we finally got her to do it one day, more out of nescessity on a hike, so that pic of her next to the stream is where she peed in the woods for the first time! Who would have thought that was an exciting part of the trip? he he!






We got back to Jane's and the girls had a tea party at a cottage restaurant and then we visited with another family who's kids are from the same BH. I tell you these kids together just pick up where they left off each year! I think they sense that connection and just know it's there...fighting and all! he he!




I didn't realize how beautiful it is there! Very lush and green. Butterflies everywhere! In Gatlinburg we rode the Sky Lift to the top of the mountain for a wonderful view! Delaney discovered Sweet Tea! Apparently, I don't make it as well as Jane! "It's doesn't taste the same ,Mom!"

And, I do beleive my three year old is flashing some kind of gang sign in that photo in the tub.....????????

The Circus

Hi friends! Sorry I have not posted in such along time, it's been a super busy summer and we were on vacation or two weeks ~ post to come ~ and we had colds...well, you know how it goes! It's so hard to get computer time at home and posting on the blogs at work is blocked....dang it! he he!!

I will catch up with posts from earlier this year, but for now ~

We went to the circus this weekend! I hadn't been in forever and it was Delaney's first. Grandma came, because I know she really likes it, too! A friend of Delaney's she takes dance and gymnastics with invited us to join them and we had a blast!

So what does a three year old like best about the circus??!?!

~ The farting clowns!!! Well, they were pretty funny!