Partying Lunar New Year Style!

We had a New Year celebration over at my parents house. This is our first Lunar New Year as a family of four. We had all kinds of Asian food from Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. My brother loves to cook so I always enjoy coming over to eat his food. He has a real knack for what goes together and like to cook challenging food. He also had his friend Ji over from Shanghai here completing her masters and she help with some of the Chinese techniques to the dishes. I love how this is a regular family event now. We have celebrated it for the last 4 years and it is becoming tradition. I hope to learn about more traditions for celebrating the new year so my children can pass this on as well.

All dressed up and ready to go to the party


The spread (some of it anyway)

Daddy being goofy with Li

First time with bubbles. My dad said, Liam is a bubble freak!"

I can blow them myself now


Jade and Olivia in their new year best

Now that's happy

Beautiful cake from a nearby Taiwanese bakery


The group

My beautiful girl!


Here's your red envelope back. I'll takes what's in it.

Moola!

Snow day in funky town

We got quite the snow storm last night and today (7-10 inches). My mom had off school so she and my dad came over to give us some company. It is usually now when I really start to get cabin fever and today didn't help. The nice thing was that they got to play outside with Jade (which she has been wanting to do). It is hard for me to get out there with the baby. My dad brought his snow blower and did the drive (which was wonderful!!) I about died just doing the porch and sidewalk with a shovel, someone needs to start working out again. Jade got this snowball maker for Christmas and tried it out but the snow was a little too fluffy to pack well. She enjoyed it anyway.

Oh yeah they funky town part. My mom got me this birthday card that plays "funky town" and Liam LOVES it. He thinks it is the greatest thing to open and shut it to hear the music start and stop. The best is that we got him on video doing this and shaking his little booty. Sorry it is so dark.

First Tooth & Happy New Year!

Liam finally has broken through his first tooth. It was hard to get a picture of it (especially without looking like we are prying his mouth open). This tooth has been working it's way out for weeks and now I think he is working the one next to it. Jade had 8 teeth when we adopted her so this is exciting to get to witness one of our child's first teeth.

We are planning on having a get together on Friday at my parent's house for Chinese New Year/Tet. This is the first one where we have both kids home so it is a special one. My brother is an amazing cook and loves Asian food so I can't wait to see what kind of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes he is going to whip up. He and I will have to take a trip up to the Asian market to get some goods.

Here is the culprit that has been making poor Liam's face slobbery and chapped. One down 19 to go! (I hope the other ones aren't this crooked. Better start saving for those braces now.)

One year Anniversary and Reflection

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of this blog. I remember the stress I was feeling last year not knowing if Liam would ever come home. As I have heard other AP/PAPs describe it as all consuming. I have to say besides caring for my daughter this is what I thought about. Amazing how much one will consume their thoughts with things they have no control over. I don't know how many hours I searched blog after blog after website looking for information about what was going to happen between VN and the US and how this would affect our adoption. I guess one thing I have learned (yet always have known yet not internalized) is that worry changes nothing and takes up time for other positive productive things I could be doing. Of course we did bring Liam home and worries about that have ceased. I will never forget about all those AP/PAPs whose dreams of bringing home a child from VN did not come to pass before the deadline. Many have new journey's to children from other countries but I am sure that the loss of a child from VN will always be there and I can't help but to think about those individuals on this anniversary.

So this comes into play as I think about the blessings of my two children. They are the absolute greatest earthly blessing I have ever been given. I feel so lucky that God choose for me to mother these two kids. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and for years I didn't know how or if it would happen. It sure didn't happen as I planned but even more amazing and life changing then I could have imagined. People sometimes say what a blessing to give Jade and Liam a home but they don't understand how they have been a blessing to me and that really I am the lucky one who has grown and had my eyes opened to many things because of the adoption of my children. I am so thankful to God for the path of motherhood he choose for me.

I took a picture of Jade holding Liam and now she likes to pull him on her lap and say, "Mama, take a picture."


Busy busy little man.

This is a rare occasion, Jade in a princess dress.



Story time at the Library. Liam's first time there. He was so excited he later spit up ALL over this outfit.


In deep thought

Let it snow! (okay really please stop)

Tis the season for us in the north to have snow. This winter hasn't been bad so far and everyone was talking about how mild this winter has been so far. Well I think we all jinxed it because it's not mild anymore. Ten inches and coming up here,ugh! (Did I ever mention how much I love this stuff). I don't mean to be a downer but I know this is just the beginning to at least two months of this (If one remembers my post from last March) I really miss going outside without having to bundle the kids since it takes forever. Liam is like trying to dress a wild animal so you can imagine how he is with a snowsuit. Jade has wanted to build a snowman for months so I think we will be able to do that now. My parents also got her a snowball maker/thrower so that should be interesting as well. So here are the kids getting ready to go out for breakfast this morning and daddy shoveling the drive.

This picture looks familiar (same as picture from last March)

Good luck birdies.

Nanooks of the North.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and anything else I missed

I have really been slacking on the posts lately. We have been out of town visiting relatives and since my hubby was not with me I didn't get any pictures of my grandparents since I was too busy keeping Liam out of all their stuff ( in their non-baby-proofed houses) oh well. I did (okay my husband did) get some on Christmas day so it isn't a total loss. I think I am starting to get the hang of this two kid thing. Liam is such a good sleeper and napper and I am very thankful. He is very busy during the day so he needs to rest up in between. He is so chatty and just jabbers away all the time. Yesterday in church I had to walk out for a minute because he was so loud and I could hear people laughing and looking at him. He loves to go back and forth with you imitating noises and when he is really happy he just holds his mouth wide open for several seconds. It is so cute. Jade has been doing so much better with Liam and she actually said she liked him the other day. She also loves to be my helper with him. Today I was changing him and she said, "I lotion baby brother" and before I could see what she was doing she was rubbing butt cream all over his face. She has been saying the funniest stuff lately. Today I told her we needed to go to Wal*mart and she said, "I no like Wal*mart. I like Targ*et." I didn't think a three year old would know the difference but I guess I was wrong. Then in Targ*et (yes we ended up there instead) she saw this pink blanket she liked and said, "I no pee on this one." (since she had an accident in the bed last night) so she must of really liked it. Oh yeah and while we were visiting my grandparents my mom taught her to say, "Shut your pie-hole Peanut." (this is my mom's Pomeranian) so guess what she has been randomly blurting out lately. I need to write down all the funny stuff she says so I don't forget it. So here are some random pictures from Christmas up until now. (Can you tell the nice camera from the cheap one? what a difference!)

Presents Rock!! (and she has been saying, " I want Christmas again" everyday since)

This present tastes good.


Working my first present.


Santa at Grandma and Grandpa L's house.


Grandma S, Jade and Peanut. (I think my mom is enjoying this more than Jade)


My girly daughter wearing her stor*m tropper costume with light save*r, lol.


There's that open mouth toothless sign of happiness.


The new Fam.


Who gave this kid a lemon. That is so cruel but hilarious!


Liam and Jonah, best buds and only a week apart. (They say friends that chew things together stay together, or something like that.)

Tagged

I've been tagged by my friend and fellow adoptive parent Kirsten. This is my first tag, yipee!

Q: five names you go by:

1. cinnamon

2. c-mon (pronounced "see moan")

3. mama

4. c

5. mommy

Q. three things you are wearing right now:

1. black yoga pants (that I don't do yoga in)

2. one of my husband's t-shirts

3. new socks from mom

Q. two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. warm weather ( I really dislike winter)

2. a day to sleep in

Q. two things you did last night:

1. went on a date to see a movie with my hubby.

2. ate lasagna soup my mom brought over.

Q. two things you ate today:

1. french toast

2. scrambled eggs (from Cracker Barrel)

Q. two people you last talked to on the phone:

1. mom

2. dad

Q. two things you are going to do tomorrow:

1. go to church

2. go out to eat with my parents and brother

Q. two longest car rides:

1. Searcy, Arkansas

2. Orlando, Florida

Q. two of your favorite beverages:

1. ice tea

2. Cinnamon Dol*ce Latte from Starbu*cks

Q. the people you’d like to respond:

1. Erica

2. Kate

3. Kelli

4. Meredith

5. Jessica