Lovin' the Outdoors

What a beautiful day we had in the Midwest! We found ourselves itching to be outside so we quickly did our inside chores. Then headed to the backyard. Paul & I pulled weeds, cut branches, raked leaves, etc. while Zoe did this......

Played a little golf on the putting green.....

Jumped on the trampoline....

And jumped some more....

However, she stopped long enough for a smile!

After our hard day of labor, Paul cooked bratwursts on the grill & I made Zoe's favorite - homemade french fries. We enjoyed a relaxing dinner outside.

Want a french fry?

Or, how about a smile?!!!!!

Never Know What You're Gonna See

Last night was just another ordinary Thursday evening at our house. Nothing really special. Enjoyed dinner together as a family & then it was time for Zoe to get in the tub. After giving her a bath, Zoe decided she wanted to play in the tub. (Gotta love it when that happens - allows me to get some things done around the house!!!!) As I was wondering from the laundry room to the bedrooms putting clothes away, Zoe yelled at me to come see what she had done. Well, as I walk in the bathroom, she smiles at me & says - "Look, Mama. I'm George Washington!" (A while back she saw a picture of him & was amazed at his hair - combed straight back with it kind of curled/tucked under right below his ears!)

Little George Washington - Chinese Style!

After our nightly routine (of coloring, reading, coloring some more, etc.) I tucked Zoe in her bed. We said our prayers followed by a few hugs & kisses. I did some more chores around the house before heading to bed myself. As I walked by Zoe's bedroom this is what I saw:

That little stinker had her dress up hat on while falling asleep. Of course, I got a good chuckle out of it & made her sit up so I could take a picture. I don't know how long she kept the hat on, but when I checked on her about an hour later the hat was off & she was sound asleep.

Growing Up Too Fast....

Last evening was all about Miss Zoe. (I know, when is it not about her?!) It started off with her weekly gymnastics class, but we had to leave an hour early so we could get something to eat & get home in time for her KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION!!!!!

Yes, can you believe it? She will be entering kindergarten in the fall. My baby is growing up way too fast! At the registration, one of the kindergarten teachers took Zoe into a classroom & did some fun activities with her while the other kindergarten teacher spoke with Paul & I explaining the procedures, rules, etc. Zoe also was evaluated by the speech teacher & passed with flying colors. We left the grade school & Zoe was so excited. She cannot wait until school starts in the fall.

From registration we headed to Zoe's preschool's Family Night. It was held in the school's gymnasium with every family having their own table. We were guided through a set of art projects & then set free to create a musical instrument & a paper bag hat. You talk about fun! All 3 of us had a blast. Zoe decorated her tambourine to resemble a face & she wanted her paper bag hat to be a "Number Hat". Pretty cool, huh?! Here's Zoe modeling the finished projects:

A Tug at Your Heart

The adoption community is a mixture of people from all walks of life who have in some way experienced the same event just in different circumstances. Once having been through adoption, it changes an individual in ways that are unexplainable. We all rally together for a number of reasons - raising money to unite a family with their forever child, praying for an adopted child having major surgery, fundraising for those children left behind at our daughters'/sons' orphanages, etc. You name it, the adoption community has done it.

However, it's the stories we hear & read that sometimes have the most impact on our daily lives. We often find ourselves asking if we ARE doing enough for the orphans who just want a mom & dad to call their own who will show them the joy & love they so desire. I recently read such a post on the New Day Foster Home's blog. Check it out for yourself. It will tug at your heart & leave you thinking about little miss Emily & those who like her, long for someone to hold them & love them unconditionally. If you have ever thought about adopting, this will once again put that desire in your heart.

A Picnic at the Park

One day last week Zoe had to go to the dentist for her sixth month check-up so I took the day off from school. We ended up having a picnic lunch at the park. It was a beautiful day so we strolled along the walking track as well as enjoyed the playground

Swinging by herself.......

Waiting for Mama to push her on the Merry-go-round...

Coming down the slide...

Getting ready to do a flip...

(guess gymnastics is paying off!!!!)

Doing chin ups...

Climbing the wall...

Queen of the Playset!!!!

PS - Just wanted you to know that my computer is in for repairs so that is why I haven't updated in a while. I've received a laptop on loan from a dear friend so hopefully, I'll get caught up on my blogging within a few days!

Dressing Up Zoe Style

This past weekend Brandy was home from college for a visit. Of course, she & Zoe had to do their usual: color, hair & make-up, take pictures, etc. But their all-time favorite is dressing up & acting silly.

So, in a matter of minutes I see this:

Zoe & Sissy

And then this:

Hannah Montana - Chinese Style!!!!!

Which eventually led to.....yep, you guessed it.....Paulina - Zoe Style!!!! Zoe talked her daddy into letting her put make-up on him & dress him up. Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did taking them. It was such a delight to watch Zoe as she got "Paulina" ready for the runway hallway. She was laughing so hard at one point I thought she was going to pee her pants! Anyway, "Paulina" was a good sport. Check these out:

Putting lipgloss on....

Then eyeshadow....

She can't seem to control herself....

Does he look good, or what?!

You think she's having a good time?

She can't contain herself!!!!

What a beautiful job, Zoe!

Then came the wig....

Then the fingernail polish....

Couldn't leave the lipstick out...

The famous runway hallway picture!!!!

Zoe & "Paulina" - What a good sport! (& the best Daddy!)

What Might Have Been?

Sometimes as we travel through life certain things make us step back & evaluate what is important in our own lives. Just this past week I had one of those moments.

One of my co-workers approached me about a month & a half ago to share with her my experience with fertility treatments. She & her husband had been trying to conceive for a while now & felt they were getting no where with her regular ob/gyn. Knowing that I had traveled down that same path, she thought she would bounce some ideas off of me. So, Barb & I discussed the fertility road that Paul & I had taken & ended up recommending that she contact the doctor (Dr. W.) that we had actually used.

Fast forward two weeks....Barb had her first appointment with Dr. W. & loved him. He came up with a plan for Barb & her husband. However, he wanted to see her the following week for some more testing & to see how her body was reacting to the medicine that she had started on. When she went back for the follow-up appointment, Dr. W. found a cyst/tumor the size of an apple on one of her ovaries. Preliminary blood work showed that is was positive for cancer.

This past Friday Barb went for further testing & was told that not only is there a tumor on the left ovary, but there is also one on the right ovary. As you can imagine, she is devastated. She is meeting with the gynecological oncologist next week to see where they go from here. She so much wants to be a mom, but first must get over this hurdle. Please keep Barb & her family in your thoughts & prayers.........

So, as I thought about Barb & her hubby all weekend, I kept looking at Zoe & wondering what might have been.....What would Zoe's life be like if she was still living in the orphanage in China? What if Paul & I had gotten pregnant through fertility? Would we still have been led to adopt? Would Zoe have entered our lives anyway?.....

Paul & I are both honored to have been chosen to be Zoe's parents. We thank God time & time again for the answered prayers as well as the unanswered prayers. Otherwise.......What Might Have Been?