Santa I think you forgot one!

A reindeer that is. Miss Liv has been in a picture taking mood. The other night she was actually wanting me to take pictures of her as she was posing. Silly girl!!


Pretending to be a reindeer
Am I cute with these antlers??
How about if I pose like this, Is this cute?



All week we have been having friends over and lucky for Liv they all have kids her age. Liv has enjoyed it so much, but she is soooo tired out!!

Dancing with her friend Ava. this was at 10PM last night.

Lastly I would like to wish all my friends, near and far a happy New Year. I wish you all health, happiness, and joy in the new year.

I will be ending this year counting my blessing. Parkers health, My grandfathers recovery, and my Liv, among other things. But it is also with a sad heart that I begin 2008. I grieve for the children of Guatemala, especially those who will be directly affected by the adoption shutdown. Those poor children who would have been coming to new homes in the US. Perhaps a child that would have come home to my home. Please pray for these little lost children.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!

I have so many picture to upload, but I just wanted to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas. I know all those who brought home their children this year will be celebrating extra big!!! But I am keeping in my prayers all those who are spending this holiday without their little ones. You are in our hearts and our prayers.
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Some Christmas cheese for everyone!!!!
Merry Christmas from our family to your!!
Hope your presents made you as tired as this!!!!
And as this!!! PS this was taken at 11:00 am, Christmas was that good!!!!

The most wonderful time of the year

Vinay always takes off from work the week before Christmas. It's always great because we have him all to ourselves, and he helps me with all our daily chores!!!!!
On Wednesday we took Liv to tiny town in Woodbridge Mall. Basically it an enclosed area for the kids to run around in. Olivia loved running with all the kids!!


Exploring the town!!
Laying down in the subway.
"Hop in everyone I'll drive"
" Where should we go"
Lunch at Johnny Rockets. See the straw holder there, it kept Liv busy the entire time we were there. If only every restaurant had these we could actually go out to eat more often.

Wow Wednesday

"If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive" Mother Teresa

The family drama continues. It's good that my family is like a soap opera, keeps life interesting especially thru the writers strike. Is it me or is everyone else finding nothing to watch on TV at night. It's so bad I'm actually looking forward to Celebrity Apprentice!!!!!!!!!!

Baking, good times!!!!!

My friend Chris and I have been baking Christmas cookies for the last few years.. Every year it is a disaster. We burn the cookies, we can't figure out the cookie press, one year her tree even fell down during the middle of it.
This year was no different. We were missing some ingredients, the kids would not leave us alone (even though the hubbies were there to "watch" them), and still we could not work the cookie press. I even went online and got a recipe especially for a cookie press. Through it all we always have a few laughs and we manage to make some eatable cookies.



I left Olivia and Emily at the table to decorate the cookies for 2 seconds and this is what I came back to.
The first batch, I called these mashed potato cookies because that is what they look like. They did taste good though.
Chris's Martha Stewart pose. Those cookies were called bread cookies, because we baked them without ginger.
Almost done, the cookies and us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The finished product. Not bad !!I finally abandoned the cookie press and just rolled the dough into balls, enough said!!!!!!!!!!

Iced in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The storm didn't bring us snow but it did bring us ice. Here's what we did during the ice storm!


Looking out the back door!
First we had a carpet picnic. Every morning Liv says hi to that picture of Vinay, so we had to bring him to have a picnic with us!
As I was cleaning out a closet, Liv found this bath chair, she went in the bathroom and closed the door. This is what I found when I opened the door. She is pretending to sleep, she was even making snoring noises.
Then she took a bath.
Then we played some soccer. I don't mean to brag, but I think we have a little Mia Hamm in the making. She can catch this ball, kick it forward, and throw it. When she kicks it far, she lifts up her hands and yells GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and by the way, this ball is from old navy, we got it 3 weeks ago. So even though I didn't buy that puppy from B&N sometimes I do give in, see I'm not that strong!!!

Wow Wednesday

Here is the second installment of Words of Wisdom Wednesday
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business "Michael J Fox

A good reminder as we try to create the "perfect" Christmas!!!!!!!!!!


Liv sitting in Barnes and Noble, That Puppy in her hand caused a big tantrum at the check out when I would not buy it, and we had to say bye bye to Puppy. Hey it's not Christmas shopping unless your with a screaming toddler. She stopped after about 1 minute when she saw it wasn't working.
"Mommy I'll just stay here in the store w/ the Puppy, if he can't come home!!!!!!!!!!!"

Liv in the holiday spirit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have been falling behind in our blog. Between the holidays, my family, and just general life, I've had a hard time getting on the computer.
My Grandfather is doing well, getting stronger everyday, but my family is now feeling the weight of caring for him. My aunts and Mom do the brunt of the work, but everyone is now turning on each other, who is not putting enough time in, who's tired, and who's life has changed the most. I'm hoping it's just the stress of the holidays, and that things will settle down after the new year. That's the thing about close knit families, the drama!!!!!!!!!!
Last week we took Liv to see Santa. I was gearing up for her to scream and not want to go on his lap. Well did she surprise us she walked right up to him, sat on his lap, and then kept going back up to him as I was paying for the pictures. That girl always amazes me!!!



"Hi Santa! I've heard all about you! Can I sit on your lap?"
"Oh Santa I want a kitchen set, a doll, and a shopping cart. And for my Pop Pop to get better"
We put up our tree Liv loved helping with the ornaments.
She was so excited, and she loves to sit and play by the tree. She also loves to take ornaments off the tree, so every night I redecorate the tree all over again after she goes to sleep.
"Who me, I'm not taking ornaments off, it must be Parker"

WOW Wednesdays

I originally started this blog to document the adoption process. All along I've tried to keep it interesting, well as interesting as my little life could be. But where I run out of interesting, I've tried to at least keep it smart. I tried to do this with my Spanish word of the day. Boy, I don't even remember any of the words I was trying to learn. So now that I find myself out of touch with the real world on most days, I try to watch the news, but ughhhh is it depressing. It turns out that I know more about Noggin, which is going to 24 hour a day programing, than I do about where the presidential candidates stand. So I'm going to do something I did while teaching. Words Of Wisdom Wednesdays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a little inspirational quote or saying that I find interesting. When I read something that I like or find particularly relevant to me I usually write it down, or mark the page. Sometimes it is in the newspaper, or in a book, once in a while it's even in people magazine. So here it is my first instalment of

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning." The world according to Mister Rogers

I keep trying to remind myself of this during this holiday season, when the long lines are getting on my nerves, or the traffic is terrible. I try to think of the peace I feel as I'm reading Olivia a story, or how nice it is to sit and have my first cup of coffee in the morning. So this week I'm trying to enjoy the quiet moments, and block out the annoying moments.




Oh Mommy, I'm a big girl now sitting in my booster seat.
Please let me have my juice and read in peace.

Quiet weekend

We had a very calm and relaxing weekend. We basically hung around the house, did some holiday decorating and some much needed cleaning. We did go out on Sunday to a weird Santa Clause festival. It was very cult like, some clog dancing, which I enjoyed and a Santa that was dressed up like the european Santa, not what we consider Santa at all. And was held in what they call a historic house, I would call it dilapidated. Anyway we got into the holiday spirit and of course Liv had fun.

We woke up to this on Sunday. Just a dusting of snow, it was gone by night.
"Mommy is Santa really going to come down our chimney????"
Bundled and ready for a ride. This girl hates to be in the car!! She will cry and complain, the whole time. The only thing she likes during a car ride is her binky, which she always sucks on upside down.
Daddy and Liv at the Santa festival. They are both thinking, let's get out of here!!!!!
Liv is so into giving cheesy smiles lately!!!