Our Valentines Day

This past week Anne Marie and I spent a little time making her classmates special valentines treats, however due to snow & school closings, she did not get to have her Valentines party @ school until this Monday. Then, on Valentines Day we spent the evening with Mike's parents. They had a Valentines dinner @ their Church. We gave each other out little gifts before we went, and if I do say so myself I think this 1st "hand-made" holiday went well. (Remember that I was going to try to hand-make all - or most - of our gifts this year?!?!)

Anne Marie after our special dinner with Grandma & Grandpa...I made the heart-cup-cake shirt she has on (not the shirt itself, I got it @ the Goodwill & put the little emelishments on it) -- and the heart pin she's wearing ... and the bracelet (that is just out of the picture on the other arm) too. She said she just "LOVED" her gifts & was sooo happy I made them for her ... let's just hope that all the rest of the holiday gifts go this well!! Sadly, the shirt did not last long -- after a long night (when the pic was taken) the gems started to come off -- she was dancing & jumping & rubbing all over the place @ Church. Note to self: Do NOT finish a sewing/craft minutes BEFORE we are to wear it out in public...heee...Oh, well, it worked for the night!

Us with Mike's family @ the Church dinner.

Anne Marie getting ready to make her class-mates (and friends) special treat. We even made these as part of Daddy's Valentines gift --- because one of Daddy's FAVORITE treat is Peeps (ugh!!) and we usually get them for him on holiday's -- but this year we made special home-made marshmallows treats... we dipped 1/2 of them in melted white chocolate & rolled that 1/2 in pink & red sugar...

TaaaaDaaa!! Put them on lollypop sticks & wrap them up in cute paper & you have special Valentines treats for all those "peep-lovers" out there!!

We also made special cards for Grandma & Grandpa

It's her "fist print" & says "from your love-bird" inside...She picked out the pink feathers for the bird (you had to know, right?!?!) Grandma & Grandpa loved it!

Then, it FINALLY was back to school day!! (After being out for 2 weeks due to snow!!!)

Ready w/ her friends special gifts!! (the mugs are something I just happened to have @ home and had enough for each kid in the class, so I thought it would be cute w/ the peep-pop!

Then, after pre-school Monday, I had a quick errand I had to run. It was at a local party-shop. I took the girls with me and they were just loving all the balloons, pinata and fun party-supplies in the store -- the nice man checking me out asked if the girls could have a "left over valentines" balloon (I'm sure he was going to have to throw them away) so I said sure -- they would LOVE it! Well, he came out from the side of the register with a fist full of valentines balloons for the girls -- you should have seen their eyes!! Here is the bouquet (minus 4 balloons that we shared w/ a couple other friends of ours that we had lunch with!) They were so excited. Anne Marie told me on the way home "mommy, it's been a good day!" Funny what little things can make them happy -- a pack of Valentines stickers, chocolate, peep-pops & left over valentines balloons! What could be better?

DURING our Big Storm...

Just when the snow from the last storm melted....we got ANOTHER snow storm over the weekend! (Last weekend) We got somewhere between 15 & 17 inches -- "nothing" compared to our 1st big storm (28 - 30 inches) but ENOUGH snow none-the-less! Well, the snow started on Friday a.m. Mike had to work, so we decided that since there was going to be ice & FREEZING temps w/ this storm we'd get out by ourselves on Friday before daddy got home to play a little. The rest of the weekend was spent inside...finding fun things to do during our stormy weather!

Anne Marie very excited about the extra snow!

Anne Marie requested that we make a snow-bunny -- not a snowman (I know my bunny is a little scary! I had to use bush leaves & mulch to make the face since I didn't want to go inside all wet & snowy...so I was left with very few choices ... she liked her anyway!



Then, it was off to play inside the rest of the weekend................................
We had warm bubble-baths

Made YUMMY food!

Played games & cards

And snuggled under blankets w/ all our very special friends!!

BEFORE our big snow......

This past Thursday we were bracing for our big snowstorm that was supposed to hit on Friday. The amount of snow we've had in the last month or so has been overwhelming! In December we got almost 30 inches - and this past week we had a snowstorm that gave us about 8 inches and then this storm was predicted to bring over 20 more. Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that we are suffering from MAJOR cabin-fever! The kids have not been outside for ages it seems. Well, I had enough! (And based on Anne Marie's attitude, so had she!) Our friend Mattie was at our house on Thursday -- so I decided -- it was time to find a way to get our "crazies" out! A local DQ has an indoor playground...so I decided -- forget the "bad for you food" we were going to eat lunch & play there for at least a couple hours. Especially since we knew that we would again, be shut in our house for at least the next 4 days! (Our local cleaning crew took at least 3 days last big storm to clean our road...so 4 is not a crazy estimate!) Well, on the way to DQ, I noticed the big open park area that we normally fly kites in during the spring/summer months. There was still about 5 inches of snow on the ground .. and I decided it was time to forget the "oh we don't have the right shoes, or the snow is a little too icy, or it's too cold outside" and pull the van over to let the girls RUN! They were 1st confused & 2nd excited! Once they realized I was not kidding ... they took off! They ran in the snow.....threw snowballs.....jumped on the "crunchy snow" (as they called it)....and let me take a few really cute pictures! (I'm SOOOO glad I had my camera w/ me!!) Then, we headed to DQ for some lunch, ice-cream & 2 1/2 hours of play time -- YES over 2 hours -- and they played the WHOLE time... you know they needed it!

Having a little fun throwing icy-snow-balls.

Jumping up & down in the "crunchy" snow...

My FAVORITE pictuers of the day!

Just happy to be outside!

Having a ton-of-fun @ the DQ playground!


Now, we did end up getting about 20 inches of snow w/ this store -- so there will soon be pictures to follow of our snow & "stuck-in-the-house" fun we had this weekend! I'm almost sure I've said this...but I AM DONE w/ SNOW!!! Please pray for spring!!!! (haa)

And Then, 3 Years Ago Today.....

(P.S. It's snowing like CRAY here again.... so we're celebrating today by STAYING HOME! But, going outside to build a few snowmen (or bunnies), eating warm soup & hot chocolate -- and I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures to post later!!)

We met this sweet little child for the 1st time!!

And what a sweet thing she was ... she was a little unsure of us for a few days...

Then, she decided we were "ok" -- this is a picture of the VERY FIRST time she laughed for us on the 3rd day we had her!! It was the BEST laugh I've ever heard in my WHOLE life!!

Then, we were a family of 3!

And our family grew by MUCH more that day....these are the families that adopted little girls from the same orphanage...and they will always be part of our family as well. Not to mention the 40+ other families that were on the same trip with us...just some went to other areas of China.

HAPPY FOREVER FAMILY DAY TO ALL OUR CHINA FRIENDS!!

Pajama Day

This past Friday @ pre-school they celebrated "Pajama Day"! Now, we are not new to the celebration of that day....we do that every once in a while around here. And since we've had so much snow this winter we've had more than one pajama day this year. But this was a special day @ school. Anne Marie wanted to wear her Christmas-Eve jammies w/ her slippers. She even asked if she could put jammies on baby Ling and take her to school. They had pancakes & special blueberries as a special snack that day. What fun! Even the teachers got to wear their jammies on Friday -- now that's the kind of "casual Friday" I like!!

Three Years Ago Today ......

We were on this plane headed to a foreign country...... with butterflies in our hearts....

(picture via The Shartzer family...who was on the same journey w/ us!!)

We were climbing The Great Wall .......with butterflies in our hearts....

We were learning about an amazing history....with butterflies in our hearts.......

We were shopping at a "Wal-Mart" that was like NOTHING we'd ever seen....

with butterflies in our hearts......

All while waiting to see this sweet face....with butterflies in our hearts....