All You Need Is A Little Sunshine

p.s. Don't forget to scroll down & check our 3 Thanksgiving posts.  I think I've finally mastered this new blogger thing so I have a few back-posts

 I know you can see her feet -- but just pretend you can't.  She wanted to hide behind the HUGE sunflower balloon she got because she thought it would be a funny picture.   Why you ask does she have this HUGE balloon?

Well, my girly has been sick.  She has a really bad sinus & ear infection.  After our Dr. appointment on Monday, we headed to the grocery store for a few items & our anitbiotic.  While we were checking out, the sweet little check-out-girl asked if Anne Marie wanted a balloon.  Well of course she did!  She brought out this HUGE handful of Thanksgiving balloons for her to pick from.  Of course my girl picked the biggest, brightest balloon in the bunch.  It made her day & I told the girl she had no idea how happy she had just made her - the day did not start out well, but with medicine in hand, a bag of gingersnaps for a treat at home, a snugly blanket to crawl under at home & a "sunshine" in our livingroom how could her day not get a little better than it started.  When you're 4 it's the small things.  And when your 30'ish sometimes it's those same small things...it was sweet to see a balloon brighten her day!

Thanksgiving #3 - Family Dinner

My sister and her family came over for Thanksgiving dinner.  Mike's parents were supposed to come over as well, however they both became very sick, they ended up having to stay home.  We were so sad! We were happy that Ashely, Chris & Naomi could come over.  My sister and I made all the food.  Wow!  It was alot of food...but we took two huge plates to Mike's parents so they would have yummy food to eat while they were stuck at home.  The girls were very excited because we set up Anne Marie's little table and they were able to have their own "spot" for their dinner.  Even though our Thanksgiving was small we had a lovely time, and we hope you day was a blessed as ours was.

Thanksgiving #2 - Pre-Dinner Tea Party

As Daddy and I were getting things ready & in the oven to prepare for our Thanksgiving day feast, our darling princess was in her room preparing for a tea-party.  All the sudden she popped into the kitchen all dressed & announced "it's almost time for the tea-party!"  Mike looked at me and I said, well, how can we turn the princess down?  So, off to her room we went.  (After a tiny pit-stop).  These are the things that we'll remember about special days like this. Those little moments we take time-out to spent with each other.
(p.s. don't forget to scroll down to get Turkeyday #1)

 Anne Marie REQUIRED us that we all wear "dress ups"

 EVERYONE was invited....

 Daddy took a very quick trip to our favorite place while Anne Marie was setting up the tea-party -- YUM!  I was very excited about this part of the tea-party!!

 Baby Ling even joined in w/ her special "friends"

 Daddy all "dressed"

  Our little princess.

Thanksgiving #1 - Pre-school Feast

Due to the new issues w/ uploading pictures to blogger there are going to be three (yes, three....sorry) Thanksgiving posts.  It seems I can only get 4 pictures in a post at a time, so I'll do them separate.

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving Anne Marie's pre-school class had a "Thankful Feast". They had been learning about Thanksgiving and Native Americans.  Each child had to bring in an item that would go towards fixing the meal.  They had veggie soup, pudding & muffins.  I stopped by for a bit to take pictures & see Anne Marie's Native American dress she made.  She was very proud of it!!

The kids eating their thankful meal.

Anne Marie's fellow Native American Friends - Mira & Kaitlyn.  A good time was had by all!

Christmas Decorating

Ok -- now I've found out what's going on.......blogger will only let me (and it seems to be only me right now?!?!)  upload my pictures from picasa!?!?!?  Don't know why, and I'm trying to get answers, but for right now it's letting me post.  It's a PAIN (did I say pain?  I meant TOTAL PAIN) but at least I can keep up with the blog for now.  I'll start posts backwards....this post is from Saturday.  And I always like to make the pictures in "order of the day" - but that is NOT happening with this new process they are making me use, so... I'm getting a lesson in flexibility today! We woke up & guess who had pink-eye?!  Well, we're almost sure.  The Dr. office is not open until Monday, so we'll find out fore sure.  Well, I was not too worried, because she was not in any pain & it gave us a great excuse to spend the day home, alone, decorating for Christmas.  We put in one of our favorite Christmas movies & daddy made us hot chocolate w/ a ton of marshmallows and we decorated our downstairs. 

Anne Marie starting to decorate the tree.

 

Sipping our hot chocolate (w/ extra marshmallows)

This is Anne Marie's new Christmas ornament.  We got it the day before while Black-Friday shopping.  It's (what I think they call) a Chinese lucky cat.  They always have one @ our favorite Chinese place & she always talks about the cat @ the register.  When we found it I just had to get it for her.  She was so excited about it!  She also hand made an ornament this year (but I missed getting a picture of her hanging that one up - but it was a purple ceramic ball ornament w/ pink dots - she hand painted it)

We watched one of our favorite Christmas movies while we decorated.

All done!!!

Ugh!

Well I have a few cute Thanksgiving photo's to post...I also have a few really cute "tree-decorating" pictures to post as well...........HOWEVER...........

Blogger doesn't seem to like me right now!!  I can not upload one photo w/out it shutting my computer down.  I originally thought it was a computer problem -- called HP -- (it's newer so I didn't know how it could be the computer, but I thought I'd call) but they didn't find anything.  Then I called our Internet provided..NOPE...not them.  Then I called our router server (and paid $60 to upgrade our router system & get 6 months of warranty service - because they wouldn't help me otherwise since the router was so old!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!)

Come to find out none of "us" seem to think it's a computer/server/router problem.  It's a Blogger problem.  I can upload pictures to snapfish, e-mail, and FB - so I guess it's a wait & see thing.  I will try to contact blogger, but it may be that there will be no photos for a while. (and isn't that the best part of blogging anyway? boooo!)

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving & I hope we'll be back w/ pictures very soon!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This post is going to be a little "non-traditional" regarding Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving-Eve we had plans to go to a very special program with Grandma & Grandpa. Unfortunately they had become ill & had to cancel coming to the program with us & even had to cancel coming on Thanksgiving day. We're sooooo sad, but hope they feel better soon!

We were running around Wednesday getting things ready. Mike had to work all day, I helped my friend in her store downtown part of the day as well. Then, I had to start the pie, the cranberry salad & a few other things to make sure I had things ready for Thanksgiving. (Even though Mike's parents aren't coming my sister still is.) We almost took the program off our schedule....but since it was a program by Living Hope involving Chinese children we decided we just couldn't cancel. They have orphanages/schools in China for children that have families that either can not take care of them or had families at one time and due to circumstances are no longer with them.

Can I just say God has a way of making you realize that if you just follow his plans he will bless you. I know that it's a very small thing - this program, but I just sat in that Church sanctuary last night in tears. Knowing that I am soooo thankful for how our God works in people all over the world. How thankful I am for my family that will forever be part of the beautiful people in China. And thankful for all the people that are called by God to take care of & support these beautiful children in this country that we've grown so fond of.

The kids sang a song last night called "There are no orphans of God" - somehow I've missed ever hearing this song, but it was beautifully done by them & it made me so thankful that we not only are able to be a part of God's plan to help orphan children through adoption, but so thankful that WE are adopted by him.

We wish all our friends & family a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!!

Anne Marie wanted to wear her "China dress" since we told her it was going to be Chinese children doing song & dances. So sweet - she was so excited!

The children preforming. Beautiful!

After the program they had little "trinkets" you could buy to help support the group with their travels. Anne Marie saw a lipstick case (in purple-butterfly silk) that she thought would be PERFECT for her lip gloss!! How could we not let her get it?!?

Self Portrait

My girl....not only is she cute.....

But quite the artist!! She loves to draw self portraits & pictures of her whole family & all of her friends. She's even taken to "writing" stories. (I'll have to post that soon!)

I think it looks just like her! So funny!!

p.s. Should I mention that she drew it while we were at Church last night on the paper table cloths where we were eating?!!? She's an "art addict"! Haaa!!

Stop Me, I"m Outa' Control!!

I can't stop finding O'So'Cute crafts to make for/with Anne Marie (and her friends). If this doesn't stop I will NEVER get my house cleaned! (See mess on couch behind the girls???!!!) This Friday, we had our friend Mattie over for the day & our friend Mira & her mom were also coming to visit. I called the moms & said bring a plain t-shirt for the girls, I've found this years Thanksgiving shirt!! And I must say--- HOW CUTE are these???!!!!!! Then, later that night I was searching a few favorite "craft blogs" and found this hairbow....and just HAD to make it to go with her shirt! I need to stay off the computer. This next week will be VERY busy in our house, so I guess it's a good thing I won't have time to be on the computer. Haa!

Showing Thanks

The other day I came across a really cute idea to celebrate "being thankful" during the month of November. It is supposed to count-down the days to Thanksgiving....but as usual....we're starting a little late, so we're doing 15 days of being thankful.

First, we started outside looking for leaves. (If you do this, don't forget to get leaves that are still a little "green" -- they need to be soft, not all dried out.)

Then, you get plain printer paper and "naked crayons". (This is what Anne Marie called them - we had to take the paper covers off & she said "mommy -- it's kind of like the crayons are naked, like me when I get ready for a bath." Haaa!!!!) You then place the leaf under the paper & rub the "naked crayon" over the leaf. We used all different fall colors to make a mix.

Then each night (either at bed or dinner) we write down what we're thankful for on the back of our leaf. Anne Marie had a hard time deciding what she was thankful for -- she wanted to make a HUGE list on her 1st leaf. She settled for mommy, daddy & her kittys. She used the flowers, bees, butterflies & leaves outside for her 2nd night.

We got a branch and hung it on her closet door & we'll hang the leaves from it each night. I'm afraid this might not be the best spot -- poor girl, she couldn't reach it if she tried!

Fall Crafts With Friends

Today we had a fun surprise.....my sister had an appointment and our friend Robin had to work, so we had a visit from cousin Naomi & our friend Mira at the same time today. So, I thought I'd have them make a little craft to give to their moms when they came to pick them up. I must say that I snagged this idea from my friend Jen -- I saw a picture she posted the other day of her and her daughter making this & I thought we would try it.

First, I gave them scissors --- ok -- how happy do they look? We brought out some old magazines and cut out pages that were orange (and a few green & brown too).

Then, they started to glue all those little cut up pieces of paper.....

Three little cuties w/ their finished art-work!

Mosaic pumpkins!