!!!!! PARTY !!!!!!

Saturday we went to the home of some new friends for a "Dress Up Party". (Okay...a Halloween party...but we don't do Halloween, so we just called it a "dress up party".) The girlies didn't have a clue...they just had a blast! Anyway, it was a get-together for families in this area who have adopted from China. There were something like 12 families there and we really enjoyed getting to know some other families in this area.

It is such a small world...David met another Dad who knew some of his friends from SC way back when. They had fun remembering old times and talking about old friends. Then we started talking with another couple. The Mom, Dusty, asked me where my girls were from. I told her Jiangxi and she said hers was too. I asked her what orphanage her daughter was from and she said, "Oh, it's just a small SWI in the NW part of China called Tonggu" I nearly fell over...Lili is from Tonggu also!! As we kept talking, she and I both realized that we had followed each others journey's just last year. They got Mary Joyce in September and we got Lili in December. Turns out that their birthdays are only a few weeks apart. They will both be 2 this coming December!

It really is a small world...when we followed their trip, they lived in Georgia and when they followed our trip we lived in Tennessee. And now we both live about 30 minutes away from each other...what are the odds of that???

Anyway, the girls started playing together and I tell you...maybe it was my imagination, but I would swear that they knew each other. Not as in "Hey Lili...whassup? Good to see you again!" but Dusty and I watched them playing and we both felt like they remembered each other somehow. A wonderful "red-thread" moment for sure!!!!

We can't wait to get together with all of these wonderful families again very very soon!! We miss the Adoption support group that we were members of in Tennessee, and it will be good to get back in fellowship with other families again! Aly calls all Chinese girls her "China Cousins". She was so excited to make some new friends.

Enjoy some pictures from the day. Oh...Aly is dressed up as a "Fairy Ballerina" and Lili is a "Hula girl" Lili's friend, Mary Joyce (the one from her orphanage) is dressed up as a Ladybug.

Lili and Mary Joyce...together again!!

A hug goodbye...I tried to get their faces, but they both moved too quickly!!!

Aly checking out her new friends cupcake

Smile!!!!

There are more pics, but Blogger won't upload them right now, so i will try to add them tomorrow.

In HIS Mighty Grip~

hey...wanna give me a call?

We finally got our cell phones switched over to the new area code. I was so in hopes of being able to just change the area code, but it was a no go!! (GREAT...one more number to remember!!) Anyway, I have been trying to go through my address book to let everyone know our new numbers, but I haven't gotten everyone yet. So, if you would like our home/cell numbers, please email me and I will send them to you.

We are going to a fall picnic this afternoon with a bunch of families who also have adopted angels from China. Of course we woke up this morning to RAIN!!! It is supposed to rain most of the day!!! So, now we will be going to one of the members house instead. The girls are so excited and we can't wait to meet everyone!!

The girls are going in costume and I will make sure to post pics later...they look so cute!

In HIS Mighty Grip...

The Sleeping Princess awakens...

Okay, so if you read David's blog about his Sleeping Princess, you know that Aly has been sleeping in her own bed now for the past three nights. He has been having a rough time of it, and she has been doing...well... okay. I have been putting her to bed and I have had to work at it to convince her that it is okay. It hasn't been too bad, but she has become obsessed with 1- missing me during the night 2-what if she has to go to the bathroom 3-how will she go to the bathroom when she gets older and is too big to sit on the potty insert and/or how will she brush her teeth when she is too big to use the step stool anymore. (Somehow she has grasped the concept that as she gets bigger/older, the things around her are appearing smaller!! Crazy...I know, but she gets it!!) Anyway, she has stayed in bed all night until last night. About 5am this morning she came running into the room calling for me. She jumped up into the bed and snuggled down between me and her Daddy. Then she floored me by saying, "Mommy, please pray...pray HARD for me!" I asked her if she had a bad dream and she had. Poor little thing...I felt so badly for her. I prayed for her and she was asleep in a short few minutes. I know you are wondering...we let her stay!! What are you gonna do??
I think if Daddy is truthful, he was a little happy to have her back kicking him in the kidney's for at least a few short hours!!
Here are some pictures from her first night in her new bed...

Okay...well this is Lili and she obviously had NO problem going to sleep in her crib. She just covers her head up and goes to sleep. Period...end of sentence!!! FINALLY...she sleeps!!!!

Aly getting her bed all ready that afternoon. There was great anticipation and lots of stuffed animals!!!

"Oh Daddy...I thought it was going to be easier!" (yep...that is really what she said) She cried and David melted and then...

happiness bubbled forth...all is right with the world...she was back in

Mommy and Daddy's bed!!!!

Oy Vey...it is going to be fun breaking this habit :-)

Lookout world...He finally did it!!!!!

Okay...call all your husbands to the computer!! David has finally started his blog. By all accounts so far, it promises to be a wonderful adventure. I jokingly told him that he is going to have MASS readership as EVERYONE loves his writing. I still, to this day, get wonderful comments about the online journal he kept during our first trip to China. Let's face it...he is just has an amazing gift to express himself with the written word!!!
Anyway, go check it out for yourself and let him know how happy you are to have him finally blogging!!

Singing with the Stars...

Okay...so here it is...for the first time ever...the Wok sisters in concert. I do so hope you enjoy their song selection. Aly wrote the tune and Lili's harmony is just amazing!! I think we may be on to something here!!
Enjoy!!

So...do you like Candy Corn?

If you have a child who watches the Noggin Network, then you most likely have heard this song. It's called, "I don't like Candy Corn". Anyway, Aly just loves to sing this song.

Yesterday she and I were in Target and as we came through the front door she said to me, "Mom, do you think they have Candy Corn here?" I told her that I thought they did. She said, "Well, I think we should get some so I can taste it and see if I like it or not. I have to know before I can sing that song." So off we went to secure a bag of candy corn.

When we got home I video taped her tasting the delectible treat for the very first time...and now here it is...for you viewing enjoyment...Aly and the bag of Candy Corn.

Daddy & Lili showing off

Here is our little Asian dumpling and her Daaaa Daaaaa. She is showing off for the camera and loving her daddy. Can you tell he loves her too!!! Like a mad man!!!! By the way, Shelley was having trouble posting this on YouTube so I stayed up late and did it my arrogant self. Who looks at this but those who love us already anyway huh? Keep coming back. Our life is a book and pray for my inspiration everyday to complete the one I am writing.
Love ya,
D

My Little Tiger Lili...

I know I haven't posted too much about Miss Tiger Lili lately so I thought I would devote this post to her.

My oh My ... it is amazing to see the difference in one child over the course of 10 months. We adopted Lili this past December 18th and the changes in her since then are nothing short of miraculous!! Besides David and myself, I guess our friend Babs is the only one who REALLY knows the REAL Lili that came to us on that day in Nanchang last December. When the Orphanage director and her nannies came in the room with her, she was beaming. They handed her to me and she continued to smile, she went to David with no fussing and kept on grinning. She and David had an instant connection...everyone there felt it.
(December 18th, 2006 Lakeview Hotel, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China)
All was right with the world...that precious little smiling face. Her skin so pale and porcelain, her lips so full of color and tiny like a little bird. We exchanged smiles with the orphanage staff and tried to exchange a few words across the language barrier. We made plans to meet them at Civil Affairs in two hours and then they left...

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then the screaming began!!!!!! The screaming that went on for the better part of six months!!!! No...I'm not kidding!!!!!! When I had her in the hip carrier she was okay and would be quiet for the most part, but other than that she was totally over everyone and everything!!! It wasn't a scared cry or a lonely cry or a hurt cry...it was totally a "I want it (whatever it was at the moment) now and I am going to scream like a wild woman until I get it!!!" We soon realized that she had been totally catered to by her foster family (we met them at civil affairs and saw it first hand) and she was nothing short of totally spoiled rotten. I must pause here and say that I am thankful that she wasn't suffering from neglect, but from being spoiled. Spoiled we can work with...neglect is a whole other nightmare!!!

Well, the bonding did finally begin for us all and we spent those months trying to help her to overcome her issues and become a part of our family. It was hard and David and I shed many tears as well!! Now, here we are 10 months later. Lili still throws a temper tantrum or two when she doesn't get her way. They take on a different form now as she is able to stomp her foot or throw herself on the floor or hit us with her fist. Sometimes she will yell and say, "Mad" or something sort of like that. We continue to talk with her and tell her it is okay to be mad and not like what she is told to do, but that she doesn't get to hit us or scream that ungodly high pitched scream she does when she isn't getting her way. She is learning. She is also not *quite* as sensitive as she used to be although that seems to just be a part of her personality. When you correct her, she doesn't go into a 30 minute crying session like she used to, she recovers in a couple of minutes now.
She loves life so much now. She has an infectious laugh that brings a smile to your face!! She loves to dance and sing and play play play with her big sister. She is a little mimic and loves to be doing whatever Aly is doing. She is totally in love with her Papa and must have a regular dose of him. She still has a strong connection to her Daddy. She would rather be with him than just about anywhere.
We were at the park a few weeks ago and Lili is usually afraid of everything..swings, slides, you name it. Well, she was sitting next to me watching Aly go down the slide over and over and all of a sudden she got down off of the bench and headed for Aly. I went after her, but David made me stop and let her go. She climbed up the ladder all by herself, sat down at the top of the slide and took off!!! We didn't even have the camera to catch the occasion!! She was so proud of herself!! Such a HUGE step for this little girl!!

So, to all of our friends who thought we were just making it all up and were just horrible to our precious Lili, let me assure you that she is fine and is doing wonderfully!!!!! Here are some pictures to prove it!!! :-)




I'm so stinkin cute...and I KNOW IT!!!!


You can put a bathing suit on me, but I'm not going in the pool. I'm just going to sit here and EAT!!!


What chocolate cookie? I didn't eat any cookies...you must be crazy. I don't eat chocolate cookies! What ever made you think I ate a chocolate cookie???




Go ahead...tell me how cute I am!!! It's okay...I can take it!!







Sisters...sisters...there were never such devoted sisters!!!

Where did it all come from and what are we gonna do with it????

We are beginning to make some progress getting it all organized. It won't be done today or tomorrow or even next week, but it is getting better...box by box. In the meantime, when you walk up through the carport to the door of the house, just think this

We are going to try to have the BIG yard sale this coming weekend. I hope it goes well...cause it's not coming back in the house!!!

David finally found the little cable thingy that connects the camera to the computer, so hopefully there will be pictures of the girlies soon! I know...it has been awhile. Aly just graduated from Harvard and Lili is heading off to work with the Peace Corps for two years on break from Princeton....they are 21 and 19 now. Oh wait...I'm projecting again. Sorry.

Anyway, new pictures coming soon!!!

In His MIGHTY Grip

the Swindler Clan