kayleemakes4

A surprise trip to Myrtle Beach...

2009-09-12T20:25:00.022-04:00

My very good friend, Jennifer, who I have known since 1995, invited me to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with her and her two sons. We had a great time at the resort and going to Broadway at the Beach, Margaritaville, Hardrock Cafe...We kept busy:) We went to Ripley's Aquarium, which was so much fun. We all loved looking at the sharks, turtles, jelly fish and they also some dragon horse. I had never seen them before ... actually look like miniature dragons. We all loved looking at the fish that were climbing on top of each other trying to get to the food. Kaylee liked sitting on the Harley outside at Hardrock Cafe. She is really starting to get gutsy! Jennifer and I enjoyed our fancy drinks when we went to Hardrock and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. I am ashamed to say, instead of a margarita, I had an amaretto sour, which was fantastic:) My sister,Trudy and her husband, Dan, came down to Mrytle Beach for a few days. Dan bought Kaylee a sword that lights up and makes a noise(thanks Dan). Kaylee loves it!

I will say the trip home with Kaylee(2), Mason(7), Myles(14 months), 1 hermit crab and 3 water turtles, was VERY long...Thanks Jennifer for sharing your vacation with us...we love you:)

OBX vacation 2009...

2009-09-10T16:29:00.010-04:00

Boy, we sure can pick a good week to go to the OBX. The weather was great all week, and then the clouds rolled in and the waves came alive...Hurricane Bill did not hit the beautiful Outer Banks, but he let us know that he was around. The house we rented was on the beach and when the storm came in, the water went under our house. This scared me to death! The house is old and would shake and we could hear the waves crashing at night. Normally this would be very soothing to me, NOT when the water in going under the house...lol.

We did have a great time together shopping, going out to eat, playing games...

We had some visitors...

2009-08-28T17:21:00.003-04:00

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit and brought their grand nephew, Alex. Linda (Jane's sister) also came. Everyone went swimming and we had a great dinner, including Jane's infamous brocolli salad. Yummy!

I just had to add this pic of mine and Kaylee's painted toes:)

Kaylee, the mermaid...

2009-08-04T19:03:00.004-04:00

Kaylee loves the water:) She gets so excited when we ask her if she wants to get in the pool. We are working on her going under the water...That is still not a favorite, lol.

2009-07-22T20:27:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything on here. We spent July 4th at Trudy's house. They had a cook out and we sat around the fire pit with some friends from church. Dan put on a great fireworks show for us also!

I got into one of my decorating moods and decided to switch Kaylee's bedroom with the guest room. It took me a couple of days, but she loves it. Kaylee likes to play dress up and reading is one of her favorites:)

Mark and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary in June, and he cooked a special dinner for us, which included shrimp and crab legs. It was very special due to the fact that Mark is allergic to seafood, so he could not eat it.

We have been working with Kaylee on potty training...she loves to go sit on it and read:) I think she takes after her daddy...lol.

Dylan and Rachelle are still going strong. My son is growing up and does'nt need his mom as much anymore. It makes me sad when I think back to him as a baby, following me around the house and saying mama -mama. Thank the good Lord above for blessing us with Kaylee. She is making it a little more tolerable for me.

I am sure I am missing a few things, but can't think of them right now. Til next time:)

2009-06-26T23:28:00.005-04:00

Our little Kayleebug is such a princess. She does not like getting her hands dirty or walking outside barefoot. We are trying to work on that...lol Kaylee loves reading books to her babies and feeding them. When I am cooking dinner, she will cook in her own kitchen area. Pool time is a favorite. We are teaching her how to hold her nose and go under the water, and also how to kick her feet. Aunt Bee left her float here and Kaylee has really enjoyed that!

We participated in our first FCM (Families of the China Moon) toddler play date, this past Thursday at Romp n Roll. Kaylee was very shy at first but then she started running around with the other kids and having a blast! She made a special friend, his name is Gabe and they really became fast friends. It was so cute seeing her interact with other kids. We are looking forward to more play dates!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-26T22:55:00.005-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

We had a very nice and relaxed day. We went to Church in the morning and then came home for a quick lunch. I baked cookies and with a little begging, got Dylan to help me decorate them...lol. Mark and Kaylee sat and watched, waiting to get their hands on them. We only had yellow, green and white icing, so it has an Irish theme.I made a special dinner with BBQ ribs.It turned out very nice.

Mark is such a good dad to both Dylan and Kaylee. One of his best qualities is that he can be like a kid himself. He runs around the house with Kaylee on his back and every night before bed time, they go around the house and say goodnight to everything and give us kisses and hugs. I am so proud to have him as my husband.

I put a photo of Mark holding Kaylee for the first time and a couple others of Daddy and his girl...

2009-06-19T21:48:00.006-04:00

Emma, Kaylee, Olivia, Mia, and Grace...

I wanted to share some recent pics of the "Spicey Girls" from Nanchang, People's Republic of China.

They have grown so much since coming home to America. I think of each of these beautiful girls often and they hold a very special place in my heart...

Matthew graduates!

2009-06-14T19:48:00.007-04:00

My nephew, Matthew, graduated from King William High School on June 12th. We are all so proud of him. Dylan's girlfriend, Rachelle, also graduated. On Saturday, we all went to Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant to celebrate. We were also celebrating Michael's graduation from plumbing school. He is now a Licensed Plumber.

Today is my father in laws Birthday, so Mark, Dylan and JP(Dylan's friend) went to Mobjack Bay, which is in Matthew's County, and spent the day sailing on George's boat. They had a great time!

We had our Father's Day cook out after Church service today, which turned out very nice. I put Kaylee down for her nap when we got home and Peggy and I decided to get in the pool. We had fun talking and swimming around, and even laid out on the deck for a while.

Busy busy busy...

2009-06-11T21:05:00.006-04:00

There has been a lot going on here lately. I spent most of last week baking cakes, tarts, and cookie pizza's for our Church Auction/Bake sale. It really turned out nice and we had great fellowship also.

Mark's sister, Lynne, gave him last year their old backpack that a child rides in. We pulled it out and Kaylee was scared of it at first, but it did not take long for her to realize that she could go wherever daddy went if she was in it. Thanks Lynne for sending it to us.

Dylan has been doing great in school. His last day was today. Things have changed around the house now. Dylan now has girlfriend. Her name is Rachelle and she has been spending a lot of time with her. I am happy he likes someone but, I am not liking the fact that they want to be together ALL THE TIME, I need prayers to help me get through this.

Kaylee and Dylan are just as close as ever. Kaylee is picking up words pretty quickly now, some we are not so happy about, like "stop" "mean" "no." She is our little "spicey girl" and we expect it though...lol.

We did get a surprise this afternoon. My ex husband Alex, (Dylan's dad) and his mom showed up at the house today with out calling!! This put me into a tailspin trying to get myself together and try and entertain them. It went well though. I also took some pictures and plan to give them to Alex, so he can take them to El Salvador on his next trip.

At our church, we also had the movie "FIREPROOF" and had popcorn and candy and drinks for everyone. We had a nice turnout and the movie was fantastic! I hear a lot of people say that they don't want to see it because it is about Christians. Now to me this is a rediculous and narrow minded statement. Not to mention, this movie is about how bad a marriage can get and the work and determination it takes to get your marriage back on track. I was so touched by this movie that I ordered the "Love Dare" book for myself.

Lots of repairs needed around our home right now. The washing machine has been flooding the floor, Dylan's shower is leaking, and I could go on...but I won't, we are just going to take a breath and try and get these things fixed asap.

This and that...

2009-05-29T09:43:00.008-04:00

Kaylee's personality is really flourishing. She is a very independent young girl. She loves to play for hours with her magna-doodle, and also her dolls. Kaylee gives them kisses and feeds them so gently. This week, she has decided that she likes to get on the back of the sofa and lie down.

Kaylee, Aunt Ya Ya , and I went to Virginia Beach to return Aunt Beeee's dog, Tobey, to her. She had been in Atlanta, Ga. with a couple of friends. Ya Ya and I decided to spend the night and have a "sister night." We had a good time!

Grandpa George came over Thursday and helped Mark finish building our new deck. It looks great! We plan on having a cookout in the next few weeks to celebrate.

Our next projects are- patio, front porch with swing, split rail fence in front yard.....I could keep going, lol.

We have a busy weekend coming up. Today, I going to do a little gardening, I am also going to clean the church with Trudy, and then we are going next door to the parsonage to organize the newest items for the auction we are having on June 6.

Here are some pics of our new deck and patio furniture. I had to put the pics of Gus on here also. He sat right down next to my lilac bush and was begging to have his picture taken...lol

May is flying by...

2009-05-22T10:41:00.006-04:00

I have been quite busy this month with helping my sister, Peggy pack and move in Virginia Beach. Kaylee and I spent the better part of 2 weeks there helping pack, move, unpack and decorate. Peggy and I had great "sister time" even though, by the end of the day, we were very sore from all the work.Mother's Day was very nice, even though we could not celebrate it until the Wednesday evening after. Mark and Kaylee gave me a HUGE card that Mark made for me and also a beautiful Lilac bush. Dylan made me a wonderful card and gave me Barnes and Noble gift card. I also got a massage from Mark which was much needed!My good friend, Jennifer and her son Myles, came for a visit this week. Kaylee did not like Myles at first. She clung to me for dear life and screamed "mama" the ENTIRE way to town. Just so you know, it takes us about 35 minutes or so, to get there! She would only quiet down when I would sing. I DO NOT sing good, so I apologized to Jennifer, and kept right on singing. It was really nothing new to Jennifer, we worked together for almost 13 years, so she knows my singing "abilities" LOL. Kaylee was fine as soon as we got to Cracker Barrell and we ended up having a nice lunch. Myles is so cute- He giggles over everything!Kaylee has really enjoyed spending time outside, but we are thinking she is very sensitive, possibly allergic to mosquitos. She has been bitten about five or six times on her legs and they were really swollen. I bought some medicine and they seem to look better now. We have finshed our homestudy and the required meetings with the social worker. Now all we do is wait for them to call us with a baby/child, and then we go in to the office and look over the file and decide if that child will fit into our family. I will let everyone know when we get the call.Here are some pics to enjoy...

Spring 2009

2009-04-25T14:00:00.009-04:00

Well Spring is definitly here. Mark and I have been working very hard out in the front yard, planting tree's, bushes, flowers, and anything else we can get our hands on. We are almost done with the mulch, and decided to transfer a bunch of Honeysuckle to the fence around the backyard, since we love the way it looks and smells. I guess that is not totally true, since I am the one that really wanted this done...lol

We had our homestudy visit with the social worker on Thursday. It went very well. She asked us about our values, and how we met and so on. We are so excited about adding to our family!

Dylan is doing great. He only has about 30 days or so left of school and then summer. He will also be getting a summer job, so he can save up for a car. My goodness, where has the time gone?!?!?! It seems just yesterday he was this little chubby cheek baby following me around the house...Now he is getting ready to become a JUNIOR in high school! We are in the process of ordering his class ring. He is very excited about this.

2009-04-13T18:37:00.011-04:00

It has been a while since I posted. Have been busy taking care of all the paper work for our homestudy and also lots of running around.

Dylan, Kaylee, and I had a great time together in the mountains. The safari was fun as usual. Kaylee enjoyed it most of the time. She ended up sitting in between Dylan and me in the front seat. The next day, we went to Natural Bridge Zoo. At first, Kaylee would not touch any animals, after a while, she actually reached out to pet a baby camel.

On Friday night, my nephew, Michael was hit by another car near where he lives in Prince George. He is fine but did hurt his left arm. Please keep him in your prayers as he goes through this rough time in his life.

Peggy came for a visit on Saturday. She brought Kaylee a Yo Gabba Gabba book and a very cute pair of pajamas with bumble bee's on them. (Kaylee calls her Beeeeeeee, lol)

Peggy, Trudy, Kaylee and I went shopping and afterwards picked up Michael and had a great dinner at Outback.

Mark's dad and Jane came to church today and after service, we all went to Arnest seafood restaurant.

I hope everyone had a very Happy Easter!

Spring Break...

2009-04-08T22:25:00.005-04:00

This has been a very busy week so far. Dylan is out of school for Spring break, so we have gotten hair cuts for Kaylee and him, had Dr. visits, and even got a little shopping done. Dylan started the weekend off with a sore throat that turned into his voice going out completly. Last weekend, Mark's job, Supervalu, had a Spring Festival. We had a blast. They had some rides for kids, Kaylee at first would not get on the swing, after 2 tries, she finally got on and loved it! She loved the train ride with her daddy too.

Mark and I bought a new patio table and chairs for the deck. We have been wanting one for a while now. Dylan's best friend, Tony stayed the weekeend and we decided to break it in.

Dylan, Kaylee and I are heading up to Lexington, Va. to the Virginia Safari Park and Natural Bridge Zoo. We are coming back Friday afternoon to get ready for Peggy to come on Saturday.

Is there hope???

2009-03-25T21:58:00.003-04:00

My teenage son, Dylan, is starting to make me a little nuts, with his attitude and back talking...I have threatened to take away his cel phone, which would kill him. He has really been testing me a lot lately. I am hoping my prayers will be answered and we will both get through trying time. Dylan made me feel so special yesterday- he came in from feeding the dogs and gave me some flowers that he had picked for me. Let me remind you that he is 16 years old. I was so touched by this gesture. There is hope that Dylan and I can get through this together...

Miss Personality...

2009-03-22T21:52:00.007-04:00

I guess since the beginning of our adoption journey of Kaylee, I have worried about how she was treated in China, was there someone (a nanny-"auntie") that loved and cared for her, did she get enough food and milk. I also worried about if she would have bonding issues or have emotional problems. Yes I tend to worry a lot, and for nothing. Kaylee has been right on track pretty much since the beginning. She is the most loving and intelligent little girl. Kaylee is really making progress on her speech, she is repeating things we say( I guess we need to watch what we are saying now, lol) She understands most of what we say/ask her. She has just blossomed.

Mark and his dad are almost done with our new deck. It is really looking good.

We had a very nice turnout at church today for our Fellowship Luncheon. My in-laws joined us and my friend, Chip also. Mark even took off from work to be there.

Quiet weekend...

2009-03-16T19:28:00.004-04:00

Hope everyone is doing well. We are fine. Not much going on here at home. Kaylee now loves her bed, and does not fuss at bedtime anymore. She likes the word "no" and says it often. She says it even when she means yes...lol.

After church on Sunday, my friend Chip came for a visit. We had lunch and great conversation. I felt very special that he chose to visit us on his Birthday. Hope you had a very Happy Birthday Chippy!!

Goodbye to the crib...

2009-03-12T18:39:00.007-04:00

Kaylee and I went to Walmart yesterday to get some training pants/undies for her. I found a railing for her crib, so when Mark got home he put it together and once again, she loved it. The big test came when I went to Bible study, and Mark put her to bed. He said she cried for a few minutes and then stopped. WOW! I was so excited that she did not cry for a long time. Kaylee woke up at about 5:30am and I went in there and changed her diaper and layed her back down and turned her music on. Not a peep from her...

Fun outside with Kaylee...

2009-03-09T14:49:00.005-04:00

This morning, Kaylee and I went outside to hang out clothes and play for a while. Kaylee had fun swinging and playing in her house. She likes to climb up and down the steps, which makes me nervous. I am looking forward to enjoying our pool and soon to be finished deck this summer. Sassy and Libby were sitting in the kitchen window trying to figure out how to get outside and enjoy the sunny weather...

Aunt Beeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

2009-03-08T20:26:00.006-04:00

My sister, Peggy, or better known as Aunt Beeeeeeee, came to visit this weekend. Peggy brought Kaylee a bunny rabbit that dances and sings "Babies got Bounce", and she also gave her a bunny on a bike with jellybeans, and a bunny cup with straw. Peggy and Kaylee had such a good time playing in her kitchen and with all her dolls. Kaylee can recognize Aunt Bee and Ya Ya's voice on the phone now. Everytime she sees me on the phone, she yells out for one of them, lol. Saturday night, Peggy and I snuck away and went to see the movie "Taken". It was fantastic! We both agreed, it is a buyer. We got up this morning and went to church and then Peggy left to meet Trudy for a day of shopping in Williamsburg. Mark got home from work and started working on the deck again today, with Dylan's assistance. They make a pretty good team. Mark's Birthday was last Wednesday and his dad and Jane gave him a Home Depot gift card, so he went and bought a chain saw and a few other things he needed for the deck. He was so happy to get that chain saw. Mark has wanted one for a long time. Thank you dad and Jane! There was a box waiting for him on Saturday when he got home from work from his mom, Jan. He opened it and was happy to see a Leathermen multi tool knife and a digital tire gauge. She managed to also sneak some small books in the box for Kaylee, which she loves. Thank you mom/Grandma!

Happy Birthday to Mark...

2009-03-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

Today is Mark's 46th Birthday. I cooked a very nice dinner of Carribean Jerk chicken, New Orleans yellow rice, crowder peas and seasoned green beans. We had Birthday cake and ice cream for dessert. Dylan and I sang Happy Birthday to him and then Mark blew out the candles, which consisted of a #4 candle and 6 regular candles...lol. We are getting ready to watch a movie now and relax for the rest of the evening.

Kaylee + snow = unhappy girl...

2009-03-03T20:07:00.005-05:00

I remember the good old days, when Dylan was out of school due to snow, we would hang out together all day. Now, Dylan has been out with his friends sledding and hanging out all day long. I actually see him more when he GOES to school, lol.

Kaylee has turned into a good little mama. She loves to feed her babies and she has even started to imitate the way we play with her, with her babies.

Kaylee and I went outside today to play in the snow. She does not like it at all. I tried everything I could think of, snow angel, making a snow man, throwing snowballs, eating snow...nothing worked. Don't laugh at the pitiful snowman, I was under pressure from Kaylee to hurry up.

I asked for it and I got it...

2009-03-02T20:02:00.007-05:00

What a way to start off March! We finally got some snow. This included very strong winds, snow, sleet, ice, and more snow. Dylan and I decided to camp out in the living room and watch a movie, but 15 minutes into it, the electricity went out. That means no heat too. The wind was blowing so hard, we could hear tree limbs snapping and the snow and ice beating up against the windows. When Mark got up at 1:00am to go to work, he got the kerosene heater out and that helped some. It still got very cold during the night and I ended up getting Dylan and Kaylee in my bed so we could keep warm. Of course we also had Gus, Sassy and Libby with us too... lol.

This morning, when we woke up, we could not see the road. We were very thankful that the power came back on. I did not take Kaylee outside today, she has a slight cold. I may take her out tomorrow though, she has never played in the snow before so I would really like her to experience that.

Kaylee seems to be back on track with going to bed and not fussing. It only took about 12-14 days...lol. I am going to make sure she is ready next time before taking the railing off her bed. Mark and I took her to the doctor for her 2 year check up last Friday. Kaylee was not a happy baby. She received a shot in her thigh and a prick on her finger. She weighs 27 lbs and is 33 1/8 inches tall.

Milestone......or not

2009-02-20T22:02:00.006-05:00

Kind of a funny story....This morning Mark and I were talking and I had told him that I believe all the other girls that were adopted when we got Kaylee, were sleeping in toddler beds. Mark and I decided that we would turn her bed into a toddler bed today. We were very excited about this. Kaylee was in the kitchen in her high chair coloring and Mark fixed the bed and I put all new bedding and all her favorite things to sleep with on it. We also got her a step stool so she could get on the bed. It is taller than the toddler beds I have seen in the past. We brought Kaylee in there and she LOVED it!!! She was smiling and got on the bed, reached in her basket and got her books, she pulled the blanket on her, and kept looking at Mark and I, just sooooooooo happy. Then it happened....Kaylee had lunch and Mark took her in her room to let her take a nap. She cried and screamed and cried. I went in there and held her and soothed her and put her back on her wonderful toddler bed. She cried, she screamed and cried some more. Mark had to bring the crib rail back in there and hook it up all over again. It took a while before she would calm down. We think she just feels safe and secure in the crib, so for now we are going to keep it up.

Here are some pictures of the toddler bed and then back to a crib with a happy baby sleeping and snug as a bug.

A bad Monday...

2009-02-17T23:56:00.007-05:00

After having a wonderful Birthday party for Kaylee and a great Valentines dinner at home, Scrappy had gotten even more sick. We had been feeding him with the syringe, and really just doing everything in our power to keep him hydrated and praying he would wake up in the morning and feel better. That was a nice dream but God had other plans for Scrappy. I was up all night long Sunday night with him, he steadily got worse and worse, to the point he could not walk. All I could of was let us get through this night and I will get him to the vet at the crack of dawn. He was alive but even worse in the morning. I gave him some milk and took him to the vet. Scrappy passed away between our home and us going into the vets office. I was in such schock that I don't have any idea what he passed away from. At this point, it does not matter. Mark and Dylan buried him next to Tater under some trees. I will not be getting any more cats any time soon. We still have my precious Sassy and Libby who has been sticking to me like glue.

On a brighter note, Kaylee loves to color. She is turning out to be one prissy little girl. She also loves to help me with laundry and emptying the dishwasher.

Kaylee's Birthday Party...

2009-02-14T21:10:00.016-05:00

We celebrated Kaylee's 2nd Birthday today. She had so much fun opening all the presents. Tudy brought some silly string and yes, us adults got into a silly string battle. The pictures did not really turn out but there are a couple that are pretty funny.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines day. Mark gave me a beautiful card and two pots of tulips. They are just gorgeous! He also cooked a delicious dinner for Peggy and I.

My nephew Matthew came over on Thursday to introduce his new beagle, Chloe to us.

My kitty, Scrappy is not doing well at all. I am going to take him back to the vet on Monday and hopefully he will be ok. I have been feeding him with a syringe and taking him to the litter box and water bowl. I love my animals and just in the short time we have had Scrappy, I have gotten very attached to him.

Happy Birthday Kaylee!!!

2009-02-11T22:09:00.007-05:00

Our baby girl turned 2 today. She does not have a clue as to what is going on, but she did like us singing to her and when her daddy gave her a very pretty pink and purple tricycle. She received a Birthday card today from Ms Betty and Lentz from our Church, and Aunt Ya Ya called this morning and sang to her and this afternoon Aunt Bee called and sang and talked to her. Grandma Jan also called to wish Kaylee a Happy Birthday.

We are having a Birthday Party this Saturday so family can attend and share this special time with us. Tonight to celebrate after dinner, we had homemade chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream on top. Kaylee sure did enjoy that!

Kaylee has really started to like putting on socks and trying to get her pants and shoes on. We are going to have to work on the shirts.

Celebration with family...

2009-02-09T07:57:00.008-05:00

Dylan's best friend Toni came for the weekend. They had a great time playing video games, drums, and going out back and cooking lil smokies on an open fire.

Our new kitties seem to be making themselves at home. Libbi is just soooo loveable and loves to be held. Scrappy is the smallest and he likes to play and get into my plants. We are going to have to work on that! Gus and Sassy are getting use to having them here. Sassy has decided to after about thirteen years, to start sleeping with me. This has just happened since Tater passed away. Of course Gus has ALWAYS slept with me. They know not to mess with Mark because he will push them off the bed....meany!

I began my new position as secretary of the church board. We had our first meeting Sunday. I had no idea how much writing was involved! We have lots of ideas and thoughts on how to grow as a church.

Last night we went to dinner at Mexico restaurant with Trudy, Dan, Michael, Matthew and his friend Kai, to celebrate Matthews 19th Birthday. We all had a nice time and Trudy brought Matthews favorite carrot cake that she bakes for him every year.

Our precious little Kayleebug is going to be 2 on Wednesday. We are are to celebrate on Valentines Day. Peggy is coming down for weekend too!

Here are some pics...

2 new kitties...

2009-02-06T23:52:00.004-05:00

Since losing our precious Tater, we decided that we wanted to get a new kitty and anyone who knows me, knows I can't get just one. So needless to say, we are now the proud owners of "Libbi" and "Scrappy" Libbi is about 4.5 months old and Scrappy is about 8 weeks old. Jennifer, thank you sooooo much for helping me get my Scrappy today. I owe you a present now!

A terrible loss...

2009-02-04T13:57:00.004-05:00

Our precious cat Tater was hit by a car and passed away. Dylan woke me up this morning to tell me that she was in the road. I do know that she did not suffer. When Mark gets home, we are going to bury Tater in the back yard. I am so sad about this. She was such a sweet and loving cat.

Lunch with old friends...

2009-01-31T15:21:00.010-05:00

Today Kaylee and I went out to lunch with Jennifer, Vicky, Linda and Maggie to Ruby Tuesday's. We had a great time catching up and I (of course) brought my handy-dandy camera...lol. It was really nice getting to see them again. Next time we may go out for drinks and leave the kids at home!

Then and now...

2009-01-25T20:22:00.008-05:00

Kaylee has changed so much in the past year. I have been looking at all the pictures of Kaylee that we have taken over the past year and she has grown so much. I think back to when she was first put in my arms and she just looked at me. There was no squirming, fussing...Before the end of the night she smiled and we could see the bonding between us take place. Now Kaylee has blossomed into a beautiful, friendly, energetic, funny and sweet-natured little girl, who LOVES books, dolls and anything YO GABBA GABBA. I have been so blessed with two wonderful kids and a husband that treats me better than I could have ever imagined.

Here are some photos of then and now...

Our Future Rock Star...

2009-01-22T17:18:00.004-05:00

Mark took this video of Kaylee in Dylan's room playing the drums. I know she is not wearing a shirt, but actually she looks like the drumers in bands now who go shirtless. My sister Trudy was at the house and she just loved watching her.

Happy Gotcha Day to our spicey girl...

2009-01-20T23:06:00.006-05:00

Happy Gotcha Day to Kaylee! This is a very special day for all of us. We received Kaylee in China one year ago today. She was waiting for us in Nanchang, China in a big, tall building on the 26th floor. I will never forget what led up to that day in our lives. Mark and I gone to a fertility specialist and I even came home with the liquid med that I would inject into myself. We at that point just said no. It was not just the money, pain of needles, and also not knowing if this would even work. We decided that IVF was not for us. Mark and I had had many conversations about having children, adopting...I have always thought that I would have atleast three kids. Well that did not happen the "normal" way. So we have no problems in making it happen ANY way we can. Now of course we went in debt with our adoption of Kaylee. There are NO regrets. I talked to our social worker today and she told me there was a girl who is pregnant with her fourth and she is supposedly going to give that one up for adoption. Now the old me would be screaming of joy, but I am not at this point. She is about 3 or 4 months along and Michelle (sw) told me, Mark and I are top of the list. I do not know anything about the baby-race, gender...We would be happy with a healthy baby with polka dots...LOL

Our Gotcha Day was nice. We went to Chen's Chinese Restaurant, and had a very nice dinner. Instead of a cupcake, we ordered "chinese doughnuts" Kaylee loved them! I took a lot of pictures but they are not the best. Kaylee has been somewhat of a whiney-baby today. She has more teeth coming in and I would rather blame her fussing on that then on her being a spoiled little princess...LOL We will have to work on this. When we got home, I put the pajamas that we bought Kaylee in China on her. She was actually happy after that. I bought her a lot of small items in China so I could give her something every year on this special day. This year she received a hand carved wooden comb. She likes to play with her baby dolls hair and maybe I can train her to play with mine too! LOL

Tonight was also our Church Board meeting and I have been voted in as the new Secretary and Trudy is the new Vice Chairman.

GOTCHA DAY is Tuesday...

2009-01-18T22:23:00.004-05:00

Last year at this time Mark, Dylan and I were in Beijing, China. We went sightseeing, and shopped. I will never forget getting physically ill in the Forbidden City. All I could think about was the next day we were getting our precious Kayleebug. Thank you God above, I woke up the next morning and felt better. This had been a LONG time coming. Our wait was a week shy of two years. I know that families are now waiting three years. It just does not make sense with all the babies, toddlers and children living as orphans in China that this process can't go faster and if families are wanting more than one, why not let them do that at the same time?!!?!?? I will NEVER understand this. OK I will stop complaining...

Today Kaylee and I went to Church. She had on one of her Chinese dresses and looked absolutely adorable. I had her hair pinned up too. We are going out to Chen's Chinese Restaurant Tuesday to celebrate our special day. I am going to post a pic of Kaylee then and now so you can see the change in her in just a year.

2009-01-17T22:36:00.003-05:00

I am still on this cleaning out spree. I plan on having a yard sale in the spring so I can buy stuff to replace what I got rid of...LOL

My friend Jennifer and her six month old son Miles, came for a visit today. We had lunch and talked. Miles is so cute and he looks just like his mommy. Kaylee has really started to enjoy her baby dolls and when Jennifer and Miles got here, she just kept touching his head and looking at him. It was so cute. Jennifer said she was going to get his bottle and next thing, Kaylee comes over to Miles with her doll bottle...LOL It was too cute!

Weekend at the beach with Aunt B...

2009-01-11T22:11:00.005-05:00

Kaylee and I had fun at Aunt B's house. We went walking on the sand and Kaylee at first did not like it, She thought she was going to sink...LOL She kept calling "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeee...Beeeeeeeeeeeee" We had a great dinner at Hot Tuna, and then went back to Peggy's house to relax. It took me quite a while to get Kaylee to go to sleep and then all during the night she was waking up, kicking, pushing, talking...We got up and decided to go to Walmart. I bought Kaylee a very cute doll with a baby carrier and bag with bottles, bib, plate, fork, spoon, stuffed animal, and a extra outfit. It was on clearance for $13. I could not believe.

Kaylee loves cupcakes...

2009-01-09T13:02:00.005-05:00

Aunt Ya Ya (Trudy)came to visit this week and brought us lunch and a cupcake for Kaylee. Kaylee LOVES cupcakes! She eats the icing first and then the cake. Afterwards Ya Ya and Kaylee played in the tent and read books.

Grandma and Grandpa have returned from visiting Blake, Lynne and our darling neice Devin. They came over for dinner and brought Christmas presents all the way from Arkansas. Kaylee loved the book and panda hat. The rest of us liked our gifts too!

Not much going on here, Mark and I have been trying to get our adoption/foster parent brochure completed so we can send them out to all the counties in Virginia. There may be some of you that don't understand or agree with our decision to open our home and our heart to bring a child into our lives with the possibility of not being able to adopt them. We have talked about this and had our eyes opened in the classes we attended, and know this is what we are meant to do. If we can touch a childs life for however long then how rewarding is that?

Quiet at the home front...

2009-01-04T18:54:00.005-05:00

On New Years Day we went to my sister Trudy's house and had a wonderful dinner. After dinner, Dylan went to his friend, JP's house and spent the night. Mark and I had a quiet night at home after Kaylee went to sleep. Trudy gave Mark and I a popcorn machine for Christmas. We are really enjoying it. Last night Dylan and I went to Short Pump Mall and did a little shopping and then went to see the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey. It was very hysterical. I really enjoyed my time with my baby boy, but I think he would have rather have spent his Saturday night with his friends...lol

Happy New Year to All...

2008-12-30T21:50:00.005-05:00

As the New Year comes upon us, we are going to have another celebration on January 20th. That is our GOTCHA DAY (when we first got Kaylee in China) When we were in China, I shopped and purchased many small chinese items to give to Kaylee on special days as she grows up. We are also planing to have a Birthday party for her in February when she turns 2.

I have been taking down Christmas decorations this week. I am getting the urge to clean out all the closets, cabinets and drawers and take it to Goodwill.

Dylan loves his drums, I on the other hand is having some difficulty with it. Kaylee likes playing in her tent, she has her dolls and puzzles and blankets in there with her.

My nephew Matthew came over today and ate dinner with us. He also had previously given us some deer meat and I had frozen it. Well Matthew decided to thaw it out and slice it up and put seasoning in it. I am going to cook it tomorrow night, wish me luck!!

Kaylee and her toys...

2008-12-28T20:28:00.004-05:00

Well things have slowed down now. All the entertaining is over and I am now trying to get my house back in order. Kaylee has been overwhelmed with all of the toys that she got from Santa and family. She has taken on the roll of mommie to her doll that Aunt Trudy gave her. They sleep together and she will give her a bottle and even try and feed her real food. Kaylee also got some lego blocks that she has started to take interest in.

Our 1st Christmas with Kaylee...

2008-12-26T20:15:00.008-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Dylan got a set of drums (yes, I have made a BIG mistake) an Ihome for his Ipod and several other items. Kaylee did not have a clue as to what was going on. She just opened one present after the other and had a blast. Kaylee's Aunt Trudy gave her a baby doll that she just loves. Aunt Peggy gave Kaylee a little big wheel, a walking and singing Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba and also Foofa that shakes and makes noises. Santa brought Kaylee a Hello Kitty tent, that she loves and mega blocks, puzzles, books and she aslo got a small magna doodle that she really likes. We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our family and seeing Kaylee look at the Christmas lights, and hearing all the music and she would start dancing. It has been such a memorable time for us. Kaylee has gotten more vocal and her personality is really starting to shine.

Grandma Jane, Grandpa George, Linda Geoghegan and Mary Frances Cotton came over for dinner tonight and we also exchanged presents. The night turned out great.

An early Christmas with Grandma Jan...

2008-12-19T10:24:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Dylan and my Birthday on Wednesday. We went out to dinner at Vinny's. Mark had the waitress bring out a ice cream cake to us. I went to Bible study and our teacher Richard and his wife Linda had a cake for me too...LOL When I arrived home, I had presents on the table waiting for me. I will have to say by far, my favorite present was from my son Dylan. He gave me a beautiful framed picture that he made with colored pencils and signed. It is going on the wall in my bedroom and will be treasured forever.

On Grandma Jan's last night with us, we celebrated Christmas with a nice dinner and presents. Grandma Jan made a delicious crab and cream cheese dip appetizer that we enjoyed while waiting for dinner. We then moved into the living room and enjoyed Christmas music while taking turns opening presents. Mark was so happy to receive a Shiatzu back massaging cushion from his mom. Kaylee really had a blast opening presents for the first time. We all had a nice evening.

Grandma Jan comes to visit...

2008-12-13T18:59:00.004-05:00

Mark's mom Jan, came for a visit from California to see us. She has not had the best time so far due to a back/hip ache. We have been hanging around the house a lot. Kaylee has warmed right up to her. She loves for Grandma Jan to read to her. We are hoping that we can get to Williamsburg Outlets before she goes back home on Thursday.

We have had another visitor this week- Peggy's dog Tobey. He has had a ball running around out back "with the girls" and tormenting my cats, Tater and Sassy.

Earlier in the week, Mark's dad and Jane came over and surprised Dylan and I with an early Birthday cake and presents. It was very nice.

Kaylee went to see Santa...

2008-12-08T20:09:00.006-05:00

Mark and I took Kaylee to Short Pump Town Center to get her picture taken with Santa Claus. She was so pretty in the red and black dress that Peggy bought her. Everything was going just great, I was talking to Mrs Claus and holding Kaylee, and then Santa called us over....OMG- Kaylee was screaming and holding out her arms for me and yelling maaamaaaaa. We bought the pictures even though you can see her back teeth from the screaming and her eyes are closed and her arms are stretched out for me. Other than that, we had a good time...LOL We will look back on this and laugh about it. HA HA

2008-12-02T20:28:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving was very nice. My sisters and I were at Walmart at 5:00am on Black Friday. I am going to try very hard to not have to EVER do that again. We love to shop, but people yelling and pushing and jumping in line, is not my cup of tea. I did manage to get what I came for and some other items too! We spent the entire day shopping, having a blast just being together.

Sunday after church, we had a Fellowship dinner. There was great food and good conversation.

Mark, Dylan, Kaylee and I put the Christmas tree up and it looks very pretty. Everyone tells me I need a bigger tree because I (they say) I have too many decorations on mine. I love it just the way it is...

Dylan is getting ready to turn 16 on the 23rd. I can't believe my baby is getting so big.

Mark and I have had a family meeting and we have decided to become foster/adoptive parents. We have completed the 8 week course and our homestudy has been turned in. All we do now is wait for social services to call with a child/siblings. We feel that there is another child out there that needs us and we have so much love to give. I do know that some people may not agree with us doing this. So with all do respect, keep it to your self. We have NO doughts that this is what we want to do. That does not mean you will not hear me complain or vent, but just be a friend and listen and even give positive advice. I hope you all understand how much I care about everyone of you.

Kayleebug...

2008-11-26T20:07:00.005-05:00

I can't seem to stop taking pictures of Kaylee... She is just the cutest little thing! Her personality is so bubbly. But let me tell you, she is one stubborn girl. We are definitly going to have our hands full. I bet my parents are looking down from Heaven and saying HA HA HA HA...

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T22:00:00.002-05:00

Mark put this video together of our journey to China to get Kaylee. The music that he chose was beautiful. The song "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts is the most touching song and will probably make you cry...

A video of our trip to China to get Kaylee...

2008-11-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

Happy times...

2008-11-17T14:15:00.004-05:00

Kaylee has changed so much since we brought her home in February. That once frightened little baby has become the light of our eyes and has such a wonderful personality. She has started to do what we call "the chicken dance" and it just cracks us up. When I open her door in the morning, she has such a beautiful smile and waves at me. It is the most amazing thing to just see the love in her precious eyes.

Our weekend at Peggy's...

2008-11-09T19:26:00.005-05:00

Dylan, Kaylee and I took off this weekend to Virginia Beach to see Peggy. We went to Atlantic and Pacific to some stores and had lunch at Doughboys pizza. Kaylee loves pizza. We then came back to Peggy's house for a while and later, Peggy treated us to dinner at Harpoon Larry's. It was fantastic! Crab cakes, hush puppies, cole slaw...OH MY!

On Friday, a mosquito bit Kaylee on her left eye and her eye was so swollen. We think she may have an allergy to them. It seems every time she has been bitten, it really swells up a lot. It is much better today.

Kaylee has been having some major sleep issues this past week. She has been waking up numerous times every night. Last night I laid down with her for 2 hours waiting for her to go to sleep and she just would not. She ended up crying herself to sleep. I hate to make her do that. All night long, she kicked, pushed, twisted, and so on... I am soooo tired.

We left Peggy's and Dylan wanted to go back to the surf shop and get a pair of shoes. We parked and walked to look at the ocean also. Kaylee went right to sleep(of course) and Dylan and I had fun talking during our trip home.

My southern girl...

2008-11-05T10:07:00.004-05:00

Kaylee is my little "southern girl". She loves southern cooking such as navy bean soup with cornbread. She even has a little drawl when saying hi. It is the cutest!

I said I was not going to say anything about politics on here because I did not want to offend anyone, but I just have to say how upset and actually scared I am over the outcome. It has even put me in a slump today. I just pray that he will have the USA's best interests at heart. I think I will stop there before I say too much. This is now in Gods hands...

The day after Halloween, Dylan helped Kaylee eat some of her candy. She has no problem sharing with her "ny nan"

Kaylee's 1st Halloween...

2008-10-31T21:27:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween! We have had a good week. Mark carved the pumpkin while Kaylee sat in her high chair and looked at the American Girl catalog. She is definitly a girly girl. She LOVES her kitty kitty that Grandma Jan gave her. Kaylee has really become quite fond of a few of her stuffed animals.

Tonight we went Trick or Treating to Aunt Trudy's house and her neighbors across the road. We then went to a Trunk or Treating a church nearby that a friend invited us to. They had decorated their car trunks and had lots and lots of candy. Kaylee had so much fun. She decorated a mini pumpkin, played some games, ate a hotdog, corn bread and some cheetos.

Fall is here...

2008-10-27T21:03:00.004-04:00

October has been a fun month. Kaylee and I went to Corolla, North Carolina with Peggy and Trudy. We stayed in a house on the beach an had a great time. The best part was going four wheeling on the beach and dunes and seeing wild horses. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I can't wait to take Dylan. We really had fun hanging out together shopping, talking, getting in the hot tub... Kaylee really loves her aunts and she even started trying to say Peggy. It came out like "bebby" or something like that. She still calls Trudy "yaya."

After five days in Carolina, I went to Peggy's and stayed for a few days.

While I was away, Dylan went to the Homecoming dance. Mark took some pics of him dressed up. He was sooooo handsome.

We are now getting ready for Halloween this Friday. Kaylee is going to be a ladybug. We are going to go to a "Trunk or Treat" at church instead of going door to door. I will add those pics this weekend.

Here are some of our beach trip...

Summer is over...

2008-09-28T20:50:00.003-04:00

Things are getting back to normal here. It has been 8 weeks since my surgery and I am feeling better. Now, if I can lose some weight I would be wonderful...

Kaylee is growing like crazy and I can't believe we have only been home from China for about 8 months. She has several teeth coming in and boy is that making her cranky at night. She is really coming along with talking and we have started to use the potty. Not having a lot of progress with that as of yet though. She loves to sit on it with a book and read.

Aunt Peggy, Aunt Trudy and I (with Kaylee of course) went shopping to get Kaylee some fall clothes and shoes. She is growing like a weed!

Mark and I had our second post adoption meeting last week. Our adoption agency requires three. We have one more around the first of the year. It consist of the social worker coming to the house and talking with us, seeing Kaylee and a quick inspection. We also have to give her pictures of all of us doing different activities.

Here are some pics...ENJOY

Kaylee's first haircut....

2008-09-12T22:52:00.003-04:00

Kaylee did not want to get her hair cut. Mark had to sit in the chair with her and she still was screaming. We tried to give her a tootsie pop but that did not work either. Thank goodness it only took a few minutes. As soon as we picked her up, she was fine and wanted her tootsie pop. She is saying all kinds of new words, up, down, I love you,daddy bear, duck, bye bye, more, cookie....and many others. She also has about 4 back teeth coming in at the same time. Kaylee is 19 months old as of yesterday. She is growing up so fast. Mark and I are looking forward to the holiday season since this will be our first with Kaylee.

Countdown....

2008-09-08T19:16:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow I have my appointment with my doctor to find out if I can pick my baby girl up. I am praying that he says yes... Kaylee just loves her big brother. She waits for him in the afternoon to get off the bus. The bus driver waves to her and Kaylee will squeal when she sees Dylan. Grandma and Grandpa came over tonight. They are going to go with me to the doctor tomorrow and take care of Kaylee for me. They have been at our beck and call since the beginning of this. We really are thankful to have them.

OK, wish me luck!!

One day at a time...

2008-09-02T18:35:00.003-04:00

One more week and hopefully I can start picking up my baby girl. This has gotten on my last nerve relying on family for every part of Kaylee's care. I do truly appreciate everything that they have done for me.

Dylan started the 10th grade today. Kaylee usually sleeps until about 8:30 or 9:00am, but since Dylan had to get up at 6:00, Kaylee decided she wanted to get up too. Needless to say, she had a morning nap and a short afternoon nap and at 6:00pm tonight, she was falling to sleep with food in her mouth. We took video and pics because it was just so cute.

A surprise visitor...

2008-08-24T19:41:00.005-04:00

My good friend, Chip, that I have known since around 2000, came for a visit today with his son, Ben. They had not met Kaylee before. We use to work in the same building a few years ago.

Dylan's friend JP, came over this afternoon and is going to spend the night. Dylan has been outside building a paintball field most of the day. He just bought a new gun and is looking forward to playing. Peggy has been at Trudy's this weekend with Michael, so I have been taking care of her dog Tobey. Gus is his big brother. They get along pretty well. Tobey does not like our kitten Tater or our older cat Sassy though. They tolerate each other.

Not a lot to report...

2008-08-24T11:10:00.003-04:00

Michael is at Trudy's house getting very good care. Peggy came down this weekend to help take care of him. He seems to be healing very well.

We are doing pretty good here. Kaylee is into EVERYTHING...LOL She wants me to pick her up and does not understand why I can't. Dylan has been such a help to me. I am hoping we can get to do school shopping next week or the following.

Here are some pics from this weekend...

Finally some pics...

2008-08-21T14:01:00.004-04:00

Mark and Grandpa made Kaylee a little house out of a big box yesterday. She loves it.

Micheal is suppose to come home today from the hospital. Not much else going on here. We did manage to take some pics...

I made it through...

2008-08-20T12:48:00.003-04:00

My gosh...This has been one terrible week and a half. I am finally starting to feel better. I want to thank my sisters, in laws, Mark and last but not least my son Dylan for taking such good care of me. Last week was very stressful, due to the fact of my surgery, I can't pick up Kaylee for a month and the day I came home, my nephew Michael was in a very bad motorcycle accident. He broke his ankle, some toes and has a compound fracture on his finger. I think the worst is the road rash that is on his arms, back and stomach. I have not been able to see him yet. He is still in the hospital, but should get out this week. He will be staying at Trudy's house to be cared for and they will have a home health care aide daily for care of his bandages.
I have not taken any pics this week so heck back and I hope to have some towards the end of the week.