Dear Family and Friends,
I am so dreadfully sorry that I have neglected the blog for the last month - the reality of having moved in September is that I have very little time left over at the end of the day to do much of anything - including spending time on the computer. I would like to say things will improve after the holidays but I don't want to make promises I can't keep! I will do my best, however.
We have been incredibly busy getting ready for the holidays. I have been painting like mad since I am hosting two big events in my new home. I have about 30 people from my church coming on the 19th and am hosting my family on Christmas Eve! There is so much to do and so little time to get it done in. Thankfully one of my aunts and a good friend of mine each gave up a Saturday to help me get some things done and that has helped tremendously.
Sophie had her second birthday the week of Thanksgiving! We celebrated with an Elmo birthday cake at my parents house on Thanksgiving day. She is growing like a weed - we had her two year check up last Friday and she has grown nearly 2 inches since last May!! Her weight is up to 26 whole pounds! Skinny little weed!
She is talking up a storm and is particularly fond of the the moon and the stars (the mun and tars as she likes to say!- we are working on some sounds, especially the s and l sounds - socks and clock both sound the same and I will leave it to your imagination as to what she actually says! - sorry gentlemen! lol!!!)
Sophie made the FRONT page of our local newspaper this week! She was with my sister at a local church fair one Saturday (Mom was home doing some painting without the "help" of my little peanut). Anyway, Soph had just finished kissing Winnie the Pooh when the photographer started clicking photos. She is too cute, my little Sophie.
Speaking of cute - I just love this! When I ask her "Sophie, who's cute?" she answers "Momma cute!" I love it! and no - I didn't teach her to say that - she just came up with it by herself!! Sometimes I ask her just to hear her say it!!! LOL!
I need to run for now. I promise to post new pictures soon - hopefully tomorrow. I'll also fill you in on other Sophie activities as the pictures remind me of how neglectful I have been in keeping you all up to date!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Happy Birthday Sophie
Visitors
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Our referral anniversary is coming up!
Dear Family and Friends,
Can you all believe it's been nearly one year since I got my referral from China? November 16th for me - though the rest of my group did get theirs November 5th. I know now that my Sophie from Xiu Shui would not have been in the group of referrals that came on the 5th, so God was holding my little one back so that her paperwork would match up perfectly with my own paperwork in China.
I am so blessed to have her as my daughter. She fits so perfectly in my family. I am often amazed at how many things she will do or of her physical characteristics and mannerisms that remind me of my biological family members. The way she tilts her head and stares off into space reminds me of my nephew, Ian. The way her thumbs are double jointed and she contorts them into a Z shape is something my niece, Haley, does too! The way she plays with the cuff of her sleeves is something my grandmother, Yvonne, would do, and the way Sophie walks (my little flat footed beauty!), is just like my grandmother, Angelina, used to walk! Yes, just as adoption was God's plan for me, my daughter was God's plan for my family! Thank you, LORD, for making our family complete.
Michelle - got your message - the girls are welcome to come over ANY time they want! You know how much Sophie adores them! Maybe you, Chris and the girls would like to come to dinner???
Kim - hair styles in our house are an issue! Her hair is too thin to do much with and too short in all the wrong places! I wish I could braid it like you do for Natalie! Hair bobs for Sophie are really just extra toys that she doesn't have to carry in her hands! Sooner or later they end up in her bed, the floor, the toy box, her lunch bag, the car seat, the floor of the car.. you get the picture!
Shawn - I do so remember this time last year. For me it was the longest two weeks of my life - those first two weeks in November! But, I do remember with fondness the slumber parties with the Queen - my favorite you tube video is STILL the one with the runway model falling off those ridiculous high healed platform shoes! Just in case you don't remember which one I mean, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36WgNX_--hI
I'll post pictures separately as I can't seem to get the spacing right with what I write and how I post the pictures!!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Can you all believe it's been nearly one year since I got my referral from China? November 16th for me - though the rest of my group did get theirs November 5th. I know now that my Sophie from Xiu Shui would not have been in the group of referrals that came on the 5th, so God was holding my little one back so that her paperwork would match up perfectly with my own paperwork in China.
I am so blessed to have her as my daughter. She fits so perfectly in my family. I am often amazed at how many things she will do or of her physical characteristics and mannerisms that remind me of my biological family members. The way she tilts her head and stares off into space reminds me of my nephew, Ian. The way her thumbs are double jointed and she contorts them into a Z shape is something my niece, Haley, does too! The way she plays with the cuff of her sleeves is something my grandmother, Yvonne, would do, and the way Sophie walks (my little flat footed beauty!), is just like my grandmother, Angelina, used to walk! Yes, just as adoption was God's plan for me, my daughter was God's plan for my family! Thank you, LORD, for making our family complete.
Michelle - got your message - the girls are welcome to come over ANY time they want! You know how much Sophie adores them! Maybe you, Chris and the girls would like to come to dinner???
Kim - hair styles in our house are an issue! Her hair is too thin to do much with and too short in all the wrong places! I wish I could braid it like you do for Natalie! Hair bobs for Sophie are really just extra toys that she doesn't have to carry in her hands! Sooner or later they end up in her bed, the floor, the toy box, her lunch bag, the car seat, the floor of the car.. you get the picture!
Shawn - I do so remember this time last year. For me it was the longest two weeks of my life - those first two weeks in November! But, I do remember with fondness the slumber parties with the Queen - my favorite you tube video is STILL the one with the runway model falling off those ridiculous high healed platform shoes! Just in case you don't remember which one I mean, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36WgNX_--hI
I'll post pictures separately as I can't seem to get the spacing right with what I write and how I post the pictures!!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tried giving you photos...
Dear Family and Friends,
I tried to update pictures but the site would not let me download any pictures.... I'll try again tomorrow - I have had nothing but problems with services since I went to Comcast - I miss my Verizon (not available in my new town), my Direct TV (can't have satellite dish at the condo) and a phone that works! (the Comcast guy is coming to fix THAT on Friday night!!!)
Sorry, just my frustration coming out.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
I tried to update pictures but the site would not let me download any pictures.... I'll try again tomorrow - I have had nothing but problems with services since I went to Comcast - I miss my Verizon (not available in my new town), my Direct TV (can't have satellite dish at the condo) and a phone that works! (the Comcast guy is coming to fix THAT on Friday night!!!)
Sorry, just my frustration coming out.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Monday, October 13, 2008
Contrary to popular belief - We are still around!
Dear Family and Friends,
So sorry I haven't updated in such a long time - so much has been going on. I finally closed on my new condo on September 11 and it was a whirl wind of activity since then. That weekend was spent trying to get as much cleaning done as possible. Although not bad by many other people's experiences, this place was not something I was feeling comfortable about having my 21 month old playing in. Thanks to so many wonderful people from church who gave up several weekends of their time, we were able to move in the following Saturday (Sept 20th I think it was). I worked on Sunday and Monday, took Tuesday off to do grocery shopping, have cable, internet and phones hooked up, get Stanley Steamer to clean the carpets and cleaned at my old apartment. On the 24th I checked into the hospital at 6AM to have some abdominal surgery done!
While I have managed to get a lot done, there is still so very much left to do. Believe me when I say that every surface of this place needs something done to it! I will need to do much remodeling to bring this place up to date. It was built in 1981 and it has the original kitchen and bathrooms to prove it! There is a sense of accomplishment when I finish a project and fortunately for me I should have that feel good sense of accomplishment for the next ten years since it will take me that long to get every thing done!! LOL!
Sophie is loving her new house. There are lots of trees and open space here and she loves to collect leaves, sticks and acorns, all of which somehow make it into my house! Can't tell you how many times I've stepped on a stupid acorn in my bare feet in the living room! That hurts! Her room is huge! Twice as big as the one she had in the apartment (which was not small to begin with!). She has plenty of space to play in here - though there seem to be many more toys invading the living room on a daily basis. . . . .
I'm waiting to recover enough from surgery to be able to lift heavy objects. My computer desk is still in the garage and I can't park in there until I move that and some other pieces of furniture from there. Right now I'm working off a TV tray as my desk for the computer! Not too good for one's back - especially at my age!
Kim, I promise to post pictures soon - my camera was among the missing for several days but I do have some cute Sophie shots from last weekend when we went pumpkin picking!
Talk to you all soon,
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
So sorry I haven't updated in such a long time - so much has been going on. I finally closed on my new condo on September 11 and it was a whirl wind of activity since then. That weekend was spent trying to get as much cleaning done as possible. Although not bad by many other people's experiences, this place was not something I was feeling comfortable about having my 21 month old playing in. Thanks to so many wonderful people from church who gave up several weekends of their time, we were able to move in the following Saturday (Sept 20th I think it was). I worked on Sunday and Monday, took Tuesday off to do grocery shopping, have cable, internet and phones hooked up, get Stanley Steamer to clean the carpets and cleaned at my old apartment. On the 24th I checked into the hospital at 6AM to have some abdominal surgery done!
While I have managed to get a lot done, there is still so very much left to do. Believe me when I say that every surface of this place needs something done to it! I will need to do much remodeling to bring this place up to date. It was built in 1981 and it has the original kitchen and bathrooms to prove it! There is a sense of accomplishment when I finish a project and fortunately for me I should have that feel good sense of accomplishment for the next ten years since it will take me that long to get every thing done!! LOL!
Sophie is loving her new house. There are lots of trees and open space here and she loves to collect leaves, sticks and acorns, all of which somehow make it into my house! Can't tell you how many times I've stepped on a stupid acorn in my bare feet in the living room! That hurts! Her room is huge! Twice as big as the one she had in the apartment (which was not small to begin with!). She has plenty of space to play in here - though there seem to be many more toys invading the living room on a daily basis. . . . .
I'm waiting to recover enough from surgery to be able to lift heavy objects. My computer desk is still in the garage and I can't park in there until I move that and some other pieces of furniture from there. Right now I'm working off a TV tray as my desk for the computer! Not too good for one's back - especially at my age!
Kim, I promise to post pictures soon - my camera was among the missing for several days but I do have some cute Sophie shots from last weekend when we went pumpkin picking!
Talk to you all soon,
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Sunday, September 21, 2008
At long last!
Dear Family and Friends,
Finally! A whirlwind week has come to an end and yesterday we moved all of our belongings to our new home! My apologies for not writing sooner but there was sooooo much to get done before I could let Sophie roam about the new condo. It needed and extensive cleaning!
I can't thank my church family enough with all the help they gave me in the last week. I am blessed to have had an electrician (to give us power when the master circuit breaker broke!);a plumber to fix a leaking bathtub faucet;a heating specialist to keep my aging furnace going to give us heat and hot water; and, of course those who gave up two weekends to help me clean, paint and provide their labors to load and unload 5 rooms of our belongings! What a blessing you all are - it does prove the proverb - A friend loveth at all times.... I am so thankful to God for you all!
It will take a few days to get my internet access going, so please forgive the lack of communication - I'll publish pictures when I get back on line.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Finally! A whirlwind week has come to an end and yesterday we moved all of our belongings to our new home! My apologies for not writing sooner but there was sooooo much to get done before I could let Sophie roam about the new condo. It needed and extensive cleaning!
I can't thank my church family enough with all the help they gave me in the last week. I am blessed to have had an electrician (to give us power when the master circuit breaker broke!);a plumber to fix a leaking bathtub faucet;a heating specialist to keep my aging furnace going to give us heat and hot water; and, of course those who gave up two weekends to help me clean, paint and provide their labors to load and unload 5 rooms of our belongings! What a blessing you all are - it does prove the proverb - A friend loveth at all times.... I am so thankful to God for you all!
It will take a few days to get my internet access going, so please forgive the lack of communication - I'll publish pictures when I get back on line.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sigh.......
Dear Family and Friends,
Yes - you guessed it. We have no closing on the condo. It was rescheduled 3 times on Friday as my bank was waiting for a signature from the selling bank and it seems that this very large, national bank, had no one working who could sign off on the settlement. Now we wait until tomorrow when a new settlement needs to be drawn up (another week has passed in the month and the math needs to be adjusted to reflect this) and we wait again for someone to sign it.... My mortgage commitment expires next Thursday so it looks like I'll need to try and get an extension on this. Keep it in prayer please.
Sophie is doing well. She is adding new words to her vocabulary every day! She now has 3 variations of calling me - Momma, mom and mummy! Too cute! She is finally saying hello to people on the phone. In the past, it was always a listening activity for her, now she will talk a bit more, but is still more interested in pushing the buttons on the cordless phone!
I need to keep this one short - time is getting late and we must get ready for church.
Keep us in prayer,
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Yes - you guessed it. We have no closing on the condo. It was rescheduled 3 times on Friday as my bank was waiting for a signature from the selling bank and it seems that this very large, national bank, had no one working who could sign off on the settlement. Now we wait until tomorrow when a new settlement needs to be drawn up (another week has passed in the month and the math needs to be adjusted to reflect this) and we wait again for someone to sign it.... My mortgage commitment expires next Thursday so it looks like I'll need to try and get an extension on this. Keep it in prayer please.
Sophie is doing well. She is adding new words to her vocabulary every day! She now has 3 variations of calling me - Momma, mom and mummy! Too cute! She is finally saying hello to people on the phone. In the past, it was always a listening activity for her, now she will talk a bit more, but is still more interested in pushing the buttons on the cordless phone!
I need to keep this one short - time is getting late and we must get ready for church.
Keep us in prayer,
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Monday, September 1, 2008
September already?
Dear Family and Friends,
I can't believe it's September already. As I write this, I am brought back to one year ago when I was waiting for my referral. I was excited and nervous - I knew I was one to two months off from becoming a mom and it scared me a bit. Now Sophie has been home for nearly 8 months and it's hard to imagine life without her. She is growing so fast. I tried putting a onesie on her last night and have to admit to myself that she has outgrown her 12 month clothing! She is just now filling out her 18 month clothes. Can't really call her petite since she is so tall, but she is a tiny Munchkin to me.
We have a new closing on the condo! Pray that all will go as hoped for this coming Friday. If all goes well, I will be cleaning furiously next weekend and painting during the week nights to be ready to move the following weekend. I know I won't get all the painting done, but would like to have Sophie's room complete before we move.
I happened to run across an interview with Steven Curtis Chapman that he did for a radio program recently. I don't know if many of you know that he and his wife have adopted 3 girls from China. In May there was an awful accident at their home when his second oldest biological son hit the youngest girl, Maria Sue, when she ran out in front of his car. She went home to be with Jesus that day. I bawled as I listened to that interview (actually was 3 days). If you want to be inspired by a strong Christian faith, listen to this interview.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/25/2008
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/26/2008
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/27/2008
When Steven sang his song, Cinderella, it made me think about what is important. That day I was caught up in the day to day things of life and Sophie was very clingly. She was napping when I heard this message and it made me realize I won't have this time in her life for very long. God does not promise us one more minute and everything could change in a heartbeat. Tonight, I spent time just being a mom to Sophie. We giggled. Read books. Splashed in the tub. It was perfect.
Double fisted shopping!
Painter's assistant!
Washing feet!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
I can't believe it's September already. As I write this, I am brought back to one year ago when I was waiting for my referral. I was excited and nervous - I knew I was one to two months off from becoming a mom and it scared me a bit. Now Sophie has been home for nearly 8 months and it's hard to imagine life without her. She is growing so fast. I tried putting a onesie on her last night and have to admit to myself that she has outgrown her 12 month clothing! She is just now filling out her 18 month clothes. Can't really call her petite since she is so tall, but she is a tiny Munchkin to me.
We have a new closing on the condo! Pray that all will go as hoped for this coming Friday. If all goes well, I will be cleaning furiously next weekend and painting during the week nights to be ready to move the following weekend. I know I won't get all the painting done, but would like to have Sophie's room complete before we move.
I happened to run across an interview with Steven Curtis Chapman that he did for a radio program recently. I don't know if many of you know that he and his wife have adopted 3 girls from China. In May there was an awful accident at their home when his second oldest biological son hit the youngest girl, Maria Sue, when she ran out in front of his car. She went home to be with Jesus that day. I bawled as I listened to that interview (actually was 3 days). If you want to be inspired by a strong Christian faith, listen to this interview.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/25/2008
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/26/2008
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=8/27/2008
When Steven sang his song, Cinderella, it made me think about what is important. That day I was caught up in the day to day things of life and Sophie was very clingly. She was napping when I heard this message and it made me realize I won't have this time in her life for very long. God does not promise us one more minute and everything could change in a heartbeat. Tonight, I spent time just being a mom to Sophie. We giggled. Read books. Splashed in the tub. It was perfect.
Double fisted shopping!
Painter's assistant!
Washing feet!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Sunday, August 24, 2008
All things on hold...
Dear Family and Friends,
Just a quick update on our move. The closing was postponed from last week due to some additional documents needed to insure the selling bank has the right to do so. No new closing date yet, but everyone is hoping it will be sometime this week. It has really been a stressful week and I don't think the stress is over!
On the bright side, my landlord has offered me two additional weeks in my apartment should we not close by the end of the month. That has taken some of the pressure off. God has certainly blessed me once again with some wonderful people in my life.
Sophie is doing well. She has a huge runny nose this week - reminds me of the week we had in China. She had a runny nose then that just wouldn't stop! Ahhhh! The memories! They all come flooding back (no pun intended!!).
I will write more later.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Just a quick update on our move. The closing was postponed from last week due to some additional documents needed to insure the selling bank has the right to do so. No new closing date yet, but everyone is hoping it will be sometime this week. It has really been a stressful week and I don't think the stress is over!
On the bright side, my landlord has offered me two additional weeks in my apartment should we not close by the end of the month. That has taken some of the pressure off. God has certainly blessed me once again with some wonderful people in my life.
Sophie is doing well. She has a huge runny nose this week - reminds me of the week we had in China. She had a runny nose then that just wouldn't stop! Ahhhh! The memories! They all come flooding back (no pun intended!!).
I will write more later.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Still packing....
Dear Family and Friends,We are still packing for our move. Keep praying that the foreclosure deed is filed before my scheduled closing date of the 22d. I have already given notice for my apartment for September 1st, and have no idea where we will be going if the closing is not completed before that date.... Oh well, God has it all in control and I'm just along for the ride!
Sophie is getting sassy - I think the boxes upon boxes have turned her world upside down. She wakes up and there are new boxes in the dining room and less "stuff" everywhere else! But, she is still too cute and even with her sassyness, she makes me laugh!
I need to run for now. Just wanted to give you some new pictures.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
More boxes???? Where DO they come from??
Sitting in a shoe box! Notice the dry pool in the living room??? Makes a great place for watching Disney movies!
Sitting in a dish drainer headed for the Salvation Army! who needs toys when you have old dish drainers hanging around??
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Busy, busy, busy
Dear Family and Friends,
Life is so very busy this month and I expect it will be for the next couple of months as Sophie and I prepare to move! Yes! My offer on the condo was accepted by the bank and I am now in the midst of sorting and de-cluttering and packing my once spacious apartment (sound familiar Kim??) -it was spacious pre-Sophie, now every room has baby gear in it!
Everything is going well so far with preparing for the closing - we are ahead on schedule with the timeline set out in the offer. The only thing that could throw a wrench in it is if the foreclosure deed is not filed in time (there is a high volume in the land court due to the large number of foreclosures in the Commonwealth). But I will turn it over to the Lord and He will make it happen in His own time.
I don't have any new pictures of Sophie down loaded right now - it seems my camera is lost in the clutter that is my sorting system! As soon as I can lay my hands on it, I will add pictures.
Yesterday Sophie went to a new day care for the day. My sister and her family are on vacation and I wasn't able to get all the time off I needed. My good friend, Roberta, who is director of the day care at my church, allowed Sophie to go there as a drop in baby. I think Sophie had a fabulous time! She didn't want to leave! I think having all the other kids to play with exhausted her because she slept straight though the night and I don't think she changed positions more than twice!! I'm off on Monday but will take her back there next Tuesday.
That's all for now - I need to run to the bank before is closes.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Life is so very busy this month and I expect it will be for the next couple of months as Sophie and I prepare to move! Yes! My offer on the condo was accepted by the bank and I am now in the midst of sorting and de-cluttering and packing my once spacious apartment (sound familiar Kim??) -it was spacious pre-Sophie, now every room has baby gear in it!
Everything is going well so far with preparing for the closing - we are ahead on schedule with the timeline set out in the offer. The only thing that could throw a wrench in it is if the foreclosure deed is not filed in time (there is a high volume in the land court due to the large number of foreclosures in the Commonwealth). But I will turn it over to the Lord and He will make it happen in His own time.
I don't have any new pictures of Sophie down loaded right now - it seems my camera is lost in the clutter that is my sorting system! As soon as I can lay my hands on it, I will add pictures.
Yesterday Sophie went to a new day care for the day. My sister and her family are on vacation and I wasn't able to get all the time off I needed. My good friend, Roberta, who is director of the day care at my church, allowed Sophie to go there as a drop in baby. I think Sophie had a fabulous time! She didn't want to leave! I think having all the other kids to play with exhausted her because she slept straight though the night and I don't think she changed positions more than twice!! I'm off on Monday but will take her back there next Tuesday.
That's all for now - I need to run to the bank before is closes.
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Does she look like a boy???
Dear Family and Friends,
I was so excited about the condo in my earlier post that I forgot to post this tidbit...
I was at the grocery store tonight waiting to check out. Sophie was in the cart, bare foot and wearing a onesie with pink flowers and pink trim on the sleeves are neck. Granted she wasn't wearing any shorts but she's only 19 months old - give the girl a break.
Anyway, the woman in front of us starting talking to her and said "Isn't he handsome!" I don't get it! The baby was wearing PINK! I can't tell you how many times people tell me what a cute little boy I have!
Geeeeezzzzz!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
I was so excited about the condo in my earlier post that I forgot to post this tidbit...
I was at the grocery store tonight waiting to check out. Sophie was in the cart, bare foot and wearing a onesie with pink flowers and pink trim on the sleeves are neck. Granted she wasn't wearing any shorts but she's only 19 months old - give the girl a break.
Anyway, the woman in front of us starting talking to her and said "Isn't he handsome!" I don't get it! The baby was wearing PINK! I can't tell you how many times people tell me what a cute little boy I have!
Geeeeezzzzz!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
So many new things....
Dear Family and Friends,
I have been meaning to write but can't seem to find the time or energy these days.
We went to look at a condo last Tuesday, in the same town where my brother and sister live with their families. I liked what I saw and went back with my brother and brother in law on Thursday. I put in an offer and it was accepted!
I am so blessed! The bank has approved my loan and if everything else falls into place, I should close next month!
It's a large townhouse (nearly 2000 square feet) on 4 levels. There is a garage and finished room in the basement. The next level is the living room (with fireplace), the kitchen with dining area, half bath with laundry hookup and a large deck off the dining room. The next level has 2 bedrooms (both large) and full bath. Above that is a finished loft that could eventually be converted into a third bedroom. It needs updating but nothing that has to be done right away. Just needs a good cleaning and we will work on the rest when time and money permit.
Sophie will have a HUGE yard to play in and since it's an end unit that faces the woods, there is plenty of parking with this particular unit.
Sophie is growing. Has two more teeth coming in which give her a difficult time but she seems happy and is very healthy.
Piggy tails - or as Uncle Randy calls them - her antenna.
Watching a little Disney!
I have been meaning to write but can't seem to find the time or energy these days.
We went to look at a condo last Tuesday, in the same town where my brother and sister live with their families. I liked what I saw and went back with my brother and brother in law on Thursday. I put in an offer and it was accepted!
I am so blessed! The bank has approved my loan and if everything else falls into place, I should close next month!
It's a large townhouse (nearly 2000 square feet) on 4 levels. There is a garage and finished room in the basement. The next level is the living room (with fireplace), the kitchen with dining area, half bath with laundry hookup and a large deck off the dining room. The next level has 2 bedrooms (both large) and full bath. Above that is a finished loft that could eventually be converted into a third bedroom. It needs updating but nothing that has to be done right away. Just needs a good cleaning and we will work on the rest when time and money permit.
Sophie will have a HUGE yard to play in and since it's an end unit that faces the woods, there is plenty of parking with this particular unit.
Sophie is growing. Has two more teeth coming in which give her a difficult time but she seems happy and is very healthy.
Piggy tails - or as Uncle Randy calls them - her antenna.
Watching a little Disney!
Whoa pony!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Tidbits
Dear Family and Friends,
Life here is always interesting - not as interesting as others (Kim), but interesting nonetheless!
Looks like I will get Sophie to Disney World sooner than I thought - thanks Kim! Kim and Natalie (Natlee, as Sophie calls her) have persuaded us to move up our Disney trip to next September. We may still go with my brother and his family, but as we don't know when they will be going yet, it may mean we will go to Florida twice next year (finances permitting!)
Last weekend it was extremely hot here in New England. Temps into the mid to upper 90's. I bought Sophie a little pool to put out on the side porch and she loved it! I blew it up in the kitchen and she took it for a test nap before we got it outside with water! Isn't she the cutest?
Strike a pose!!
She had spaghetti and meat sauce for the first time this week! She loved it! Not as much sauce as some adventurous moms would have put on, but it worked for her! She had spaghetti every where!
One physical therapists at work gave me a HUGE bag of clothing - all 18-24 month sizes - most of which I can use for summer. Being that Sophie is such a little peanut (weight, not height), I may get another summer out of some of them so maybe I won't need to buy much for next year! This outfit I use for bedtime, but it is the cutest and I just needed to get some pictures!
Yesterday she went to a birthday party and bonded with the clown!
Finally, tonight, she helped Momma by emptying out the paper shredder! She used it for decorating her little buggy! She has a certain talent for decorating, I think!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Some Summertime Goodness
Dear Family and Friends,
Can it be that summer is finally here in New England? It's been a bit of a tease with the weather, but it seems that we will be into that awesome summer heat in just a few days! Time to pull out that air conditioner for night time sleeping.
Sophie's doctor appointment went well! She has gained another pound or so and tops the scale at 23.3 pounds (the 33d percentile). She continues to grow like a weed and is nearly 34 inches tall - the 96th percentile!! The doctor predicts she could be as tall as her mother by the time she grows to adulthood (I'm 5'8").
We have 3 birthday parties for her to attend this month - I don't know how she will do, but it will be fun to see!
Kim - got your message - I think it would be wonderful to get as many of the Jiangxi Babies in Disney World as possible next year! What a blast that would be! I can't wait to get to the point of actually booking things.
Here are a few more pictures for you to see her progress and personality!
Can it be that summer is finally here in New England? It's been a bit of a tease with the weather, but it seems that we will be into that awesome summer heat in just a few days! Time to pull out that air conditioner for night time sleeping.
Sophie's doctor appointment went well! She has gained another pound or so and tops the scale at 23.3 pounds (the 33d percentile). She continues to grow like a weed and is nearly 34 inches tall - the 96th percentile!! The doctor predicts she could be as tall as her mother by the time she grows to adulthood (I'm 5'8").
We have 3 birthday parties for her to attend this month - I don't know how she will do, but it will be fun to see!
Kim - got your message - I think it would be wonderful to get as many of the Jiangxi Babies in Disney World as possible next year! What a blast that would be! I can't wait to get to the point of actually booking things.
Here are a few more pictures for you to see her progress and personality!
Do I look cool in these shades??
Getting ready for a wagon ride with Uncle Ivan!
Down to the rind!
I love, love, love watermelon!
Down to the rind!
My Lady Bug raincoat!
I hope you enjoyed the pictures - talk to y0u soon
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Memorial Day!
It's been too long since I have updated the blog. It's not that I didn't try to, it's just that I had some problems with uploading the pictures and got frustrated with it!
I hope your day is filled with good things as we remember those who have died to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.
Sophie is growing up fast. She has added new words to her vocabulary and now knows where to find her ears in addition to her eyes, nose, belly and mouth. She turned 18 months old yesterday. We have a doctor appointment at the end of the week and I am curious to see how much she has acutally grown in the last month or so.
We went to the nursery today and bought some flowers. I spent more than I had planned but the flowers and plants were just to beautiful. I got a huge hanging planter for the big porch on the side of the house. We got some petunias and a geranium (bright pink) as well.
Sophie and I visited with her great aunt and uncle over the weekend. She got a ride in Uncle Ivan's garden wagon and loved it. She showed them all her tricks and they were properly impressed!
I've decided I can't wait until Sophie is 5 to bring her to Disney World! I talked to my brother about it. They are planning to go there sometime in the Fall next year and if we can swing it, Sophie will be seeing Disney for the first time! She will be nearly 3 years old by then and hopefully be filled with the wonder of it all. Momma can't wait!
Me and my baby!
How much milk do you need for that casserole, Mom?
Me and my buggy!
Momma! If we take a left at South Street that will take us to the park......
Enjoy,
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Can I give you new pictures to look at?
Dear Family and Friends,
At long last, here are the photos I promised you a week ago!
Reading time!
Love my naptime!
Hey, Momma! Need a ride?
That's it for now - need some sleep (baby has been getting me up 2-3 times a night for the last week and it's catching up to me!
Blessings,
Chinamom and Sophie
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