~2011 in Pics~

The boys in a new painted room for their future sister - Jan.

Me pretending to be a hockey player - Feb

Homeschooling project - March

Globetrotters - April at Harbor Station

Building Zay's hen house with dad and Grampy - May

1st Egg

The 1st time we saw her sweet face - May 27

Noah turns 13! - June

Pkg to send to Keely

Car wash - July

Yeah that's right, we are cool!

Noah's last year in little league.

Zay pitching

Happy Gotcha Day - July 25

Great Wall

1st pic all together as a family of 5! August 3

We were in China when Chris's brother got married so when we returned home we got all dressed up just like we were there and had a few pics done.

Family Sept.

Happy Halloween

Zay turns 11! - Nov.

1st time on the ice! - Nov.

1st Hockey Game in St.Andrews Dec 14th.

Noah got the 1st goal ever for a team from the Island and made the paper! Dec 14th

Gingerbread time!

Noah helping with the frosting.

Zay decorating the cookie and Keely doing some touch-ups.

Buful lighs (from the mouth of Keely)

Photo shoot with panda #2

Boys decorating our 14 footer!

1st nap in her crib in her own room. - Dec 20

Nana & Pa with Grandkids - Christmas Eve

Getting ready to go to the Christmas Eve service

Grammy & Grampy with Grandkids - Christmas Day

Apparently Keely's New Year's Eve attire.

Making friends with a lobster. Dec 31st.

Well, I guess you could say that 2011 was definitely a year we will never forget and unfortunately not sure how 2012 is ever going to match up.

Praying for health, laughter, love, fun and looking forward to making many more memories as a family of five.

Happy New Year From Our Family To Yours!

Ortho Appt And A Lost Panda

Keely had her first Orthopedic appt. this past Thursday (Dec.8) and his conclusion was that he was sending us to the IWK in Halifax to the pediatric Ortho specialists.  So basically we are now waiting for another appt. and still have no idea what is going on with her knee.  Thankfully it doesn't seem to bother her or slow her down any so it isn't an urgent matter.

On another note, we LOST panda.  The very first stuffed animal I bought when we started our adoption process, he went to China with us and I really wanted Keely to become attached to him.  Finally after a month or two she finally loved panda and wanted him in her bed every night and carried him around all day.  We're not sure how it happened but we figure he fell out of the truck at some point during our stops at stores and we didn't even notice until we were back at the hotel and getting ready for bed. :(  This was really upsetting to me and I went back to each place that night to see if he could be in the parking lot, but no luck.  The next morning I went or called each business to see if anyone happened to find him and bring him to their lost and found, but no luck.  :(

This was Keely's last pic with panda on the ferry before he was lost!

 Keely still is asking for him, but mama has another one ordered off of Amazon that will be here on Tuesday. :)  He won't have the same special meaning the first panda had, but hopefully she won't know the difference.  All I keep thinking though is about those dang Toy Story movies and how the toys have feelings and miss their owners!  Ok Kim you are how old??? lol   Anyway, hoping maybe some lonely little girl found him that needed a soft cuddly panda to love. 

This was our second week back at church and Keely has done really well.  We have been able to keep her enertained enough to sit with us throughout the whole service.  Today was the children's Christmas concert and she went up with the toddlers to play in the rhythm band.  She stood on the stage and stared and that was that.  :)  Of course I forgot my camera so I am hoping someone got a pic of her at her first Christmas concert.

My aunt had a very bad heart attack this past Thursday and hasn't been doing very well, but today we had our Christmas Miracle and when they removed her breathing tube she was breathing on her own and woke up.  Praise God, still praying that she has a speedy and full recovery.  Things like this are horrible anytime of the year, but to happen two weeks before Christmas makes it especially hard.  Thankfully God hears our prayers and answers.

Merry Christmas by Third Day

I remember last year, a song by Third Day called Merry Christmas.  Last year we were the family at the beginning of the song and now we are the family at the last of the song.  The song pretty much makes me cry as much as it did when I heard it last year, but now it is emotional for a different reason.

Knowing she is finally here and never has to spend another Christmas alone makes any moms heart happy and cry tears of joy.  I sometimes have to stop in amazement of how great God is to make sure that she would be here with us this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9UtRkMtOvE

Where We Are After 4 Months Home!

It actually seems like we have been home a lot longer than 4months, basically because we can't seem to remember the feeling of Keely not being here.

Ways I know she has attached to us(or is making really good progress in her attaching, so some of you don't freak out about how many years this takes).
She prefers me or my husband; (who endured her complete and utter rejection in the beginning); over others whether at home or out in a public setting.

She gets very excited with squeals when we are driving into the grandparents driveways, but is always ready to come home with mommy and daddy when we leave.

She doesn't seem to require a lot of attention from others who visit or out in public and sometimes can act almost snobby. lol

Has become selective in whom she gives her affections to. ( At first she would kiss just about anyone, but now thankfully knows the difference between acquaintances or family.)

She has become VERY busy like a typical 2yr old, well equipped with an independent spirit and the Nos to go with it.  A 13hr flight at this point probably wouldn't go as well as it did 4mo. ago.

She loves her daddy and sometimes prefers him over mama. FINALLY, I know I probably shouldn't be happy over this; but if you could have experienced the beginning; I am soooo thankful for this!

She LOVES the movies Finding Nemo and Tangled.

She loves her Panda, baby Kyah and her blankie.  Oh and now a little seal.  She has quite the armful when she is off to bed.

She sometimes will sit and let us read to her.  Her favorites right now are Gilbert The Great and Goodnight Moon.

Every time she walks in her room and we turn on her new birdcage light she says, "buful ligh".  She also says this now with all of the Christmas lights.

Speaking of, here are some pics of her decorating her little tree in her room.

Also one of a lazy Saturday morning snuggling with Dada, Panda, blankie and her new love spotted seal. (Kyah has recently been neglected)


So overall, I think we are doing quite well despite all this little girl has been through in 4 short months.  We are very thankful that she is here and that we can celebrate Christmas this year with our little girl.

Miss K's Birdcage Light!

I have been searching for the perfect light for Keely's room for awhile now and of course the ones I have seen that I liked were close to or over $300.  I wouldn't even pay that for a light for my room!

So while looking for cheaper lights, I came across an image of a do-it-yourself birdcage light.  I thought it was absolutely adorable and it would go with the Chinese theme in her room.  All throughout the parks in China people take their bird cages and set them in the trees so they can hear their birds sing while they're there.

So I went on ebay and found a metal birdcage that I liked, bid on it and won it.

Before!

Went to HH and got the wire, socket and spray paint and thanks to my wonderful husband who hooked it up, voila!  All for under $70.

Keely helping!

After!

I am in LOVE with this light!  It is so cute in her room!

OutNumbered

Those of you who know me, are aware that I am not overly sports oriented and definitely do not like watching sports on T.V.  I love watching my boys play and that is about the extent of my love!

Last Valentines Day, I thought I would give my husband the ultimate gift and become a hockey playing wife!  I grew up on figure skates, so trying to skate on hockey skates was a totally different experience for me.  Also, my fear of falling on a freezing cold, rock hard surface and injuring myself didn't help my situation.  But I did it and mostly enjoyed it when we would get some families together and play hockey with all of the kids. 

This year; now that we have our girl; I thought I maybe would have an excuse because she is too little and I needed to tend to her............OH Was I Wrong!

Who LOVES the ice and continually wants her Dad to take her skating with him?  You guessed it, Miss Keely!  We had Isaiah's belated Bday party yesterday and Chris thought he would put 2X too big skates on her and take her out.  Well, he couldn't get them on fast enough for her.  She couldn't even stand up in them and her helmet made her top heavy, but she didn't care and just wanted to be on the ice.  Lord Help Me Now!

What's Up?

I haven't been very good at updating my blog lately, but I will try to fill in the gaps.

Keely has officially been going for naps and bedtime without us laying down in the room with her for over a month and a half now!  YaY!

We had a pediatrician appt. and she requested blood work to see what vaccines she needs.  Well let me tell you that was NOT fun.  It took two trips to the hospital and a lot of pokes, tears and stressing from mama and they finally got 6 or 7 viles out of her little hand.  Glad that is over for now.  The Dr. had quite a few other things checked and we are supposed to get more done, but I think I might wait awhile. Still waiting for a call from the Ortho dr. about her legs.

Miss K has a definite Attitude and you would think she has been here all along and gets as annoyed with her brothers as any little girl would. lol   Her "Nos" are shining through more and more and her independence  is growing.  She has been wanting me to feed her more lately though and pretty much thinks the world revolves around her! Lord Help Us all!  Time-Ins as they want to call them now are happening at least once a day because of the new found attitude. :o)

This past week we had a Mars Bar commercial shot on our island and our family was picked to be in it along with 20 some others.  For two days we spent many many hours at our local arena shooting the commercial.  I had to leave Keely home so between my mom, my mother-in-law and my sister she had two full days without mama and actually didn't mind.  She kissed me goodbye and was excited and wanted to come with me when it was time to go home.  I am thinking this is good attachment, but my boys always cried when I would leave them anywhere, so then again I question if this is good or bad??
For the first two months she would cry if she thought I was leaving her, but now she is O.K.

I have started teaching her sounds of the letters and she already knows what sounds T, S, A, H, P, and R make.  My boys have struggled so much with school that I thought I would give her a head start.  I am hoping to get her some Mandarin cds or videos too so hopefully when she is older and wants to learn Mandarin, that it may come easier to her.

Chris has had her out on the ice at the rink in her boots and she loves it!  Looks like she will have those hockey skates on before we know it and I will be out- numbered even more.

Christmas is coming soon and I can't believe that she is here.  So much can happen in a year and this year has been definitely one to remember!

Zay-11yrs Today!

Today my youngest boy turns 11!  I can barely believe that I now have a 13yr old, 11yr old and a 2yr old.   The 2yr old is definitely bringing back memories of the days when the boys were that little, but it seems like forever ago.   Keeping up with my birthday posts for each child I dedicate this one to you my sweet Zay!

Isaiah you never cease to amaze me with your abilities, interests and what a handy young man you are.  From your chicken business, fishing, building camps, hunting, four wheeling and being an awesome big brother to your sister whom you have only known for a short 3 months.  You treat her like she has always been here and I can tell how much you truly love her.  Melts your mamas heart everyday!

We love you so much and are so very proud of you each and everyday.(Even when we nag)  We hope the next year is filled with love, laughter, and fun because you deserve it.
Now we can't have a Birthday post without some pics:

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY ISAIAH HARDING!!