Christmas Catch Up

We went to Tennessee the weekend before Christmas and had a great time and wonderful visit with our family there. Maya really enjoyed her big girl cousins, Caitlin and Chloe. We had not seen them since June.

We went to my sisters on Christmas Eve and I didn't take one single picture (what was I thinking???) Then we came home and opened our presents. Santa made his big appearance Christmas morning and Maya was thrilled with her new play area with her "chichin" (kitchen) and other toys on the spongey alphabet floor. We went to my Mom's and my brother's on Christmas day and once again, no pics. We had a great holiday and are actually still trying to see everyone while they are in town. We are getting ready to make two more holiday stops today. Maybe I'll bust out the camera. Maybe.

Merry Christmas!!

This has been the best Christmas that we have had in years! All we needed was this precious angel to remind us how much fun Christmas can be. Maya has had a blast counting down the days until Christmas and reminding us that "Sa Sauze" would be coming at anyone's mention of Christmas.

I had to post this picture! I just can't stop laughing when I look at it. I left it big so you can click on it and get a really good look at just how close Maya was to getting a big ol' kiss.

It doesn't get much closer than this.

And, I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me why in the world do tights have such a high waist?

Today also marks the day that we have had Maya for as long as she was in China without us. 10 months ago today, we were given the greatest gift. This Christmas we are so thankful that we have our sweet, sweet girl. We couldn't ask for anything more...Except for a sister...maybe.

The Christmas Card Revealed

Just couldn't wait any longer. This is the picture of our beautiful angel that we chose for our Christmas card this year. We love her more each day and she truely is the "Best Present Ever"!!

SNOW!

This is our summertime girl. You can tell by the look on her face what she really thinks about the snow. Or maybe it's just the snowsuit.


And then I pulled out the sled! We have a little hill in our back yard so we took a few trips down on the sled. But that only changed her attitude while we were sledding then right back to the grouchy face. I have to agree. Snow is only fun when your sliding on it (and not in your car!).


Fisher on the other hand, thought it was the best. He had to rub and rub and run and jump and bark and... well, you get the picture.

Christmas Card

I sent out our Christmas cards this weekend. We have been waiting for so long to be able to send a picture card featuring our child. I love getting cards from friends each year with their kids pictures and seeing how they change and grow from year to year.
We've been trying different outfits over the course of a few days and finally picked the winner (which I will post in a few days. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone who hasn't received their card yet.) Here are some of the contenders.
This outfit was a gift last year from Trisha, a friend at work. I am so glad that it still fits this year. We were on our way out to our local China adoption group's holiday get together.

I am a little disappointed that the winner doesn't have Fisher in the picture. After all, he is our first child. Oh well, maybe next year.

I'll offer this clue, this was the photo session that the winner was chosen from.

Little Miss Clause with her hat pulled down way too far according to Dad.

Taking all these pictures wears everyone out. Pardon the toys scattered everywhere. I tried to crop as many of them out as I could.

Just some cuteness in case you didn't get enough.

I hear "da bee, da bee, bzzzz, bzzzz" from the monitor. That means Maya is awake from her nap and she's playing with her bear, Flower. Flower has a butterfly on her head and Maya thinks any flying insect is a bee. Better go get my sweet sugar.
If you don't receive a card and think you should or would like to maybe I don't have your address. Send me an email and I'll hook you up. jm_nicurn@yahoo.com

The Little People Nativity

Maya loves her Fisher Price Little People toys. She has the farm and the circus. We saw some holiday Little People sets on Toys R Us while shopping for Christms gifts and they are all so cute. We ordered a set that was a Christmas town and didn't like it very well so I took it back and then ordered the nativity set. OH MY! This little set is too, too cute! We wrapped it and put it under the tree (it was the only thing under there) and let her open it. She goes to it first thing in the morning to play. We have a little Christmas nativity pop up book that she has been reading for about a month. Now she has a nativity set that she can play with while we read the book. I see this being a great toy for many Christmas' to come.

Christmas Crafts

Julie (Tess's Mommy) posted the beautiful "O Holy Night" pictures that she created for the holidays. What a great idea! In the fun tradition of a "challenge", she asked for other folks to post their crafty Christmas decoration creations. So here is mine.
A few years ago a ordered a book of Christmas recipes/decorations/gifts etc. My favorite idea in the book was these ornaments. They are made of a ball of foil with paper mache over it to make the shape of the face. I never dreamed that they would turn out they way they did since I'm not all that crafty and am certainly not a painter. I made more than 20 and gave them out as gifts. These are a few of the ones that I kept.
This is my favorite Santa in action (if you call hanging on a tree "action" LOL)

Just When You Thought it Couldn't Get Worse

Poor pitiful Fisher! He had to get his ear stitched up again after the vet took the stitches out from the hematoma surgery. The incision wasn't healing and it was nasty! He'll have these stitches in for 3 weeks. Only one more week to go.

The girl loves a straw. Maya is a camel. She doesn't drink much at all throughout the day. She drinks a 7-8 oz cup of milk in the morning and I still give her an 8 oz bottle at night. But, if I give her a drink in a cup with a straw, she will drink at least some of it. If I put something in a sippy cup, forget it.

And now you see why I keep a hair clasp or a pony tail in her hair.

Yet another cup with a straw...and Maya's BFF Jennifer. She loves this doll. She reads her books. She sits with her to watch Sesame Street. She sits Jennifer on her lap on the potty and enjoys a ride to visit Grandma and Grandad with her side by side.

Maya loved the pool at the hotel. It was pretty cold but that didn't stop us from swimming. I don't know what would keep our little fish out of the water.

Grandma warmed Maya up after our swim.

She had to give equal lap time to Grandad. She did enjoy holding Grandad's hand while walking around the hotel and after dinner. She has been on a big hand holding kick lately. She reaches out her little hand and says "han". But she wants to hold yours not for you to hold hers. There's that hair in her face again.

The shirt says it all!

Veterans Day

I'll just say this. Thank you to our veterans and those currently serving in our countries armed forces. I am a lover not a fighter but this is the day to remember those who are/were fighters for our country and I do appreciate that.
Maya and I took fall flowers to the cemetery last week for my Dad and Grandparents. This old faded flag was lying at my Grandmother and Grandfathers plots and she thought it was a great toy.

We went to the Shrine Circus on Sunday with the Rasberrys. Maya had a great time and was a very good girl especially considering how long it was. She had a good time with Lauren and ate lots of popcorn.

Who knew that Maya would enjoy wearing this cheetah mask. Well, she does and she will put it on then pull it up and wear it as a hat. Cute huh? Even under the mask.

Just had to get some pics of our beauty with the fall display on the front patio before everything was wilted and dead. I almost waited too long.

This was the first time we have been outside with a hat on since our first few days home from China. Maya was saying "hat" and pulling the top off of the jack-o-lantern.

This is our neighbor, Monnie. She is the girl with the green thumb. Monnie has the beautiful yard with the flowers that we use for our wildflower pics in the spring and summer. Maya loves Monnie and will take her hand and walk right over to her house without even looking back. This may not sound like a big deal but if you know Maya, you know that it's a very big deal.

Maya is a helper. Ok, maybe that's an understatement. She has to get her little hands in to anything we are doing. It doesn't matter what. She says "help" and will just grab whatever so she can "help" with it. Here, she is "helping" her Daddy with a manicure. His nails have never looked better.

Oh! How we love this beautiful angel!!

Halloween Revisited

Sickness has been abounding around here since Halloween day thus the lack of posts. So, I thought I would go back a week or so and catch you all up.
On Monday night (last week) we carved our big pumpkin and Maya helped color a face on a couple of small ones. Tuesday was the big Trick or Treat night. We packed Maya up in the wagon and pulled her around the neighborhood. She was a trooper and we're still eating her candy.

Our weekly visit to Busy Boppers brought much joy to Maya because her friend Emma came for the first time. The girls had a great time even though it was only the two of them.

Happy Halloween

It was cold last night for trick or treat and the ladybug was a warmer choice. Thank you all for your votes. Today Maya has a runny nose and has been sneezing like crazy. Mike has been really sick with a cold for the past two days so I don't know if I should blame the cold weather last night or blame Dad. Oh well, we'll survive.

A Poll. Please Vote!

We have 2 options for a Halloween costume and they are both so darn cute that we can't decide which one to use for Trick or Treat night. Please post your vote in the comments section and help us make up our minds.
This is option #1, the cat (yes, cat. I know it looks like a mouse but she's supposed to be a cat) in action. Maya likes the cat but I'll have to admit, she's just a little biased.

Option #2 is this ladybug. We did Trick or Treat at our local farmers market on Thursday as the bug. It's a small market so I thought it would be a good first run. Maya loved it! She pointed and Ohhed at all of the little dressed up people. We have been practicing saying "Trick or Treat" for weeks now. She only said it once but did say "thank you" a couple of times. She carried her little candy bag over her arm and would hold it right out for people to put her candy in. It only took one time for her to get the hang of that move.

Ladybug in action.

Maya has become quite a nurturer. She loves to take care of her dolls and stuffed animals. She feeds and bathes them. She hugs and kisses them and has them give each other kisses too. Maya still loves to ride in her Baby Bjorn. She will bring it too me to put her in sometimes. She brought me the bear and was wearing the bjorn herself a few days ago. I had to make it fit so that bear could get a ride. She wore that thing for nearly a half an hour.

Check out the vintage Oshkosh bibs. These were my nieces when she was a tiny girl. That was more than 20 years ago. They nearly got too small before I got a chance to put them on Maya. As usual she looked just darlin' in them.

Have you ever seen anything as pitiful as this? Fisher had a hematoma on his left ear and had to have surgery to drain it on Wednesday. He was really playing the pathetic card when he got home.

The bandage stayed on for nearly 24 hours and then he became a beautiful flower. Heee Heee Heee! He was freaking out after the bandage came off and wouldn't stop scratching and shaking. So he got to wear this new version of the Elizabethan collar. This one was much easier on our shins and door facings than the old cone collars...and much more stylish, LOL.

Don't forget to let us know...ladybug or cat!! Thanks.