All I Want for Christmas

If you had asked me when we started our paperwork officially in June 2012 for Gia, Mia, and Annabella, BY FAITH, I would have told you that at least Gia would be home by Christmas.

Fast forward 6 months, and I realized as I was driving to the airport with my good friend Cheri, to celebrate the homecoming from China of our good friends April and Patrick and their two new kiddos, that I no longer have a timeline for when our girls will be home. Because we have not yet been matched, even if we WERE matched this December, the earliest we could be in China would be Easter... this certainly wasn't my timeline.

I have come to accept that it isn't my timeline anyway... it truly is the Lord's timeline... He knows who our girls are and when their files will land in our hands.  

Oh how I long for the day that we will finally know who we will bring home and when and what their names will truly end up being. 

Thought I would post our first Lolly Wolly Doodle outfit that arrived last week for the 4 girls... I wasn't brave enough to have their names embroidered on their shirts, but I look forward to the day that I can have that done. Oooh I love this website!

JAMES 1:17 (NIV)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 

who does not change like shifting shadows.

Disney on Ice... This Time with a SISTER!

November 1, 2012

This is year #3 experiencing Disney on Ice with Gabriella... 
this time with a SISTER!

Amaris has now been home 4 months and 
she absolutely loved it as much as Gabriella has. 

The girls are sitting with "Nanny"... our personal assistant 

who will travel to Disney World with us in a month!

Princess Amaris (the littlest princess) with Princess Gabriella

Awaiting the princesses with our new necklaces on. 

Gabriella announced that Santa was here... 

If only he knew... 

Who wants to see the princesses?

Princess Tiana and her prince... didn't like this show at all... 

it was very dark and evil, just like the movie. 

It was really fun sitting so close to the action... 

Flynn Rider is trying to convince Rapunzel of something... 

We sang along to most of the songs!

And, we also knew most of the words the characters said... hmm!

We love our princesses!

 

Our two princesses... waiting for two more to join us!

Princess Gabriella (age 5, Cinderella) 

and 

Princess Amaris (age 2, Aurora)

And we lived Happily Ever After!

Got Glasses... Again!

Gabriella has been home from China since July 31, 2010.

We were told she needed glasses in hopes of helping her right eye that turned slightly inward align better. 

Gabriella, age 3 1/2 (just home from China... Photos taken in October 2010)

The glasses, though the perfect ones for kids, are not meant for Asians. She faithfully wore them for a time, but when two different doctors said they weren't doing what they were supposed to do, I slacked off and eventually she stopped wearing them altogether.

Pretend glasses shown below. 

Gabriella's first pair of glasses shown below.

Original pink glasses that matched 98% of her outfits in her wardrobe

These glasses didn't work... there are no pads (or whatever they are called) to lift the glasses off the bridge of her nose and slightly away from her eyes and eyelashes... so, they fogged up constantly.

Surgery was proposed next; and so we took that route. Within that first or second week post surgery, she had phenomenal vision, but later, it tapered off. That was disappointing.

Recently we went in for her 6 month follow up post surgery... MUCH, MUCH later than 6 months, only to find out there are now other issues. Geez! Probably should have gone in earlier...

So, today, she is sporting some NEW glasses. This time, they should fit her sweet little nose and match every outfit in her wardrobe... including her red Christmas dress.

Just reminiscing about this tiny bopper... she LITERALLY could (and did) wear 3 MONTH shorts and skirts at 3 1/2 years old. She weighed 25 pounds.

She is now 5 1/2 years old and weighs 39 pounds. She eats and eats and eats... she thinks it's one of her main jobs... her diet consists of 90% organic and 10% pizza.

Here's our little princess with her new glasses!

Here's her little sister with a pair she picked out... notice how close they resemble each other.

Amaris REALLY wanted them... I put them back several times... she got them out several times. 

      

I don't know if it is this particular gal, but she really discouraged me from ordering the style Amaris has on... she feels that Gabriella's face and eye shape works better with the oval-shaped glasses.

Here they are getting their superball. 

I am hoping it was just because we were at the eye doctor and Amaris will forget about the glasses; 

but, I did ask how much it would cost to get her a pair like Gabriella's with clear lenses... 

It was almost $300... yikes...

I am thinking that she WON'T be matching Gabriella with the eye wear. 

We went for frozen yogurt afterwards. 

We always try to find a reason to celebrate with frozen yogurt. 

Prepping for the Tooth Fairy

October 16, 2012

Thanks to Facebook, Pinterest and the Internet, I can be a really cool mama when it comes to stuff like the Tooth Fairy.

Last week Gabriella shared with us that her tooth was "owee" and she showed us that it was loose. I told her that one day it will come out and she should be careful not to swallow it. She can put it under her pillow for a surprise from the Tooth Fairy.

But, then I got to thinking... there's gotta be something cooler than what happened when I was in need of the Tooth Fairy in the 1970's. So, I started to ask around... and, sure enough... I got a hold of the coolest ideas.

It was actually time for her 6 month check-up with her dentist, so Amaris and I went in to the dentist office while Gabriella was at Kindergarten to give the dentist a package to deliver from the Tooth Fairy.

At the end of Gabriella's cleaning with Barb (above), her dentist brought in the package. 

She even added a Cinderella toothbrush to the top of our package at my request. 

Cinderella is Gabriella's princess. 

They read the note together from the Tooth Fairy.

Here is the Tooth Fairy's door to fly through when it is time to pick up Gabriella's tooth 

to fly it back to Tooth Fairy Land. 

Be sure to check back when her first tooth goes to Tooth Fairy Land...

There are lots of surprises!

Our Kindergarten Princess and Her Silly Side-Kick!

Our biggest little one!

She poses every day for a photo before school with her little mei mei... Amaris Nanette... 

we will release her month in review October 1st... 

but, thought I would give a sneak peek of what a photo shoot REALLY looks like... 

This photo shoot is from 9/11/2012

CHEESE!

Amaris, open your eyes!

Can you please just stand there nicely for ONE photo?

Amaris, PLEASE!

Amaris takes Gabriella's hand and smiles a smurky smile and starts walking forward toward me!

After some coaxing, she heads back to the wall... well, kinda!

Any moment now... and, she is going to pull a silly one... oh... here it is!

Amaris Nanette... would you PLEASE hold Gabriella's hand and give me ONE good photo?

The bus is going to be coming any second!

Whatever! Like my underwear? You people have NO IDEA how boring these photo shoots can be!

How about this mama?

This? Will you ever give up Mom?

Can we put the camera down? Anyone!

Why yes, Amaris! As you wish! The bus is here anyway!

And you clearly are done for the moment!