Halloween 2011

My sweet Belle

Halloween was another great day in the life of this five year old! She began her day with a party at her school. She wore her Ariel costume, and I hear from her teachers that she had a super time. She came home with a huge goody bag and a darling jack-o-lantern all cut out and glued she made all by herself! CUTE!

After being home for 45 minutes, we were off to Titi and Belen's. It was a great night filled with family, friends, food, and candy! After eating a smidge of dinner, Emily got all princessed up as Belle, posed for some photos with her BFF/cousin Belen, and we all headed out into the cold, yet rain free night!

Emily had fun with Belen, Isabel, Titi, JuJu, Gina, and Mommy while Uncle Larry, Miya, and Melissa handed out the candy back at the house!

My little trooper made it for over an hour going house to house. Only one house was too scary to approach, and just a couple scary masks frightened her, but other than that, she did FANTASTIC! Her candy bucket must weigh at least five pounds, and she only gave up carrying it around the last 20 minutes or so, but still carried it up to each door. The three girls took turns knocking, and believe me, if the other two forgot, Miss Emily was on her toes reminding them whose turn it was!

Back at the house, candy was looked through, treats were had, pajamas put on, and gear gathered up.

We were home by 8:30, but then had to READ her new book from Belen, and open her other gifts from Grammy Wanda, Belen, and JuJu! I am the luckiest woman in the world to have so many people who love and care about my girl! She can't wait to have her raisins, Cheetos, and cheese/bread sticks for snacks...THANK YOU Grammy Wanda! Loves her new books, markers, and straws from Belen, THANK YOU! And of course adores her new book from JuJu!

Overall, I think the night was a huge success! She is sound asleep and it is 9:45, and now Mommy is going to get on her jammies, correct some school papers, and get ready for another day tomorrow!

Enjoy seeing the sweet princess!

The Hippie and the Princess

and so it begins...

We loved these Lion King pumpkins

Silly glasses from her school treat bag

That bucket ended up completely filled

Trunk or Treat

Cutest Snow White ever!

I know, I know...second post in one day! Emily took part in her first Trunk or Treat today at our church. It was fantastic fun albeit soaking wet from rain!

For those of you who may not know what Trunk or Treat is, it is held at churches all over and people decorate their trunks for Halloween, pass out candy, have games to play in their trunks, and hand out prizes. Emily also got to go in her first bounce house in the pouring down rain! She LOVED it! She could have cared less that when she got out she was absolutely soaking wet. Her pants under her costume were as wet as if she had been sitting in a pond!! Boy, was she happy!

She was Snow White for today's event. We're saving the special Belle costume for tomorrow evening's festivities! She had so much fun saying "Trick or Treat," and was so polite at each trunk when she said "Thank you."

She enjoyed a bag of Fritos while mommy and JuJu enjoyed a nummy treat of chili, cheese, and sour cream served over Fritos in the bag of Fritos. Totally a fun, cool way to have this nice warm meal at a big event!

Even though it was pouring down rain, and she got soaked, Emily thought it was SUPER!! Enjoy! There will be more pictures tomorrow!!

Checking out the loot...decisions, decisions

Emily and Jack checking each other out

Lots of yummy candy

Not too sure of this trunk, but still accepted the candy

Emily was thinking, this looks delicious

Next trunk please

Bounce House fun!

Fun even in the rain!

Relaxing after dinner, in her jammies, and watching a movie

First Concert

Mommy and Emily at her first indoor concert

Well, as you all know, we went to Emily's first indoor concert this past Friday night. During my adoption journey to bring Emily home, I applied for and received a grant from the Show Hope Foundation. This foundation was started by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth after they adopted their first child from China.

Anyway...I had been in contact with Mary Beth's assistant and she said we would have backstage/meet and greet passes at the door, and if not we should contact Steven's road manager Jesse. Well, we were so excited! I had been building Emily up for a week, reading her their children's books as well. All she really wanted to do was say hi to him, as she knows they have girls from China like her!

The concert itself was GREAT!!!!!!!! AMAZING songs of praise for Jesus, and stories of hope for all of the orphans of the world! Emily did FABULOUS! She was up until after 11:30 p.m. YIKES!! :-)

I do want to state that I don't think Steven Curtis Chapman himself knew anything about this meet and greet. He is an incredible person and singer! I believe it was a MISCOMMUNICATION between his wife's assistant and and his tour people.

Anyway...the disappointment of the evening, if you can't already tell, was the meet and greet (or NOT) part. Upon getting to the concert, we showed our ID and the email from Mary Beth's assistant saying what was supposedly supposed to take place. OF COURSE, no passes for us, so they begin looking for the road manager Jesse. He cannot be located so they tell us to go get seated and they will text us when they locate him. Show starts and still no text. Julyn goes out half way through the show and they say they have given the road manager her number and he will text us...Intermission comes...Julyn talks to the lighting board guy, he talks to Jesse in his ear piece, and they say for us to wait after the show by the door and look for him, and tell us what Jesse will be wearing. As you can see where I am heading, he doesn't show up. Emily is asking when she can say hi to Steven...

Now we head to the stage area where Julyn talks to a band member who says they will go get Jesse...now this guy never reappears and still no road manager! We WAIT some more, and I am getting irritated...not so much for me but for my sweet girl who had been waiting ALL NIGHT!!! We finally ask one more person, who says they will go check for us...AND..you guessed it, he never comes back either.

We gave up around 11:30 p.m. Poor Emily was so confused, as were we!

I am really irritated at the entire situation. How do you tell someone you'll go check for them and never come back? RUDE! Again, I want to say, I truly believe that if Steven Curtis Chapman himself knew anything about this, he would've come right out! His whole concert was about adoption, helping orphans, and their Show Hope foundation!

Emily LOVED the music! That's all that really matters; she LOVES songs about Jesus!

Moving on...how does pumpkins and Christmas tree cookies sound?? Just wrong, right?? The store was already out of pumpkin cookies BEFORE Halloween, so Emily picked out the tree ones! Too funny! Something not quite right with her holding her baby pumpkin and eating Christmas tree cookies! She was HAPPY. That's all the matters!

Enjoy,

Kathy

Christian singer Josh Wilson

Andrew Peterson

Steven Curtis Chapman, multiple Dove award winner

Pumpkins and Christmas trees...

Pumpkin Carving Time...

Emily and "her"pumpkins

Boy what a difference a year makes!  Last year Emily had a blast helping to carve the pumpkins at grandpa and grandma's and Titi and Uncle Larry's, but she wasn't talking near as much as this year!

Last night Emily, JuJu, and mommy had so much fun carving our pumpkins for this Halloween! Emily was talking up a storm and even talked directly at the video camera as I recorded her. WOW!!!

Let me go back to the beginning of the evening. JuJu came over after work carrying two big pumpkins, carving tools, and a surprise for Emily. Her Halloween costume had been delivered...via auntie mail!

Emily has wanted to be Belle for a long time for "Trick or Treat" (what she calls Halloween), and was SO EXCITED to open her package. She got a dress, light up Belle shoes, and a Belle tiara. After the excitement of getting her costume, trying it on, falling in love with the light up shoes, and letting JuJu hang up the costume in her closet, she was ready to do pumpkins!

Wearing mommy's shirt, she was raring to go! Emily had a blast helping scoop out all of the pumpkin goo, and was laughing and talking and wanting to help do every bit! After the scooping out part, she loved watching mommy carve a "happy" face on one pumpkin while JuJu started working on "two happy ghosts" on the other one! After Emily was done helping (well, couldn't really use the knives yet), she enjoyed a popsicle while mommy held her and we watched JuJu carve the ghosts!

She liked seeing them lit up with candles, but was very worried about them being outside in front, so they are now on the back patio so she can see them when she is outside swinging!

Today at school, Emily got her first book order! Mommy and Emily filled out the order form a couple weeks ago, and the books were delivered today! She was so happy that all the way home in the car she looked at books, as well as the first hour of being home! After dinner and a bath, it was on to more books while sitting on her sleeping bag and then snuggling mommy!

Enjoy the pictures! I am sure there will be many more from Halloween!

Kathy

Ripping open the package with her costume

Oh boy...can't wait for Halloween

FUN!!

What a great helper

Oh...that smile...

Such concentration

Yes, eating a popsicle in October

Pumpkins Halloween 2011

Her favorite silly face!

Fresh out of the bath ready to read her new books!

Random photo update...

Hello All,

Just playing at home...notice how long her hair is getting

We have been busy with our normal day to day, and Mommy is so glad conferences are over and done with! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for picking Emily up from school last week! She LOVES you both so much!

Emily and Mommy had a fun Saturday and Sunday hanging out together! We slept in on Saturday and stayed in our jammies ALL DAY!! YEAH!!

Today, Emily was VERY HAPPY to get a box full of "tiny, baby apples" from Auntie Heidi's dad, Grandpa Mel, and his HUGE garden/orchard. There were more than 100 apples in the box, so Mommy and Emily shared half with Emily's preschool class! She loves these apples because they are so tiny that she can hold them in one hand, AND she can eat them like a grown-up without them being cut!
When we got home today she ate three of them while we played outside! YUMMY!!

Please bear with me on the potty picture...I just HAD to snap this photo! Yesterday, I was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher when I heard Emily say, "I go potty mama." So I continue unloading the dishes when I hear Emily "reading" in the bathroom.  Yes, you know where I am heading.  I turn on my camera, sneak up on her and snap the photo! My little darling was reading while on the potty! It was the CUTEST thing ever...I was careful, nothing was showing that shouldn't be... just total cuteness! :-)

Enjoy,
Kathy

Emily's creation...took her about 20 minutes

All ready for church

Twirling like "Rella" aka Cinderella

LOVES these apples...this was number three

My girl does love a good book!

Kylie's 19th Birthday

Hello Everyone,

Emily and Kylie and the gift Emily made her

Yesterday was our Pal Kylie's 19th birthday, and we had a blast helping her celebrate! Emily adores Kylie, as does Mommy.  (Mommy was there when Kylie was brought into this world, and can't believe how old she is now!)

Emily did FANTASTIC at the party, and everyone noticed that she actually "played" with the other little kids who were there. She has come so far, and I am so proud of her and think that it is great others noticed as well! Way to go Babe!

She had so much fun with Kylie's cousins Rylynn and Reese. She even had a blast copying them when they were hiding from their uncle Dale, and began calling out as they did, "Uncle Dale find me." Emily was saying Uncle Dale clear as a bell; it was hysterical!

Fun was had by all, and Kylie has one five year old who is close to my heart totally infatuated with her! It is darling how Emily looks at Kylie!

Kylie, always remember you are loved, and you have grown into such a beautiful young lady inside and out! You are so special to all who know you! Happy Birthday!

Love,

Kathy

Kylie and her little fan club

Singing Happy Birthday

Needs no caption

Enjoying Grandma Judi's piano

Time of her life

Grandma Judi helping Emily play Jingle Bells

First Field Trip

Today was Emily's first school field trip. It was to the pumpkin patch. Mommy took the day off in order to go with Miss Emily, and we had a blast!

Ready to choose her perfect pumpkin

We met her teachers and friends at the patch, and we all ventured off on our tour. First they all got to go through the hay bale maze. Lots of screams and squeals were heard as all of the kiddos raced through the maze over and over! From there we were told to head on over to the petting zoo part of the patch. Emily had a great time petting and feeding the goats, watching the chickens, petting the cow, and experiencing the joy of all the animals with her classmates.

After this we all got to go to the HUGE hay bale pyramid! They tried their best to get her entire class to take a class photo, and then they could climb, crawl, peek, sneak, and much more all over the pyramid!

Next came the exciting part. Each child was given a bag for their pumpkin. They were told they could only get a pumpkin they could carry in their own bag. Off we headed to board the tractor trailer hay ride to go out to the pumpkin patch! Emily LOVED riding with her friends and MANY screams of delight were heard by all of the adults aboard the ride! :-)

Emily searched for about ten minutes until she found a pumpkin she liked and could carry. On our way back to board the hay ride, she found an even better (in her eyes) pumpkin...a baby pumpkin...her way of saying a teeny tiny one.

After arriving back at the main part of the patch all of the kids got to wash their pumpkins, sit in the big tractor seat, pose for photos, etc.

All in all Emily had a SUPER time and is now sacked out down for her nap, waiting for Grandpa to come over and play when she wakes up! On to more fun later!

Enjoy the pictures!

Love,

Kathy

And they're off...

They are so cute mommy

Very populat spot

They all loved the baby goats

Emily went to the goat a lot!

LOVED feeding her new "friend"

"Mommy, lot of chickens"

This big goat had Emily cracking up!

Kings Way Christian Kangaroo Class 2011-2012

Making her way to the top

Almost there...

She finally made it to the top, then did it again three more times

Peeking out of the pyramid!!

This one was the first choice...until she saw "The ONE"

Waiting for the hay ride back

Fun with friends on the hay ride

Washing her pumpkin and pumping her own water too

Sweet girl!