Hanging Out With Hannah

Enjoying the Winter!!

2009-01-29T10:06:00.002-06:00

Princess Hannah

2009-01-12T10:55:00.001-06:00

Thank you Aunt Lynn -- I love my new dress up!!

Good-bye 2008!

2008-12-30T17:21:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=ghvdb1n.6vs91ou3&x=0&y=-chuueb&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

2008-09-29T16:21:00.001-05:00

Our New Crib!

2008-04-29T07:41:00.004-05:00

Well, actually it's not ours yet--we're closing in June. I'm very excited about our new house, but it's been a struggle living apart from each other. We don't see each other every weekend, and right now, we're in our longest stretch apart -- 3 weeks! Hannah is really starting to miss her Daddy ...

Favorite Photo Friday

2008-03-07T13:47:00.001-06:00

My little princess ...

Yongzhou cuties!

2008-03-06T10:41:00.003-06:00

Last year we discovered that a family who lives around the corner has a little girl who is from the same city as Hannah. Alyssa and Hannah are only a year apart, and they've had some fun playdates together ...

2008-02-10T18:09:00.000-06:00

Party Pics!!

2008-01-28T11:19:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Hannah's 4th birthday! Still being the "novice" parent that I am, I was at a loss as what to do, so I decided on a "Chuck E. Cheese" party. Don't laugh! Actually, Hannah was so excited for her party that I knew I did the right thing. All but two of her classmates from preschool came to her party and it turned out to be a total blast.

I'm not good at the "mushy" stuff, so let me just say that Hannah is the most precious gift that God could have given us, and Steve & I feel blessed every day that Hannah is our daughter. She is an incredible little girl who brings so much joy to our family.

Our silly little girl ....

2008-01-16T13:43:00.000-06:00

A few pics from Christmas ....

2007-12-27T10:06:00.001-06:00

Most of these pictures were taken Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I threw in a couple from Hannah's preschool show. She was singing the songs for two weeks and was so excited for the show--however, when she was on stage with all of the parents looking at her, she started crying! She looked terrified the whole time, but she made it through! What a trooper! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-12-14T08:09:00.000-06:00

Here's Hannah with her new kitty (Cami). Cami joined the family yesterday and is quickly becoming "best buddies" with Hannah. :)

Okay, I'm not sure if I have any visitors anymore, but I thought I'd give a quick update (I think Nikki and Stef still stop by once in awhile!)

2007-12-11T15:33:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of my favorite girl and my favorite guy! This was taken on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when we went to the German Christmas market in downtown Chicago. It was lots of fun--and Steve and I enjoyed the hot spiced wine!

Here are a couple of pictures taken during "fall clean-up" day -- as you can see, Hannah is as cute as ever. :)

Oh, and one last picture. Steve had mentioned that he wanted to get me a special ring for our 10-year anniversary. Well, last weekend he took me out and bought me this!! The picture doesn't do it justice -- it is quite stunning! He's decided to torture me, though--he won't let me wear it until Christmas! (I guess the huge price tag qualifies this gift as a "combination" anniversary/Christmas present!)

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-11-16T10:49:00.001-06:00

Hannah's first school picture!

Our Little Ballerina!

2007-11-08T14:38:00.001-06:00

(Sorry about the flash)

A new post ... for an old friend!

2007-11-06T09:09:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much time to post (or comment) lately, but I have been visiting my favorite sites--I can't go too long without seeing those adorable little faces out there in bloggerland!

Here are a few photos from last weekend. Steve's longtime friend, Tom, paid us a visit while he was in town. We hadn't seen Tom in years. And, better yet, we were able to visit with his 9-year-old daughter, Olivia. We had not seen Olivia since she was a newborn. And now, she is a beautiful (and very sweet) young girl!

Disney Photos!

2007-10-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

We're finally home! Disney was fun--exhausting, but fun! Here is a link for a sampling of the photos we took ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15116057@N07/sets/72157602430909276/show/

We're off to Disney World!

2007-10-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

See you when we get back ...

It's a rainy Monday ...

2007-10-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

... and we're feeling a bit sleepy over here. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Happy 10th Anniversary!! (Wedding, not LID!!)

2007-09-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

I've been so blessed to be married to my best friend for the past 10 years. I'm happier than I've ever been and I am so looking forward to the next 10 years ... and beyond! Steve, you're a wonderful husband and father, and I love you more than words can say ...

Is This Heaven??

2007-09-24T07:08:00.001-05:00

No, it's Iowa, of course ... and a perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!

2007-09-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

Here's Steve looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, pondering what it would be like to be 45 years old. Well, now he knows!!

LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Few More Photos From Our New Jersey Trip

2007-09-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of our first annual "foot puppet show"! Out of the blue, Hannah said "let's do foot puppets," so she started putting on a show, and then her cousin, Stephanie, and her Aunt Florence joined in! It was truly hilarious!!

Lounging with Aunt Lynn ....

Swimming with Stephanie ....

I grew up by the beach, so I know better than to order ice cream on a hot, windy day. My husband, on the other hand, thought it would be a good idea ...

Well, at least she got to eat some of it ....

First Day of Preschool!

2007-09-12T09:44:00.000-05:00

Hannah is at preschool right now!! The "drop off" went much better than I had expected. I still can't believe it ...

I Will Never Forget ...

2007-09-11T07:32:00.001-05:00

Saturday Afternoon Chores

2007-09-08T15:01:00.000-05:00

Daddy has trained her well ....

Happy LID Anniversary!!

2007-09-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Second post today BUT this is really being posted by The Blog Fairy.

I, the Blog Fairy, have tweaked Tracy's blog in honor of surviving one full year waiting for Hannah's sister. As a fellow Sept '06 LIDer, I can totally relate to the ups and downs of the wait, the post-referral blues (glad for those who get their babies-bummed because I'm still waiting), trying with all your might not to dwell on the fact that you are paper-pregnant with no firm due date. All of this requires an occasional treat. For me it is making blogs for others. For some it may be shopping. For Tracy, it is getting her blog "tweaked" just for fun.

If you are interested in a new blog look or a new header, just contact me: blogfairytemplates@yahoo.com I'll see what I can do.

Hang in there Tracy!

Labor Day Weekend - A Few of My Favorite Pics

2007-09-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

I haven't had much time to blog lately, but I wanted to post a few pictures from our trip to New Jersey to visit my family. (I took more than 100 pictures, but, don't worry, I won't bore you with all of them!!)

Swimming Lessons

2007-08-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hannah started swimming lessons last week, and I finally remembered to bring my camera last night ...

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-08-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

Our little "rock star"!

Hannah's First "Official" Haircut!

2007-08-02T09:42:00.000-05:00

Three and "a half"

2007-07-29T16:05:00.000-05:00

Three and 1/2 years old today ... and getting cuter by the minute! :)

Bedhead

2007-07-24T11:32:00.001-05:00

I know that Hannah will forbid me to take these pictures when she gets older, so I have to take advantage of the opportunity now. I just love "crazy hair" pictures. If only she would let me put hair clips or bows in her hair! I've been waiting years to do that -- I never even considered the possibility that my "little girl" wouldn't cooperate!

Dragon Boat Races

2007-07-23T08:41:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at the Dragon Boat races in Chicago's Chinatown ...

Favorite Photo Friday (Grandma & Grandpa)

2007-07-20T13:42:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of photos from last year. Can you tell how much Hannah loves her grandpa?? :)

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-06-29T08:30:00.001-05:00

The other night, Hannah put on her raincoat and rainhat and insisted that I take her picture! I obliged! :)

The Flowers on Hannah's Wall .... and Some Summer Fun!

2007-06-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

A few folks were interested in where I got the flowers for Hannah's wall. I ordered them online from a store called Storybook Lane. They have great stuff -- here's the link:

http://storybooklane.stores.yahoo.net/flowandbugmu.html

We had a fun, relaxing weekend. Here are a few photos of Hannah staying cool ...

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-06-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture taken during the good ole days --- when she used to nap!!

Hungry Hannah

2007-06-19T06:58:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows Hannah, knows that she loves to eat! Here are some fun "eating" photos taken on Father's Day ...

I'm starving -- I MUST have a snack before we go out to lunch ....

Okay, my lunch isn't here yet, so I'll eat this nice slice of lemon from my water ...

Oops, I forgot to swallow!

Hey mom -- you don't want your pickle, do you??

Our Trip to the Zoo ...

2007-06-18T09:34:00.001-05:00

Zoo parking -- a few bucks; zoo admission – a few bucks; dolphin show tickets – a few bucks; carousal tickets – a few bucks; a magical device that would have kept the Cicadas from terrorizing me – THAT would have been priceless!! Our trip to the Brookfield Zoo on Saturday turned into a Cicada Side Show!!! It was as if our planet had been taken over by HUGE, UGLY bugs … bugs that just could not stop bumping into me, sticking to my shirt, landing on my head --- just plain terrorizing me!! Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit … but, really, just a BIT! I tried to stay calm in the beginning, but by the end of day I just couldn’t take it anymore. Once we decided to leave, I would have sprinted to our car if not for the fear of swallowing one of them!

We did manage to see some animals and have some fun. Here are a few photos …

She's starting to look so grown up ...

2007-06-14T06:08:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I need more sleep!

2007-06-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Hannah was sitting on my desk, so we were face to face and only a few inches apart. She started looking intently into my eyes and said "what's that? ... a crack! ... a red crack!!" I guess I need more sleep. Maybe I should try sleeping ON my pillow, with my entire body up against the wall -- it seems to work for Hannah!

Favorite Photo Friday ( ... and a word of advice)

2007-06-08T07:24:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken almost 2 years ago. Steve and Hannah look pretty darn cute hangin' out together!
And, although it has nothing to do with the photo, I have a bit of advice -- don't fall down the stairs -- it hurts!! Actually, now that I think about it, the photo is somewhat related, cuz if I fall down the stairs again, daddy and Hannah will be hangin' out with each other quite a bit!!!

Money earned, money spent

2007-06-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, a realtor sponsored a garage sale for our neighborhood. We had a few things to get rid of, so we decided to join in on the fun. As you can see, Hannah did a great job of marketing the patio set that was left here by the previous owners. Thanks to Hannah, we sold it and we now have a little more room in our basement (for all of our other "junk"!). Unfortunately, we didn't sell the "Gazelle" exercise machine (even though we were willing to give it away). A few women wanted it, but their husbands resisted because they knew it would just turn into a clothes rack. Oh well. Of course, just as we were making money, the UPS man showed up and delivered my latest purchase --- a big fish! As you enter our house, we have a large "insert" above our front door, and I've been wanting to replace some of the fake plants that are currently there. Anyway, I thought a nice big fish might look good!

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-06-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

I think Hannah needed a spa day after her exhausting playdate yesterday ...

A fun playdate

2007-05-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

Despite a few sprinkles, Hannah and I had a fun playdate at the park today!

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-05-25T08:30:00.001-05:00

Not much to say today ... just looking forward to the three-day holiday weekend!

Our "other children"

2007-05-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

Before Hannah joined our family, our three cats got most of our attention. They're still very spoiled, but, I must admit, they don't get the attention they used to.

Scruffy, our oldest cat, has an unpleasant habit of throwing up her food. The other day, Hannah came up to me and said "Scruffy 'threw down' again"! Other than Scruffy's nasty little habit, they're quite cute!!

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-05-11T07:21:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken two years ago --- about a month after we came home from China. I just love it!!

Just one more reason to quit my job ...

2007-05-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I have a home-based position with the company I work for. I also keep Hannah at home with me while I work. Yesterday, after I had been working for awhile, I thought to myself “wow, Hannah’s so great to be playing by herself for this long,” and then I went into the kitchen and saw that the entire contents of our salt shaker had been dumped onto the kitchen island and the floor surrounding it! It looked like we had a snowstorm in our kitchen -- which is just what Hannah needed since she discovered a penguin on candy cane skis as she was rummaging through the closet (while I was working, of course)!

Future Soccer Player??

2007-05-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

Blowing bubbles, pulling dandelions, and just plain relaxing ...

2007-05-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE!!

2007-04-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Hannah’s cousin, Stephanie, will be celebrating her 10th birthday on Monday! (Stephanie--we may not be with you in person, but we're celebrating with you in spirit and sending LOTS of love your way!)

Although it’s been awhile since they’ve seen each other, Hannah and Stephanie had the opportunity to visit a couple of times. The first time they met, Stephanie taught Hannah how to “high five.” That was almost 2 years ago. Just recently, Hannah started a routine at bedtime that includes the “high five” she learned from Stephanie. For some reason, Hannah is more than willing to let me leave the room if we “slap five” a few times. Thanks Stephanie!

Hopefully, these girls can get together again very soon …

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-04-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

Can you pick out Hannah??

Wordless Wednesday ... Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (That's not a word, is it?)

2007-04-25T08:02:00.000-05:00

Some Food for Thought ...

2007-04-24T07:25:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesing article that I found on the web. Something to think about ...

We Protect Kids From Everything But Fear
With hand sanitizer and long-sleeved swimsuits, we're teaching our children a dangerous lesson.

By Paula Spencer
Newsweek
April 2, 2007 issue - Four 11- and 12-year-old girls stood in front of my open pantry, mouths gaping wide. "Look! Fruit Roll-Ups!" "Oh, my God! Chocolate-chip cookies!" "You have regular potato chips? We only get the soy kind!"
After 14 years and four kids, I thought I'd feel comfortable as a mother. Instead, I'm increasingly aware of a prickly new sensation: that I'm some kind of renegade. Who knew that buying potato chips would become a radical act? Or that letting my daughters walk home from school alone would require administration approval? How did I, a middle-of-the-road mom, become a social deviant?
Fear is the new fuel of the American mom. If it's not fear of her child becoming obese, it's the fear of falling behind, missing out on a sports scholarship or winding up with a thin college-rejection envelope.
Apparently I'm not nervous enough. Last summer while I was loafing in front of the TV with my kids, the most benign things morphed into menaces. For example, the sun: long-sleeved, UV-protective swimsuits were all the rage at my neighborhood pool, while I could barely remember to bring the year-old sunscreen. The water wasn't safe either: at the beach I saw tots dressed in flotation belts and water wings—for shelling along the shore. And goodbye, cotton candy and hot dogs! At a major-league game I saw moms and dads nix the stuff as if they'd never eaten the occasional ballpark treat. As if their children would balloon into juvenile-diabetes statistics if a single swig of sugary soda passed their lips.
Half my kids' friends—who already make A's and B's—had summer tutors in order to "keep it fresh." I thought vacation was for relaxing and recharging. What would our pioneer foremoms think? (You want something to worry about, let me show you frostbite, typhoid and bears!) Heck, what must our own mothers think? (Snap out of it! Go worry about something truly scary, like how you're going to pay for retirement!)
I thought that once the kids were back in school, things would calm down. Instead, a fresh seasonal crop of anxiety sprouted, this time over corruptive candy fund-raisers and insufficient use of hand sanitizer. I know one mom who wants to change her son's schedule because he doesn't know anyone in his classes; she's worried he'll be "socially traumatized" all year. Another is afraid of a learning disability she just read about, though her child seems bright and charming to me.
And then there's playground panic. I had to laugh when an Australian study recently found that playground injuries continue to rise despite safety improvements. One of the suspected reasons: the safe new play structures are so boring that kids are taking more risks in order to have fun.
The fears are as irrational as they are rampant. Recently my children's elementary school failed to meet adequate yearly progress goals for a particular minority's reading progress under the No Child Left Behind Act and was placed on a warning list. This meant parents might gain the right to transfer their children to another school in the district. Never mind that this very same school sent more kids to the district's gifted program than any other, or that this entire district has the highest SAT scores in the state. The day the news broke, six different moms (none in the affected minority) asked me if I was planning to transfer my kids. From neighborhood pride and joy to threat to child's future overnight.
It's not that I think parents shouldn't worry about anything. I'm personally petrified of SUV drivers on cell phones. I fret as much as the next mom about how to pay for college. I pray my kids won't wander onto MySpace and post something dumb.
But you can't go around afraid of everything. It's too exhausting! No matter how careful you are, bad stuff happens (diaper rash, stitches, all your friends assigned to another class). And it's seldom the end of the world.
Watching my daughter's friends ogle my pantry, I realized there's one big, legitimate fear that I haven't heard anybody mention: what's the effect of our collective paranoia on the kids? Yes, these very kids we want to be so self-sufficient, responsible, confident, happy and creative (not to mention not food-obsessed). They're growing up thinking these weirdly weenie views are healthy and normal.
Walking out my front door that day, each girl happily clutched a plastic baggie stuffed with the exotic kid snacks that my daughter had doled out in pity. I may be a rebel mom, but at least I'm not afraid of a chocolate-chip cookie.

A "Summery" Weekend!

2007-04-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

What a difference a week makes! This past weekend was very warm (and quite windy!) --- it definitely felt like summer. As you can see, Hannah loves to water the flowers. Actually, she loves to water pretty much anything -- the dirt, the driveway, the brick patio, her shoes, etc., etc.

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-04-20T07:29:00.000-05:00

The cutest Dalmation ever!

More photos of Hannah's weekend with Lily ...

2007-04-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

Wait, come back!
Hannah's gettin' some love from Nikki!

We LOVE painting!

Here's Lily Hangin' Out With Hannah ...

2007-04-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

Pretty in pink ...

Okay, the wagon is nice, but we're big girls now ... give us a Jeep!

Lil Bubble Queen!

Hannah can't wait to see Lily!

2007-04-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

We're gettin' ready for a sleepover! Hannah's best friend, Lily, is coming in from out of town, and we can't wait to give Lily, Nikki, and Jay a big hug!

Here are a few pics of Hannah and Lily taken last summer when they got together for the first time. They were best buddies from the start! For more fun photos, check out Nikki's awesome blog (she's my "blog mentor"!) --- http://lifewithlilylin.blogspot.com/2007/04/lilys-gonna-see-hannah.html

As you can see, Lily was quite comfortable at Hannah's house. :)

Just in case you can't tell, in the 2nd photo, Lily is on the left!

Anyone who knows Lily, knows that she likes to blow out candles! Boy, these two are cute!!!!!!!!!!

Can't a girl get some privacy?!

2007-04-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

As you can see, we've been having tons of fun this weekend while visiting with our good friends from Michigan. Kierra and Hannah are celebrating a belated "Gotcha Day" together, as they both joined our families two years ago.

Here is the Fogo clan in Chicago's Chinatown ...

Oh how I love sleepovers! Well, this is my first one, but I can't wait to have more ...

Rub a dub dub, three girls in a tub ....

Who knew that coloring Easter eggs could be this much fun!

Ooooo00hhhhh, pretty ....

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-04-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

Since Lily and her family are celebrating "Gotcha Day" tomorrow, I decided to post a picture of Hannah with her good friend Lily. Aren't they cute??

Happy Gotcha Day!!

2007-04-04T08:12:00.000-05:00

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the day we first held Hannah. To be honest, it seems like Hannah has always been a part of our lives. As I reflect on the day that Hannah became our daughter, I’m wishing that I could borrow my friend Nikki’s exceptional talent for expressing her thoughts and emotions. (It’s funny, for almost 7 years I’ve been making a living writing summaries of case law, but when it comes to creative writing and expressing my emotions, I struggle.)

Hannah means the world to me and I pray that God gives me the wisdom, patience, and heart I need to be the Mom that Hannah deserves. As Hannah goes through life I want her to know that she has a Heavenly Father who created her, loves her, and will never leave her. I want her to know that, just as she brings a smile to my face everyday, God is looking down and smiling at his wonderful creation. I want her to know that choosing adoption was the best decision we ever made and that we are eternally grateful God chose Hannah for us. I want her to know that her Mom and Dad simply adore her. Just a few of the things I want Hannah to know ....

Gotta love an Easter egg hunt!

2007-04-03T08:28:00.000-05:00

An adoptive playgroup that we belong to hosted an Easter egg hunt last weekend. It was a bit chilly, but Hannah had a great time (as you can see from the photos!).

Mmm ...mmm... good!

2007-03-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

How about a nice wet kiss, Mom?

Hmmm ... let me strike a pose for this one.

This is just too much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

Favorite Photo Friday

2007-03-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

As our second anniversary of Gotcha Day approaches, I thought it was fitting to post Hannah’s referral photos for Favorite Photo Friday. These are probably my most favorite photos of all, as they are the first pictures of Hannah that I saw. I thought she was so beautiful from the first moment I saw her picture.

The “Finding Ad” in the local newspaper stated that when Hannah was found she had an "apple face, light skin, and little hair." According to the ad, she was wrapped in a black apron. There was no note or keepsake with her. The information we received about Hannah (named XiaoLi) when our referral came stated that she "showed her willing" (yes, she is very strong-willed!), got very excited when she saw the food (still does!), and liked to imitate others. That's our Hannah Li!

Making Hannah Proud

2007-03-28T15:13:00.000-05:00

Lately, we’ve been telling Hannah that “we’re so proud” of her when she does something special (like sleep in her bed all night.) So, today, I was vacuuming and she kept shouting something to me. Well, I finally figured it out …she was saying “so proud of you Mom”! Not only did she say it once, but she followed me around the house repeating it over and over again! I guess I can’t complain about not being appreciated …

Hannah the Explorer

2007-03-26T13:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I hate to disappoint Dora, but I’m not sure Hannah can qualify as an explorer just yet. Hannah had a great time helping her daddy build her new Dora Jeep (thanks Grandma & Grandpa), but when it came to driving it, she never made it out of the garage! These photos were taken the day we put the Jeep together. The next day, after the battery had been charged, we went outside --- all three of us very excited for Hannah to drive her new Jeep --- and when Hannah stepped on the gas and the Jeep jerked forward, she got scared and didn’t want to drive it anymore. If only I were three years old again ---- I would have loved to take it out for a spin! Oh well, I’m sure Hannah will be ready to go off-roading in no time ….

The Many Faces of Hannah

2007-03-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

Lately, Hannah likes to practice her “happy,” “sad,” and “angry” looks. Out of the blue she’ll say “happy” and show me a big smile, then she’ll say “sad” and give me a pouty face, and finally, she’ll say “angry” (actually she pronounces it “angy”) and then clench her fists and teeth and shake her whole body! Boy, she’s really got that “angy” thing down!

It's Spring! Time to plant some flowers ...

2007-03-21T10:43:00.000-05:00

Do you have any extra dough?

2007-03-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, after we spent a lot of dough placing an order for some new granite countertops, we went to a local restaurant and the waiter brought out a ball of pizza dough for Hannah to play with. What a great idea! It wasn’t the kind of extra dough we were hoping for, but, hey, Hannah loved it. You can see that she had her fists clenched as tight as can be and was pounding like a pro! This girl must have a little Italian in her.

Favorite Photo Friday (another picture from our China trip)

2007-03-15T15:55:00.002-05:00

Okay, are these Dads smiling because they’ve recently become proud new papas of these beautiful little girls or because they’ve just dined at their favorite restaurant in Changsha? I CHOOSE to believe it’s the former. Seriously, although we very rarely eat at McDonald’s here at home, it was a welcome site in Changsha. In all the years I’ve been married to Steve, the only time I saw him eat a Big Mac was when we were in China. After a “chopped chicken” dinner in Beijing (a whole chicken, with head and all), he was ready for a Big Mac. I must admit, the McDonald’s food tasted good that night.

Soul Patrol

2007-03-15T08:01:00.000-05:00

I don’t know if there are any American Idol fans out there, but Steve and I watch it every week. This year, our neighbor even set up a pool where we had to pick the top ten in the order we thought they would finish (once it was narrowed down to the top 20). I don’t know if either of us will win, but we’re certainly ahead of the folks who picked Sabrina to win the whole thing and who picked Antonella to be in the top ten! It’s kind of fun when you have a stake in the outcome. Of course, I’ve never actually called and voted for anyone and I don’t intend to this year. As you can see, Hannah was a fan of Taylor Hicks!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

Life lesson number 328 …

2007-03-13T07:08:00.000-05:00

Always remember to have brownie or muffin mix in the pantry. I say this because it seems to be the quickest way to bring Hannah back to her normal self after an unexplained overreaction to something (otherwise known as a “meltdown”). I learned this lesson last summer when Hannah looked out the window and saw her Daddy get into a Metro car, which whisked him off to the airport to commute to his new job in Chicago. (The picture I’ve posted was taken that night.) Well, we had a “meltdown moment” last weekend, and upon the slightest hint of her being receptive to something, I suggested that we bake corn muffins. It worked! I really don’t blame her, though --- baking something sweet always makes me feel better. Now, of course, I have to get to the store as fast as I can because there’s only one box of Jiffy corn muffin mix left!

Just finish the sentence, sir

2007-03-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

I saw this on my friend Nikki's blog and decided to play along ...

1. When I was five... I loved celery, but hated all other vegetables.
2. March sure is... looooong.
3. When I think of pepperoni... I think of pizza, which I LOVE!
4. I don't think I will... ever feel completely at home in this world, but I look forward to that day in Heaven when God says “welcome home” and it all makes sense.
5. Yesterday I heard... the “Wonder Pets” theme song again …and again…and again.
6. Cowboy boots... remind me of when I lived in Fort Worth, Texas, while attending undergraduate school.
7. If I were a tree... I would tell Al Gore to stop hugging me.
8. Computers will never... be a fixture in my mother-in-law’s house.
9. The problem with toast is... it smells better than it tastes.
10. If I could, I would definitely... have New Jersey pizza delivered to my home in Illinois at least once a week.

Favorite Photo Friday (Nikki, I apologize for stealing your idea!)

2007-03-09T08:46:00.000-06:00

With Hannah around, I have quite a few “favorite” photos, so it was hard to pick just one for the first week. I decided to post a photo taken during our trip to China. This was taken during our tour of a home in the countryside while we were in the Hunan Province. Although the living conditions for a typical peasant family in the countryside are very, very primitive, the family who lived in this home seemed very proud to have a few visitors (as goofing looking as we were!).

“Say Cheese”

2007-03-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

At the age of 42 I made my first trip to Chuck E. Cheese a few weeks ago. A playgroup that we joined after we moved to Chicago hosted a play date there one Saturday morning. Personally, at age 3 I would have been terrified of “Chuck,” but Hannah seemed to love him. Who knows, maybe we’ll make another trip there in the next 40 years or so!

Year of the Pig

2007-03-07T06:26:00.000-06:00

This is a photo taken a couple of weeks ago at an event we attended celebrating the Chinese New Year holiday (I believe this is the biggest holiday celebrated in China). The event was sponsored by Families with Children from China (FCC) and was held in Chinatown in downtown Chicago. You’ll notice that Hannah is wearing a pretty velvet jumper. Quite lovely, right?? Well, what you don’t see is that she is the ONLY one NOT wearing a Chinese inspired outfit! There must have been 100 little girls running around wearing beautiful Chinese dresses. What was I thinking?! The only Chinese dresses I have for Hannah are those that I bought while we were in China, and they are too small for her now. Oh well, I think she looked darn cute in her velvet jumper! Maybe next year ….

Here we go!

2007-03-06T13:04:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've been thinking about it, talking about it, wondering when I would finally stop procrastinating about it, and, today, I finally decided to do it --- start a blog. A simple blog about my life with our sweet little one, Hannah (who, right now, is sitting next to me and singing "la la la" with an ear piercing tone --- in between her hiccups, of course). Just a typical day ....