The Amazing Journey to Karlee

Texas Bluebonnets 2010

2010-04-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

Zac Brown Band- Chicken Fried (Live)

2009-10-16T18:31:00.001-07:00

Jiangxi Jewels Reunion 2009

2009-09-15T16:28:00.001-07:00

Ignore my annoying voice.... I sound like a hick!

2009-09-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

2009-09-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

2009-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

2009-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

....And this be the back!

3 Word Sunday

2009-08-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

It's Been a While......

2009-08-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long time since I have posted, I almost forgot how to upload pictures! We have been busy as you can see by the photos, we now have TWO puppies, both Miniture Australian Shepherds. Went to pick up Callie Rose and went back for Memphis a day later! Here's what's been going on bullet style:

* It's Hot here in Tx, like 36+ days of triple digits! Need rain badly!
* Took 3rd Place in my all ladies fishing tournament in June
* Been to the beach in Rockport and then again to Port Aransas!
* Karlee loves the beach and she asks me daily when we are going again.
* We just finished redoing the Kitchen counters and cabinets and painting bathrooms, kitchen and bedroom.
* Karlee is now in a "Big Girl" bed and loves it!
* It's really hot!
* So hot you don't even want to go swiming!
* Leaving in 2 weeks to Augusta, GA to meet up with 7 of our 9 China Families.....very excited to see the girls and how they have grown and changed since our little reunion last year!
* Then we will venture on a road trip from Augusta to see my brother in Norfolk, VA. We will spend a couple nights in Myrtle Beach, SC too!
* Potty training puppies is harder than potty training Karlee!
* Callie and Memphis at 16 weeks are not potty trained but have mastered to sit, lay down and roll over and shake!.....Go figure!

Well time for dinner, hope you all are doing well.

2009-08-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

2009-08-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

2009-08-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Karlee's Easter Photos

2009-04-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

UPDATE! These pictures were taken at her School by C0dy H@rris Photography. And yes, that is a real bunny!

No Words Needed

2009-03-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

A Virgin No More.....

2009-02-25T09:47:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I was told Karlee did not take a nap at school when I picked her up! Should have been a huge warning sign! We then go to Wal-mart for a classmates birthday gift. She found a little wonder pet phone she liked while I was looking around. Well, she loved the phone and she held it as we shopped! She kept saying "this mine" I would tell her no. Well when we proceeded to the check out I told her she had to put it back... and all hell broke out! You BTDT mothers laugh all you want but this was the first time I have been so humiliated I could have just died! It as not pretty at all, she screamed, hit me even all they way to the check out and beyond! I could not get her out of the cart! The older man at the door tried to help me by giving her some stickers. That quieted her down for about 2 seconds!

Once I reached the car, she bucked, kicked and squirmed so bad it took me 10 minutes to get her in the car seat! I am mortified at this point, people are staring and my kid is freaking out! At this point she has been creaming throwing fit for about 15 minutes! I drive home while she is kicking the back of the seat screaming "I want my phone" "stop car momma" "Hold me"! Meanwhile, I call Duane to let him hear what I am dealing with! He can't believe his ears! His sweet angle never does anything like that with him! I was in total shock and disbelief! I go to Sonic and get me a Diet Dr. Pepper...she is still crying and throwing fit! I get home put her in her crib and go out side and have a cigarette! My client shows up and she's still crying! Client thinks it's funny! But I was stressed to the max! Never in my life have I seen a child behave that way! After an 30 min or so I take her out of the crib, tell he mommy loves her, her behavior is not acceptable bla bla bla and she was an angel the rest of the day! This fit lasted almost an HOUR!

Let's hope she gets a nap today! I can't handle a repeat of yesterday! And the kicker.... this morning in the car she asked for that damn phone and said she'd be nice! She's a smart cookie!!!

Random Cuteness!

2009-02-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

A little Humor Video......

2009-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Woody Guthries remake of Tom Paxton's "I am changing my name to chrysler"

Interesting Conservative Blog!

2009-02-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

Just came across this site for you interested conservatives! There's a few pictures worth a few laughs! I'd like the tummy tuck!

Temper Trantrum!

2009-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

From what I read, a Chinese woman missed her flight from Hong Kong to San Fancisco! I know a little girl that can throw a fit like that too! Well... almost!For those who have not seen this video....

To Anonymous..........

2009-02-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

Mr, Mrs, or Miss Anonymous you may have forgotten that this is MY blog and I choose what I write about not you! What a coward, to post as anonymous! I am not bitter nor prejudiced, I am however frustrated with our current government. If you don't like what I have to say, it's real simple moron, don't visit my blog! And your really not all that anonymous, I have your ip address and what time you made your comment! Wishing you a marvelous day! :-)

A Happy Valintine's Day For Us!

2009-02-14T16:53:00.001-08:00

Yummy Lobster Tails

Juicy Ribeyes

And delicous chocolate covered stawberries!

Ruth Chris.. Morton's have nothing on this dinner! I take the credit on the lobster but the steak master is my Valentine Duane! FYI, I will be spending the whole day tomorrow at the gym after this meal! But it will be worth it! Hope you all had a great day with your sweet hearts!

My How She's Grown!

2009-02-14T09:51:00.001-08:00

Referral Pictures June 6, 2007

1 st Birthday October 2007

2nd Birthday October 2008

These picture just freak me out at how much she has changed and grown! At her last Dr. appointment she was 37 inches tall and 31 lbs! Clothing size vary by stores but I have bought 2T,3T and 4T and some are too big and then some are too small or too short! Why can't they be more accurate!.... I need to take a few more recent pictures. She has really grown and her little face is looking more mature, like a big girl! Where did my baby go?

This child amazes me daily and continues to keep me on my toes. Her vocabulary is out of this world, and she surprises me daily with what she knows and remembers. Like I do not ever remember talking to her about a massage, but the other night I said "mommies thumb hurts can you massage it" and all be darn she did and very well I might add! My only guess is that she retained that from when I used to give her baby massages for bonding when we got home from China.. Anyway, I thought it was wild!

I can't adequately describe the love I have for her but she is my whole world! Don't know how it is possible but I love her more every day.

P.s How's that Kristy....that is about as soft and mushy as I can get!

Hope Americans Are Happy with this......

2009-02-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

S.O.B!!! I can't believe people are dumb enough to support this jack a$$! If your offended to darn bad! I am offended that our country will never in my child's life or her children or grand children's life ever be able to pay this back! I heard on talk radio, that if I spent a million dollars a day for an entire year, I would still have to spend a million a day for another 70 years to equal the trillions the dems want to spend! Frightening! That is just sickening! GREAT DEPRESSION here we come! Obama's true colors are showing and it hasn't even been 30 days yet! His whole selling point during the election was to end the war....funny, that hasn't even been mentioned! I am saddened for our country but at the same time I want to say....told ya so! Obama in my "expert" (sarcasm) opinion is a joke, he couldn't make a decision to save his life! I won't even go there about Tim Geithner and all the other tax evaders!

The good news: "Michael Steele, the first black leader of the Republican Party, has thrown down the gauntlet to Barack Obama, warning the first African American president that his party will give the Democrats a run for their money in every community in America." Look out Nancy!

The Saunder's Family

2009-02-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Kristy at "Francheska's Journey Home" posted this on her blog and I thought I'd pass it on as well. This family recently lost their home in a fire. Please keep them in your prayers.

Facebook - 25 Things

2009-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

I did this yesterday on Facebook and thought I'd share here with a different crowd! I am not going to tag 25 people here, but if you participate let me know! Also, if you have a Facebook account let me know, always room for more friends :-)!!

25 Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I drink entirely too much beer!
2. But I like it !
3. I bite my nails and always have and have no great desire to quit even though it's not becoming!
4. I hate to be late to the point it causes great anxiety!
5. I love saltwater fishing, can't go often enough! Nothing like a cold beer on a hot summer day and big bad ass Red!
6. As a teenager/ young adult I NEVER wanted children until I met Duane!
7. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd go around the world to become a mother!
8.I love being Karlee's mom! She could not be more me if I had given birth to her!
9.Parentling is hard, constantly worring if your screwing up your child!
10.I have learned to enjoy exercise, it makes me feel good afterwards! I will probably never see a size 6 or 8 again ....but oh well such is life!
11. I am convinced years of gymnastics abused my young body, especially my feet!
12. Probably due to the fact that I have sprained and fractured them many times!
13. As old as I am, I still want to get up a flip around after watching gymnastics during the Olympics or just on t.v......and sometimes I do try!
14.I still remember all my routines! I could do my floor routine today if needed!
15. I love to travel
16. I would like to one day go back to China. It is an amazingly beautiful country. Too bad I was a too overwhelmed to enjoy it as a vacation.
17. I try not to be judgemental of others because I am extremely critical of myself.
18.Money isn't everything but it sure helps!
19.I would like to one day have horses.
20. When I graduated high school I wanted to move to Colorado or Montana and marry a rancher!! Ya go ahead and laugh!
21. If my father hadn't died when I was 2yrs old, I would have been raised on a farm in North Dakota.
22. My mother is one tough cookie! She has been through hell and managed to raise three decent kids! :-)
23. My dad is a great man! I love him as if he was my biological father, after all he's the only one I have really known! He was a great dad and provider. However, I despised him as a teenager.....very strict!
24. I am very much like him, especially when it comes to being blunt and saracastic. I don't sugar coat shit!
25. I would like to retire on the coast....love it

I Just Love Denny!

2009-01-28T13:14:00.000-08:00

Is Jeffrey Dean Morgan not hot or what? I watched P.s. I love you the other night and oh my....Just love him! I loved the movie, such a chick flick, but Duane watched it with me because I told him it was a good movie. Kinda forgot to tell him it was a major chick flick! He just rolls his eyes at me! Duane thinks he looks too scruffy....Hello babe, that's what I think makes him so sexy! I first fell in love with his character as Denny on Grey's. Anyways, as you can see I am bored and there is not much else going on! Happy Hump day!

WTF?

2009-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Is exactly what I thought when I saw Aretha Franklin's hat! I was at the gym on the treadmill and all the tv's in the area were showing the inauguration! I didn't see all of it, but enough to say I saw history be made. I listened to his acceptance speech via u tube! The man has charisma and is a great speaker but I was expecting something more, not sure what, but more. I guess I wanted to know his plan to fix the doom and gloom we are in! Not just the fact that we are in a world of sh$t! But back to Aretha.....Do ya think,if you were invited to sing at the inauguration of the 1st African American President, you'd dress like you just left the fricken ghetto? Some say it's just her style and other say it's her heritage! Whatever the case, in my opinion, she missed the mark by a long shot!
Michelle on the other hand looked nice, at least she had some class....I could have done with out the green shoes! I am no fashion expert by any stretch of the means but Aretha's hat was down right ridiculous! It actually looks better in this photo than it did on live televsion!

New Years Day........... Country Style

2009-01-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Year's Day was spent out my dad's place in Luling, Tx. There was good food, 4-wheeling, fishing, hay rides and skeet shootin! We tried out dad's new 357 Magnum rifle he bought after the election. Us girls tried to shoot skeet and we pretty much sucked at it. But give us a beer can to shoot and we didn't miss. We ended the day with a fire work show. Everyone was exhausted and kids were asleep before we hit the highway! Good times!

Our New Years Eve Party

2009-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This & That Bullet Syle

2008-12-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

~I am loving my little flip video, it is so much fun. But I need to learn more about what I can do with it.

~This video of Karlee is part of our morning ritual....We get her milk and climb in my bed and cuddle and snuggle. My favorite time of the day with her. I love this kid so much it's crazy but no doubt she can work my nerves and push me to the limit some days.

~Went to the gym for the first time this week and it felt so good. I made it 4 times last week. I am almost to my 10lb goal by x-mas. I am down 8lbs and still drinking my brew!

~I woke up with a stomach bug on Monday morning. Hadn't felt that bad since I was sick in China! I don't get sick often, but when I do, I do it well! Thursday was my first day of normalcy. All that and didn't lose a pound!

~ Don't know if its PMS or not but I have been very emotional lately. After the gym today, I stopped by Sonic for my treat, a route 44 diet Dr. Pepper and started crying. I am sure the girl was wondering what the heck was wrong, so was I.

~Funny, after so many years of trying to get pregnant, I always new where I was at in my cycle. Now,I couldn't tell you when my last period was! I just know it's come and gone!

~The thought of getting pregnant now scares the shit out of me! Too old and its just plain too late! I hope God understands that! Ya, go ahead and laugh!!!

~Oops I hit publish instead of save! I am not quite done yet!

~ We have a dear friend battling cancer and it saddens me so.. It makes you feel so helpless to know that there's nothing you can do to fix it!

~ That's me, I try to fix everything. Sometimes that gets me into trouble! I just hate to see others suffer for whatever reason.

~ I have presents bought and wrapped! But not near finished. DH is always so hard to buy for but I have something up my sleeve! Hope it all works out!

~ Why does it take so long for You tube to upload? Yes, I am doing this while I wait! Maybe it's my slow as hell computer?? That I can't fix either!

~ I woke up with yet another darn pimple! WTHeck, I am 38 years old and I have more break outs than I did as a teenager! Somethings wrong here!

~ Ok Im done for now.

Dad's X-mas Party

2008-12-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

Karlee and Peyton for whatever reason thought it was so much fun to crawl and dust the floor. I don't know number the band is playing but remember we live in South Texas!

Trying out the flip video

2008-12-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

What am I making for Thanksgiving????

2008-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

I am making my Broccoli Cornbread as usual for Thanksgiving. I am making three batches. Two to take and one for home as per Duane's request! I promise you this is so goooood! Everyone absolutely loves it and it's super easy! If you try it, let me know what you think. I am also making a few pies but that's it this year.

Ingredients:

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix(a must I've tried it with other and it's gross)
4 eggs, beaten
1 sticks melted butter or margarine
1 pkg. (10 oz) chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small container cottage cheese

Preparation:
I usually saute the onion in the butter. Combine all ingredients and pour into greased 9- X 13-inch baking dish. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.

This my friends.....

2008-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

Is my new bestest friend ever! Those who know me, know I love me some beer. And I have the extra 14lbs of summer fun to prove it. After a depressing visit to the GYN, I drove my big booty to Weight Watchers and then to the gym! I just discovered this new brew and it has only 1 that's right 1 point value on the flex plan. That my friends means I can drink the whole six pack! However, I only drank three tonight! I must admit it taste pretty darn good for only 64 calories! I am hoping to shed the 14lbs by x-mas. Wish me luck! FYI, I bought the one and only 18 pack at the grocery store because thats all they had. Apparently, others are on to this too! The beer guy at Duane's store said he can't keep the stores stocked!

Our Humble Bumble Bee!

2008-11-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

While am at it, here is our little bumble bee! She had a blast trick-or-treating and boy did she do it well! After a about 10 house we went back to my brother's neighbor for a fish fry! Good times! Karlee kept her little antennas on the entire night!

Being silly.

Enjoying her cupcake!

Karlee and cousin peyton, the ninja!

Karlee, Jacob (the pirate) and Peyton at Justin and Leanne's house.

Helloooooo

2008-11-05T19:42:00.001-08:00

Just happened to notice that today marked 3 years since we submitted our paper work to China! WOW! We have been home one year and 3 months! Some days it feeks like just yesterday was Gotcha day and others seem like she's been with us forever! I can not for the life of me, imagine our lives with out her! She has been everything I could have expected and more. Here are picture from here birthday!! (I know I am only a month late!)

A True American Hero!

2008-11-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

What an amazing man John McCain is. I strongly believe he would have made an excellent president, but that was not to be. I dissagree with most of the president elects policies. I hope and pray he will stand up to the promises he made to the country. Time will tell......

I'm Hooked!

2008-11-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Another show we are hooked on! Never thought I'd get into a vampire show but I can't wait for Sunday nights! Gotta love Bill!

Is it just me???

2008-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Or does Obama remind you of Nicholae Carpathia in the Left Behind Series? I only got to the 7Th or 8th book. But in MY opinion, Carpathia had the world fooled and it seems like Obama is doing a great job himself. I just don't get how his affiliations with known terrorist groups, doesn't mean a hill of beans to people! Well, this chick ain't falling for it!

UPDATE: I just did a search and apparently I am not the only one to compare the two. Check it out!

Free Pizza

2008-10-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

CLASSY FOLKS AREN'T THEY!

Because I Can........

2008-10-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

SPREAD THE WEALTH.......... UMM..KISS MY ASS!

Just Couldn't Help Myself!

2008-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Gymnastic Pictures

2008-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Karlee Turned 2 Today!

2008-10-03T14:29:00.001-07:00

Pictures we took this week!

We Got Curls Alright!

2008-09-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Her hair curls alright! But the curly look, well....it's just not for her! Maybe if her hair were longer. But the way it is now she looks like a clown! I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants! Kinda reminded me of a little old lady! Needless to say, she won't be sporting this hair for the wedding! But it was fun all the same! The best laugh I've had in a while! She's gonna kill me for this when she's older!

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Trial Run......

2008-09-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Karlee will be in a wedding in a few weeks so I thought I'd try out a few hair do's for the big day. So I went and bought sponge rollers! Holy cow, they still make them. Anyways, I want to see if her hair will curl and for how long. I used mousse and then sprayed it to death! Now we just wait and see. I will post pictures of the end result soon as it dries! Amazingly enough, she sat still and played with the rollers and loved handing me them when I needed another. Too cute and too funny. She has quite the personality! If this doesn't work, anyone have any suggestions? I'd hate to try a curling iron for fear of burning her!

1st Day of Gymnastics

2008-09-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Last night was karlee's first day at her gymnastics class and she of coursed loved it! She looked so darn cute in her leotard. She did great on the bars and she loved the trampoline! It was so weird to be in a gym again. The smell of chalk brought it all back! And crazy as it may be....... her coach turned out to be one of my coaches from way back when!!!!!!!!!!She remembered my name but remebered my mom instantly! Anyways, I am looking forward to gym days as long as Karlee enjoys it!

Snap Shots

2008-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just a few recent snaps shots of Karlee. The pictures of her in the Chinese dress is the same one she wore on the red couch! I was surprised it still fit but it's a little short!

GWCA Reunion!

2008-07-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

We are heading out in a few hours to Austin for the GWCA Reunion. The reunion is actually Saturday but we are meeting families we traveled to China with for dinner tonite! We can't wait to see how the girls have grown. Its hard to beleive we were packing and getting ready a year ago and now we are celebrating being home almost a year! Wow, where did the time go? Well better get packed! Be back soon!

Karlee Pics

2008-06-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

My Litle Gymnast in the making!

Our little fish! She absolutley LOVES the water!

Lip Balm Anyone?

2008-04-01T18:37:00.001-07:00

Oh Yum! Watermellon!

Man, it sure looks like it would taste good!

I can do it all by myself!

We can not forget the lip balm! Karlee is already a lipbalm freak. She has to put it on every time she see me put on! Trying to get her not to eat it is another thing!

Just A Day At Home

2008-04-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, lets call cousin Peyton and tell him all about the fun he missed!

Drying off

Oh My! it got me!

Running from the sprinlker

Doing Itsy bitsy spider

Karlee Hamming it up!

Karlee trying on Duanes Oakly's without the new lenses!

Duane had a Dr. appt in the afternoon so when he got home we just hung outside. While Karlee and I supervised Duane mowing the yard we mangaged the grill! She is such a little ham! She loved sitting in the big chair like us. She also found the sprinkler fun! It was 91 degrees today. The pool is not quite ready for swimming but Karlee had no problem chasing the sprinkler. She was totally soaked as you can see. She had a blast and the BBQ chicken was delicious! Enjoy

More Pics on Easter

2008-03-23T15:52:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Duane's moms for Easter dinner and to hunt Easter Eggs. Karlee had a blast. She is just so darn cute! She is the absolute joy of our life and gets cutier every day... if that's possible. She ran all over the yard looking for eggs and tried to carry them all in one hand!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T15:49:00.001-07:00

Miscellaneous Pics

2008-03-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Karlee trying on her Hawaiian style bikini, can't wait for the summer!

Mom and I took her to Mr. Gatti's and she rode the carousel and loved it!

17 Months Old 3-3-08

2008-03-06T14:22:00.001-08:00

Karlee turned 17 months last Sunday and I can't believe how fast she is growing. No more baby.... we're in full swing toddler hood! It's cold and rainy outside, so we are just hanging out. She came out of my room sporting my cap. Notice the cheese around her mouth...she took off running from me after she ate broccoli rice and cheese!

Oh My.... Three times in one night....

2008-02-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

Three posts that is.... Since, I am on a roll, here are few pictures we took last November for our Christmas cards.

Our First Family Photos

Me and My Girl!

Our Cutie Pie

2008-02-21T19:17:00.001-08:00

Her shirt says "Crown me Miss Valentine"

Pink Cowboy Boots

My Goodness It's Been Awhile.....

2008-02-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I have posted due to several things but mainly I was just too busy with Karlee and when I had free time the computer wasn't calling my name!Since bullets seem to be the latest in blog land I will give a try as well.

*We had a great first holiday with Karlee.
*She is growing like a weed, seriously!
*People ask how old she is and then comment "aren't Chinese girls/women usually small"?
*And "are they sure they had her birthday right"?
*She is talking and babbling nonstop
*She's had 3 ear infections since December and neither time gave any indication she was in pain.
*She is a complete joy
*She choked on a penny the other day
*I nearly passed out and I swear my heart stopped.
*She absolutely HATES her hair washed.
*She gives the best hugs and kisses and greets me in the morning with a "HI"
*She has the sweetest little voice.
*We recently went to the Rodeo and she loved the petting zoo and chased the baby goats.
*Grandma has taught her to point her toes and do a pirouette and can do a forward roll.
*Pictures of that are soon to follow
*Dance and gymnastics are likely in her future.
*She is 33 1/2 inches tall, 26 lbs and almost 17mts old
*She loves walks in her stroller
*These walks have helped her mom loose almost 30 lbs since "Gotcha Day"
*She goes to school Tue - Fri from 9-2 and absolutely loves it.

Well there is so much to catch up on but this is all I have time for at the moment. Duane got me a new camera for x-mas and I have just now gotten around to trying it out. Here are a few picture from recent weeks.

A Little more...

2007-11-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

I am a little slow keeping up with blogger if you hadn't noticed. But here are a few pictures from Halloween. That orange stuff around Karlee's mouth is from cheese puffs! The girl can put away some cheese balls. FYI, Karlee was a butterfly for Halloween and had a great time at our friends Robyn and Robert's house. The cute little blonde is their daughter Maddy.

Just Pics.......

2007-11-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

Busy Busy Busy!

2007-10-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

I didn't drop off the face of the earth! I have just been super busy w/ Karlee and work. I had to go to back to U*P*S for HR reasons and I will finish my obligation at the end of the month! So beside being mommy to Karlee I am working from home during the day and working at night as well! Karlee is doing amazing! She is growing like a weed and is almost walking! Lord help me when she does! She's all over the place now. I know I am biased but we have the best baby ever! We could not be more blessed to have her in our lives. We have been home a little over 2 months and I can't imagine life with out her. She is super attached to me and will follow me everywhere. Karlee turned 1 on October 3 and we had a little party/ BBQ for her and she loved loved her cake. I will upload those pics soon. My lap top is in the shop so that is another reason I haven't been keeping up w/ the blog. It just isn't convenient to blog at the desk top! I hope all are doing great and hanging in there for referrals. Here is Karlee's first photo. Duane took her one morning and they all turned out great! Enjoy!

We're Still Alive and Well.....

2007-09-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted but boy have our lives changed! We have had lots going on with family and friends and trips to the coast. We have just recently been able to stop and take a breath. Karlee is still doing amazing! It the last few weeks she has started crawling and pulling up on everything and everyone. And let me tell this girl can move! She will be walking in no time flat. She has gained 3 lbs since we got home and 3 inches! She is very active and loves to go for rides in the car. She is very vocal and says Momma and DaDa very clearly and has learned to wave bye bye. I am working on kitty but no luck yet. She still hates her hair washed and getting her face wet. I took her last weekend and got her ears pierced and that went very well. The lolly pop worked wonders! She is such a strong little girl. She is still eating very well as long as we don't try and feed her "baby food". She now has two teeth on top as well and two more on the way. We are starting to get a routine down but its still a work in progress. Sorry the post is so trite but I wanted to give an update and make it quick as Miss Karlee is all over the place and crawling all over me. So here are a few pics I took in the last few days. Yes, one is of her Halloween costume . I could not resist and had to try on and take pictures when I saw how darn cute she looked! Anyways, enjoy and I hope to post agian soon.

Karlee Pics

2007-08-18T20:29:00.001-07:00

It is so hard to capture her true smile because as soon as she sees the red light on my camera she stops to see what it is! But I assure you this darling gives us lots and lots of smiles and giggles! I especially love when she first wakes up in the morning, she looks at us and laughs and is all smiles. She gets so excited!
Anyways, we are beat. We have had company and been on the go since last Thursday and it will continue til next weekend! Lordy, I need some serious sleep!
Enjoy!

Where to begin.......

2007-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well we have been home just over two weeks now and I don't even know where to start. I guess the most important thing is she is doing amazingly well and I am waitng for the ball to drop and for her to regress a bit. I hear it happens but won't be dissapointed if she doesn't. She is a great eater and sleeper. (Just like her mamma!) She has gained 2 lbs since her medical check up in China! She is now wearing 12mts. We had her first appointment with the Dr. and it went very well. She got 2 shots in each leg and we will go back in 6 weeks for the next round and blood work. He said she should be all caught up by 18 mts. Our Dr. is not worried about Karlee's head shape but to ease our worries scheduled a head x-ray to be sure her skull's sutures are not yet fused as they will do later on normaly. She absolutely loves the pool and her baths now! She just hate water in her face. Don't get me wrong she has her moments, they just are not many and usually only when she is hungry and/or tired!

We have had lots of friends and family in to see Karlee. My cousin and her family and my aunt came in from Minnesota and my brother came in from Virginia. We all went to Sea World and she did great with the heat and she slept most of the time. We are planning to leave to Rockport, Texas but with the hurricane's and tropical storms lately we're not sure when we will be leaving. The last storm hit the area were our family's cabin is but apparently it was just lots of rain and all is okay. Guess we will soon find out. We BBQ today and everyone just left and it feels like a Sunday night and the weekends is just begining! So I will post pictures soon and I am going to bed!

Good Times

2007-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest pic of Karlee. We are doing better on the sleep situation. Karlee is sleeping from9pm to 9-10am in her crib. It's me who is having trouble sleeping now. Once I get up to give her a bottle I can't go back to sleep for like 5 hours! But we had a BIG day today. We went to my mom's work and had luch and then I came home with our friend's daughter Mady so she could help me with Karlee. Mady had a ball and Karlee adored her as well. We went swimming, played hard and had a great day. Another biggy happened today........She called me MAMA!!!!!!I could not believe my ears! It just melted my heart! Well, I am zonked and will try to get some sleep before its time to make the donuts! Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-03T00:58:00.000-07:00

We made it home late Wednesday night and oh does it feel good to be home! The jet lag has kicked in for all of us! At first I felt just great and about 2 hours of unpacking and doing laundry and caring for Karlee I got really shaky and nausiated. Duane ran to the grocery store for more diapers and food for us. We lost a little bit of weight while in China but nothing significant that won't be gained back in a few days of eating good ole American food!

Our first night home was pretty good. However, it is now 4:45am Friday and Karlee has been up since 12:30 pm with one little 30 minute nap! Duane and I are wired and wide awake. She is content playing on the floor. Duane is in the shower and then on his way for his morning coffee at the corner store. He is also going to pick up tacos!!!! It hardly seems real that we are home and there is a little one forever in our lives. It feells weird but good. I think once we all get back on a regular schedule it will be even more wonderful. I am worrying a bit how I am going to work from home and care for Karlee on demand. But we will have to make it work some how and I have a month to figure it out. To all my clients reading......please be patient with us!

Our phone has rang non stop and it is good to hear from everyone. I can't wait for everyone to meet out little angel! Karlee is fussing and hopefully getting sleepy so gotta run.

We're On Our Way Home

2007-07-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but we will be on our way home very soon.(8 hours and we will be at the airport) We have really enjoyed our stay here in Guangzhou. We have met so many wonderful families and plan to keep in touch. Three of the nine families live in Texas and one lives in SA area! I am sad to leave Karlee's country but very ready to sleep in my own bed. If all goes as planned we should be back in SA on Wednesday at 10 ish. This will be the last post fro a few days. Here are our last pictures til were home. FYI, we can't wait to BBQ and I am craving an ice cold tea from Bill Miller's. See you all real soon!

Consulate Day

2007-07-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today we go to the American Consulate and head home tomorrow! We have heard that NW airlines has cancelled some flights and we can't get any info. So we will say a prayer we get home. Here are some pics from this moring. I will post again before we leave. Gotta go get breakfast before the lines get to long!

A few More Pictures

2007-07-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

Blogger only lets me upload a few pic at a time so here are some more.

Were In Guangzhou

2007-07-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted lately. I was deathly ill. We all have had some sort of bug and the grandma's have it now. But I had it BAD!. Today we did Karlee's medical exam and all is good. She weighed 17 lbs and is 28 1/2 inches long! She is very tiny otherwise. Everything she has worn is 6-9 mts and some of it is too big. She has no booty at all. She does have a few Mongolian spots and has the usual chinese flat head in back. We were kinda feaked out about that but after speaking with many BTDT parents, they assured us it will round out with more belly time and sleeping on her sides. Flat heads is ver common. However, we will ask the Dr. when we get back home too.

The White Swan is so nice. Our room overlooks the river and is all lit up at night. It looks like Vegas! I haven't gotten to shop much, it not easy when you have child in arms. We got a stroller so that should help a bit. Karlee loves it as long as it is moving, once you stop she lets you know it! Actually she lets us know when she not happy for any reason. It hasn't taken us long to figure out when she hungry, wet or sleepy. For the most part she is a happy little girl. Duane can really make her laugh. He has been so great and such a hands on daddy. He looks like a he's done this all his life. Not that I ever doubted he wouldn't be, just its neat to see. He has done the majority of the poopy diapers. Being sick and so nauseated I just couldn't stomach the stinch.

Duane and I went to Lucy's, an american style restaurant for lunch and it was very good. We will be eating there every day for luch for sure. Did I mention Guangzhou is much nicer than Beijing and Nanchang. The a/c is cold, the beverages are cold and you can get ice! Well, here is what you all want, so enjoy the new pictures of Karlee.

Karlee Pic's Continued.....

2007-07-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our Pretty Girl

2007-07-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun dressing Karlee! Only she hates to put her arms through the holes! But we are getting better. I think she is adjusting well. She's attaching to both of us. Yesterday, I left the room and she started crying. Made me feel good and dad feel bad! She also just hates her bath so the grandma's and Duane have been doing that. I can't take the screaming and I leave the room. She is fine and happy as soon as she is done with bath time. I hope that will change soon.

We prayed for poop and our prayers have been answered ten fold! She is a good eater. We are out of formula and there is none to be found! Duane brought some home from the Chinese store and it is out of date. So he is on a mission for more formula today. We have Infamil that we brought from home so if we need to we will use that. We just didn't want to change her so suddenly. We should be able to get her brand of formula and more bottle liners for sure in Guangzhou! Apparently, it is very Americanized!

It is so nice to see everyone comment from back home! Thank you! Netta, we got your comment! I cant wait to tell you all about China. It is simply an amazing country and so beautiful. We can people watch for hours. If you guys could see how these folks drive you laugh til it hurt. I can't even begin to describe the chaos on the streets and there is no traffic jams ever!

We have another tour today of a park and garden. Cathy and I took Karlee to a local dress shop called Tiffany's and had 3 Chinese dresses made for her. A white one to be christened in and a blue one for the red couch photo and a red one for when she is a bit older! We will pick those up today.

Well, time to get moving the day has started for us and it is 5:45 am! Boy, am I not use to this! But we have been going to bed early so it's not terrible. Here are the latest photos of Miss Karlee. Enjoy!

Another Good Day!

2007-07-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

We have poop!!!! Lots of poop! Lucky for me, Duane got every dirty diaper! But I got one this morning finally!We are making progress! She can sit well and stand with help but hasn't been able to roll over or put hand to mouth. Yesterday, she did both, rolled over and put a vanila waffer in her mouth! However she hates beingon her tummy. I know that seem so trivial but it is big for her. She is experiencig so many new things lately and doing great. We rented a stroller ans she likes it as long s it is moving! She really has been easy and low maintenance.(I know it won't always be that way but we will enjoy while we can) She falls asleep easily and loves to be rocked. Last nigt we all went to bed early at 8:00 and she slept til 6 am!!!!!!!I have never felt better! Well I better get in the showe we have a tour today of Nanchang. Just two more days and we will be headed to Guangzhou! The food thus far has been wonderful! But we will be having Pizza Hut tonight! Oh Goodness.....looks like we have more poop! Gotta run! Sending lot of love back home!

Tuesday!

2007-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today is our big trips to Walmart!!! We leave at 9am. We found the camera! So I have few new pics but since we didn't have it all day yesterday we need to play catch up! We had another successful night! She only woke up once and went right back to bed. We all wnr to bed at 8:30 last night and we got up at 4:30. Yesterday afternoon was a little uncomfortable for us. We think she is teething so she's been fussy and cries a lot. She has not pooped yet either. We gave her prunes yesterday morning and she loved them. Grandma Cathy gave her a suppository last night and all we got was a BIG fart and a little baby pooper! As much I love poopy diapers, please pray we get a good poop soon!

This girl is so strong! She has a death grip and hates to change her tops only. She definitely has a good set of lungs and has quite the temper! I have never seen a child kick so hard or arch their back like she does! She is happy go lucky for the most part and she gives us lots of smiles and coos!

We went out to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant and had Pekking Duck and some other dishes. Duane loved the duck but I stuck to pepper steak and rice. Mom has been more adventurous in the food department and ate lotus root and said it was good.

It's Official

2007-07-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

Today, we did our interview, notarization, and visa registrtion and according to Chinese Gov't, Karlee is officially our daughter!!! Yea!!!It's been a busy few days and it should be winding down in the next day or so. The only thing we have planned for tomorrow is to go to Wal-Mart shopping for the babies! Karlee is continuing to adjust with us. This afternoon was a bit stressful as she wouldn't let me put her down when she went to sleep. Duane then took her to walk the halls for a while and then they played on the floor. All is good!

We did have us quite a scare this moring, I could not find my passport along with all our money. It was last in our diaper bag during Gotcha Day and I promise you it was not in there. I tore through and ran sacked the room in utter panick! After looking in diaper bag 3 times Duane found it on the bottom! It was good feeling to give all the money to the officials so we didn't have to carry all that money around and we will not need our passports until we leave! So my point here is, now I can not find my camera to down load more picture! So I will try and look for it and post more soon! Life has never been crazier or more wonderful!

Thank you all for your comments and well wishes and support. I finally figure out how to get blogger in English! So I have a better idea of what I am clicking on. Thank you

More Pictures on Gotcha Day!

2007-07-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

When I said she screamed I meam she screamed and kicked and bucked like a horse!We gave her a bath when we got back to the room to calm her down and she hated that too! It was te quickest bath ever I am sure! We are in the process of changing rooms becasue the a/c here totally sucks.Nothing is cold,drinks room hotel, etc... Mom and Cathy moved last night. Duane is taking stuff to the new room, Karlee is napping and me, I am updating the blog for you guys back home.( And folks it not even 7am yet!) We miss you all. We are enjoying China, however we can't wait to get home!!! We will be in Nanchang til Friday and half way through! Enjoy!
Love to all,
Mya

Our Dream Has Come True

2007-07-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Here is what we all have been waiting for.............We got Karlee yesterday at 3:30 and we were the first one to get their baby and she screamed bloody murder!!!It was so so hot in the civil affairs building......hellish HOT!!All the babies were hot exhausted. Karlee was the only one screaming but it was not long before she got the others going too! She is doing well now, about hour after we got back to the room she had a bottle and we got some smiles! It just melted our hearts! She slept all through the night. ( Thank You GOD) She loves her stacking cups and her little inch worm from Aunt Kate and Uncle Dennis and cousins Sarah and Emily. She will soon be called crusty too! She has 2 teeth on bottom and is chews on everything. And get this, she loves her pink blanky! She is her mmomy girl! She doesn't let it out of her sight and hold and chews/sucks it!! Too cute. She is just precious and we are so in love with her. Some of the babies are really tiny. Karlee is petite but very long! Her clothes are 6-9 mts are fitting and so are the 12 mts so thank goodness they fit. Many parents doen't have clothes that fit and will go shopping tomorrow. We have to be in the lobby at 8:15 for more paperwork and to go back to the hellish heat in the civil afairs building. I have been up since 4:45, can you beleive it? So here are the first glimpses of Miss Karlee!

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!

2007-07-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finally that time and we are getting luggage ready and paperwork and all the $$ situated for the big day. Our bags have to be out by the door at 7 am and we need to meet in lobby at 9am and it's off to the airport to Nanchang. We arrive around 1:30, check into hotel, change and then go get the babies!!!!!Yippy!!We have met some really nice people and three of them have babies in the same orphanage and one lives in SA and her baby's b-day is the same as mine! It is crazy weird how everything works out. Two families just got here today because they missed their flight and connecting fight by 10 min! I'd be a total mess. They met up with us at the Great Wall. The Great Wall is absolutely breath taking amazing. We climbed a good ways until I was sure I was going to suffer a cardiac arrest! It is tough and very steep and its even harder coming down because your already tired. Trust me no matter how far you get, your legs will be shaking on the way down! Here are few pictures of today. we also did The Forbidden City and Ti a men(sp) square and to be honest, I was bored out of my mind!!!!!It was about 3 hours in the heat and everything looks the same and it goes or forever and ever! I could of done with out that tour and spent more time at the Great Wall, we all really enjoyed it. I will post pictures of "GOTCHA DAY" asap! I promise. I can't believe it's finally here nor at how darn tired I am. Everyone is dragging butt, hopefully tonight we will get some good sleep. Meanwhile here are some pics of our tour.

We Made IT!!

2007-07-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

We made it luggage and all! Blogger is in Chinese so bare with me! It was an extremely long flight that I am not looking forward to doing again. We got to the hotel about 11pm Friday night. We are staying at the Poly Plaza and it is very nice however the a/c sucks and the beds are super HARD!!!!!Its curently 4:30 am Satuday and I can't sleep and we leave 4 hours to tour the Great Wall and Forbidden City. I have only slept maybe 3 hours total since we left our house Thursday at 6:30. I feel like poo!!!!It would help if the room was cool or if I had a fan. It feels really stuffy/ humid and it doesn't help I have allergies/cold right know either.I have afew pics but haven't gotten to upload anything just yet. Internet is free here but it shuts off whenever it feels like it! Thank you guys for your coments and well wishes. It will soon be you doing and experience this! Lisa, it feels so surreal right now to be so far from home and so so close to our baby girl. I have never left our country other than to go to Mexico on vacation so this is way different. It was dark when we arrived and I can't wait to see everything in the daylight. Well, I am going to try and sleep/rest little before we head out for the long day. we won't arrive back to hotel til 6pm or so.

Ready or Not, Here We Come!!

2007-07-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well, the bags are packed and we are loaded down to the limit! (yes, there's lots of luggage but we have 4 adults going!)We will arrive late Friday about 9 pm or so. Then we will be up and ready at 8:30 to tour the Great Wall and such on Saturday. We leave Beijing at 10:30 am Sunday July 22nd to Nanchang and get Karlee at 3:30!!!!!!!None of us are looking forward to the actual flight but we have movies for the laptop and I have tons of gossip mags and the like! Our seating assignment looks like it will totally suck, we are like way in the back of the aircraft! But the reservsation clerk said it will not be a full flight and we can likely move around a bit. Anyways, this is it for a few days, I will update as soon as I can.
Wish us luck!

We're Almost Ready!

2007-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well I finally actually started packing! I have had stuff everywhere but just actually started getting it all together! Today, I got Karlee's stuff packed and I have a whole suitcase just for her! It is really becoming a reality! It is a feeling hard to explain. For those of you waiting for your first child, I assure you the long wait is so worth it 10 times over. So hang in there, the feeling of joy is so abundant! I went to target to get some things we still needed and $300 + later I am still not done! I never though I could pack so much stuff! The suitcase currently weighs 37 lbs and I have more room! Duane and I will be sharing a suitcase and I will be putting stuff in with my moms suitcase as well! Duane has a back pack he will be caring and I a carry on. I am sure we are way over packing big time, but oh what the hay! I still have a list of things I need to do. But much to your surprise I am doing well and Duane is the one who is experiencing the anxiety!To think in just one week we will be holding our baby girl! It really does not seem possible after everything we have been through.

Last Friday was my last day at UPS and it was bitter sweet. I have become really fond of my coworkers and my job title. It is not easy being responsible of those flying an aircraft! It is really amazing how anyone receives their packages on time, it is an amazing operation. It would give you a whole new respect the next time you sent something out UPS! I work with all men and they all pitched in and got Karlee some toys and books. They even took me out for drinks after the operation. I am sure most of the time they thought I was a total "B" but the job is extremely stressful! But it meant alot that they are so exited for me and for them to think of my future daughter!

Anyways, we leave Thursday at 8:30 am to Detroit then to Tokyo and then to Beijing.. Our gotcha day is July 22nd and we will be back home in Texas on August 1st!! Wow, have things moved fast! I will be updating while in China willing I can post!
Thanks for following!

China Here We Come!

2007-07-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

Well, we have booked our flights and we leave next Thursday July 19th and our Gotcha Day will be either July 22nd or July 23rd! Our consulate appointment is July 30th and we fly home August 1st. Just two days before Karlee will be 10 months old! I can't beleive this is happening so so fast! I really thought the travel planning would be difficult but our agency has a travel agency that specializes in China Adoption travel and it was super easy. Basically they get it all planned out and send you an itenery and you review it and then pay for it, pretty simple. I had called around for airfares myself and they were super high. I am quite pleased with the price we got from Delight Travel. However, I wanted to fly China Souhtern and we will be flying Northwest. With such short notice we really could not be too picky!
Well, that's all I know for now and I need to get my butt packing and getting organized. I have shower gifts to put away and clothes to wash.

Shop / Client Shower #2

2007-07-08T20:19:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon, my coworker Nikki, client and dear friend Kim and old coworker Sylvia gave me a shower with all the ladies from the shop. Everyone was so thoughtful and very generous and Karlee got more great gifts! I had three surprise guests and my emotions were high and tears were flowing. I have been doing nails for almost 15 years and most of my clients have been coming to me since day one! Some drop off and come back for personal reasons or just simply get tired of nails. Perfectly fine with me but I miss them. But even though they don't come in any more they keep in touch over the years. My clients have been listening to me whine and complained about infertility and adoption for the last 5 years, so us getting Karlee's referral is just as exciting to them as it is to me! Nikki, my coworker thought it would be great to include a few old clients and boy was I surprised. I had a wonderful time visiting all my clients and received some fabulous gifts for Karlee. Now I have seriously got to get organized before we leave which may be very soon! I should know tomorrow when we are leaving. I am super excited and nervous, we have so much to do before we go its crazy. But between my great MIL and DH they have assured me it will be all OK! I have been so blessed with so many great friends and family and for that, I am very grateful! If you all are reading, Thank you for your love and support over the years!.........(yes, that means you Mary S. :-))

Couple Shower #1

2007-07-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday our friends Robyn & Robert, Ruben & Karen, Andrea & Travis gave us a shower with all our friends. We had a great turn out and the weather cooperated. We have had an extremely rainly summer, therefore,it was humid as all get out! Those us who didn't swim were wringing wet. We receive some wonderful gifts for Karlee. Now I have to figure out what and where to put all this stuff in the next few days and get ready to go to China at the same time! We had a nice time visiting with friends we hadn't seen in a while. How many baby showers does one go to where "BYOB" is on the invite! It was a hot and humid day and the cold beer sure was good!(as if you could not tell by the pictures)

OH MY, OH MY OH MY!

2007-07-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

We just got word from our agency that TA's have arrived and we could leave as early as July 19th! It all depends on our Consulate Appt which they are trying for the week of July 3oth! Oh my goodness my belly is doing flip flops and I feel as I might vomit! Holy Shit! I am no way ready and haven't even begun to start packing!! I am so excited right now that I am crying!! I can't belive it, it's really happening! HELP!!!!!!

Will keep you all posted when I know more!

Our Girl Turns 9 Mts

2007-07-03T21:27:00.001-07:00

Its not really her birthday but Karlee is 9 months old today!! I can hardly wait to get to her and hold her! Not that I am packed and ready to go but I do my best under a little stress! I am hoping we will know when we are traveling very soon. We received our visas last week Friday. I have a ton of paperwork to get together. I guess you can say I am a procrastinator! Tomorrow, I will go out to my dad for the 4th and this weekend our friends are having a couple shower for us and the ladies at the shop are having a shower for me on Sunday! Will post more later. Hope everyone has a GREAT 4TH of JULY!!

LINGERIE ON THE BAY

2007-06-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

We got back this afternoon from the fishing tournament in Matagorda and we are super tired and my feet are killing me. In order to win the tournament the team had to catch all three fish: flounder, trout and red fish. The team with the heaviest weight wins. But for those teams that did not catch all three fish, they could enter their largest fish in the individual category. To enforce that no one cheats, individuals who are in first are subjected to polygraph testing! Well, we had all but the flounder caught. I had a flounder earlier but it got off the darn hook! IF ...If I could have netted that flounder we would have won the entire tournament and about $3000.00. Our weight on two fish weighed more that the winner who caught all three fish! All we needed was a legal flounder and it would have been ours! We did enter our largest Red Fish and won 2nd place and $500.00. I had a blast on my first tournament and hope I will be invited again so I can try to redeem myself by catching that flounder! We all worked really hard and had a great time and I guess that says a lot. Our captain and deck hand were great. They were very patient with us when lines were tangled! I know at times it couldn't have been easy! My DH greeted us with ice cold beer when we arrived and beer never tasted so good! After the results of the tournament, we went out to dinner and celebrated..... little too much!Anyways, good times were had by all!

Fishing Tournament

2007-06-20T21:48:00.001-07:00

In two days I will be in my first ever Lingerie On The Bay Fishing Tournament here. Its' an all female fishing tournamant and our team name is "Size Matters"! And NO, we will not be wearing lingerie, its just the name of the tournment! However, I have been prepared to see some skanky women! I have most of my gear packed and ready. We will do mostly wade fishing so I have my ray guards and waders ready to go. I am not particularly fond of wading but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to catch that BIG ONE! We have to catch one of each: Trout, Flounder and Red Fish. So I will be out and away from the blog world for a few days. But hopefully, I will have some good pictures to share early next week.

It's been two weeks today since we first saw Karlee's sweet little face. I still can't believe we have our referral! I have Karlee's pictures everywhere, on the night stand, work, kitchen counter and in my purse. I show anyone who will look. I have been busy this week with e-mails from our agency. I have never been so overloaded with info and sign and return this with check, money order, or credit card. They mean it when they say all the money is spent at the end. Fortunantely, we have it saved so it's been fun! I sent off the form to have Karlee's Passport read Karlee Mei Johnston That was too wierd but I love the way her name looks! That was one thing that we were eligible for from her province but unfortunately will we not be able to visit her orphanage. We sent off for all four of our Visa's today. I also sent off for some presciptions for Karlee, since our family doctor would not prescribe anything without seeing her first. So once those arrive all I need to do is get them filled. Hopefully, we won't need it but it will be nice to have if we do. That's about all I know for now. Be back soon......wish me luck fishing!

My Necklace!

2007-06-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

My very sweet and creative friend Krista made me this beautiful necklace with Karlee's referral picture. She brought this to the shop last Friday and OMG it is too pretty! These pictures do not do it justice! I wore it all weekend and hated to take it off! If anyone is interested, I am sure she would could make one for you for a small fee! Somebody asked me if I cried when I got the referral and pictures and no I haven't. I would have thought I would but all I do is smile and smile! So there is no telling what I'll do when I hold her in my arms for the first time!

Time is Flying!

2007-06-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to thank all who have visited my blog and commented recently. Wow! I have never had so many hits on my boring little blog before. Your comments mean a lot and were so sweet!

I have been meaning to post for a few days now, but to say it's been a whirl wind is an big understatement! Last week was super crazy. Unfortunatley, we had my SIL funeral Tuesday, my mother's surgery and our referral on Wednesday, my BIL came in from Afganistan on Wednesday as well and we had a party for him on Saturday, and Duane and I celebratated our 7th wedding anniversary on Sunday with a pool/Spurs party!

The FedEx man came last Friday but would not let my mom take his picture so this is all we got. Later that day I also got an translated growth report on our cutie pie and she appears to be quite healthy. She eats about 7 times a day and poops 2-3 times a day! FYI, she eats milk with paste, chop soup, vegetable soup and Chinese date soup! I know I have heard this from others but for those of you waiting, once you see that picture...... all pain of waiting disappears. I'd waited longer to see that sweet little face!I am still floating on cloud 9 and probably will be for some time! Monday, I sent our acceptance letter to our agency and on Tuesday the referral coordinator called and asked if I would like her to check the box that says " accept this child"! Hello, I was so excited to get it mailed, I forgot!I am sure they all think I am an idiot, but oh well! we will not know anything about travel time for a few more weeks but they estimate it to be late July or early August. Regardless, it can't get her soon enough!

Nothing Like I Planned....

2007-06-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the most amazing day I have ever experienced. As you are aware I was at the hospital waiting on my moms surgery. She went in for surgery about 12:20 and I went out to the car to charge my phone a bit and give Duane a call at home. No news. Well at 12:50 ish I headed back into the waiting room and as soon as I sat down my phone rang. It was Lindsey from our agency. I said hello and then my phone died! I ran to the car as fast as I could as I was lugging my mom stuff with me. She called back and I received all the info on our daughter... in a hospital parking lot, across from Home Depot with my car doors wide open. I called Duane and gave him the news and told him to be on the look out for the e-mail with Karlee's pictures. I could not get home fast enough and mom felt bad about the timing of everything! No biggy, she'd had done it for my any day. The nurse said the first thing she asked when she woke up is "do I have a grand daughter?" As I walked to the recovery I explained it all to the nurses and then to my mom! It was pretty exciting! My mom's surgery went well and she is recovering just fine. Thanks for those who have asked about her. The news of our referral did not happen as I had planned all these months but it was even better. I had wanted to video tape the call but here are a few pictures my MIL took as I ran into the house to see my baby girl. I haven't stopped smiling since!

Finally!!!......We Have a Girl!

2007-06-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

It is with great joy and love that we announce Karlee Mei Johnston! She is just 8 months old and from the Jiangxi Province and currently living in the Ning Du Social Welfare Institute. Her Birthday is October 3rd 2006! Her given name is Ning Mei Xiang. We are thrilled beyond words! I got the call today at 12:55 while Mom was in surgery! Duane was at home and got the e-mail and I begged him to open the pictures to see what she looked like! I just got home and shaking like a leaf! I can't beleive this is really happening but it feels wonderful. She is a deep sleeper, can hold her head when she is on her tummy, locate direction of sounds and voices, visually follow toys, follow head movement from left to right, can tell the difference from aquaintances and strangers, laughing out loud, she is quiet and active and likes music, she smiles and like quietness, fond of toys and games, she's close to her nanny, has no teeth and a little hair!

I 'm A Nervous Wreck!

2007-06-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

We just got word from our agency that they are expecting a "package" from the CCAA today! They can not confirm it is referrals but that's what it should be! If life could not get any crazier for us....I am taking my mother this morning for surgery!!! I will be going crazy sitting in the waiting room...waiting! Duane will be at home for a while but he has a "T" time so the minute I call he's to get his booty home!So hopefully we will have some great news this afternoon! Stay tuned!

OMG

2007-06-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

OMG, it's Tuesday evening around 10:40 p.m. and we just got home and of course I run to the computer and I can not believe my eyes at what the RQ is saying! It looks like we made the cut as our LID is 11-5! We just ordered pizza as we are starving as we just got home from the funeral for my sister in law and we are totally drained. I will not be able to sleep! Thank you all for your comments and prayers, our family so appreciates them. Today was such a hard day for our family, to say goodbye to Karen was so hard. I can't help but believe my sister-in-law Karen is part of this amazing gift we are about to receive. She's our angel and I beleive she will watch over Karlee until we hold her in our arms. I just wish she could be here to share in our joy as she was so attentive during our trials with fertility treatments. This is oh so bitter sweet as we have waited so long for this but to associate her death with our gain.... My hearts is beaking because her boys will never see their mother again and I am on the other hand just begining the journey of motherhood. Her love for life and her laugh will be greatly missed. We love you Karen!

Been Quiet

2007-06-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been so quiet here. We have had a tragic death in our family. Duane's brother's wife passed away very unexpectedly last thursday so our lives have been chaos since. Despite the fact we are mourning the loss of a loved one, we are very excited and hoping this is the week for us. Our family could really use some good news. I don't think we will hear anything today but our agency is aware of our situation and has all our numbers to reach us if they need to. As soon as we hear something I will post it here.

GONE FISHING

2007-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Be Back Tue. Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day Weekend! Have FUN!!!!

Our Weekend Together

2007-05-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Duane and I had a great time down at the coast. We went to the dog races in Corpus Christi Saturday night and had a great time. Duane did okay and broke even but I on the other hand didn't fare so well and nor did I feel well the next moring after way tooo many Michelob Ultras! Going to the dog race is something Duane and I did when we first dated and then it became something we'd do for our anniversary. It's been quite some time since we'd been back. Sunday due to the fact that I had a huge headache we stayed in and watch the Spurs game at the cabin. Monday was our day at the beach and for some surf fishing that didn't happen. For any of you planning at trip to the beach at Port Aransas BEWARE of the massive amounts of seaweed! It's all over the beach. We could not even get into the water and if we did the water was solid seaweed! No way jose was I getting in that mess to surf fish, besides the waves were rough. So we drove to other parts of the coast and it wasn't much better elsewhere. There was some heavy machinery in the process of cleaning the beach. We decided to come home after the beach a day early. It was nice to spend time together since those days are soon to be over!!! Here are some pics of the beach!!!! Can you say YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Duane trying to clear us a spot. Next time we'll bring a rake!

Shopping Cont.....

2007-05-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Three new beach towels for pool season! Did I mention that I love the colors pink and green?

The little Hoodie outfit, I have never heard of the brand Absorba. Wouldn't pay reg price!

Here is my new vacuum! Not sure if I am totally sold on it just yet. I have had the hardest time trying to find a vacuum with some serious suction! We have three cats and the house is all tile except for the two bedrooms and Karlee's has wood laminate. So obviously, I want something to get all the cat hair. I checked the consumer report and this Eureka is ranked better than the Dyson's brand unless you buy the most expensive model and its like $500+. I am not overly impressed with this vacuums performance, so I am very thankful I did not buy the Dyson. It did get the cat hair but the darn thing is quite heavy! Give me a few days and I should know if it's a keeper!

Today's Bargain!

2007-05-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks you'd be proud! I went shopping and believe it or not, everything I purchased was on sale! This doesn't happen to me often, I never get good deals!!!
Anyways, I started off at Kohls and had a coupon for an extra 15% off! Got a few cute little outfits (Pink and green lady bug dress, Blue & White Capri set and some short sets)two pink and green beach towels and I new vacuum! Then I went to TJ Max (I never shop there, never find crap) and low and behold I found a watermelon beach towel and the cutest Ralph Lauren swimsuit for Karlee($49.00 on sale for $16.00) and a cute little hoodie outfit reg. $ 44 and on sale for $10.00. I then continued down the strip to Old Navy and found a pretty little white dress and a hat to match the swimsuit all on sale! I went into Children's Place, but nothing there grabbed my eye! I had lots of fun and boy do my feet hurt! Here some pic's of my great buys!!