A Bit Chilly in the Neighborhood

This past week had temperatures in the low 40's... brrrrr.... double fleece jackets!

A Families Quest To Find Chinese Roots

UPDATE:
The Adoption Taliban and their cousins have arrived. I will leave the unsigned comments up until tomorrow at which time they will be deleted. Inappropriate commenting will be deleted immediately.
peace
fm



The story above, linked from the LA times, rekindled a few thoughts of my own. Thoughts not easily confronted by some but none the less, in the future for many of us.
Those thoughts, shared below, are not intended to be PC but they are honest. Void of the benefit of speaking face to face, I'm left to express myself in a few written words.
It will have to do.

I wanted a closed adoption…

You can catch some serious flak for making that statement. Then again, adoption world has its fair share of land mines and sink holes. Some days I find myself resigned to it, one of those “it comes with the territory” kinds of thing.

Other days, I’m not so resigned.

I didn’t want the intrusion of the birth family…

You might hear bio missiles whizzing past my head right about now. It’s not always comfortable speaking an inner truth for all to hear but it’s my truth. I didn’t want to share my daughter. The bio family gave her up. Thank you. Now, with all due respect, stay out of our lives.

If you’re standing anywhere near me, you might want to duck and take cover.

I want our little one to feel wanted, secure and loved…

What each parent strives to provide for their child. Then again, in adoption world even the most benign, loving statement can be reshaped and hurled back with bruising force. The Adoption Taliban, the arbiters of adoption do’s and don’ts and their cousins, The Anti-Adoption League of Cultural Supremacists, committed to the assurance that every abandoned child has the right to stay and grow up in an orphanage, find imaginative ways to undercut the positives in adoption world.

I fall short in my compassion to show love for them.

I want nothing less…

Validation of a nurturing cocoon spun from a family’s love will one day be called upon to prove itself. When my day comes I want to know I’m ready. That Alyzabeth is ready. And when that day comes she we will know we are there for her. We stand, walk, run, laugh and cry with her. And should Nan Min Hua someday want to find her Chinese roots, then be assured, her want will be nothing less than our want for her.

We love you little one.

peace

fm

Recapping Christmas #4 Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was fun even though AA really doesn't understand what to do. She doesn't understand the concept of Santa but does know he brings presents and we open them. We tell her we give gifts because it is Jesus' birth. She goes along with what we tell her, but you can tell her little brain doesn't compute! Maybe next year she will anticipate this wonderful holiday.

Santa brought an art easel:




Stocking.........





The doll cradle is from Auntie-M! AA loves it!!

Recapping Christmas #3 Gingerbread House

The gingerbread house arrived on the 24th. Oh what smiles we saw when AA realized it was a HUGE cookie with frosting!!


A window and corner is missing.... more will be gone soon. It is yummy!

Answering your question: The gingerbread house was ordered and sent directly from L.L. Bean (seasonal item, there is a gingerbread lighthouse too).

Christmas with the Growns (the 26th)

Snow White is happy:

Snow White plans her escape:

Snow White is captured and brought back to the photo shoot.... with the necessary restraints:

Family group photos are always an adventure! The final day of Merry Christmas celebrations.

Recapping Christmas #2 Tree Ornaments

We made some very simple ornaments to decorate the tree. Used red pipe cleaners (not called that now-a-days... called "chenille stems!! Guess I need to enter the modern world!), red, green, silver beads, silver bells and some letter beads. Once I anchored the end with a silver bell, AA was off and running. She cranked out dozens of these ornaments and couldn't have been happier. Her demanding command to have me lift her higher so that she could put them on the tree herself got a little much.... but... hey, she's three! We had fun!
Here's a similar craft made with the same materials (could make them theme colors for birthday favors too) and a pipe cleaner candy cane ornament (could be used for a package decoration with gift tag).






Very simple and fun to make together.

Recapping Christmas #1 Church

Christmas Eve service was wonderful. DH had a speaking part, AA danced the whole time. She is very much into dancing. I will post more on her gingerbread house from Nana, making Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas morning and then our second Christmas with the grown kids and grands. Hope you can endure, I use this blog as our scrapbook so lots of pictures!

Took a few photos inside....... then the last two are outside walking to the car.

Merry Christmas!

Our plans are to have the morning with AA, opening our stockings and gifts. A small dinner party in the evening. The grown kids schedules were such that they are all coming over for lunch and Christmas gifts on Saturday.

AA received a box of gifts to open before Christmas from Nana of Maine. The snow globe was her favorite!





Merry Christmas from the Morgan's! Have a wonderful day with family and friends. Many blessings to you!

Christmas Eve PJ's

Love the tradition of new Christmas PJ's. We copied the idea last year and have continued again this year. AA doesn't seem to mind; she actually gets excited each time we buy her new clothes.








Merry Christmas!

No More HighChair!

On Sunday the 20th, for the first time, AA asked to sit on a stool at the breakfast bar like Mommy and Daddy. We didn't talk about the no elbows on the table rule. I think we were more concerned about her not falling off :)

She keeps growing up more and more....

Gift Shop - Deland, Florida

We enjoyed a stop in Deland recently (just west of Daytona Beach) to shop and have a bite to eat.
Wolfe's Gift Shop is always a nice place to check out crafts made by Florida artisans. We usually purchase a few unique items for birthdays and Christmas.

Grandaughter Kilee

Kilee had a dance/gymnastic recital; she is growing up so fast! She is enjoying kindergarten so far and is really focused on learning.



Last picture, with our son, her Daddy. We love you Kilee!

Enjoying the Beach

We have had a few days in the past two weeks that have been pleasant beach days. Stopping by for a fun run in the wide open spaces is always good with AA.