Sunday, October 20, 2013

Our Little Blessings

We are very busy packing and making final arrangements for everything here.  We took a few minutes to make this collage picture to bless Rose, Zoe and Camilla's new foster mama.  It will be something she can cherish now and after they leave for their forever families.  I'm positive this will also bless their new forever families some day.  As an adoptive parent myself, who got NO other early pictures of our daughters, I know how much they will love getting these pictures of their daughters!  New Day also has a copy of it so they'll be sure to get it.

We love and miss Zoe and Camilla soooo much!  We have had a few reports from their foster mama who tells us they are doing very well. THAT just helps us so much to know!!


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Beautiful Little Ladies


Camilla received this beautiful new dress and cape from a visiting mothers group from Beijing for her 2nd birthday.  I've been wanting to do some nice outdoor pictures in it but just hadn't found the time or the weather hasn't cooperated. This morning was a beautiful day and we just said "We're doing it!"  




Such a beautiful girl in a beautiful dress!




Beautiful Zoe in her beautiful dress!




Oh, the Chinese squat!



What do you think they're plotting?!




Love this picture of the two of them!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

It's a Jiaozi Party!


For the past 10 days or so, Rose, one of New Day's nannies who has just retired, has been visiting Zoe and Camilla so they can all become more acquainted with one another. That's right, Rose will soon be their new foster mama!  We couldn't be happier that the girls were able to be placed together in the same foster family and we were even more tickled that it was Rose!  We have no doubt that they'll be in good hands and well taken care of.  On Thursday, they will officially move to her home.  The girls love her and are getting excited.
Rose wanted to bless our family by making us some jiaozi (dumplings) today.



Here Zoe gets a lesson on how to properly wrap a jiaozi.




Then she tries one on her own. 




Camilla gets a lesson from big sister Shawna.  Though, what she really wanted was just to skip the lesson and dig into it straight away by herself!




She's admiring what a beautiful jiaozi her and Shawna made.




Look at that yummy stuff just waiting to be boiled!




Though this wasn't even all of it--there were a couple of other bowls full in the kitchen being boiled already, Rose must have thought we were VERY HUNGRY!!  Elise counted the jiaozi and there were 164!!  There were only 8 of us eating and two of them were little girls!  That was enough jiaozi for 2 big meals!  But alas, that's how it's done in the Chinese culture--always more than enough food when serving guests.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

More Beautiful Children!









































Beautiful Children!

Over the holiday, we've done much packing and getting things ready to mail to India, things going to America, as well as give away stuff (mostly give away).  However, there was one thing I've been wanting to do all summer and just never got around to it.  One day we took time out just to do this--take some family pictures in our traditional Chinese outfits.  The pictures turned out great. Getting everyone to cooperate, especially the two little ones, well........you know how that goes.  But we did get some great pictures and that's all that matters!!  Thought you all might enjoy seeing them and wanted to for sure post them for the little ones' forever families that we know will come along some day soon! Enjoy!!


 Left to Right: Camilla, Shawna, Elise, Elizabeth and Zoe in front.


 Zoe


 Zoe and Camilla


 Zoe


 Camilla



 Zoe


 Camilla, Shawna, Elizabeth, and Elise
I was taking the older girls' pictures and Camilla was sure she had to be in it too!  


 Left to Right back row: Elise, Shawna, Camilla, Elizabeth. Front row: Zoe and Austyn


 Left to right back row: Rita, Camilla, Shawna, Elizabeth, Elise  Front Row: Zoe and Austyn
One of the last shots taken and kids were clearly getting tired :)


 Camilla, Austyn, and Zoe
Sooo Cute!!!

 Camilla, Austyn, and Zoe
I love these!!

 Camilla, Austyn, and Zoe


 Camilla, Austyn, and Zoe


 Camilla and Zoe


 Camilla and Zoe


Camilla and Zoe 


 Zoe


Camilla 


Austyn 


Austyn