Thank you!

A big thank you to Christie over at Bushel & a Peck Designs for my blog makeover!  I love the new look and she was GREAT to work with!

In other news, I've been a bad blogger lately... I'm blaming it on the January "blahs".   Hopefully I will have some new inspiration soon!

The rest of the story...

A special book arrived on our doorstep this week.  I had been working on it for a long time... and finally buckled down and finished it right before Christmas.    It's a lifebook.  A lifebook tells the story of an adopted child's life before joining his/her family.  There are lots of online articles and ideas for creating a lifebook, and I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to include and where to begin.  

Almost a year later (ahem), I finally decided to just get started and write something!   So here's the finished product.

And here's Daddy, Sarah, and Logan reading the book. 


This is Daddy telling the story about how Sarah enjoyed throwing (and breaking) porcelain serving spoons in restaurants in China.  Oh, the memories.. she was a very busy toddler and quite a handful at mealtimes.   (Now she's a busy and determined preschooler! ;)  

While in China, I didn't find her behavior very funny (I was mortified-- I just knew everyone was staring at the crazy Americans who couldn't control their very determined toddler), but now it makes for some pretty entertaining stories (fyi-- the "throwing of the spoons story" isn't actually in the book-- but Daddy is a storyteller and likes to embellish.  ;)

Right now Sarah's not incredibly interested in the book.  She likes the picture of our family and the pictures of her Chinese foster family.  But I think it will be a good starting point for conversations as she gets older and begins to wonder more about her life and her story.  

Top Ten (or twelve!) Photos of 2010

My bloggy friend Tonggu Momma posted her Top 10 Photos of 2010.  I am joining in on the fun!

1.  Chinese New Year.   Oldest and youngest smile for the camera. My oldest is very elusive when it comes to getting his picture taken, so it's rare when I get a shot like this!  :)

2.  Sarah tries on the lion dance mask at a local Chinese New Year celebration.

3.  Double Trouble.  Basically sums up what keeps me busy every day.  ;)

4.  Soccer Star.  Justin played on the j.v. soccer team.

5.  Beach vacation ('nuff said)   

6.  Had to include this beach shot.  One of my all time favorite pictures of my two "babies."

7.  The Dog Whisperer.  Jason loves my brother's St. Bernard (who is roughly the size of a small horse) and can get him to do pretty much anything.  :) 

8.  Speaking of dogs, in April, we added a canine member to the family.  Meet Sunny, the beagle. 

9.  Camping and four wheelers.

10.  I love the fall!

11.  Not great picture quality, but Justin got his driver's license this year and spends lots of time keeping the truck spotless. 

12.  December brought record snowfall and a Snow Day (school cancelled!)