Her first Halloween

Tonight was so much fun. We dressed our little Ladybug up and took her Trick or Treating. She did great and had a good time. She had a look on her face most of the evening like "WHAT in the world is going on" but she went with the flow. Our neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. All of our neighbors decorate their homes and dress in costumes. Everyone from our town comes to our neighborhood to Trick or Treat. Our first stop was our neighbor on the corner. He told us that last year they had 800 kids and the people down further on the street had over a 1000. It is CRAZY around her on Halloween but oh so much fun. One of our neighbors brakes out their grill and hands out Hot Dogs and Soda. It is like a real block party atmosphere.

Sophia was a Ladybug this year but we also had several other costumes that we played with all week.

enjoy the pictures....



The Red Dragon (Thanks Aunt Wendy)




The Yellow Duck (Thanks Mama)




The Sunflower (Thanks Auntie Stephe)






Our little Ladybug (thanks Grandmas and Grandpa)

I hope everyone had a great Halloween

....there is a first time for everything

Mommy and Daughter first shopping day... We bought her first Christmas dress and lots of other nice things.




Lunch in the food court
The first time she flew a plane
drove a car
rode a cow

First trip to the pier with Mama and Baba
First day of fall
First Mickey Mouse ice cream Yummy
and we are out of the high chair and into the booster seat.....

Sophia's first Pumpkin Patch

Tag you are it........

I have been tagged by my friend Tammara. Tammara has a great blog with great music and 3 beautiful children. Check her blog out here....


Seven weird and random things about myself.....

1.I will sleep for 3 days if I take anything that makes most people "a little" drowsy...
2.I sleep with 4 pillows...
3.I love to wear Riz's white t-shirts to bed, I love to smell them...
4.I am a political junkie and I love donkeys LOL
5.I am fiercely loyal to my friends even though most of them like elephants... LOL
6.I love to fly and stay in hotels
7. I have never been further west then New Orleans, LA well unless you count China....but that is East right?

can you tell I am doing this late at night while watching CNN....LOL...

So now I am supposed to "TAG" 7 people, so here it goes...


Karen is a great friend who has 2 beautiful boys and is waiting for her referral from China (anytime now).Karen has a great southern accent and a child like spirit.

Our Journey to Kaelie

Stephe is one of the most organized people I know. I am often n Aw of her and her ability to research any topic... She is also waiting for her referral from China (anytime now). Giorgia Danette




Donna is a talented, creative women and a friend. Donna is one of the sweetest people on earth with a heart of gold. She is waiting for her referral from China and will be a first time mommy in just a few days.
Waiting for Lauren Elizabeth


Wanda is a wonderful friend who is waiting for her referral from China. Wanda and I have supported each other during this long wait. Wanda is one of those people who looks mild mannered but under that sweet exterior is a wild and crazy girl (kind of like superman).LOL...

There and Back Lexi's Story

Hope is one of the funniest people I know. She is a woman of great faith and is willing to speak her mind. I admire her more then she knows. Hope has one beautiful daughter from China

Baby Izabella

Wendy is one of my dearest friends without Wendy and her two beautiful girls Riz and I may not have made it through the wait with our sanity. Wendy is a world of knowledge about child development and China adoption. Above all Wendy has been a great support whenever we need it and we love her like family...

Charmed in China

Susan is one of my closest friends and was my rock for most of my wait for Sophia. Susan and I traveled to China together for our girls. I am so glad that we met and know we will be life long friends. Susan has beautiful twin girls who are precious to us.

Love Times Two the true adventures of Lily Kate and Eleanore

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Ice Cream, is there anything that says childhood more that that? Riz and I both have childhood memories of going to Dairy Queen with our parents. We are lucky enough to have this great little Dairy Queen close were we live. This is an old fashioned, walk up to the window kind of place. We love it there and go once in a while when we are in the mood for a Blizzard or a Milkshake. During the time we waited for Sophia we would go there and talk about a time when we would bring her with us. This weekend we decided to go for a ride and have some ice cream and Sophia loved it just like we knew she would....

Isn't she cute?

Mommy's favorite hair accessory....

One month to go

We have one month to go before we as Americans exercise one of our rights,


The right to vote.


I would urge those of you who are not registered voters to find out when the deadline is in your state to to get registered. Here in Florida the deadline is October 6th, that is Monday. You Floridians have just a few short days to get yourself registered to vote in this election. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat the important thing is that we exercise the rights we have as US citizens, voting being one of them. Educating yourself on the issues and getting out to vote is most important. I found this blog that will help you do just that, educate yourself to the FACTS and the issues. There are so many things that are important in this election, please don't be a one issue voter.

I have a point of view and many of you know where I stand on many issues. I am not going to discuss it here but I am willing to talk privately about it if you would like. My goal here is not to try and sway you opinion. I just want to encourage everyone to get out and vote. We may not always agree on the issues or where the candidates stand on the issues, but that is why being an American is so awesome. We don't all have to believe the same thing or in the same way. We can have our own point of view, our own opinion. We can support the candidate who we most believe in.

One month from today we will go and cast our vote for the 44th President of the United Sates of America. We look forward to voting and to election night. We are also looking forward to taking Sophia with us for her first Presidential election. I feel very proud that I will be carrying one of this country's newest citizens with me to exercise my right as a women to vote in this historic election....





















We are one month away..... Please get out and VOTE!

So much to blog about

UPDATE! Our friends Mike and Rhonda got their referral this go around go take a look at their blog for some BIG news. Congrats to them and to all the other new parents who received a referral this time.


It has been to long since we have updated the blog. It gets harder and harder to find the time with a toddler running around and being back to work..
We both went back to work on Sept. 2 and we both agree that we are glad to have jobs but it really stinks having to leave Sophia even with our parents. We both so much want to provide the day to day care for her. We have noticed some subtle changes in behavior in the few past weeks. We are attributing this to us returning to work and Sophia having to adjust to new care givers. We were talking this morning and it is really hard some times to remember that Sophia has only been with us for 3 months. She has had so much change in her life in the last 3 months. Her whole life is different then it was 3 months ago. Her routine is different, her food is different, her clothes are different, her caregivers are different. Really it is no wonder she is now reacting to yet one more change in her little life. We have been told by experts that consistency is really what she needs. It will help her to feel safe and secure. It will help her to know that although we are not there with her every moment any more that we will come back and that we are still part of her life. We can not be there to provide her with the daily care anymore but we feel that our parents are the next best thing and that they will provide the consistent care that we provide for her while we are with her. She loves her grandparents and is having a blast getting to know them better each day. We have a whole new respect for working parents and just how hard it is to turn over care of your child to others no matter how close they are. It is just human nature that everyone does things a little differently and no matter how well meaning or intentioned children see the differences and react to them.

This month we celebrated both my mother and father in-law's birthdays. It was my mother in-law's 60th birthday this year and father in-law is 62. Riz's mom reminded him that when she was his age ( Riz just turned 40) Riz and I had just met and started dating. WOW has it really been 20 years since then? Riz, Sophia and I took my mother in-law out for breakfast and then we did a little shopping.We had the whole family over to celebrate my father in-laws birthday. We had a nice time and we look forward to many more birthdays as a family....

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad

We have been to Disney a few times with Sophia. Most recently with our good friend Wendy and her two girls Kate and Claire from Savannah, Ga.. We had a blast and Kate in her oh so sweet way said to me the morning they were leaving for home "Is Mama Sophia's Auntie" I looked at her and said "well yes Kate she kind of is" Kate looked back at me with the biggest smile and said "well then that makes me and Claire like her cousins" I said yes Kate it sure does Kate said " That makes me happy" I said Me too Kate... So sweet....

This past Sunday we had company from out of town visit. Our friends Sharon, Ken and Shu Shu Harp are here this week vacationing at Disney World. It was so nice of them to take time away from Disney fun to come to our home and than take us out to dinner. We always love to see them and Shu Shu is growing so much I can hardly believe she is the same child. We have waited almost 3 years to see our girls together so it was very sweet to finally do it. Getting pictures of a 17 month old and a 3 year old well that is an other whole story but we did capture a few.

Sophia and her friend Shu Shu.

I will smile first, OK now you smile Shu Shu

Me with Aunt Sharon and

Uncle Ken

Come on Shu lets have a tea party

this past weekend we celebrated Sophia's 1 1/2 year birthday. See we missed Sophia's first birthday and decided to celebrate anyway when she turned 1 1/2 (technically she turns 1 1/2 tomorrow). We had a great time and are so glad we had so many friends and family there to celebrate with us. We rented a condo on the beach and had some family and friends join us for a day of swimming (well really more of floating and sitting in the hot tub LOL), pizza and cake eating and gifts. Sophia got some great things and spent the day with very special people in our lives. We want to thank everyone who came to share in that special day with us.....

Let me at that Cake Sophia turns 1 1/2

Grandma and Grandpa meeting my friend Stephanie

Cousin Breanna, Grandma and me

Me and my friend McKenzie and Stephanie in the background

Look I got a tricycle for my Birthday come on daddy push me around

We had to get a picture with our friends and travel buddies Mark, Gigi and Stephanie.






More random cuteness

look at this pretty outfit my aunt Kathy sent to me...

















I just love this picture (Thanks Amy for the headband)