Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is over, the Fall decorations are coming down and the Christmas decorations are going up (reluctantly).  Helaina is very anxious to decorate for Christmas.  Today she asked when we're putting up our tree and when will it snow.  We put up her little pink tree and yellow chick and plugged them in to keep her quiet.  I think if the decorations are up she believes Christmas (and snow) will get here sooner.  We put up outdoor lights the day after Thanksgiving because it was so nice outside but planned on waiting at least a week to turn them on, but Helaina insisted that the house be lit up, so it is.  A little too early for me, but the outdoor wreath and holiday doormat is out too. Yikes.

Helaina's Thanksgiving hat she made in school.

Yah, my birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year.  Every 6 or 7 years it falls on Thanksgiving, depending on when a leap year rolls around.  Needless to say, it was a working birthday for me.  We went out for my birthday dinner last Saturday night because who goes out to dinner Thanksgiving night?  That was my birthday cheesecake that Jim ordered for me.  Amaretto, yummy.

Um, whose birthday was it?

Anna wasn't in the mood to be photographed at this particular moment.  She was too busy walking around wearing Helaina's wedding veil and asking people to marry her.

Sophia, on the other hand, is very photo friendly.  She's too young to know that cameras are clicking in her face every few minutes.  She's 5 months now and smiles even when you just glance at her.  I think she had just stuffed handfuls of mashed potatoes in her cheeks and was saving them for later - ha ha.  Too stinkin' cute.  Her hair at this age is exactly like Anna's was.  We're waiting for it to go into a wave then the ringlets just like Anna's did.

I found this turkey at Walmart and had to have it.  I thought it was artificial until I picked it up to put in my cart.  It's a real flower.  Clever.

Some school art.  "I'm thankful for my mouse"?  Hmmm. What mouse?  Is there something she's hiding in her room we don't know about?

Just love the school projects she brings home.

Yum, multi-color peas or cranberries.  With Helaina, more likely M&M's.

We're running out of room to display Helaina's school projects.  She brings home at least 5 papers, drawing or projects daily.

My little helper in the kitchen.  Mixing peanut butter cookie dough is tough work.

The annual tree lighting ceremony is held every year on the day after Thanksgiving.  Helaina loves ringing her Salvation Army bell and counting down to the flipping of the switch.  Then she yells, rings her bell even louder and jumps up and down like crazy.

I don't even know how long we waited in line for our picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  It was a LONG wait and Helaina was actually more patient than I was.  It was a warm night though so at least we weren't freezing while waiting.  It's actually been an extremely warm November for Central New York.

Halloween, finally

Halloween pics, finally.  Helaina decided to be Belle several months ago and stuck with her decision without ever changing her mind - amazing.  She already had the dress but picked out long white princess gloves to accessorize (good thing because it was cold Halloween night and the gloves came in handy).  She wore earrings we already had and for her hair chose a ribbon and a tiara that we already had too.  Wow.  It was a cheap Halloween this year!

Our yearly Halloween card we send out.

Halloween prep:  curled hair then make-up.

The finished product.  She was so happy with her total look.

The stash.  We did just 3 streets in our neighborhood and Helaina scored big-time.

The Friday before Halloween Helaina's school had a Fall Festival that included a dance with a DJ.  Helaina had a blast and loved the live music.

The limbo.

Dancing with her little friend from down our street.

They all held onto each other's shoulders for several dances and snaked around the gym.  Helaina loved these dances and wouldn't let go even after the music stopped.

Helaina has already selected next year's Halloween costume - except she's already changed her mind about 10 times.  Let's see if I can remember them:  Dorothy, a queen, Tinkerbell, the Pink Power Ranger, Mulan, a snake (more on that later), and several other things that I've forgotten.  Thank goodness Halloween only comes once a year.  She's still munching on candy 2 weeks later.

4 years ago, really?

It was 4 years ago yesterday that we "met" our daughter - on paper, that is.  We requested her photos and whatever records our adoption agency had after being fortunate enough to find her on their waiting child list.  This was one of the first pictures we ever saw of our daughter.

"She has a big pair of eyes and a little cute round face." A direct quote from the paperwork.

This was the very first sentence we read in her paperwork:  "...female was found abandoned at the gate of the Children's Welfare Institute...".  Wow, that line still knocks my socks off even reading it four years later.  Those words "abandoned at the gate" make me cringe.  Helaina's Chinese name given to her at the orphanage translated to "brave little girl found at the gate".  Here's one of the first pictures we have of Helaina.  She was about 3 weeks old.  So precious and so oblivious to the hand that life had already dealt her.

Jim and I spent that evening staring at the 3 pictures we were provided and reading over and over and over (at least I did) the paperwork from the orphanage.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the reports:  "She is a very healthy and very pretty little girl ... she enjoys being held by visitors, including foreign visitors, and she likes to touch their faces ... she plays well with other children and shares toys ... she has an excellent appetite and is never picky at food (one of my favorites!) ... she likes to take bath and likes to stretch her legs in the water and splash water ... she likes her caretaker to sing songs to her ... she will stare at you when you calling her name ... when mealtime gets close she will look toward the direction of the kitchen (also another favorite!) ... when you walk toward her and tell her "let me hold you" she will open her arms and with a big smile come running into your arms ... she is a very adorable, pretty and engaging little girl ... we hope she can be adopted by somebody who loves her and she is looking forward to bring you more joyfulness and happiness."

The next morning we called our agency and set the wheels in motion to adopt this amazing little girl who lived on the other side of the world.  She was 20 months old at the time and had no clue that in less than 4 months Jim and I would rock her little world.  Three and one-half years later that amazing little girl is still rocking our world - every day - and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Apple picking

We went apple picking 2 weeks ago for the last time.  The golden delicious were just that - delicious and sweet, but ridiculously small.  The Jona Reds that were also available for picking were terrible.  I picked one off the tree, took one bite and spit it out.  They were miniature, the skin was tough, the apple had no taste and it had a funky texture.  We picked 2 bags of the golden delicous and have been munching on them ever since.   

Climbing the ladder is as much fun as picking the apples.

Tractor ride to the orchards.

Can't go apple picking without having a few sugar-cinnamon coated hot apple fritters and cider.

We can't go anywhere that there is a dog without Helaina gravitating toward it and and asking the owner "May I pet your dog please?  Is it friendly?"  If the answer is yes, more questions follow, "Is it a boy or girl?  How old is your dog?  What's her name?  Oh, she's so cute!  Our dog is in Heaven but we have another cat now.", and on and on.  A day doesn't go by that Helaina asks when we are getting another dog.  Tonight she said she wanted a dalmation, then a spaniel that she will name Heidi, followed by a pug.   

Last ride of the year on the Apple Ponies.  This one was called Missy.  Missy has a pretty face.

Of all the times we've been to Beak and Skiff I never noticed this tree with the face carved into it.  Pretty cool but at first Helaina didn't want to get near it.  It spooked her, for some reason.

Asleep for the drive home but still clutching her balloon that she got from a witch at the apple orchard.

A Bouncy Halloween Party

A few weekends ago we went to my niece's annual Halloween party.  This year she outdid herself by renting a bounce house.  There were a few bumped heads here and there, but it was a giant success with bumps and bruises not getting in the way of totally bouncy fun.

Totally decked out for the party in her favorite Halloween attire, including the curled hair "just like Anna's."

In the bounce house where Helaina spent most of her time.

Painting her pumpkin, mostly pink, of course - a very natural color for a pumpkin.  Notice the completely sweated hair with flushed red cheeks from bouncing non-stop for hours.

Ok, there's just too much cuteness between these 3 little girls. So much cuteness that it's almost too hard to handle.

Ahhh, those chubby little cheeks.  Did I say "little" cheeks??!!