Jazmin is learning to walk

All day on Thanksgiving, Jazmin was walking to and from anywhere she wanted to go. We didn't have our camera with video mode on it, but this one does have rapid fire shot. This is Jaz walking from Auntie Kendall to Uncle Bobby.

Jazmin loves to have her hair in braids and beads. She was flipping them back and forth all night and all day. I thought I'd try to catch a shot....worked pretty well!

Some China Pictures

Pearl TV tower at night.
Panoramic view from hotel room.
McDonald's kiosk.

Joel's hotel room.

Scary looking mask in a museum.

Interesting architecture.

China girl with a pigeon.

Medtronic Shanghai.

Joel with some co-workers from various countries.

A statue from the jade museum.

Not sure...but look at the air quality.

I'm not sure what all of these are of. I keep trying to sit down with Joel and get him to narrate what the story behind each shot is, but for some reason we just can't find the time. I'll do my best, but no promises on accuracy!

Picture Hiatus

Joel is having trouble getting the pictures from the camera onto the computer. As soon as he gets it straightened out, I'll post some. On a really exciting note (boring to most but not for me) I felt the baby moving last night!! I think that has to be one of my favorite parts of pregnancy, feeling that baby moving around and living inside you.

A China update...

Joel is home safe and sound, he surprised me at 1:30 am Thursday! I was expecting him Saturday early afternoon, so it was a very pleasant surprise. I believe he and his dad scared our night nurse half to death, but she seems to have recovered!

I still haven't managed to look at all the pictures, or hear the stories that go with them, but I promise I'll put some pictures of his trip on soon.

I would like to brag that my hubby brought home not just one beautiful set of pearls for me, he brought two, and a gorgeous designer (knockoff) bag!

Most of all though, I'm just glad he's home safe and sound, and so are the kids.

Momma's little helper

Last night, Jake helped me with dinner preparations by setting the table. He did his best, but wasn't eager to have his picture taken.

For those who might be confused...let me clarify!

I was talking on the phone to a friend tonight, one whom I haven't spoken with in quite a while. I came to the realization, that while Joel and I had voiced our intentions to our families, the social workers, and her parents, we never officially announced to the world (okay, my small group of readers) our intentions for Miss Jazmin. Joel and I intend to adopt Jazmin and raise her as one of our own. We have know for a long time how well she fit in with our family, and felt like she always belonged. The very first time she came to stay with us, even though we knew it would only be 2 weeks, it just felt right. Every time we had to say goodbye, it hurt, and the days were counted down til her next visit. Joel and I love Jazmin very much and can't wait to make her legally part of our family. The boys adjusted quickly to her permanent change of address. Ryan was a little skittish at first, but today he said something that made my heart flutter, and realize he too loves her. I was closing a kitchen drawer, and Jazmin got her fingers in it. I quickly pulled them out, but as I did it, she lost her balance and landed on her butt. Ryan looked at me and said "momma did you hurt my sister?" "is my sister okay?". I think it's safe to say that he's on board with our plans.

First accumulative snow fall

We all know that this snow won't last, but I thought I would share what's in our backyard. Ryan desperately wants to go make a snowman. I think we might need a little more snow first.

Naughty Boys

It seems the boys have teamed up against me. This evening, Nana created a delicious meal that we were enjoying. Since we didn't think the boys would eat veal and artichokes we made them mac and cheese with hot diggity dees as nanny Jenny calls it. Well, they finished first, and were playing so very nicely together. All the sudden we heard a thump, then a louder one. You would think it would be followed up with a cry, or a scream. Not so when they are doing something naughty.

Here they are enjoying their time-outs together.

Has anyone seen my living room floor?

My floor seems to have disappeared. I'm not sure where it went, it was there one minute, and not the next. This seems to be a daily phenomena, it's there in the morning, but by lunch it's gone, it's there after naps, but by bedtime it's gone again. Sure wish I could figure out what is going on!

I knew he was too quiet

Jake and Jaz are in bed, Ryan is not. He's a night owl like his momma. I walked the garbage can up, came in, and was loading the dishwasher when I noticed how quiet it was. Never a good thing unless ALL your kids are asleep. He had taken the tops off over a dozen "saline bombs" and squeezed the saline onto his pants and the carpet. Thank goodness it was just saline, and that he picked them all up himself!

Nov. 4, 2008

Don't forget to get out and vote!

Not going to lie

This is what happens when the kids are asleep and there is un-guarded Halloween candy in the house. I wish I could deny it, but it wouldn't be right. I will add that I had a partner in crime, Amy, who ate just as much as I did. Unfortunately this picture was taken before we were finished.

Picnic supper

Halloween Pictures

Jazmin (distorted of course for legal reasons) went as Dumbo the Elephant. Super cute!
Damon, Trevor, Ryan and Jacob at the Monticello Nursing Home parade Halloween morning.

Maggie the skunk, and Ryan getting ready to trick-or-treat. He actually drove himself and her to the neighbors, but then we parked the car and did some walking.

My first attempt in years at carving pumpkins. This is usually Joel's job, but he didn't have time to do it before he left. I don't think they turned out too bad considering I did all 3 of them in an hour, and it was 11pm before I even started! Thanks a ton to Sam who sorted the seeds so I can bake them up for Joel when he gets home.

Random shots

Reading in the tub

I've been in the process of trying to re-organize the kid's toys and books. This is a never ending job, and just when I find a toy box or bookcase that works, someone has a birthday. For Ryan's 3rd birthday he got a ton of bigger kid books, which was awesome. What isn't awesome is when he and Jake thought they should add some of their own illustrations to them. So, I took all the "paper" books (left the cardboard books) and put them in a bin. I had them under Jake's bed, but they discovered them. Since there is a lock on my bathroom door, and they are never in there w/out me I figured they would be safe in there. So, now while I shower, instead of wondering what the kids are getting into, and rushing a 10 minute shower into 3, they sit in the bathroom and read. I hardly know what to do with the 7 extra minutes!

A skyline from China

Joel sent an update to his co-workers, as well as some family. He included this picture, which is pretty cool. Here's his description of where it was taken.

"Thursday evening we went out to dinner at a swank little place called “M on the Bund.” The Bund is kind of like a boardwalk on a river. The attached picture is of the east bank of the Yangtze River, taken from the top floor patio of a seven story building on the west side of the river. There are two buildings on the right, one of which is multi-colored and the other reads Aurora at the top and looks like it has a camera’s flash spot on it. I assure, at that distance, my camera is not creating the flash spot. Those two buildings are essentially 40 story TV screens, constantly changing images. "