Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving full of magical dreams that came true for a little 4 year old. We spent 5 fun filled days at Disney's Magic Kingdom and had a Thanksgiving feast with Mickey and the gang. Wow is all I can say. Disney can put on a dinner and a show. "M" got to dance with all the characters. I do not know who had more fun me or "M". Steve always said I am nothing but a big kid. This was so much fun and no mess to clean up I think we will do it again next year. "M" had so much fun she said this was the "bestest" time in her whole life. Memories are priceless I love the holidays. Can't wait for 2009 when the girls will be together for the holidays! Bring on 2009!!!!

4th of July

Fireworks, sparklers, hamburgers, beans, salads, watermelon and friends. What better way to spend a holiday. We stayed in town (conserving on gas) and got together with friends (Glenda, Emily and Dale). Our neighborhood puts on a 35 minute fireworks display and it is as good as the City’s event and we don’t have to leave the area. Little “M” loves fireworks if she had her way it would be every night. She was too cute her latest thing is to ask can I give you a compliment so she went around paying compliments to everyone. Next she put on a little dance for us. We had our own entertainment prior to the fireworks spectacular. I guess you could say we have our own firecracker.

Chinese New Year "Year of the Rat"

Each year we celebrate the New Year by going out and having with Chinese food. Maddie's favorite is soup and then a plate full of noodles with a side of chicken. We went out with some friends Angela, Abigail and Mathew. Maddie and Abigail came home together and over the last year we have become great friends and the girls have become very close.

Also, each year we have made a tradition to go to the local annual New Years celebration at the university for authentic Chinese food and some entertainment. We met some friends down their and the children had fun dancing and watching the big dragons. The program was to last 4 hours there was no way these little cuties were going to hold out that long so we stayed for 2 hours. Maddie likes to hear them speak in Chinese so she was contaent whilke there was entertainment. It was great to see people we had not seen in a long time. Everyone was ready for outdoor fun in the sun.

Christmas Day 2007!!!!!

The firt picture is the girls getting a letter from Santa boy were they surprised when they arrived two days before christmas.

It was up early 4:00am I could not sleep I was so excited I am worse than a kid. Of course I knew I could not wake the girls so I started packing for our trip but by 5:45 I could not stand it anymore. I turned on the Christmas music and Steve woke the girls and I video taped. Maddie was so surprised what Santa left. Ok he went a little overboard but it had been a rough last part of the year for our family.

The girls open gifts and and then we had breakfast. We had such a great day but it went bye way to fast. Since this was our first year to not be traveling for Christmas we had numerous invites from friends to spend holiday dinner with their family at first we were going to stay at home but when people kept asking we decided to spend the day with one of my girlfriends and her family. We had a Chinese, German and an American Christmas celebration. It was so much fun. Christmas dinner was great since most of my friends family is Chinese and German we had a very special/unique feast of all types of food (Chinese, German and Steve cooked several American dishes).

I am going to miss her family when they return to China we have had such a great time with all of them even though there is a language difference. When we travel for Kinsey we are going to visit them and my girlfriend hopefully will be on part of the trip also if not all of it. We feel so "Blessed" to have such great friends to celebrate with.

Madeline favorite part of Christmas is the Mary and Joseph set-ups aka Nativity. She talks about them so much and wants to be told the story over and over we ended up buying her her own nativity set for her room.

What a wonderful way to celebrates Jesus's birthday with family and friends. We are truly blessed our family has so much to be thankful for.

Christmas in the Park Maddie and her girlfriend exchanged their gifts at an enchanted event.

Better to Give than Receive

This is not a new tradition in our family but one that we have started to teach Maddie as well as Audrey. This year I took Maddie to the Salvation Army Tree at the mall and we talked about the children who do not get Christmas unless families donate toy's and clothes to them. I let Maddie pick the name and age of the child and then she helped me do all the shopping and wrapping. Every night Maddie prays for this little girl Niyah. She talks about her all the time. I believe as she grows this will be a valuable lesson and tradition. Audrey also received a name from the tree and she is doing the shopping the wrapping and using her allowance money fill the wishes of her child.

Labor Day Weekend

What a nice 4 day weekend. My parents came into town to visit on their way up to Hilton Head. Maddie had fun visiting with Mesue and Papa. Audrey also got to come for the weekend it was one big happy family :). Lots of time for eating and relaxing, OH also add a little shopping in there. Steve especially enjoyed the relaxing and kicking back.

Steve and Maddie went to a party on Labor Day while Audrey and I hung out at the house doing girl stuff. Maddie is at a fun age for Steve they have such a fun time going off together and doing their own thing and this gives me a little break.

July 4th

Happy Independence Day!!!!!

We had a nice family day together and an nontraditional 4th meal no cookouts for us this year. We were suppose to have a get together but well sometimes the best organized plans we find are very unorganized. Poor planing I guess. But both family's had a great day though. We went that evening to see the fireworks in our neighborhood over the lake and met some friends from our neighborhood down there and Maddie had a BLAST. She was all over the place with the kids. She is sooooo not shy. The best was the weather there was a slight breeze and no bugs.

The cute line for the night was she told someone next to us she was "American but also I am Chinese"