One Year With Us!

June 30, 2009

Miaya is wearing the outfit she was wearing one year ago on Gotcha Day.  We knew it was very big on her, but never thought it was that big.  She was wearing 12 month clothes when we brought her home, is now outgrowing 24 month clothes and is wearing 2T, and a few 3T items.  Who knew Teletubbies were a traditional Chinese dress!  We were a little reluctant to unfold it for her to try on, as it was still folded in a perfect square from the laundry in China.

Where We Were One Year Ago Today

June 25, 2008, 10:28 PM CST

On a Northwest Airlines 747 somewhere between Minneapolis and Tokyo!!!!!!

Yes, we left for China ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!!!!

On our fourth day in China, we held Miaya for the first time.

Wow, it's really been a year since our life changed forever, a year since our house became a real home. It was the greatest trip we have ever taken, and and we received the greatest gift possible - our beautiful daughter.


As you can tell by the fresh and excited look on our faces, this is actually on the flight from Des Moines to Minneapolis, not the weary and slightly desperate look we acquired at about two hours into the twelve hour Minneapolis to Tokyo leg of the trip.

Father's Day

Wow -- now the day really means something! I have a daughter! For so long, the desire for a child was there, but fate was not kind. Now we are approaching the one year mark of the day Miaya was placed in our arms, and some times it is hard to remember not having her.

I never thought I could be in total awe of a two year old, but she has reached that rapid development stage when new things are a daily occurrence. Her speech is gaining clarity and her vocabulary is expanding daily. Oh, the dreaded two's pop up as she tests her limits and our tolerance, but in general she is a pretty well behaved kid.

If we can't find our shoes, they are usually on the shelves behind the bedroom door - she has long since figured out that's where they are kept and puts them away, often without our knowledge. If only that neatness urge applied to her toys in the living room! She loves being helpful, and especially likes to help carry the groceries in from the car, of course, she get the bags with the boxes in them, not the cans or jars -- or the eggs!

It really is wonderful!

She's 2!

We had such a wonderful time celebrating our daughter's second birthday (oh my gosh I said DAUGHTER) We actually have a daughter....I get so tickled! Sorry for going off the tracks a bit. Miss Miaya had a wonderful time with all her guests. She had friends and families both to serenade her into her 2nd birthday. It makes me wonder about the little girls over there right now who turned two on the same day...no cake...no balloons...but especially no family. They say that the orphanages work hard to make sure the children have something... I just can't get a grip on the reality they call their life. But to understand I'm sure will take me a lifetime. Right now I have a 2 year old who loves where she is at and has so many people who love her.

Pretty in Pink

The peonies were beautiful this year. I can remember going with my Grandma McCarty to pick the peonies for Memorial Day. So they have special meaning to me. I also remember my father mowing ours off every year...which eventually caused their demise. He's a rose man not a peony man. Miss Miaya loved to pose for us today so we took a few snaps. Enjoy!