Happy Fall Y'all

Nothing much happening....  Just trying to get back in the swing of things around here.  We do not have that much going on this weekend(first in a month) and the weather is suppose to be beautiful!!! 

I  need to do a full 3 year milestone post so that I remember....here are a few things I have been thinking about and don't want to forget....  Hayden has grown a lot this summer(a lot is relative when you are Hayden) she is just over 26 lbs and 36 inches and her foot is growing up a storm she is moved from a 5(wore forever) to she is almost a 7 in a lot of brands now.  She is potty trained(well except for pooping....oh well, it will happen right???) she knows all of her letters and  most of their sounds. She is really understanding now that those letters make words and words make stories.  She can write a lot of her uppercase letters now(especially the letters in her name)  She recognizes her name written(I knew putting her name or mono on everything she owns would pay off someday)  She happily feeds the dogs everyday, she pulls back my curtains and secures them, and replaces the trash bag and top back on the kitchen trash can.  She also helps unload the dishwasher and LOVES to help me start the laundry and fold(she folds towels great) She LOVES to read and has about 10 books she reads to herself as she has them memorized almost word for word.  She still loves to garden with her daddy, she is incredibly bossy and controlling and a bit of OCD(can't imagine where she gets those traits) she is certain about what she wears, and shoes are a must even with her pj's.  If I don't put a bow or clip in her hair....she does!!
She is incredibly kind and gracious!!!  I think for the most part she has amazing manners and she tells david and I a million times a day how much she loves us!!!  She regularly tells David thank you for taking such good care of us and will also tell us great job with whatever we are doing....dinner, driving, laundry, skimming the pool. 

We also just took down her crib(tears for mommy) and moved her to a big girl bed.  Overall it has gone great.  We find it hilarious(just jinxed us) that she doesn't get out of her bed.  In the morning she lays there and yells(she knows we can hear her on the moniter) mommy I am awake now, come get me.  MOMMY, MOMMY!!!  It won't be long that she is diving into her closet and drawers while she is suppose to be in bed!!!  For me this was a transition that was much harder for me than Hayden.  I literally had to stop helping David take down the crib for a few minutes while I gathered myself back up and stopped crying.  Totally caught me off guard.

As always we are so grateful and seriously have no idea how we lived our lives without this amazing little person.  Hayden you bring us so much joy and laughter and so much LOVE!!!  We love with all of our hearts and a million more!!! <3

pictures as always by the fabulous and famous YLK

clothes are 3 yellow starfish

O-H-I-O

Well it has been a few years since we have been to parents weekend, but must say going back to school is always so much fun, and even better when you get to go somewhere so charming and oh by the way just about 30 degrees cooler....was not the reason we went, but not gonna lie, it certainly made the trip a little extra special for us!!!

Shiyu....you remember her right??  Well if you don't she was our exchange student from China just a mere 4 years ago and well she is just one of our kid's now.  She attends college(Denison) in Granville, OH(officially one of the cutest towns I have EVER been too) and this past weekend was Big Red weekend.  So we headed to Ohio last Friday and let me just say it was so good to see Shiyu and hug her, and it was equally as great to see her life and meet her friends, and just get to be a part of her world for a few days.  Hayden was beyond THRILLED to see Shiyu!!!  They have this mutual affection thing going on with each other! 

We started out our weekend by a tour of the beautiful campus, we saw so many deer just grazing away on the campus.  Hayden LOVED getting her own ID badge, and visiting the dorms!!  Actually the dorms were one of her favorite parts.  Shiyu had brought so many things back for H from China(let's just say my little Imelda Marcos is again swimming in shoes!!) Hayden was introduced to so many of the girls that have been reading about her on the blog.  So BIG shout out to Miss Jamie, Miss Dora, Miss Erica and all the other Denison girls who made Hayden's day!!  She loved showing off for you, drawing and taping pictures, and certainly LOVED the clips from Miss Jamie.  **  Miss Dora you must get up a little earlier if you want to fool this little Taiwanese tornado!!  LOL

I must mention I have never been so impressed by a group of college students more than I was this weekend.  Every student we met has something incredible going on academically, socially, intellectually.  They all seem to have these incredible majors, with 2 and 3 minors, they are working on research projects, internships, semesters abroad that sound INCREDIBLE!!  Such nice, mature, fun 20 year olds that seem to have it really together!!  Great to see our future looking so bright with kid's like these!!

We headed to dinner to celebrate Shiyu's 21st bday(how on earth is she 21??) we had GREAT Chinese food and ate way too much of course.  Then back to campus for the planetarium show which was super cool and as we exited Hayden made sure to assure those waiting for the next show that it was "SOOOO GOOD"  LOL and then we ran to the chapel to see the acapella singers.  It was a live version of GLEE, and you know how much H loves Glee!!  The all girl group was AMAZING!!!  and Hayden was doing her lyrical dancing on the pew and keeping everyone entertained(except for the lady behind us)  Then we headed for the hotel.  EXHAUSTED to say the least!!  I think Hayden laid down and was snoring within about 20 seconds, we were close behind!!

We woke up to a beautiful morning and headed for the farmer's market in Granville.  Okay, it is like a REAL farmer's market!!  So cute, so many delicious things, and SO MANY dogs!!!  So you know who was in heaven.  Plus Miss Jamie and her boyfriend came with Shiyu and we walked around together and they  helped with keeping Hayden entertained and made sure she got to pet nearly every dog there!!!  By lunchtime it was time to head to the campus for the next exciting event and to meet up with The Hawkins family.  Neal's mommy has been following our blog for 5 years.  They to had been a China family, who switched to Korea and have brought home 2 BEAUTIFUL boys, they hosted a Chinese exchange student who now goes to school in Wash D.C., they have family from TX, L's passion for adoption and adoptive children is awesome.  Needless to say we were thrilled that we were FINALLY meeting in person!!  David has gotten to be so great at all the blind dates I make him go on!! LOL  Denison hosted a funfest for the kid's as well as a lunch.  It was a blast.  Face painting, bounce house,  pumpkin painting, bounce house, cool t-shirts, bounce house(oh sorry did I already mention that bounce house?) Neil and Hayden had a BLAST TOGETHER!!!  Everything is better with a friend!!  The day was beautiful, the activities were great, and the friendships made were amazing!!! 

After a quick rest back at the hotel we had been invited over to Neil and baby Shay's house for dinner.  Okay they live in a REALLY cute little town too out in the country in a really cute house that they have fixed up so beautifully.  We arrived to a sweet little Neil who had been waiting for us!!!  We walked into to the smell of delicious Korean food, and the warmest hospitality and gifts GALORE!!!  Shiyu and Hayden hit the lottery!!!  I must say Lisa and Tim are amazing hosts, and it felt like we had known them forever and we just can't even say Thank you enough to them for an amazing time.  The kid's LOVED each other!!  Lisa is already planning the wedding:)  BTW the food.....INCREDIBLE and to attest to the deliciousness of the meal we barely heard a word out of Shiyu the entire meal until she announced that she was fairly certain that she had eaten most of the beef by herself!!! LOL  The food was truly amazing, and Lisa you are quite the chef!!!  I just sat on a stool, drank wine and watched Lisa and Shiyu cook!!  I am a good guest like that:)
The night ended late, but too soon.  Again my family has been so blessed by the families and friends we have met thru adoption.  I can't even begin to explain how full my heart is when I think of the close friends I have and the closeness we share even without a LONG history like I do with other friends....we share this bond that is remarkable.  Thank you Hawkins family we can't wait to see you again and return the hospitality(although we will probably take you out to dinner or I will make soup) LOL

I am stealing Lisa's pictures to show you as I need to still download my pics(that are not nearly as good as Miss remote control camera) But she captured our day on Saturday just perfect.

I also much say Thank you to Shiyu for inviting us!!  Shiyu you are the most amazing girl!!!  We are so proud of you and you are doing and going to do incredible things in your life.  We are thrilled that we get to share in them with you and very proud to have you call us mom and dad.  You are the best big sister a little girl could ask for and Hayden loves you SO much!!  We loved your friends and we can't wait to see Jamie and Kevin again!!!

Yay!!!  Here's to friends!!!

finally we meet!!!

Hi Miss Lisa

such focus

hayden and her pumpkin

bounce house slide

hmmmmm??  to cuties I would have to say!!

baby shay just came home in june!!

million dollar shot!!!

us with the hawkins familiy

us with Shiyu and her roommate Jamie and boyfriend Kevin....We love you guys!!!

baby shay and shiyu

duet

Ready for dinner!!

Choo choo

such good sharing going on

Go PINK or go HOME

We celebrated Hayden's 3rd birthday yesterday with her friends(very small number) and well let's just say mommy went a little CRAZY!!!  Yeah I am admitting that I am not really a middle of the road kind of girl, really an ALL or NOTHING kind of girl.  So for the first 2 birthdays it was low key, not much more than some pink cupcakes.  I am not even sure if David and I bought her anything for her birthday(like she needs a thing) So this year I had decided we were going BIG and going PINK!!!  I have been collecting things for almost a year and I set my vision  in motion on Wed(man it was a good thing I started early or it would have NEVER happened) Each morning Hayden would walk downstairs and stare in amazement to any and every new little detail that had been added overnight.  Each new discovery would lead her to say in her dramatic voice "oh mommy it is so beautiful" which of course just egggg me on.  So yes it got out of control, yes I will be renting my "pink princess, pinkalicious party" in a box to anyone who wants to throw a humdinger of a party for their tiny princess. 


Hayden LOVED every minute, she LOVED her friends coming over, she LOVED all of the decorations.....she cried when we had to start taking them down and putting the house back together.  She told me a thousand times thank you mommy for my pink party!!  So yes the gasp of "oh my god lady, you are crazy"  from the other mommies was drowned out by Hayden's true appreciation of her celebration. 


If you are wondering she will not be getting another party until she is at least 16!!!  This was a lot of work(worth it, but exhausting) LOL


The fabulous and famous Yony came and shot pics, so I will have better pics to show you, but this is what I snapped with my point and shoot. 

a table for 6 please!!

side table

Food station, minus a few items.

Pink lemonade, sweet tea and mimosa's

oh and princess water of course

Hayden's place setting(that's my grandma's china)

and the teacups....all week Hayden kept saying can I drink out of the breakable cup??  She literally drank every beverage yesterday from the teacup:)

Thank you Tiffanie for the darling place cards!!

entry table....each guest was given a tutu and set of wings with a wand with fairy dust.

I had 4 big girls come to help out.  Here they are crafting crowns(big hit BTW)

they had mini mani and pedi's and had face painting done too.

my sweet college roommate Michelle came and Hayden so thrilled to see her!!  Thanks Michelle you helped a lot by coming early!!  Man I look like I had been up  late every night for 3 nights!! 

Hayden with her FAVORITE babysitter Abby and her 2 beloved preschool teachers from last year....how sweet that they came!!  Hayden was thrilled to see them too!!!  She loves everyone coming to visit!

Rocking my hairbow....a photo expose

For those that know my pipa personally will no doubt laugh at these pictures and the many faces of Hayden......If you have ever wondered what she might be like in person......right here in this post without a word spoken from her and you will completely understand her inside and out!!! 

"A hot Atlanta mess"

Sassy, funny, daydreamer, temper, SWEET, confident, mischievous, curious