Guess where we are going this weekend??

All I can say is "I AM DONE WITH WINTER!!!" We were suppose to be going skiing and after the foot of snow we received 10 days ago we agreed that a warmer climate was a much better idea since we had seen more snow in one winter than we do normally in 10 winters!!  So Scottsdale....even if you are not balmy right now I can't wait to see Camelback, I can't wait to smell the jasmine, and can't wait to hear the laughter of our great friends!!  Seriously I am leaving behind my jacket on principal regardless of what the weather channel says the forecast will be while we are in AZ.

Final Post Placement

Well after almost a 4 year journey with Stella(our social worker) we met for the last time last night for our final postplacement visit.  Hard to believe it has been 4 years since we met her at a Starbucks to discuss starting our adoption process.  We still need to complete Hayden's re-adoption but that will take no time at all, and then apply for her US passport and then we finished with "paperwork"

This was really not a big deal.  Stella knew that it was mostly just part of the process to have to come for one last visit, but it does feel good to have this part of it complete.  Hayden was a complete charmer and was such a good girl!! 

Thanks Stella for all that you have done for us!!

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!

Hayden in her Chinese New Year dress.  This was the best picture I could get.  Her posing for a picture seems to be a bit much for her these days.  She just wants to hold the camera! sigh...

We went out for a Chinese lunch and here is Hayden visitng with our waitress.  Hayden kept telling her "New Year"  Yes those are her beloved tomatoes that we have to take everywhere with us to make sure she will eat something!! 

Hayden loves her easel that someone gave her.  We have the fat crayon holders that she uses and she draws away.  I love this dress!!  Baby Lulu.

Hayden and her valentine<3  Is this not the cutest valentine outfit.  Miss Lyn gave this to Hayden last valentines day before Hayden was home!  Again this is the best pic she would allow me to take!

She is really laughing here although it doesn't look like it.

A match made in heaven.  She loves to have her nose honked!!  The number 8 is her favorite this week:)

Hayden, Sophie and Finley

Yes I know they are blurry, but you try taking a 17 month olds picture with 2 cocker spaniels!!  This is pretty much all day long at our house...a blurrrr!  They are partners in crime, and for some reason Hayden loves getting them by their collars and leading them around.  Now somedays they are game, other days not so much.  Finely loves when Hayden will play tug a war with her.  Hayden gives it her all, but usually goes down in the end.  Most of the day Hayden is yelling no, no, no and shaking her finger at them!! 

Snow, Snow and more Snow

This is like the 3 or 4th time it has snowed here this winter....people it doesn't snow like this here!!  We usually get either one bad ice storm or one snow fall per winter and this winter has just been the pits.  We are at 6 inches and it is not stopping anytime soon.  This is the biggest snow fall we have had in like 32 years.  There will be no pictures of Miss H. in the snow. While she really digs wearing her snowboots... she totally freaks in the snow and I am not all that fond of it myself, so we are just going to skip that photoshoot until we go skiing.  But thought I would share why I am dreaming of the beach and sunny S. Cal!!

Snow you all later:)

17 months old

Hayden my little love bug where has the time gone?  It seems like just yesterday we brought you home and you were just a "baby" Now you are such a big girl, and can do such big girl things. 
*You run everywhere you go!
*Your vocabulary is huge.  You seem to know what everything is called, and even though there are plenty of times I have no way to translate what you are saying, more often then not you just chat away with us and we understand every word.  You have many 3 word phrases, and that just cracks us up.  Your favorite is: "you be right back" and then when we come back you say: " you came back" with much excitement:)
* You can tell us what most animals say and you know all of your body parts(and ours) you still love your belly button.
* you tell me most of the time when you need to be changed, however if I ask you if you need to be changed you almost always respond with "NO"
* You are finally a napper!!  Yay, and you almost never cry when you go down for your nap.  Somedays you will nap for 3-4 hours.  You are much happier when you have had a nap, and so is mommy!
* You sleep from 8 p.m.to 8 a.m. and for that we are thankful.  If you do wake up in the night Daddy and I nearly knock each other over trying to be the one to go rock you for a few minutes and get a little extra snuggle time with you!!
* You love books so much it is crazy!  We read a lot of books each day, and now you will sit and read to your babies or you stuffed animals. 
*You have not had a bottle since Dec 16th!!  We made the switch in one day and you have never looked back.  You gave all of your bottles to baby Raliegh.  Now we just have to work on the binka.
*If the radio is not on in the car you immediately ask for "muugic pease" and always makes mommy smile.  You LOVE music!!  You like us to play the ipod when we are in the kitchen.
*You sing songs to me all of the time
*You like to tell Daddy a story that you make up when you rock at night.  The last one had something to do with cats eating pancakes??
* You always give great kisses and huggie bears without us asking, and you still blow lots of kisses
* You are the official boss of the dogs.  You tell them "No, No, No" all the time while shaking your finger.
*You are pretty obsessed with "Street" what you ask for when you want to watch Sesame Street.  Elmo and Abby are your favorites.
*You are totally in love with your pink kitchen in your room.  You pretend to make cupcakes and to wash your hands all day long.  You love it so much more than mommy expected!!
*You offer to share everything with us, the dogs and your babies.  You are a very good sharer.
*You love your potty chair.  You are pretty obsessed with us going potty that we decided to get you a potty chair, and it seems to be one of your favorite toys!!  We will see how long it takes before you decide you want to use it for its purpose.
*You are still really into showers!!  Love them!!  Mommy is glad because it is a lot easier for you to just shower with me.  You always put your bath toys back in the ladybug and tell me you are done:)
* You get in your car each day and tell me you are going to work, to have a good day....bye!  Hilarious.
*You love top tarts(pop tarts) applesauce, corn tortillas, avocados, tomatoes, mandarin oranges and noodles.  Still really not into eating meat, so we are fixing eggs and tofu so you get plenty of protein.

You weigh 21 lbs and are 30 inches tall.  You have 8 teeth and 2 more are starting to poke through.

There is so much more I could say Hayden Magee.  You are full of energy, smiles and love!  You have my heart and soul.  I never knew that loving you would be this much fun.  Each day is filled with something new and different.  I have learned that everything can be fun and exciting if I look at it from your perspective.  You still surprise me each and every day.  You bring so much to our family.  We have a family trip planned to go skiing and to spend some time with Taylor.  I know you will have so much fun spending that time with your brother and sister who adore you.  Then we will get to go visit the rest of our bunch at the beach!!  We are going to have so much fun on that trip.  You are such a good traveler.  You always point to the sky and point out the airplanes to mommy!! 
Hayden Magee your mommy and daddy love you to the moon and back:)

Daddy Day

                                                             Mommy Day