Soul sisters

We have long talked about how many great friends that we have been blessed by through adoption.  Many of these friends are such an important part of our lives and they feel like family.  We have friends that live in our big state that we are fortunate to get to see fairly regularly and that makes us SUPER happy.  We were thrilled to have Debbie and Ellie P come visit us just a few weeks ago for the weekend and all I can say is the girls are soul sisters....total love for one another and play so well together.  Tears were flowing from the little girls as they pulled out of the drive to go back home!  Hayden asks at least once a week when are we going to visit them:) 

Anyway, enjoy the cuties in action.  They had 2 speeds....fast and faster.  2 volumes loud and louder!! 
We enjoyed the food trucks(super yummy food) and the stock show and then celebrated Lunar New Year with Chinese food and the girls wore their silks.  It was a GREAT weekend although it was too short!!!  thank you girls for coming to see us!!

Ellie Brushing the cow

Hayden getting full contact and as close as she could to the cow!!

They held hands pretty much the whole weekend!! 

Look at the full belly laugh on Ellie's face!!  

Two peas in a pod

STUNNING Ellie P

                                                                                   Hayden posing in her silks

Jumping for Joy

moment sponsored by YLK Photography

A night to remember.......daddy daughter dance

Waiting not so patiently for 2 weeks Hayden and her daddy attended their first daddy daughter dance together and all I can say is they had a blast!!!  I volunteered in the craft room at the dance......while I wanted it to be "their night" I couldn't resist helping out so that I could catch a few glimpses and take a few pictures. 

I have to say the dance was amazing!!!  It was a pink and black zebra theme and the decorations were amazing.  There was a candy bar, great food and cute drinks, photographers to take their pictures, a photo booth, a huge craft room with 6 stations for crafting and a DJ who spun the tunes all night long. 

It was fun to see so many dads there with their daughters.  It was held on two nights and the night they went there must have been 125 couples there and the girls ranged in age from 2-16 I would guess.  There is NOTHING better than seeing a daddy with his daughter and the love in their eyes!! 

Hayden and her bestie Ronan shared the evening with their daddies and I think they had the time of their lives.  Hayden kept telling Ronan that there would be another dance next year!!! 
I think the daddies had a pretty good time too")

David giving Hayden her wristlet!

look at my two loves!

"the belly dance" I have NO idea!! LOL

Hayden making a frame....she wanted NO help!!

Ronan and her daddy making a heart craft together.

quick stop at the candy bar

nothing better than crafting with a girlfriend:)

there was even a conga line

girls getting their groove on

I think David was preventing H from lifting her dress....Hayden barked "Daddy I was just pulling up my tights"  LOL

this is the BEST picture!!!  captured quite a moment with Ronan and her daddy!!

you notice that once H had her candy cup she never let go of it!!!

Hayden hugging Ronan....these girls LOVE each other!!

such silly friends!!!

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

I heart you!!

YLK Photography shooting a little valentine love!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Wishing you all a year of health, happiness, and prospierty.  I hope the year of the dragon brings great things for all:)

America's next top model??

Okay so probably not, I don't think Hayden will ever be much taller than about 5' to perhaps 5'2.  But we have to say we have been so lucky to have Hayden be able to show off her terrific personality in pictures and get paid for it!!!  Hayden was accidentally discovered by our big city model/acting agency when she was 2!!  I was shocked as well as pleasantly surprised when they signed us and then they actually called with jobs and auditions.....hello people she was 2 years old!!!  But she had a GREAT time doing it(especially the make-up(lip gloss and powder) and hair) I was shocked she was able to do it because as I have often stated Hayden has some pretty major people/situational anxiety.  I had absolutely no idea if I could put her in this setting and ask her to perform(or be herself for that matter) and have her actually do it without becoming a screaming crying mess.....ABSOLUTELY WHAT AGENCIES DO NOT WANT EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHILD ON THE PLANET!!  But with each job she went to it was as though she just understood it was a "job" and she would be done shortly and it included lip gloss, some fun clothes and a bunch of adults acting VERY silly off set trying to make her laugh and smile. The jobs came and then the checks came and it felt great to make deposits into her college fund that she had earned all by herself.  Each job came and each time she ROCKED  it out like a ROCK STAR.  But I was always right there by her walking her thru each step....obviously.  We go to a lot of the same places to shoot and we have a lot of the same people doing make up, shooting, etc....but the goal is always to get the kid's to be in a place and comfort level that they can go back with the handlers and walk thru the process on their own.  I was NEVER certain Hayden could do this even with people she knew.  Now don't freak out and think this is toddlers and tiaras or that I am sending my child off with strangers and have no idea what is going on behind closed doors.  I would never be more than probably 150 feet away from Hayden.  But there is so much going on in these production houses and a million shoots going on all at the same time and they just don't have room for a bunch of extra people back there and kid's actually shoot better without their parents....in our case I have always been allowed back.  But I knew our time was running out  and soon she was going to have to do it on her own.

Now while we have worked some....we have not even begun to work like some kid's are called to work.  Some kid's get called everyday for a job.  We get called maybe once a month or 2.  Hayden is now moving into 2T-3T and that is sample size for most children's clothing manf. and so I get an email a few weeks back stating Hayden has been chosen for the lookbook this year.  It is a book of the agency's models that goes to all of their clients...JCPenney, Neimans, Barney, Belks, Dillards etc.. and she will have to come in to do head shots with them.  So they book our time, we had to put together 8-10 looks for the stylist to pick from(that is a story in and of itself) We find out it is being shot at a place and with a photog that we are familiar with(a girl luckily) and that the Children's division head agent will there too.  Alrighty.....I just felt numb with worry that Hayden would just freak, I knew they were going to want her to go back this time by herself and it was important for her to do a good job in front of the agent(who is SUPER nice mind you and really likes Hayden) 

I started prepping Hayden 48 hours in advance with all kinds of dancing, asking her what kind of music she was going to request, wondering what outfit they would pick.  The drive there involved a lot of dancing in the car, talking up "modeling school" how excited Daddy was to get to go with us!!  David said he was exhausted with just the prep work.  Well all I can say is it WORKED!!  We dressed her in what the stylist picked(of course the first and cheapest outfit I bought) and when Miss Laura came to get her....while there was one second of panic when she realized I wasn't walking back with her and I said they would come get me when she was ready.  They said as soon as she got in the make-up chair all was well and she was talking a mile a minute and making her music requests.  She walked onto the set and they said she totally ROCKED IT OUT!!!  when they came to get us to come look at what they shot.....they were GIDDY!!  The agent said she had more personality than any 3 year old they had ever met and that she followed directions beautifully!!!  They went on to show us what they shot and said there was not a bad picture and every single one could be used if they needed.  I was so proud of her I thought I was going to bust!!!!  Hayden looked right at me and said "I did it all by myself mommy"  yes honey all by yourself you did this and you should feel so proud of yourself. 

So she will appear in the lookbook as well as now be featured here on the agency site under children's division.  We will do this as long as she thinks it is fun and by no means do we ever discuss with her that she makes $$$ doing it or that it has anything to do with her looks.  I have told her that people like to take her picture because she has so much fun in front of the camera and her personality shines thru.  I am not about advocating the model industry....Hayden will never have to worry about being in the ugly part of that world(remember she will only be like 5' ft tall) plus once she is in school and has extra curricular activities she will be too busy.....but for right now it is fun and adds a few $$$ to her college fund!!  Plus she has never shot anything where they didn't dress her or pose her to be just a 2 or 3 year old child.  It is usually displaying a toy or an outfit. 

So here is Hayden post shoot and and beaming with smiles because she said it was so fun dancing and screaming on the set!!!!

So behind and just going to dump to catch up.

I hate just dumping pics and just moving forward, but I am 3 or more weeks behind I have no choice.


We had a wonderful Christmas.  It was quiet and drama free.....just how I love it.  We spent the day enjoying Shiyu being here and Hayden rollerskating.....I see a panache for roller derby in her future.
We also spent Christmas evening with the family that I worked for as a nanny when I was in college.  My 4 kid's are all grown up now and Ian who was 5 when I lived with them is now 26 and in culinary school in NYC.  So we were treated to dinner by Chef Ian and let me say it was so delicious and so fun to spend the evening with them dining on amazing food and drinking great wine and such wonderful company.  Loved every minute of that evening!!!  Ian is going to be a very successful chef I just know it.  He is the top of his class and is so passionate about food.  I am so proud of him:)

One of the reasons for being behind is the amount of company we have had.  I swear we have had more company at our house(staying with us) since Thanksgiving than we normally have in 3 years times.  I felt like I worked at a hotel....one guest would leave and we will move in on the guest room and prepare for the next round of guests.  Don't get me wrong, we LOVED everyone that came and Hayden LOVES having "sleepovers' but it seems it left little time for much else.  In fact I am embarrassed to say that today Friday the 13th(of January) I am just getting all of our decorations down and getting the house back in order.  It feels good to get it all cleaned up and to purge as much stuff as I can get my hands on. 

Hayden is sad Christmas is over and asked why did we have to take the decorations down??  She is also missing her elf "Scout" although someone in the house told her that he would probably stop by a few times during the year to check in and let her know they watch from the NP too.  So I told that certain someone that HE was in charge of that little treat for Pipa.  LOL.

Can't believe 2012 is already here and Hayden is just shy of 3 1/2 and we will celebrate 3 years as a family in April.  Man the time flies and in case you are wondering, we still would not have our referral from China had we remained in the program.  We are probably about 7 -10 months away still:(   

Shiyu was home for 11 days and then headed for her semester abroad in Berlin.  She is staying with a host family there that has 4 kids.  Let's just say that is an adjustment.  She LOVES Berlin and has already told us she wants to look at grad schools there......UGH!!!  We LOveD having her home and no one loved it more than HAYDEN!!!  Goodness those two girls have a bond that is indescribable.  I couldn't ask for a better role model for Hayden than Shiyu!!!  We are skyping with her often and just got a postcard in the mail today.  David will probably fly over and visit for a long 4-5 day weekend and then she will be home in May.  We will then all head to China for what is planned to be a 4-5 week stay!!!  So we are starting the preparations of such a big trip for Pipa.....gotta get her passport squared away pronto as well I am setting up an assignment in Chongqing to volunteer at a local SWI(orphanage) and I will be doing a big donation drive to collect as much as possible to take with us to donate to them.  So stayed tuned as I will be requesting blankets, socks, cleft bottles, warm clothes
etc. 

On top of China we have trips planned to Cali, Maine and of course Chicago for the 2nd annual Taiwan ROCks family reunion.  We can't wait to see all of our friends again and I think it is going to be BIG this year!!! 

Pictures galore, but this is my means of keeping them somewhere til I can actually scrapbook.  I will do a better job of keeping up. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year and making plans for the year ahead. 

Hayden in her school holiday program.  She had a line to say and even did a little song as a trio.  I will have to post that video....she did a great job!!!

School Christmas party

Hayden with her teachers

modeling her new uggs from the guncles

Roller Derby WATCH OUT!!!!

Hayden and her big brother Connor

Hayden and her big sister Taylor

doing some art at the museum

Houston childrens museum.  The vet is the favorite place to play.

She told me to start calling her Taylor Swift.....how does she even know who Taylor Swift is???

Saw the Dunn's while we were in Houston and headed to Ninfa's on Navigation for lunch...this was the best shot.....not so much!!

Shiyu on her way to the airport....again a lot of tears to be had at our house.  Hayden ADORES Shiyu!!!