Just because...

Gangsta Hayden

Just thought I would share these pictures of Hayden.  Have I told you all lately how much I love this child and how she has enveloped every cell of my body?  I truly say thank you every single day for this child!!!

Hayden.....Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back, forever and ever:)

XOXOXOXO

Friends forever....

Hayden getting ready for her pinkalicious cupcake

Look at that face...Neely Kate!!

Gracie and Ruby enjoying their cupcakes!!

Hayden is a bad influence on the new kids in town!!  Ruby is loving the binka and so we sent it home with her.  I am sure her daddy is never letting her come over again!!!  LOL

Here is the goofball Hayden who LOVES to wear her helmet.  Of course she is sitting by Gracie(she thinks she hung the moon)

I love this picture of Ruby, I think it tells such a great story.  She has been home 2 weeks and she fit right in and loved playing with the girls.  She was a little curious of why no water was coming out, but I think she figured out it was just pretend!! 

We had pizza, cupcakes, swimming, and a lot of playroom time.  The girls had a blast!!!!

I am loving

This is the best sunscreen EVER!!!  The bottle even turns blue when it is exposed to UVA/UVB light so that you always know when you should be applying sunscreen.  I am a religious fanatic about sunscreen. 

I have bought cheap mascara, and expensive mascara, I have used the pink/green tube that all the make-up artist swear by.  But let me just say how much I heart the Loreal telescopic mascara.  Not expensive and works GREAT!!!

When the Briggs were here to visit they had the puddle jumper for Meggie.  We couldn't find it here in our area.  Then low and behold I found it at Target.  It is $18, it is coast guard approved, and allows your child to feel secure and the freedom to move around the pool on their own.  It says the weight starts at 30 lbs, but Hayden is not near that weight and she uses the puddle jumper just fine. 

Totally obsessed by Diet cherry Dr. Pepper.  It is my cup of coffee this summer!! 

I am also loving these beaded tanks that Ann Taylor Loft has right now.  They are even on sale for $16.99.  I would love to show you but the picture is just too small.  But stop by there and take a look, a handful of colors, perfect for summer and for fall.  Skirts, shorts, jeans whatever, it will look great layered.

Target brand diapers ROCK!!  Have tried them all, and let me tell you these don't leak, the polka dots are cuter than winnie the pooh, and the price you just can't beat!!  A must buy if you are still buying diapers!!

Target brand(yes I spend a lot of time there, leave me alone)  These make up remover cloths work so well, and leave your face feeling so clean and ready for your moisturizer.  They are also a much better deal than the brand names.  Never let myself run out. 

Just thought I would share a few of my favorite finds.  Some are new to me, and some I have been using forever.  All of them are loved in our house. 

1st little haircut

Hayden sitting very still for Miss Julie.  Just a little snip, snip here in the back to clean it up.

Hayden had her first haircut last Saturday, and she did great~  She held pretty still and Miss Julie was able to get it trimmed and cleaned up in the back.  It has grown so much in the last 3 months that it is crazy long for Hayden, but still pretty baby fine.  So hopefully if we keep trimming it will thicken up and we will get those "bangs" all one length.  Mommy got a much needed trim too. 

Old Mc Donald had a farm......eieiooooooooooooooo

Hayden would check the chickens each day to see if there were eggs....this hen was still working on her task!!

Hayden owning the road to our cabin!!

Here are the goats....Greenie and Pinky.  Hayden loved the goats and for some reason I don't have a picture of her feeding them.  Hopefully someone else does. 

Hayden loving on one of the 20 something cats.  She really loved all of the kitties. 

Our friends took their lab Jack with us and Hayden and Jack are long time best friends.  So much so she asked what Jack was doing and we told her that he was resting.  So she walked right over and put her "FAVORITE" blanket right on top of him.  Now that is what best friends are for wouldn't you say??

Hayden having a little piano lesson from Mr. Ray.

Of course Hayden thinks after one lesson she has mastered the instrument:)

Here is how Hayden feels about her trip to Oklahoma!! 

Showing Hayden a windchime.  Look at the cute heart....makes me love this picture.

Hayden collecting the eggs!!!  She LOVED doing this chore.

Hayden telling us all about collecting the eggs.

The hike up the hill.

Hayden getting some tickle time with daddy.

Yes happy hour commenced promptly at 5 each afternoon(adults only)  Here is Michelle, Hayden and myself enjoying the view.....look at that view people.  Now you know why we go!!!

 

Miss H trying to pet yet another cat.  I am not sure she got them all....but she gets an A+ for trying.

We are back, and we are exhausted!!!  Hayden had the best time ever!!!  Between the animals and the big girls(MP and Claire) she had a blast.  I am pretty sure she would have been fine to just stay.  I have some more pictures to post and will try to share a little more about our trip when I get the pictures from everyone else.  For some reason I was not taking care of my job as cameraman.  Just know we have deepened Hayden's love for animals, and she loves to collect the eggs each morning for those of you with chickens....she will happily come over each day for you!!

Welcome home Ruby!!!

Hayden and Gracie(Ruby's big sister)

Hayden and Neely Kate.  Neely Kate is 5 and she came home just a few days before we left to go get Hayden.  Hayden loves "Neely Kape"   This was them waiting patiently for Ruby to arrive in their patriotic red, white and blue!!

Here is Gracie and I holding our sign we made last week when she came over to hang with Hayden.  Don't laugh....it was the thought that counted!!

Here they are.....Gracie and Harry were VERY glad to see their mom, dad, brother and newest sister.  They are missing one of their kiddos...he is at at leadership camp. 

Here our "the girls" I think Ruby was a little tired(it was the middle of the night according to her little body) and a little overwhelmed by so many people and so much activity, but she was a trooper.  Hayden was so glad to finally meet her new friend.  Is she too cute or what??  She is TINY, just a bit taller than Hayden, but not much bigger sizewise. 

We had a wonderful time getting to be there for the homecoming.  We loved their journey, and feel blessed to get to continue with them daily.  It will be so fun to watch Ruby blossom into this life filled with an amazing family and so many friends that already love her so much. 

WELCOME HOME RUBY!!!!

Got nothing for you.....

Sorry people I got nothing for you....This was pretty much all we did this week.  Hayden is in LOVE with her new leotard that is "just like Addison's"  Didn't even realize that my daughter already recognizes what other people are wearing.  Addison(4) is the older sister of Matthew who was in the same foster home as Hayden.  Hayden thinks Addison hung the moon.  So when we put on the leotard this morning and she looked in the mirror she told me it was "just like Addison's"  Hmmmm???

Yes we wear ponies everyday now, I am trying to get her hair all one length and let's just say growing Hayden's bangs out are about as painful as what I remember growing mine out.  I have sternly told my hairdresser that if I ever come in and even beg her for bangs she is to REFUSE, and remind me that I will immediately regret the decision and move on to growing them out the following day.  So let's just say I can't wait for Hayden's bangs to grow so they are no longer bangs!!!

We are off to the country for a week.  We are going to stay at a friends log cabin.  They have chickens(get to get our fresh eggs each morning) goats, dogs, cats, minature horses, 4 wheelers, great food and awesome company.  Hayden is going to be in heaven with all of the animals(we may never get her off the mountain) But last time we were there we had no phone service, and no computer!!!  So this mommy is unplugging for a bit.  We will be back with lot's of pictures for you and I am sure Hayden will come back with enough mosquito bites for all of us.

I almost forgot.  Me along with 3 other mom's are starting the process of organizing our first annual Taiwan/China(and a few other Asian countries) Family Reunion.  Let me just say I am so incredibly excited at the mere thought of a resort filled with all of these kiddos that are now home with their families.  It will be great to see some of our friends from all over the country and to meet some new friends as well.  What we do know is that I will be the first host chairman, so we know it will be held here in the DFW area(central location from all coast, fairly predictable weather(haha) 2 large airports, with one being served by Southwest, and the resort we are looking at would not require people to rent a car if they didn't want to.  Plenty to do, places to eat and shop)  We will do it in 2011 so people have plenty of time to plan and save.  We will be polling groups soon about the date.  Please know we can't please everyone, and so that is why we are planning so far out so that it does give people an opportunity to save the date.  We hope to make this an annual affair, so if you can't come this year....we will hope to see you  next year.  So there will be more info to come very soon.  We are trying to iron out some details before we totally go public.  But just know that I think it will be an amazing weekend of FUN and friendship.  It is really something that I hope our children will really appreciate and look forward to year after year!!!  So we are going to need some volunteers, so if you are reading this and your immediate reaction is that you can't wait and what can I do to help??  Make sure and let me know, because we will be thrilled to have helpers.  The more help, the better this event will turn out. 

Before we leave we will be headed to DFW to welcome our newest US citizen and Hayden's new best friend Ruby!!  We are SO excited to see them return and hoping that right this minute they are having a lovely and quiet 18 hour flight home with a 3 year old in tow:)  We have been practicing "Welcome to America Ruby"

Okay we our outta here, have a great weekend and we will see you sometime next week.