Ella At Last

Moving Outside of the Comfort Zone.

2012-02-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

We are a Chinese-American family. It is good for me to type that because in the middle of doing and living and feeding and bathing, I occasionally lose sight of that - we both do. But we make a conscious effort to not only remember it but embrace it. Chinese New Year decorations hang everywhere right now to honor our combined heritage. We gathered with our FCC families to celebrate the New Year two weeks ago. Ella and her daddy attend a monthly play group that brings together other Chinese adoptees with Chinese students at our local university.

And this past weekend, we headed north to celebrate the Lunar New Year with people we didn't know, another FCC group and Asian families from that community. At least, that's what we thought...

Kunming Sisters Miss D and Ella after a short time with one another.

Meet Miss D. In an amazing twist, we met this sweet little soul on Saturday afternoon. She is four days younger than Ella. She is adopted from the same orphanage as Ella. They began their lives together. Miss D's parents are friends with a couple who adopted a little girl from the same orphanage as Roz. They, too, began their lives together and even shared the same ayi (nanny).

Roz with Miss A

And although we knew we were going to meet Miss A. and her parents on Saturday, we were blown away at the surprise of meeting Ella's Kunming sister. To say that we were touched by this planned surprise (yes, Miss A's mom was thrilled to set this up!) doesn't do it justice. Tears found me rather quickly as I held Miss D. in my arms. Both families live less than an hour away from both Ella and Roz. Our path to making our families took four different couples half-way around the world and we all landed within 60 miles of each other.

Reunited, two years later.

They dance identically!

Some of our other favorite people joined us as well.

Lana trying to convince Ella to do crafts.

The lions danced and the drums played.

What I keep coming back to is this: we have been given a gift. We have one more morsel of Ella's past that wasn't there on Saturday morning when we packed up the car.

Frick and Frack.

We look forward to fostering the connection for our girls. They deserve it and it is our job. And it may be inconvenient or move us outside of our comfort zone from time to time, but this really isn't about us. It is about Ella. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

If there was any question about The Red Thread, Saturday's experience certainly should sway the doubters. "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." -Chinese proverb

H. L & EML

Just because I unearthed the video cam...

2012-01-25T16:29:00.000-05:00

...and had to post a little bit from her first Snowsuit Adventure!!

Bring it on, Dragon!

2012-01-24T14:23:00.001-05:00

We celebrated the Year of the Dragon with our FCC Family on Sunday. It was big fun and lots of kids dressed in their finest.

Frick and Frack

Kunming Cuties...Ella with Lily

Brynn and Ella checking out the HUGE goldfish

Ice cream with Roz and Ava

Look at all that shiny red! Ring a round the rosy...

No caption needed, really.

Good luck, health and prosperity to you all, Ella-Land!! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Saturday morning with Ella.

2012-01-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

When you wake up several times during the night (ongoing issue last few weeks) and then wallop your parents with a roar at 6:15am, announcing that you are ready to embrace the day, said parents are usually having a hard time keeping up by 9:30am. At least these two parents do.

So, we did this to her...

Yes. We bundled her up in her first shot at the snow pants, coat and boots - all wonderful hand-me-downs from our little friend Isabella. She's a bit dramatic about certain clothes being too constricting. I was prepared for bloodshed. But she was an angel because she knew exactly what she wanted, which was this:

She had no problem improvising with her garden shovel for our overnight snowfall.

After an hour in the bitter cold, crawling in snow and doing snow angels (yes, Mama too), Mama called it quits. And that folks, didn't go over very well.

Tomorrow we will join our FCC group for our CNY celebration luncheon. Pictures of all the cutertons dressed in their best will be posted soon!

H

Milestones

2012-01-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

Getting your first haircut can be scary.

But when P-Man made his way out of the cape and into her mouth for sucking, it got better.

And perhaps you won't even notice because we took off the bare minimum to give her 'do' a little boost. Truth be told, we had to do something to alleviate the battles of getting a brush through that mop on her head. (Translation: we = mama)

I think this last picture captures her perfectly. She wanted to watch and then didn't...then wanted to watch and then darted her eyes away again!

I'm rather impressed that I got this done before the CNY celebrations begin on Sunday. One of many customs during this time is to have your hair cut just before the new year and never during the two-week celebration. Another custom is sweeping out all the old (in your house) which would include any bad luck, to make way for the new and the good.

I guess we've got a little work to do tomorrow, in between shoveling, snow-blowing and making angels in the snow!

Thirty Six Hour Respite.

2012-01-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

Mama and Daddy took a road trip this past weekend. It was a whirlwind of good food, great music and even better friends. Ella's Grandma and Papa had the 'difficult' task of keeping Ella while we enjoyed some time together. They did magnificent things together, including a much-needed nap on the couch.

We were all glad to be together again on Sunday night and never worried about our girl for a minute!

Sunshine.

2012-01-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

In the coldest, windiest times of winter, our kitchen and breakfast nook get the BEST sunshine ever. For just a few months, the sun is situated ever-so-perfectly.

When you add in Ella on her favorite perch, the counter, it also gives us this.

And this.

How did I get the sun to filter through my lens like that? Good question!

The last week has been an interesting one with our little power house. Her sleep has been restless. Last night we were awake more than we slept, for example. Eating any structured meal is, shall we say, exhausting. She was less than pleased about going to school this morning. On our commute she was either crying or singing "brown bear what do you see?", sometimes at the same time.

But when you look back on exactly one year ago, Ella perched in her favorite spot on that same kitchen counter...

...wow. Where did that pudgy little one go? Apparently, replaced by a confident, sassy, headstrong 2 1/2 year old. She is a joy full of surprises, no matter how (desperately) tired out she makes her old(er) parents.

Stay warm this weekend. Winter has definitely arrived in Ella-land.

H, L & EML

Has the fog lifted?

2012-01-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

Blogging mama has been away because she was sick. Again. Thanks to Ella's daddy; her papa and grandma; and her other mama, Katie, for coming together. Amazingly, I managed to keep it all to myself and everyone else has remained healthy! Whew. (You can get a sneak peek of last week here.)

I did muster up some energy, dust off the camera and secure appropriate bribes to capture our girl in the dress my mom made her for Christmas this year. (See, all is not lost...I did NOT forget this from previous post.)

And she turned on the charm. And beauty.

And orneriness.

And big-girl posing.

And then poof... she grabbed some beads and was on to something else where I wasn't 'bossing' her so much.

H, L & EML

Come on over!

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Over the last week or so, Ella has invited some of her favorite little peeps over to her house. The wonderful part of this time of year is that the house is so disheveled having a pack of them running around doesn't really add to the mess.

Ava, Roz and Ella covered a LOT of ground while we Mamas got to chat in the sanctity of my breakfast nook!

Snacking.

Dancing.

Bossing.

Making Up.

Gossiping about the Mamas.

Happiness.

On New Year's Day, we had Uncle Robbie, RJ and Isabella over for a feast. And no visit to Aunt Feather and Uncle Larry's would be complete without banana popsicles for dessert.

And my favorite...

H, L & EML

"Of all sound of all bells...

2012-01-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year."*

And even though we were all tucked away when the bells rang (and fireworks shot off) on New Year's Eve, we had a great time getting there.

We met my parents at our favorite Chinese restaurant for an early dinner. Ella ate her entire meal with her panda chopsticks leaving all of us in the dust with her dexterity. She rocked her outfit, all the way down to her sparkle boots.

Then we joined our friends for their annual New Year's celebration. It is quite possible that Ella was one of the most popular guests - she certainly was the youngest. She was loads of fun. And we never grow weary of being amazed by her ability to gain footing and comfort in social gatherings.

Comfortable, Ella? No shoes OR socks within moments of arriving.

What an amazing year with our girl. Each time I post to the blog, I try to take time to scroll back through posts from one year prior. She's changing and growing so quickly. Her hair has doubled in length, I'm certain. Her vocabulary causes me to forget she is only 2 1/2 years old. And her giggle, oh her giggle...

2012 is off to a nice, gentle start with a little dusting of snow this morning stirring all kinds of excitement in Ella! There is also a bit more 'balance' with the return of Roz from her holiday travels. I think this picture is worth a thousand words. More than anything, it shows the level of comfort they have with one another.

Here's hoping your new year starts out comfortable, too.

H, L & EML

*~ Charles Lamb

Catching up...December.

2012-01-01T21:58:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, Katie and I packed up the girls and headed north on a Thursday for an adventure. When both Ella and Roz are riding in the same car, where we are going doesn't matter much to either of them. We did some shopping, had a nice lunch and then hit the kids' museum. The Block Party room was a huge hit. HUGE.

Katie and I had to control our urges to jump into the big foam blocks.

There was amazement...

...and bossing.

But there was also dancing in the media and sound rooms. It was impossible not to participate. Your dancing image would appear on a big screen with funky, psychedelic graphics.

Ella and Roz showed off some of their best dance moves.

We saved the water station play areas for the very last. They are not only the favorite spot for our pips, they are...well, the wettest.

It was such a great, fantabulous day. Leaving the museum (translation: ripping Ella from the water stations while her vocal capabilities hit glass-shattering decibels) was not well received. And the two foolish mamas in charge who thought the girls would pass out in the car immediately may need to brush up on Intuition 101.

All was not lost, however. There was dress up and dancing upon our arrival home.

Such fantastic style sense, I think!

H, L & EML

What do you want to tell Santa?

2011-12-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

Ella dictated this note to me to leave for Santa, along with his homemade cookies and milk. I have to smile that Baby Jesus came in first! And I don't think anyone is surprised Panda made it in there either.

The actual cookie baking and decorating was not for the faint of heart. Trying to roll out cookie dough with clouds of flour all around, and Ella running around with the cookie cutters should have probably been a Mama AND Daddy project. Which is why I got this look when it was all over...

A costume change and a nap and the cookie decorating commenced!

And taste-testing.

She wanted total creative control and had no problem telling me about it.

Our nephew Trent and his fabulous bride-to-be, Kim, stopped in town during their travels on Christmas Eve morning for a great visit. So great that before they left, they asked Ella to do them the honor as being the flower girl for their spring wedding. I cried (of course I did). We are touched beyond words, really. It is going to be such a colorful, funky celebration with these two at the reigns. We can hardly wait, although I'm already trying to figure out how we can hide Panda in her bouquet or flower basket.

Ella wore a fantastic creation on Christmas Eve night. Getting her ready for church that evening was a big challenge. Translation: no time for the camera or smiles. So there will be a separate post dedicated to Ella in the dress her Grandma made her. Promise!

After a beautiful church service with a well-behaved Ella, we headed to our friends' home for their annual Christmas Eve bash. It was a perfect Christmas Eve. She was the star of the show and mingled with all the guests turning on her charm (and that contagious giggle) at the perfect time.

Christmas morning was big fun as well. She ripped through every present with a smile. Her Grandma and Papa came over to witness the chaos. More than once she said, "Thank you Mama for all the presents!" Either she is smarter than we think or she still hasn't grasped the concept of Santa.

Hands down - favorite toys were her train and cars!

She did take a break from them to do a little cooking in the kitchen peacock-style.

And Christmas night would not be complete if we didn't have a group photo, now would it?!

Ella and her people!

May your New Year be a happy, healthy one full of love!

On the editing floor.

2011-12-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

The third time was the charm. Hard to believe, I know, but Ella was only mildly cooperative about mama photographing her for this year's Christmas card. What was NOT her fault was the Christmas light malfunction we experienced in Round #1. This is what you will not be seeing this year...

Kudos to her on the interesting pose, but the face gives it away. Done.

A new day. A slightly better attitude. A change in venue and a whole lot of popcorn for bribing.

Bribe break.

Sigh...

After more hours than I'll ever admit, I created THIS with the big graphic help from no other than NicoleLee Photography.

But it wasn't an easy choice, folks! The two runners up were...

...and the one that melts my heart...

But we were worried you all would be a tad freaked by her face. WE knew she was laughing a big belly laugh when I snapped this. When we asked Ella for her input on the three finalists she told us, "I don't yike that one, mama. Ella's crying." Good point, Ella.

We're gearing up for a busy next couple of days. We spent the morning and afternoon with KatieRoz before they travel to be with family. Tomorrow we will run a few last minute errands and then anxiously await Jesus' birthday. No question, she wraps her little head around that concept better than Santa coming to visit her house on Saturday night. I can't really blame her!

May your celebrations be full of family, friends and laughter.

H, L & EML

Please don't ever let her outgrow the sink.

2011-12-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

She seems to grow up twenty different ways at the end of each day. But on nights like this, when I just don't have it in me to lean over our old beast of a bath tub to bathe her, the sink is where we wash the stink.

Out of all the images I capture of her, 'bathtime in the sink' are some of the most beautiful, I think.

She even gives the impression of cooperation, although because she has nowhere to run might also factor into this. Panda watching over us never hurts!

Painting her foot with bubbles.

So until she is spilling out the sides, I plan on holding on as long as I can.

A good dress and a great birthday!

2011-12-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

Many moons ago, my Aunt Kay and Uncle Pete lived in England for a time. My grandparents hopped the pond for a visit and came back with a wonderful little frock for their Dolly. My mom was thoughtful enough to carefully store it away. And on Sunday, Ella rocked it at Ah-men...

Of course it was more of a mini-dress on her (the girl has looooong legs).

This morning, we started out the day with birthday cupcakes for Daddy! Happy Birthday to Daddy-O!! More celebrating tonight, too.

H, L & EML

A train ride like no other.

2011-12-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning, we met up with our friends for Ella's very first train ride. This wasn't just any train ride but the Santa Train - Ella's first experience with Santa in the flesh! Cookies and milk helped with the anticipation of Santa's arrival. And so did Ella's fascination with looking out the big windows.

Ella with her buddy, Ike.

RJ and Uncle Robbie.

Isabella reading her list to Santa.

A very happy Ava!

And although Ella was about as wide-eyed as they come as she watched the big girls hop up on Santa's lap, she didn't follow suit. Santa did manage to eek out a little smile out of her, however.

Since yesterday, she has informed me that "Ella go on a bus one day just like Ella goes on the train". Guess I better get that transit authority bus schedule downloaded...

Tomorrow we celebrate Daddy-O's birthday. Cupcakes for breakfast!!

H, L & EML

We fit.

2011-12-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

Our very bossy event coordinator.

Did Ella enter our lives with an innate understanding of music and its power? Did she have a sense of rhythm enabling her to follow along with just about any type of music? Or, did her immediate exposure to music, live performances (and drums, of course) in her life with us foster all this?

Yes. And ... yes. The complex mysteries of nature vs. nurture enter the picture again.

For the last few months, Larry has been working quietly behind the scenes in organizing the 3rd annual Raise Some Cash* fundraiser for our church's food pantry. Seven bands with enormously big hearts donated their time. Friends helped with running the sound equipment, donating band equipment and working the door. You see, this wasn't your typical church fundraiser. This was an all-day/night event at a bar. And Ella was right there, in the thick of things.

Ella and Uncle Drew 'working the door'.

Although not far from my hip or that of Larry's (as seen in picture above), she was in her element. Her toe was tapping or body bopping to whatever song was being played.

An uncooperative pose but you can see she's having no problem hanging with the big boys.

With the help of everyone involved, we raised $2,071. All of this money will be used in stocking the shelves to feed those in need surrounding our church. We are most pleased. We are humbled.

Ella's involvement was intentional. This is who we are, we tell her. We think she understand that now. We think she agrees. We fit - the three of us - quite nicely.

Daddy-O on the drums!

Oh, and no she didn't stay at the bar for eight hours, folks. Thanks to Roz and her grown ups for this and big love to my parents for the slumber party with Ella that night. That Hillary was on to something when she said it takes a village.

H, L & The Event Coordinator

* a hat-tip to the late Johnny Cash.

Seven hundred and thirty...

2011-12-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

...days later. It was two years ago today that we got THE call. We saw her face for the very first time. We gasped at her beauty. We marveled in the outpouring of love from our family and friends as they celebrated with us. (Reflect back if you must, oh please do reflect !)

And yet today, it feels as though she has always been here and I'm not just saying that. It does.

We will carry on with normal Friday activities - school, work and perhaps even a little Christmas tree decorating in the evening. But we'll make sure to tell her of the day we first laid eyes on that clever girl with a sparkle in her eyes.

H, L & EML

Popcorn in bed!

2011-11-30T21:26:00.000-05:00

After bath time tonight, Ella and I snuggled up in my bed with a bowl of popcorn, Panda, Simba Kittie and watched the old classic, Frosty. If I allowed her, she'd devour the entire bag of microwave popcorn.

It is a rare moment in this household when all three women are quiet and content at the exact same time! Don't believe me? Ask the only guy living here.

Good night, Ella-land!

H, L & EML

Working from home, fort-building and cupcakes.

2011-11-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

I debated on whether we should build an ark instead of a fort. Recent weather in Ella-land has been super soggy. While I worked away at my computer, Ella and Roz kept busy. What a girl can't do with an old blanket and blue painter's tape.

Pretty stunning get-up, isn't it?

Nothing beats the rainy-day blues quite like a cupcake either.

I am pleased to report that we are all, at this point, healthy and back at it in full swing. We plan on making up for the missed feasting at Christmas.

Stay dry, Ella-land!

H, L & EML

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

2011-11-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

Little did I know that just after programming our blog to post our sweet Thanksgiving greeting to you, that we were going to end up like this...

It hit Larry on Tuesday/Wednesday and me on Wednesday night/Thursday. I might be the ONLY person in this country to lose five pounds on Thanksgiving Day. We were sad to miss out on the gathering at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Tonight, I'm longing for my sister-in-law's cooking! (Not so much yesterday.) Knock on wood, our little firecraker is still healthy. She has been resistant to napping the last two days, however, which has made for two very exhausted parents. And although I'm feeling much better today, Larry is not. We hope that Saturday brings better health our way.

Ella did share this with me tonight. "Mama, my belly button aches like Daddy's because Baby Yiyyee (Lily...the recent addition to our family) is in there." I just didn't have the energy to tell her differently.

The good, wonderful, heart-warming part of all this is that while I laid in a heap on Thanksgiving morning, Larry and Ella went to our church to lend a hand in coordinating the 444 meals that were packaged and delivered by a group of fabulous volunteers. I have no problem saying that over a dozen of those volunteers were our friends, with no affiliation to our church. I received numerous texts that morning from these friends. It was so touching. Ella was completely in her element: at her Ah-men with so many of her people. If your heart is open, finding that silver lining ain't so tough.

H, L & EML

Good morning, Thanksgiving 2011.

2011-11-24T06:30:00.001-05:00

May your day be filled with thankfulness, reflection, laughter, sunshine, snuggly window seats, good food, good music, good books, family and friends. Our hope is that it continues past Thanksgiving Day.

A gathering of enormous proportions!

2011-11-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

Nicely done family!!

I really don't think I can beat this blog post from one year ago. More importantly, I don't know if I could muster up the creative energy to express the joy that still lingers now, two days later. My body is beat up. My house is rather disheveled. Yet, I'd do it all over again today - in a heartbeat. I still can't believe we all fit in our house!

Ella woke up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and fell into a heap at 7pm when my clean up crew (aka my parents) got in their car.

We all gathered bringing my Grandma's food. She would have so enjoyed tasting (and perhaps critiquing!) our hand at her recipes. Just a few...

Sandwich Loaf...three of them. Devoured.

Chicken and Noodles. Quintessential Donna Ruth Comfort Food.

Ella so enjoyed her family. Kaia and Alyssa were especially sweet with her.

Ella shared her Pete The Cat book. BIG hit.

While we were setting up the group shot (me behind the camera with the timer going...) Ella decided she was done waiting. What I find especially touching is the expression on the faces of her people. If ever there was a picture that showed it, it is this one. The girl has got an army of love behind her.

Give thanks Thursday and every day.

H, L & EML

Lampshades and Leopard Hot Pants

2011-11-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

Nothing says party girl quite like a lampshade on the head.

Or, leopard print hot pants.

It's only fitting that the shade is from a very old (and fragile) lamp belonging to my grandma. The house is a-buzz with party preparation for the Sunday celebration honoring her and what would have been her 105th birthday. Knowing Donna Ruth like I did - like we all did - I think she would have loved these photos. I can see her throwing her head back with a resounding "Ha!"

Babies!

2011-11-13T21:15:00.001-05:00

In the last two weeks, Ella has been around several wee-ones. Never, ever has her first reaction been anything but indifference. Total stinkpot. I suppose it didn't help that when we went to visit her cousin, Lily, for the first time her mama spent several hours fussing and photographing her. When asked if she wanted to hold Lily, her response was "I'm too big to hold her."

But, the photo shoot was a score! And since leaving Lily (and Matthew) she has talked nearly non-stop about going back.

Pretty little addition to our family, huh? We are excited to watch the girls grow up together AND share all our wonderful hand-me-downs.

Ella did better this morning at Ah-men with Baby Alice who sat behind us in church. By that, I mean at least she smiled and interacted with her. Tonight, when meeting a neighbor mom's ten-day old baby, she announced to both parents that Baby Colette looked like a monkey. We. Could. Have. Died.

Promise to get my camera back out and snap a few of Sassy Pants this week. We have a very busy week on tap as we prepare for the Grandma Donna Ruth Celebration a week from tonight. The house will be busting at the seams with family and laughter. Ella is already asking about how many days until the party. Of course she is...

H, L & EML

Last year. This year.

2011-11-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

A year ago, we were trying to coax Ella to walk on her own in this blog post.

This year, we are trying to coax Ella not to boss anyone who comes within ten feet of her incredibly mobile little self. She was quite vocal at "Ah-men" yesterday morning, turning up the bossing smack dab in the middle of the sermon. No less than six mamas gave me a sympathetic pat on the back and a sweet smile after the worship service.

We had a busy weekend of preparing the yard for Old Man Winter, painting the kitchen, a trip to the art museum and boycotting diapers. Some of those activities were messier than others.

Matthew and Ella helped out at our Lily photo shoot last week. Matthew is very kind to his little cousin and they play so well together.

Here's hoping your internal clocks have adjusted to the end of Daylight Savings Time! So not looking forward to it getting dark by 5pm in Ella-Land...Have a great week!

H, L & EML

Cheating

2011-11-02T16:18:00.000-04:00

Want to see what we've been up to the last two days? Check out Roz's world here. Because Roz's mama is a bit more on the ball than I am :)

Note: Ella's Papa and Grandma are on vacation this week which means I'm taking vacation days this week to be with Ella - to fill-in the gaps.

It has been a flurry of activity. Icing on the cake will be a visit tomorrow with my niece, Nicole, and her newest addition, Lily Victoria. She is eight days old today. In the last few days, Ella has had this to say about Baby Yiyyee (Ella speak for Lily):

"Baby Yiyee is in my tummy now, mama."
"Baby Yiyee is out now. She so silly."

I guess I should gear up for further discussions on how 'she came out'. Oy.

This auntie is charging her camera, perched and ready to go into shutterbug mode tomorrow. That's for sure!

H

Peacock on the loose...

2011-11-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

We had big shoes to fill after Jumpsuit Ella Halloween 2010...Click here if you need a reminder :)

Ella declared "Peacock!" when asked what she wanted to be this year. Did she have any idea what this thing Halloween was all about? Nope. By 8:30 last night though, I think she had realized it was gooood stuff.

On Sunday, we took part in our annual neighborhood Halloween party and parade. Daddy drove her chariot. We stopped along the way for a few photos. The day was picture-perfect.

And my lovely assistant tried to get the peacock to flap her wings a bit.

She seemed less than impressed about putting the outfit on again for actual trick-or-treat fun. Why go through all this when a huge bag of candy was propped by the front door? It took some coaxing, but after visiting our immediate neighbors, she was off with the masses traipsing up and down our street. I even let her dip into the loot for a little snack.

My favorite of the weekend is this one. We have an amazing backdrop of color in our neighborhood at this time of year. When you throw in my two favorite people, well...I think it doesn't get much better.

H, L & EML

What goes on in that pretty little head?

2011-10-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning, I packed up Ella in the car for a ride downtown to watch her daddy's band play at a cafe over breakfast. (She ate very little and danced a whole bunch.) When getting off the expressway exit, you can't help but lay eyes upon one of our most magnificent Catholic churches. You can't miss it.

"That's not my ah-men, mama. That's other people's ah-men". This isn't the first time she's said this from her perch in the back seat. I'm struck by the fact that she is sooo much my child in that she recognizes and appreciates architecture - especially in churches (oops, I mean ah-mens). More than that, I'm comforted that her 'ah-men' community has such a solid place in her day-to-day living. She knows where she belongs. We're doing what we said we would. We are planting the seeds. And so yes, I got a little choked up by this.

Not to be outdone by all this, she went on to tell me, "I go to the Mosque. That's an ah-men, too", at which time I nearly hit a curb. What our girl is referring to is the International Festival we attended two months ago at the Mosque in our community. "And I went in the bouncy house at the Mosque, mama". Ahh, yes. Part of the Festival included that, pony rides, a petting zoo and incredible food (which all three of us devoured).

It was a perfect opportunity to talk to her about all the different ah-mens around us. She lost interest in record time but dang, I have no problem telling you all I was proud. She seems slightly more in-tune with her spiritual surroundings than most her age. Perhaps we all knew this when she took to shouting out "Ah-men!" during worship at a very young age. Today, she does that AND claps and shouts "Yaaaayyyy!" at the end of a song if her daddy has provided a particularly good beat along the way.

Today we geared up for our Halloween neighborhood parade and party. We have a wonderful mom's group in our neighborhood, yours truly now the co-president for the next six months...because I've got so much free time. It was a sight and we got lots of pictures and video to come. Of course, tomorrow is our night to trick-or-treat. Weather reports are not that great. I have a feeling she's going to spend more time in our arms being frightened than going door-to-door. After carving pumpkins with her Aunt Kathy, Bobby and Jack last week, she crumbled into tears when we lit the pumpkins and turned out the lights. (Will re-think that move next year!)

Until my costume pics are ready to post, I'll leave you with a few pictures from Katie. Ella went home with KatieRoz after school on Friday. Very. Big. Deal. They spent nearly 11 consecutive hours with each other that day. We are delighted to report that the pushing/hitting/bossing did not get out of hand :)

We topped off the evening with bath-time and beauty shop, a concept new to Roz. Ella's long hair requires the hair-dryer - something Roz doesn't have to worry about just yet (although her hair IS catching up quickly!). So there I was with both of them nestled on my lap. Big fun!

Happy Halloween, Ella-Land! Be safe and check back soon for costume pics :)

H, L & EML

Apple of our eye.

2011-10-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

Last week we enjoyed a beautiful fall morning at a local apple orchard with KatieRoz. The girls did an amazing job of getting into the apple-pickin' groove. There was a lot of eating a long the way.

I write this on Sunday night and am shaking my head how quickly our weekend flew by. We packed in some great stuff. We celebrated two years for our buddy Ike on Friday. On Saturday morning, we enjoyed our local university's homecoming parade (that winds through our neighborhood). Saturday night, Ella packed her bags for a slumber party with her Grandma and Papa while we got a jump start on repainting the kitchen and THEN even managed to muster up the energy to hit our friends' party. Tonight we'll fall into bed with a serious sense of accomplishment!

Perhaps you'll get some time this week to enjoy the last of October with someone who makes you smile.

Wish us luck on Halloween Costume 2011. We've got a lot of creating to do before October 31. And nope...we aren't giving away the surprise!

H, L & EML

Tuesdays with Papa

2011-10-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

I've spent most of my lifetime convinced that no way, no how anyone could ever duplicate the special relationship I had with my grandparents. I stand corrected.

In fact, Ella may even be beating me out. When I see how my parents look at Ella, well ... I think you get it.

Ella's Papa picked her up this morning and off they went to "Papa's Work" to visit his customers.

I was able to work from home without much interruption. Everyone was smiling.

Of course, as soon as he pulled out the driveway after returning her home she turned into the devil-child. I blame him and all the folks who fell all over her today. Ahh, but what a wonderful problem to have.

Thank you Papa and Grandma for being the perfect grandparents to our little Ella. Donna Ruth and Carl would be so proud!!

H, L & EML

Sweet little dresses. Sweet little girls.

2011-10-14T21:06:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you wonder why you keep all these boxes of stuff from your childhood. With each move, you really, really question it. But then there's that AH-HA moment. On Tuesday, it happened for me.

Here, Ella is wearing a dress my mother made for me over 40 years ago. For Pete's sake, she's wearing an antique! I wore it to my aunt's wedding.

And no wisecracks about my hairstyle, got it? But for the peach ribbon, this dress has stood the test of time. Funny how what goes around comes around. When you add in some of my heels, you've got quite the mod look...a look that would be getting the thumb's up in P*eople Mag.

Then I unearthed this dress too.

For those of you old enough, think the era of Holly Hobbie!

And did I mention hats? Because there were hats and I absolutely LOVE a good hat. Ella and Roz are all set for next year's Derby.

And the best of this was capturing our girls with their personalities shining through.

And a few of Ella's favorite sayings these days? "That is wonderful!" "That is cool, mom!" "Thank you very, very much." She's polite AND funny.

Have a good weekend. H, L & EML

You've Been Away Too Long.

2011-10-06T22:01:00.000-04:00

She's been on the move. A lot. And she's also been really ornery about shutterbug mama trying to snap photos - more than a lot. The combination of the two has made for radio silence from us.

We're getting our last solid dose of picture-perfect weather in Ella-land before the snow flies. (And according to an article in today's paper, predictions of top ten worst winters are coming at us. Just think of all the blogging time I'll have on my hands. Perfect.) We rallied our co-pilots, KatieRoz, and about eight other mamas and kids in the neighborhood and hit the nearby metro park. It was big fun, big sunshine and a big picnic.

A very big deal to be in my car, sans the constriction of a car seat Can you blame them?

Steering wheels also a HUGE deal right now.

Ella decided to take the leap and sit in the big girl swing all on her own. To her, the rest of the park became meaningless. We were there nearly two and half hours and she spent most all of that riveted to this swing telling me her belly button tickled, grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary.

Roz joined in for a bit, with big smiles. But she's been rockin' a big girl swing for months now :)

Really. The grinning lasted forever. No kidding.

As if this wasn't big enough, last night Ella went to hear her daddy's band at a kid-friendly/pet-friendly bar. (Don't cringe.) We were home before 2am (more like 9:30pm), the noise level was perfect for her ears and she fit in perfectly. It makes me so happy to watch her enjoy music, especially live music, as much as she does.

Have a great weekend.

PS On the potty training front? Well, not so great. I'm not bribing her with candy but hand-drawn animal tatoos on her arms and hands when she does go. We like to encourage art around here. :)

Goodnight Trees. Goodnight Shade. Goodnight Moon.

2011-09-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

Standing in our yard last week, camera stretched to the sky near time of sunset.

Last week, a talented, kind group of guys came and gently took our old gals away. It was out of our hands. Both trees in our front yard were badly damaged/dying. In just under three hours, we went from this

...to this:

From beginning to end, we watched from our neighbor's front yard. Ella was fascinated. Panda was as well.

He made it look soooo easy.

She took to calling them 'the tree boys'. As they left, there were rounds of kisses blown and horns blown in her honor.

It has been an adjustment on the eyes. But we have a whole winter to scribble on graph paper in plotting out what is next. That will be fun. Ella will help.

Last night I peeked out our front door and saw these two. A week ago this photo opp would have been impossible. At least there's that!

Have a great week!

H, L & EML

The many faces of Ella.

2011-09-17T15:22:00.000-04:00

Thursday night we bundled up and strolled around downtown for the last Art (gallery) Walk of the summer season. (Bittersweet, for sure...and nippy!) Ella's daddy and his band added to the fun by performing outside one of the galleries.

Yes. That chilly.

We checked out some art and stopped to listen to our friend Rachel perform.

Our girl was her happiest dancing around while her daddy and friends performed. The sidewalk was her endless dance floor, and the nearby art gallery provided lots of intrigue with the huge glass windows.

Not an illusion, she is quite the jumper during her dance routines.

Autumn is in the air today. Ella asked to put her 'pj's with shoes in them' for naptime. Don't we wish we could all do that? She had the right idea, because she has been sound asleep for over two hours now. The fact that we hosted a neighborhood gathering (Kids N' Cocktails, perhaps the best thing since sliced bread) complete with a Bouncy House may also be contributing to her utter exhaustion.

Life is good. A new season is upon us and although I'm not entirely thrilled about what comes after Autumn, we hope to enjoy every second of the present.

~ H, L & EML

It Started Here.

2011-09-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

Long before we began our talks of adoption, filled out the first piece of paperwork that brought us to Ella, there was Friday the 13th of September, 2002.

It was a fabulous day filled with family and friends and music. It was a party. There was a lot of dancing.

Ella took her time looking at this photo today. She asked about my dress and commented on my 'pretties' (i.e. jewelry). I think she's trying to figure out why she isn't in the wedding photos.

Last year, we celebrated our anniversary as a three-some. Tonight Ella's grandma and grandpa are going to pinch hit so that we can enjoy a nice dinner as a two-some...and spend most of the time talking about her.

H, L & EML

Girls Only.

2011-09-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

Call us crazy, brave, wonderful or a little bit of all. Early this summer, Roz's mama and I decided we would do an over-night road trip with our girls. No boys. Our schedules aligned for a late summer adventure.

We packed in the car and headed east...a whopping 60 minute drive. Who knew we could take in an drive-thru African safari so close to home? It was crazy, surreal and yet I found myself giggling like a three-year old while trying to dodge the wildlife peeking through our car windows. Ella L-O-V-E-D the experience. Roz H-A-T-E-D the experience. I fed curious animals carrots through my slightly open window (Still squealing. Me. Not the animals.) Katie sat between the car seats in the back in an effort to relax Roz who I'm pretty sure wanted me to slam the gas pedal to escape.

We peeled Roz's eyes open eventually, stopped for lunch and headed to our hotel room at an incredibly large, loud and rather overwhelming indoor water park. When the girls figured out we were having a major slumber party with snacks, beds for jumping and then swimming their heads almost spun off.

We've decided that the girls would have been just as happy at a hotel with a small, indoor swimming pool ... an excellent idea for February when we can't tolerate another cold, wintry day. Thankfully, the water park had the perfect fit for our girls. Too bad we figured this out our last morning there!

What wonderful memories for our sweet little ladies and for the old girls, too!

Have a good week, Ella-Land!

H, L & EML

A piece of art.

2011-09-02T14:35:00.000-04:00

Remember reading about the visit to the Art Barn while on vacation? Here is her creation!!

Not bad, huh? AND it is food and dishwasher safe. Beautiful and practical :)

It is one BIG lake.

2011-08-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Traveling with a two-year old (vs. the one-year old we took to Washington Island, Wisconsin last year) offered up challenges. Her energy levels far surpassed those of her parents. She found at least a dozen more 'buttons' to push with me. Trust me - she pushed them hard and sometimes with a killer smirk.

But she got her footing. And the surrounding towns, walking, eating and daily trips to the beach came natural. You know, just about the time we were packing up the car to head home.

For those of you not lucky enough to live near the Great Lakes, it may be hard to imagine how vast, strong and overwhelming they can be. Especially to a two-year old, which is why she took to calling Lake Michigan the ocean. On our last trip to the beach she was brave enough to throw the water shoes aside, dig her toes in the sand and even enjoy a few big waves from the safety of my arms.

We made sweet memories. During a rainy day, we got all artistic at a fabulous barn.

Our hotel room had a California King-sized bed. It was the best trampoline. Ever. On one day, we had ice cream twice.

We raced to the beach our last night and watched a perfect sunset.

We belted out "You Are My Sunshine" to that perfectly setting sun.

Ella has perfected her Gull squawking call. We are still finding sand in our shoes.

Success.

Vacation Snapshot

2011-08-24T13:51:00.000-04:00

Perfect caption for this photo: "The One Who Must Be Obeyed and The Man Who Kept His Cool"

The threesome made it home from our long weekend get-away to Lake Michigan. Our Teflon traveler was... well...a two-year old. And after about 24 hours of "bacation" mode she settled into her funny, independent little self. I really do promise details and some pretty wonderful photos after this weekend.

Right now, we are playing serious catch-up at our respective jobs and at home. AND, the gals are getting things situated for a Thelma & Louise roadtrip with KatieRoz.

Tune in later and enjoy this last weekend of August (weep).

H, L & EML

What Makes This Mama Smile.

2011-08-17T10:22:00.000-04:00

Isn't this blissful? It was taken last month at the Art Walk downtown. Ella's daddy's band was playing on the sidewalk beside us. She was impossible to contain, so much dancing to do.

And this....

Roz had to change her outfit to match the one Ella was wearing. I can't say it enough - I'm eternally grateful for the friendship these two little ones have in one another. And that we have such a special relationship with Roz's parents is just icing on the cake.

Next week, Roz, Ella and the mamas will be packing up the car and heading on an over-night adventure together. Each will be out of their minds when they figure this out!

~H, L & EML

When you are two years old...

2011-08-12T10:33:00.000-04:00

...it doesn't take much doing to squeal out "I had fun!"

It could be taking a dip in a swimming pool, or getting ice cream, or taking a ride on a brand new tricycle (thanks to best in the world grandparents). Sometimes it is cranking up the tunes, opening a brand new bag of foam stickers and making a disaster of the dining room table.

Ella Man Li spends most of her waking hours enjoying. She knows what she wants and I applaud her independence, attention to detail and determination in getting to where she wants to be. What touches me more is her budding loyalty to those she loves. Before she falls asleep, she spends an enormous amount of time chatting with Panda. If the girl is talkin' about you in the crib, you rank.

My second child, Roz, spent a morning with us this past week. The girls were out of their minds at this good fortune...over four straight hours of togetherness. I'm delighted to report that more than ever, they are interacting as siblings. Translation? They are both dishing it out in equal amounts!

Hoping your weekend is wonderful. ~ H, L & EML

Balance Restored!

2011-08-08T09:33:00.000-04:00

Pete The Cat...the current favorite for both girls

After going to Ah-men (how Ella now refers to church) yesterday, we were surprised with a visit from the globe-trotting Roz. There were hugs, kisses, squealing, laughing, screaming and lots and lots of running.

Ella got so excited she lost her clothes.

A little of this. A little of that.

2011-08-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

If you have noticed fewer pictures of Ella and Roz together lately, it is because Roz went to Florida for almost two weeks with her Mama to visit her grandparents. As suspected, Ella was a bit lost. We had near daily phone conversations and the chatter about KatieRoz was endless. We are happy to report they are back safe and sound!

Ella and I spent some good times together and just this past Thursday went on our first outing to a local public swimming pool. A water-logged Ella reported having a lot of the fun in the pool. Later that evening we went to see Ella's Shu-Shu Jeffie perform at a local park. Our extended family had blankets all around us.

Ella got to bust out her rock n' roll gear. She (translation: we) have been dying for the perfect place to wear it.

All of Ella's little peeps a bit awestruck.

Ella and Auntie Sarah, her buddy.

I've lost count how many times she has used the big girl potty since my last update. She has rather effortlessly glided into this next phase of growth. And after two full months of going to 'school' on Fridays, drop off yesterday was without screaming and gnashing of teeth...for the first time!

I'll leave you with a video of story time with Simba. Our 15 year old feline is a high-maintenance old gal but she has the patience of a saint with Ella.

Strawberries!

2011-08-01T14:05:00.002-04:00

One Week Later.

2011-08-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

"What happened? Where'd the tree go, Mama?"

Ella acting out: "I'm a tree"

The city made it our way late last week and cleaned up The Tree That Went Boom. Sadly, we came home to a rather naked front yard. The city tree that was to be tagged for 'eventual' removal bit the dust.

We spent most of our weekend at Ella's disposal, not to say that isn't much different from our day-to-day operations. (She's a pretty big deal in our world, yes.) This weekend? Well, the threesome needed it.

The easel got a good workout.

And what a girl can't do with one hot summer day, a bucket full of water, a few paintbrushes and some mismatched cups?!

Sidebar: As of this morning, FOURTEEN is a really big number in our house. Ella, on her own, without any coaxing has decided that perhaps diapers aren't the most comfortable devices. She balances herself perfectly on the big girl throne. She has performed this act 14 times in the last five days. No treats. No bribes. Folks - she makes me look like a genius.

Tree Go Boom, Mama.

2011-07-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

How do you explain THIS to a two year old without setting the stage for her to be scared of rain, wind and "funder"? It is delicate, let me tell you.

Friday afternoon we were blasted with a huge storm. We came home from work to this. And, no power. Not only did a large portion of our tree come crashing down across our driveway, but it came down on one of our other trees out near the street.

Ella and Panda got to work surveying the damage. There was an awful lot of "What happened? Tree Go Boom, Mama?"

The trees in our neighborhood make it magical. The trees in our yard are no exception, providing perfect canopies to our landscaping and gardens. Where some might say, "Good - less leaves to rake" we are moping around at the loss. The city tree will be marked for removal. Our big old beast is on borrowed time.

Two days later, and the city crews haven't shown up to start hacking away. We are the reason every car comes to a near standstill as they drive down our street. (Really not how I wanted THAT to happen!)

Ella seems to be pretty tuned in to what we're feeling. We're not surprised she's a Tree Hugger like us.

On the bright side, it has hindered my ability to mow (Reason #458 that Larry married me...I do all the mowing). ~ H, L & EML

Ready to Holler.

2011-07-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

It is a scorcher here in Ella-land today. Trying to dress her for church (in our sans air-conditioned sanctuary) takes some thought. Ella selected her coolest footwear, on wrong feet, I might add. We ditched the boots and opted for sandals before heading out. I honestly think they would have hindered her ability to holler Ah-men.

On Thursday, we reconvened our own little United Nations session poolside. This group of kids got together back in late December. They have all grown like weeds! (Click here to check out that post.) Ella was the youngest at our gathering. She is still so reluctant around a swimming pool, while the others jump, swim and play. I have to remind myself that she is still a babe in a lot of respects. It is tough when she talks as well as a four-year old!

Silly mamas. We decided to get the U.N. Group Shot after hours of swimming and sun. It was chaos and cranky and there was cryyyyyiiiing (see Ava). I think this captures it beautifully.

Ella 2; Roz 2 1/2; Ava 3. A force to be reckoned with when together.

Last night, we hit the ballpark for a very special evening. Ella's buddy, Nicholas, threw out the first pitch for our local team.

It was SRO. The place was packed. It was a big deal. A really, really big deal. (Nicholas's mama is Christina. Up until May when she retired, Christina was Ella's Friday care-giver.) We squealed and cheered watching him on the big field! I cried my ever-lovin' eyes out. He's a special guy. And Ella and Nicholas have a wonderful connection.

The hottest week of the year is coming up AND it is Vacation Bible School at church all week. (Without fail...every year this happens.) Ella and I are helping out. Hey, a Panda is the main character. You think we'd miss this??

~H, L & EML

"Ella Have Fun"

2011-07-13T14:34:00.000-04:00

Fun is the new kid on the block. There is nothing better than tucking our girl in at night to have her giggle out, Ella have fun! In fact, she had so much fun during her lunch date with Roz yesterday that when I told her it was time for a nap, her screaming, crying response was, No Mama! No night-night! Ella have more of the fun! She slept three hours. Fun can be exhausting.

And speaking of sleep, our girl is rather slow in wanting to get out of her crib. L-A-Z-Y. It is a long process...

...one that has horrible consequences if rushed. Believe me - horrible. (She has a good grasp of our weekly routines; knows which days afford her the slow wake-up.) No complaints, however. She loves her crib and stays IN it.

She digs her little bedroom. She is just tall enough to hike herself into her window seat. And because Ella's sewing-whiz Grandma created such a cozy spot, she's pretty giddy. In PJ's, squeaky clean after a bath, she put on her obnoxiously huge flower headband and played forever.

It was nice of Ella to allow her Daddy to share in the comfort that is deep shaggy blue squishy-ness but it is obvious from her expression. He's crampin' her style.

We hope to have more of the fun this week, including a pool party tomorrow with Roz, Ava H. and a few other little ones! H, L & EML

Hot Off The Press

2011-07-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

Just after our recent photo shoot with NLP Photography, I received an email from AF Magazine asking me (and thousands of others, of course) to submit my favorite Mommy & Me photo. On a whim, I did it. The winner would be plastered across the front of this adoptive parenting-focused magazine.

Well, we didn't win the cover spot. But we took a Runner-Up position and landed on page six of the glossy pages of the August 2011 edition.

Thanks to our shutterbug for making it possible!

Catch Up. Again.

2011-07-05T14:39:00.000-04:00

I'm behind in just about everything these days - laundry, emails, downloading photos, editing photos and then actually ordering them. The upside to all this is that we've been busy enjoying the summer. Sitting in front of a computer, when gorgeous weather is enticing me to be outside, is not where I want to be. There will be more on our big July 4th Weekend later. Stay tuned.

Until then here are a few pics of Ella watching the sprinkler.

Of course, there was dancing!

Dancing Queen

2011-06-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

Two sweet little souls with such quirky little personalities, all the way down to their toes!

On Thursday, we had high hopes for a visit to our zoo to look in on our new baby elephant. No dice. The weather didn't cooperate. Instead, we turned Ella and Roz loose at our mall. We walked, galloped, hugged, ate and danced. Ella danced A LOT. Shutterbug mama scored!

My personal favorite, all the way down to the little boy checking her out.

Our Little Yardstick

2011-06-22T11:56:00.000-04:00

A rare occasion: Ella allowing camera to be present...playing in Roz's castle.

Ella had her two year doctor visit yesterday. Even her Daddy carved out a little time in his schedule to attend this one. There were shots, tears and sobs. But she did a nice job of re-grouping and even gave a high-five to her doctor before it was all over.

And I've decided to stop freaking out about her fickle eating habits because there's no question - SHE. IS. GROWING.

She weighs 27 pounds, 8 oz. and is a whopping 36 inches tall! Thus the new moniker, Our Little Yardstick. Her weight comes in at the 65th percentile; her height at 95th percentile. To give you a bit of perspective on how much she's grown, she is four (YES, 4) inches taller than she was at Christmas...just six months ago.

It looks like her legs and her hair are on the same mission of bionic growth.

Father's Day Weekend was a hit filled with a neighborhood gathering on Friday; live music over breakfast on Saturday; church then brunch with our family on Sunday; topped of with a day trip to our own oasis about 45 minutes north of Ella-land. It would have been nice to have a few pictures of such a great weekend, huh? Here's hoping the ban on shutterbug mama ends. Soon.

H, L & EML

Sprinkle Some Water On Me!

2011-06-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

One year ago today, we celebrated Ella's baptism. (You can click here to look back.) We got up there in front of God, our family, our friends and our wonderful church family and said, "Yep. We're up to it."

And we are still up to it.

Even though getting Ella ready for a 9:30 am worship service can be challenging...even though I have to pack diversionary snacks and surprises so that she is respectful during the sermon...even though I'm petrified our church family is going to spoil her stinkin' rotten.

At the end of the day, she is dancing during our worship music...she knows parts of that twisted maze of an old church building as well as her own home...she passes the peace on her own... and she STILL shouts out Ah-men! and has added Alleluia! to her repertoire.

And no, you don't read much about our faith on Ella's blog. That is a personal choice, a deliberate one. But it is a constant, sustainable presence. And without it, we would not be a family of three.

Tonight we will light her baptism candle and remind her that her light, the light God gave her, is bright and wonderful and full of promise. May you let your light shine as well.

H, L & EML

Part-Time Gardener

2011-06-09T15:01:00.000-04:00

We've hired a part-time gardener to help us with the yard. In addition to being a hard worker, she is also funny, sings quite a bit and is rather bossy. But bossy is good in this line of work. She keeps us in line. Clothing is apparently, optional.

When things don't go in the direction of The Gardener, we get this.

And thanks to Ella's Aunt Cathy and Uncle JB, we have a new pink kitty sprinkler to help water the lawn AND keep The Gardener and her friends cool.

H, L & The Gardener

Ella and NLP.

2011-06-07T13:16:00.001-04:00

Just over one year ago, NicoleLee Photography rocked our world with this.

Sweet, Sweet Baby on PhotoPeach

Last month, she chased Ella around one brisk Saturday morning on the streets of downtown. (NLP has been with us every step of our journey to Ella. She and her camera trudged up to the airport the night we hit U.S. soil and fell into the arms of our family and friends.)

She has a very special connection to Ella, to us.

And. It. Shows.

Trooper

2011-06-06T22:36:00.002-04:00

Our little trooper did very well on her first day of school.

She had a "Great Day" as her little report card states.

I left work a bit early. I pulled up in the parking lot and was delighted to see Ella and her new buddies out on the playground. I stole a few moments, watching her, shaking my head at how grown up she looked. When she saw me walking towards her, she paused in near disbelief (she did come back!) and then took off running in the opposite direction yelling, "No! Outside, Mama! Outside!"

We went for ice cream. Just the two of us. She was beside herself at her good fortune. Ice cream at 4 o'clock in the afternoon? Before dinner? As we made our way home, she took Panda away from her nose long enough to say, "I told you...I told you Mama come back".

H, L & EML

Sassy Pants

2011-06-02T13:40:00.008-04:00

Ella spent some time at Roz's house on Tuesday morning so that I could go into the office to unearth my desk. It is busy season in my line of work. The girls were thrilled and Sassy Pants Ella did a nice job of, well, being nice. We've been noticing an awful lot of attitude in her walk lately - mainly, the right arm swing.

And every good walk needs to include jumping.

And sharing flowers with one another.

Occasionally, a girl needs to re-fuel and take a good sniff of Panda from time to time.

We spent three hours at our MetroPark today with four other little FCC girls. The park was flooded with kids. It was marvelous and we both came home exhausted.

Tomorrow is quite the big day for the three of us. Ella's Friday caregiver, Christina, has retired, so to speak, graduating from nursing school and moving on to a new chapter in her life. It is difficult. Besides my parents, Christina is the only other caregiver Ella has had during our work week.

We think we have found a very good replacement for Fridays and she'll be starting at her 'school' tomorrow morning. I'm nervous. I'm a little melancholy. I remember like it was just yesterday how uptight I was the first time I left her to go to work. I feel 50 times worse than that now.

The real bonus in her new Friday setting is that Ava H., another one of our FCC buddies, will be in Ella's class. Ava will be a HUGE comfort to Ella as she gets her footing. We've talked to Panda and told her (Ella just told me yesterday that Panda was a girl) that she might need to step to the plate in our absence.

Thank you Christina, for loving our Ella so well. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes tomorrow!

H, L & EML

Summertime and the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high.*

2011-05-31T22:21:00.006-04:00

Summer arrived overnight. It is wonderfully hot and sticky. This spring has been rainy...gray...lackluster. Kind of like it forgot to show up. The warmth feels fabulous.

The S Family invited us over for dinner this weekend. Roz was invited too. There was good food.

Lots of time on the patio and BUBBLES!

Relaxing.

*"Summertime" Ella Fitzgerald

A Birthday Revisited.

2011-05-31T21:56:00.004-04:00

I finally got the video downloaded from Ella's birthday party...two weeks later. I think you'll agree - the girl was excited. And the duo of Roz (oops, I mean Dorothy) and Ella excited is pretty special.

Mystery Solved!

2011-05-25T13:32:00.003-04:00

Our sweet little Kunming Sister, Hannah, sent the rockin' book to Ella. Here's a picture of Hannah taken earlier this month. She will be two in just a few weeks. Quite a resemblance between our two girls, huh?

Hannah's mama and I met online just over a year ago. We 'counseled' each other on our travels to China (both girls are from the same orphanage) and adjusting to life after travel. We've never actually met. I really hope we do in the near future. The girls have some stunning similarities - not only in their physical beings but their personalities as well.

So, Xie-Xie Hannah!! We had to read the book again last night!

H, L & EML

Cats and Kitchens.

2011-05-24T14:05:00.012-04:00

(Ella, looking out into her yard thinking of all the things she could get into...)

A mysterious birthday gift arrived in Friday's mail. "Pete The Cat", a fantastic book about a cool cat and his shoes. Including today, one of us has read it (Ella included, reading it to Panda in her Ella-speak) about a dozen times since we unwrapped it. There was no note as to who sent it.

So, I'm putting it out there? We love it! Thank you! And please let us know?

As luck would have it, just as our nearly 16 year-old cat, Simba, is getting thinner and more feeble, Ella has struck up quite a friendship with her. She calls for her all the time trying to figure out where Simba may be hiding. Simba, for all her faults (we do love her, really) has become more patient with Ella. Because Ella is super, super bossy with her. Super.

Last night, we picked up the ultimate hand-me-down from our little friend Isabella. She's outgrown THE BEST KITCHEN EVER. We got it as far as the garage last night which made for the perfect play-time when KatieRoz came over for lunch today. There was one shoving match (Ella) at the kitchen sink requiring a Mama Intervention and attitude readjustment.

Please note how Ella is close to taking her out in this one...

And the follow-up expression.

H, L & EML

You say it's your birthday, it's my birthday too!*

2011-05-20T12:44:00.016-04:00

Ella and I had a wonderful birthday celebration yesterday. We got rolling early and went for breakfast with the man of the house before he headed to work, came home and readied the house for our gathering last night. I suppose the cupcakes don't surprise anyone? Since the weather didn't cooperate for outdoor celebrating, I brought the outdoors in with lanterns strewn about.

Each time the doorbell rang, she ramped it up a little bit. By the time everyone had arrived, she was impossible to contain. Running. Jumping. Dancing. Singing. In thinking back, I don't believe I held her more than ten seconds...a big difference from our mild little one a year ago.

The new easel was a big hit. (Bowl of strawberries at her feet...because creativity makes a girl hungry.)

'Dorothy' made a special appearance and we were amazed how much she reminded us of Roz!

Ella's Uncle Greg and cousins Matthew and Michael.

Did she really get the whole birthday party - singing, blowing out the candle, presents? Nah. In fact, I'm not certain if Ella still comprehends the party was for HER. It was a party. She had her peeps gathered on her stompin' grounds. Nothing else mattered. What was especially touching was the interaction between Ella and Roz. They really do have such a special relationship, and their antics provided superb entertainment.

I'll leave you with some more. Enjoy! Thanks for all the birthday love!

*"Birthday", The Beatles.

Her First Wedding.

2011-05-17T14:30:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday, Ella attended her first wedding reception. We knew the dance floor would be a big hit...and the band. By the end of the first song, dance floor still empty of other guests, Ella found her groove.

Here she is, lifting her dress up for all to see.

When she wasn't running and jumping to the music, she was here (see below) or flirting with the musicians.

Ella likes a good party. That much hasn't changed!

Yes. I'm Behind.

2011-05-14T08:08:00.006-04:00

I have had the best of intentions and really cannot blame fabulous weather as an excuse. (But for our zoo outing on Thursday of last week, the rain has been menacing.) Roz's grandparents are visiting from Florida. We packed up the girls, grandparents - Ella's grandma included - and explored our zoo for hours. Ella found time to dance, as you can see.

Roz did too. And Roz was a bit more brave about petting the animals. See how the girls have their sunglasses hanging from their shirts? This is the latest fashion craze. Such big girls.

When we finally sprung them from their strollers, photographing them was a challenge. I took our Flip video camera to show you the girls in motion.

Big week here. I'm pretty sure at least one girl has a birthday. Check back. Let's see if I can get back into a routine again!

Hair!

2011-05-10T21:23:00.005-04:00

A lot of folks have asked if we've had Ella's hair cut. We have not. It has grown in fabulous, wispy layers. Did I mention growing? Honestly, I'm not feeding her horse pills for hair growth.

I took these photos tonight, just after her bath. I marvel at how quickly her hair has grown since her first birthday. She had one little shoot of a ponytail sticking straight up on the top of her head then. Next week, Ella turns two. She's changed a thousand times over since May 2010. Hasn't she?

~H, L & EML

Mother's Day Two Thousand Eleven

2011-05-07T16:34:00.003-04:00

A more perfect image could not have been captured. More than love and happiness, I see two chicks who get each other. Co-conspirators in life, this journey.

My little Ella Man Li, how she makes my heart soar.

Happy Mother's Day.

*This photo is from our photo shoot last weekend with my sweet friend, NicoleLee Photography. You'll see in the next week how well she knows all three of us because no one else could capture our essence like this woman. More to come!

You are my sunshine

2011-05-05T14:40:00.005-04:00

One of Ella's favorite songs to sing is "You Are My Sunshine". She can sing the entire first verse by herself. And she does a nice job of keeping the tune. So much of her daily routines bring sunshine to us. My parents took this photo yesterday. Ella picked me flowers on her afternoon stroll with her grandparents and the boys (Blake and Bentley...the ever-so-wonderful shelties). Ella often takes walks with her daddy when I'm trying to get dinner ready. She greets me at the back door with a dandelion or violet then, too.

But make no mistake - in spite of her shining spirit (or maybe because of it?), the girl is unbelievably headstrong. This past week has been a burst of opposition in every form. It hasn't helped that the flu cloud has been over our house rendering me a single parent since the wee hours of Tuesday morning. (Poor Larry, still not back in the saddle at full swing.) There has been some serious head-butting going on!

And never was it quite so apparent then during our "Ella is Two!" photo shoot with NicoleLee Photography this past Saturday. She was not the same little pip who appeared on the other side of her camera lens a year ago. I have not a doubt in my mind that Nikki was able to capture our girl absolutely perfectly. I mean, take a look at the sneak peek and make up your own mind?!

Rest assured, we'll post more of Nikki's work soon. Until then, enjoy your Cinco de Mayo!

Wee Hour Post

2011-04-28T23:19:00.011-04:00

I am up watching the Royal Wedding coverage. Ella is sleeping through it. I wish she were up just to see the HATS!! I will say this, Ella's Easter dress would have been perfection among these outfits :)
Ella's Uncle Greg had an Easter egg hunt at his house after church. Ella had a fabulous time with her older cousins, Michael and Matthew.

Cousin Matthew tried 'guiding' her with limited success.

Off to get a re-heat on the tea, grab another scone and settle in for more wedding coverage from across the pond!

Picture Thursday

2011-04-28T16:15:00.009-04:00

Easter weekend was packed full of fun. On Saturday, we went to a Easter Breakfast-Farm-Hayride-Petting Zoo with Roz, Ava H. and Madelyn. It was messy. But the girls had big fun. Ella wore her best overalls, an original design by our friend Jennifer.

Madelyn, Roz and Ella enjoying their first hayride. Ava is MIA from this shot.

The baby bunnies were a favorite.

For all of my griping (I'm not much of a farm girl), I thoroughly enjoyed feeding the baby goats.

Ella, Ava and Madelyn having a go on the old school McD*onald's merry-go-round.

More to come. Right now, I need to get serious about sleep. I'm up at 4am to watch Wills marry his bride. In the summer of 1981, my mom and I rolled out of bed to watch Charles wed Diana. I have no problem admitting I was up most of the night into the morning watching the coverage on Diana's funeral. Lucille Ball and The Monarchy...OK, so you know my weakness.

There's a small part of me that is hoping Ella will have a 4am wake up, just so that I can plop her in front of the TV with me (tea and scones nearby complements of KatieRoz!) and say, 'This is history, baby." And with all the news of war, unrest and tornado devastation? Maybe all of us could use something joyful.

~H

Elbows

2011-04-26T21:13:00.005-04:00

Who knew elbows could be so funny? Ella is fascinated by the fact that when your arm is straight, your elbow disappears. So while you wait for me to sift through photos, giggle with our girl.

Bunny ears and one stunning dress

2011-04-24T22:21:00.004-04:00

It has been one busy, beautiful weekend. I promise (I really, really do) that I'll post more photos in the next day or two. I took this picture above, last night. Below is Bunny Ears 2010. As you can tell, the love for the bunny ears has not increased all that much.

Before falling into an Easter feast coma, I had to share this special photo as well. My mom made Ella's Easter dress. It was, without a doubt, the BEST dress at church this morning. She does such an amazing job on her special little outfits. Let's face it - not everyone could wear those kinds of ruffles!

There will be plenty more to follow. Happy Easter to all!

Open Up!

2011-04-19T21:04:00.007-04:00

Ella spent a bit of time with Roz this morning at Roz's house. It was a nice change from her normal Tuesday routine with me. It was good for me, too. It was so good that she took a four hour nap this afternoon!

I'm amazed at how far they've come in their playing together. They look like two little old ladies here, solving all the world's problems...

And her first go on the rocking horse, Roz and her cat waiting a turn.

Ella's face is healing up but she spends a great deal of time telling me, "No nose, mama" when I get down to the tedious task of cleaning her up.

And as we were doing art projects tonight, she looked over at her cat sleeping on the chair next to her and said, "Hi Simba. I'm drawing some pictures." The girl can talk. (Simba was unimpressed.)

H, L & EML

It was only a matter of time

2011-04-17T15:38:00.004-04:00

Driveway+Running = Boom. Oweee.

I took these pictures on Thursday, the day after her first big fall. She kissed the driveway HARD. No hands up to stop her fall. There were tears and screaming. Yes, Ella even cried too. Larry wasn't home from work yet so I was triage nurse on my own.

Parenthood is not for the faint of heart, is it? She is healing up pretty well. But the entire household is sick with colds. Her constantly running nose offers up some challenges with the cuts. (I'll spare you the details.)

Ella's fabulous sleeping has taken a nose-dive as well. I am not all that surprised. In addition to all this, her two year molars are coming in. I forgot how much fun teething can be. In spite of it all, she was a charmer at her Grandma's birthday party Friday night, and did amazingly well at her Aunt Sarah's surprise birthday party last night. Most importantly, she was an angel in church this morning, waving her palm. We're happy to have a day at home today and tonight, to rest and regroup for a busy week.

Adventures

2011-04-12T10:16:00.006-04:00

My dad called last night, asking if he could help me out while I worked from home today. In typical Papa form, he wanted to take Ella to see some of his (work) customers, "show her off a bit", he said. She's been home with us for over a year now. If I had to guess, he's been waiting to do this ever since we returned from China.

We packed her up with all sorts of tricks and snacks for her adventures with Papa. He reports she was absolutely perfect. She could have been a holy terror. We'll never know.

(I cringe at the sight of my refrigerator as the backdrop. Trust me, there are VERY important people on that Wall of Fame. Eliminating is stressful business.)

What's that?

2011-04-08T15:18:00.008-04:00

(Hippie-Chick Ella with Roz)

All day long. The girl doesn't miss a sound in our creaky old house or what goes on in the world outside. She is especially aware of helicopters and planes, glad when they've flown over by announcing, "All gone, it's OK". And birds?! She is imitating the blue jays, robins and sparrows without trouble. Perhaps the 'boodies' (birdies) morning songs are contributing to her painfully early rising between 3:30 and 4:30 this past week.

If I haven't mentioned it before, Happy New Year is currently incorporated into every conversation. When she's on the phone having her pretend chats, she says it half a dozen times before ending the call, "...Ummm. Ok. Bye-Bye." She is Happy New Year'ing it up in the car seat while we toodle around the city. I guess our Chinese New Year celebrations had some impact.

The weather forecast is looking promising this weekend. We have sparkling new Ella-friendly gardening tools just waiting to get dirty. We are hopeful she'll take them out for a maiden voyage. She's been practicing her yard-work skills with my mom. I'm certain she'll have a thing or two to teach us.

Yesterday was miserable outside so we packed up the girls and headed to the Mall to blow the stink off.

I found this series of photographs to be the sweetest of the day. They say a lot, I think.

First, Roz is leading. And Ella, although willingly clutching Roz's hand, appears to be giving off the vibe, "Would you slow down?!" Roz is on a mission.

They are happy. I mean, they've got an incredibly long hallway all to themselves, lots of shiny floor, cool lights. What more could they ask for?

They are ornery. It wasn't until this last shot that either turned back to look at us as if to say, "Oh, you two are still here?"

May you get lost enjoying what YOU like to do this weekend! H, L & EML

Traipse Around Thursday

2011-03-31T21:10:00.012-04:00

We spent a delightful day with KatieRoz at our Art Museum this morning and afternoon. The girls were less than impressed by my tour with them in one of the main galleries. Ella kept saying, "No, no, no." At least Roz acted like she was interested in what I was saying.

What they wanted was endless paint and easels. And chalkboards. And wooden boats that rock! Ella was quite serious when they found the music corner. The girl knows her way around percussion instruments, for sure. We hog-tied the girls and journeyed to our Museum's wonderful cafe with an atrium full of windows. The lighting was perfect, as it is most days. This one makes me smile. Roz and her cat are much like Ella and her panda. Ella day-dreaming in the background... A few more to get you through your Friday. Enjoy the first day of April!! (That isn't static in her hair, she's standing on the air vent. Big fun!) ~H, L & EML

In Like A Lion

2011-03-29T17:21:00.003-04:00

...out like a lamb. March is almost behind us and although the temperatures aren't warming up, the sun has been shining. So we'll take it. Today is March 29. Five years ago today, someone finished reviewing our dossier in China, put some offical stamp on the massively big file and placed us in the looooong line of adoptive parents. Five years! Who knew it would take so long to become the perfect three-some?!

Below is some footage of Ella during this past month, busy in her little world, our sweet little abode. She rattled off these sentences today as well:

"Where did Daddy go?"

"Panda (no more Pa-Pa but the full word, which is still throwing me) nose is runny. I wipe it."

~H, L & EML

Shine

2011-03-28T11:38:00.003-04:00

In our little corner of the world yesterday, a big, wonderful light shone down. BIG. BRIGHT.

Larry, with Neil's blessing, and his family's guidance, pulled off the most fabulous fund-raiser for Hospice.

Bands (all friends of Neil) donated their Sunday... their time ... their enormous talent.

Friends volunteered to make it all run smoothly.

Hundreds and hundreds showed up - a testament to the love we have for our dear friend, proof that he is still with us.

We thank our baby-sitter and my parents for taking on Ella yesterday so that we could pull this off. We are amazingly tired, yet shining from the inside at what we witnessed.

Seeing Ella in her "Neil dress"? Well, that's just the icing on the cake.

~H, L & EML

Picture Friday!

2011-03-25T12:52:00.009-04:00

Wow. 10 days since my last post? I knew the March calendar was full, so much so that I haven't been busy with the camera, apparently.

In an effort to keep her public happy, I grabbed the camera and we spent some time in Ella's window seat last night. The sunset was beautiful.

And when she finally cooperated and looked at the camera, I got this...

We finished up our evening with a little bubble time. And although sweet pictures, do you think she could throw me ONE smile??

Such is life with Ella. Her cup runneth over in independence!

~H, L & EML

Saturdays with Ella

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning, we bundled up and walked to our neighborhood coffee shop. (We are lucky enough to have so much available to us within walking distance including two great coffee shops!) Ella and I met some neighborhood ankle-biters and their mothers for art projects. I'm pouting a little at how grown up she looks here.

And quite serious about her art, don't you think?

We walked home afterwards, chatting about the birds, the wind and the mess of branches left behind from our recent ice storm. And then this:

Ella: You know what?
Mama: What?
Ella: I dunno!

Her give and take in conversing is remarkable. What is also remarkable is her budding fashion sense.

May your day be bright and filled with good conversations! ~ H, L & EML

Panda legs and other thoughts.

2011-03-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

Of course you all know our second child, P-Man, Panda or as Ella refers to him Pa-Pa. She seems to get the most comfort from his legs and feet these days, placing a leg just under her nose...

And she's serious about this, people. She likes to share the other leg with me when I'm holding her. A wise sage, she is. When I was this age, I was never without my "Snuffy Doll" - a leg under my nose, a thumb in my mouth.

We have had a busy week filled with new adventures. Last Sunday, we Skyped with Ella's first BFF, Lexie. Lexie and Ella share the special connection of their adoption journeys. Although Lexie's Mama has sent updated photos, Sunday was the first time we have seen each other 'live' since departing from China last year. In an instant, I was transported back to our time together. For two weeks, I knew everything about Lexie's schedule, her likes and dislikes. We watched our girls' personalities unfold together. I wanted to reach through the computer and touch her, make her giggle. I wish we lived closer.

My mom bought Ella great boots for stomping around in the springtime mess. You'll see here that Roz adores these boots and from her expression, is not hip to giving them up anytime soon. Ella is petrified of them. She gets them on by herself and then melts down in a fit of tears and screaming. Your guess is as good as mine on why!

But there is a fascination with footwear over the last week. She riffled through her closet and found these bright yellow shoes to finish out her ensemble on Saturday.

In light of spring's arrival, Ella had her first gardening experience planting daisies and sunflowers for our kitchen window. "Yucky", her words as we prepared the soil...

...then she tested out the little planting pots. While she thought I wasn't looking, she had her hand in rearranging one of my cupboards - with a smirk.

She is intrigued by what is going on in this soil. Each morning, she impatiently points and clamors for me to pick her up to check out the progress.

And we are watching the news, reading as much as we can about the earthquake and tsunami damage in Japan. Continued gray skies. An occasional sleepless night. Not having enough time in a day to complete the tasks at hand. It all falls into perspective, rather quick-like. Our hearts ache.

More pictures coming at you soon. ~H, L & EML

Weekend Fun

2011-03-07T11:45:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, our friends Gabe and Lana spent the night. Drums. Pizza. Popcorn. Card games. Cooking in Ella's kitchen. Lana was a huge help with bathtime and bedtime and Ella enjoyed having her buddies still with her in the morning. Whenever she could, she would yell, "Gabe!!" just to make sure he was nearby.

All five of us managed to make it to church early on Sunday morning. That amazed me more than anyone, trust me.

Ella even figured out how to play her pink harmonica (possible video on that to come). You will see here that she continues to be intrigued by all the bells, whistles, beats and washboards on her Daddy's drum platform. She occupied herself for quite a while we worked from home last week.

Turn up your tunes this week...spring is only 13 days away! H, L & EML

A Sweet Homecoming Revisited.

2011-03-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

One year ago, right at this moment, we were high in the clouds, perhaps still over the Atlantic Ocean. Our Teflon Traveler was making us look good on that jam-packed plane. I'll never forget that stressful rush to make our Chicago-Detroit flight for the final leg of our whirlwind tour.

When we hit the final escalator and saw our people, Ella's people? Oh man. The heavens opened a whole bunch that night.

Enjoy. H, L & EML

Welcome Home Ella Man Li on PhotoPeach

Style

2011-03-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Ella did her own hair this morning. Not bad at all!!

I Got Your Back.

2011-03-01T10:50:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, Ella spent the afternoon and early evening with Roz and her parents so that Larry and I could attend the memorial service (one like no other) for our friend N. Because we knew Ella was having the time of her life, we were able to linger as long as we needed to at the luncheon afterwards. We cannot thank them enough. As you can see, Roz made sure Ella was secure. In fact, Roz spends a lot of time making sure Ella knows that she is loved...

...this picture from the Art Museum a few weeks ago.

Roz has her back, for sure. And Roz's parents made sure they had ours on a long, emotional day.

H, L & EML

We're Back.

2011-02-27T17:50:00.009-05:00

We survived the 2011 Blackout! Power was restored late Wednesday night and we were back in our home by Thursday morning, with cat in tow. Ella screeched and ran through the house in delight, the cat not far in front of her. My parents were beyond wonderful and I think we all did quite well under the circumstances (other than the withdrawal my parents endured from their 24/7 Ella time).

Some pictures from our 1st Family Day - at breakfast with 'KatieRoz', and our evening with Ella's Gamma and Papa.

(Candles in chocolate chip pancakes for everyone!)

(They even pose alike these days.)

(Daddy and Ella screw-balling around.)

(Celebratory Family Day hot fudge sundaes.)

(Proud grandparents, huh?)

Enjoy your Sunday evening :) H, L & EML

This First Anniversary is for the books

2011-02-22T10:23:00.008-05:00

It is Tuesday, February 22 as I write this. Ella-land got blasted with an ice storm on Sunday night. We lost power just before 6am on Monday. We piled into our bed with flashlights, book lights and books. And although Ella was curious, she wasn't scared. She fell back to sleep draped across both of us for a short time. I was able to watch her sleep. It has been months since I've been able to do that. Funny how it all works out, you know?

Suddenly, all the air drained out of my plans for a perfect day, or at least the day how I imagined it. I guess what I'm saying (or admitting) is that one year later, I still have some work to do in the flexibility department. The last 24 hours have been a good exercise.

We still don't have power. The house is a balmy 47 degrees. But my parents have provided a perfect 'bed and breakfast' for the three of us. And what says Family Day better than being steeped in family? Good stuff.

We were able to meet Roz and her Mama for breakfast yesterday (pictures to follow once I get downloading capabilities back); and Larry headed out in the snow last night to get Chinese take-out for all of us to enjoy together.

Here's hoping our power is restored before tonight. In the meantime, a few photos from a year ago...perhaps new to you.

(Returning to hotel, exhausted, after adoption proceedings.)

(An afternoon walk.)

(Ella's first bath!)

Stay warm.

The Best Year of Our Lives

2011-02-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

An excerpt from our journal: "We said a prayer, ate breakfast, and now we're out of here. Diapers? Check. Formula? Check. Throw up towel? Check. Let's go get Ella Man Li."

It all started here....in a Civil Affairs Office in a time zone, a culture, a city we were still trying to embrace. It all fell into place the very second we laid eyes on our little Man Li. Without a doubt, it has been the biggest, best (and most exhausting, yes) year of our lives. Happy Family Day to us. Thanks to you for following along.

Nervous anyone?

2011-02-20T22:06:00.005-05:00

The Camel Bar. It was our last night as a two-some. I was a hot mess, as the kids say these days. Larry was the cool cat he always is. We wanted to make sure we had a snapshot from that night - literally.

In a blink of an eye (or maybe a million because this mom-to-be did NOT sleep), we were on the trip down the elevator to meet Xiulan in the lobby. T-Minus 30 minutes to Ella Man Li...

Homesick?

2011-02-19T07:01:00.008-05:00

I don't think there is anyway around it. All this reflecting, looking back through our travel journal and our photos...it has made me homesick for China, homesick for Kunming, and despite all the peaks and valleys - it makes me long for those first hours and days with Ella.

Last year at this time, Larry and I, the two-some, were taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Kunming - Xiulan our trusty sidekick leading us. (I do miss her.)

One year later, we are celebrating The Year of the Rabbit with our FCC Family (of course, KatieRoz included)...

...finding air vents to stand on...

...and building stuff!

Enjoy your Saturday! ~H, L & EML

Happy Departure Day

2011-02-17T21:59:00.006-05:00

One year ago today, we boarded a jet plane to bring our baby home.

I took this photo with my cell phone just before boarding, sent it to our blog mistress and powered down my phone for a liberating 16 days. She was sweet enough to post it to our blog that day. (It wasn't until we returned home that I saw how well she kept you updated. Remember, we couldn't access the blog from China.)

One year later, my hat still goes off to Gretchen for connecting our world in China with your world during that time.

Smile, laugh, get choked up or cry out loud looking back on our first weeks with Ella. The next two weeks will be full of flashbacks. Until then, I'll leave you with a few reminders of how far we've come!

(No pockets? No problem. Kitties fit nicely in a onesie!)

(A little painting and playing at our art museum.)

H, L & EML

On A Lighter Note

2011-02-15T22:16:00.002-05:00

She's pretty full of herself here. Big week coming up! Let's see how many of you know HOW big before the next post? ~H, L & EML

A tough week if ever there was one...

2011-02-12T16:04:00.003-05:00

This past week we lost a dear friend, N, to cancer. Really, it was/is more like losing family. For certain, this loss comes within the concept of extended family, if one ever did. L's relationship with N goes back 25 years, give or take. Lots of parties, music, dinners and good times. Lots of serious discussions, too.

N and his wife R were among the very first to learn about our adoption plans. They were part of the small group that gathered with us on the night of Ella's referral call. One of our fondest post-adoption memories has been N serenading Ella with his guitar, while two of his own children looked on.

The cross-cultural aspect of our relationship with N and R has been part of the reward. Now, in the vacuum of his sudden death, we too have taken comfort in traditions of N's Jewish faith. Ella's presence has been expressly requested by the family during the Shiva process, which we take as a compliment, an indication of our closeness, and an example of N and R's emphasis on family. The fact that our 21 month old can help lighten the sorrow and burden at this time, with her laughter, new words (and let's face it, party skills) is a wonderful feeling.

~L, H & EML

Lunch Guest

2011-02-08T23:29:00.004-05:00

Ella and I took a break for lunch today and you'll never guess who surprised her? Thank you 'KatieRoz' for giving us reasons to giggle and smile today. Your timing was perfect.

Markers!

2011-02-05T20:50:00.004-05:00

I've been having issues with video downloads. I'm including one here. Comment. Let me know if you can view it?

Thank you, The IT Department

A New Year and maybe a few new twists

2011-02-05T15:13:00.008-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year to you! The Year of the Rabbit has arrived! Throughout our home, there are traditional Chinese lanterns hanging from lights, railings, cupboard knobs along with a variety of good fortune decorations on our doors. The floors have been swept (sweep out the bad to allow for good, of course). And oranges are a BIG hit. Oranges are symbolic for good luck and wealth. They are also perfect for carting around in her play grocery bag for pretend shopping.

On Friday, Ella shared her Chinese traditions with five of her good buddies at her care giver's house. There were red envelopes filled with lucky money; oranges, of course; Chinese zodiac coloring books; several of Ella's Chinese New Year books to share at story-time and cupcakes.

OK. I'll admit it - I have yet to find mention of cupcakes in any of the new year celebrations. But you have to give me a little credit for this decorating:

May your Rabbit Year be filled with a thousand reasons to smile goofy little smiles, just like this...

H, L & EML

Bubbles and Snowflakes

2011-02-01T12:30:00.004-05:00

A little bath-time fun for you on this cold, snowy day. Today, I work from home. Based on the weather forecast for Ella-Land, it looks like we will all be snowed in until Thursday. I think over half of the country is going to have cabin fever by the end of the week!

Make the most of your extra time together, if Mother Nature dumps on you. We hope to!

A Day Inside

2011-01-23T15:38:00.008-05:00

It was just too cold yesterday. So we stayed in and played...behind curtains...and with our kitchen...

We figured out that tiger likes to drink from the bottle...

And we giggled. Lots and lots of giggling...

We did brave the cold and go to church this morning. As the sun was peeking in Ella's car window on our drive, we said, "Good morning, Sunshine!" To which she followed up with nothing other than, "Ah-men!" Stay warm. Have a great week. ~H

Color My World

2011-01-19T11:44:00.006-05:00

The girl loves her some crayons and stickers!! Go grab a few and color a beach scene with ocean water and bright, warm sun. Based on the bitter weather forecast in Ella-land, we should all escape with a new box and color away...