This Remarkable Journey....

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Lion King

Rose is just nuts about the Lion King so last summer I bought tickets to the show at Proctor's. We went last Saturday, 3/12/11, with a bunch of friends. It was fantastic and Rose was just beside herself! She was so excited she could hardly contain herself and then was mesmerized when the show began. The show is just stunning - the costumes amazing. We got the CD and have been singing it in the car all week!

Ironically, the little Simba that Rose is holding in the picture was lost among the stampede of people getting out of the show when we were getting her picture taken with Rafiki and buying the CD and t-shirt (yes I went overboard, but Rose really is nutso over this show and you're only a kid once!)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Christmas Festivities 2010

We had a fantastic holiday season - here's just a quick look at some of the festivities.

Started festivities day after Thanksgiving at Carolyn and Dan's house with the traditional making of the gingerbread house

Pretty house, proud girl!

Decorating Rose's tree - she was so happy that she was singing Xmas carols as she decorated!

Puppy dog is ready for the holidays too!

New jammies for the holiday season!

Cookie day with the Nafis girls!

Emma joined us for cookie day this year too!

Taking a break from cookies to watch Santa Claus is coming to town and check out how the cookies are coming out.

Another successful cookie adventure!!!

Holidays are exhausting! ;-)

Admidst all the holiday fanfare, the tooth fairy came for a first visit as well on 12/17!

Breakfast with Santa at Mama's work

Taking time to play in the snow, ah the joy of snow!

Aunt Bethy and Uncle Marty sent a mask making kit - quite fun!

Unwrapping lots of goodies from Aunt Trishy and Uncle Steve

This little puppy was christened Snowflake - a much loved gift from the Crowes!

Kindergarten Xmas party!

Santa visited Kindergarten too!

Rose's kindergarten teacher, Miss Murray

Mrs Lyons, asst Kindergarten teacher

Outside decorations up - check.

Sliding down the hill like penguins do!

Making cookies to leave for Santa

Making a birthday cake for Baby Jesus

Decorating Baby Jesus' birthday cake

Our traditional appetizers Xmas Eve dinner

All ready for Santa

Merry Christmas!

Donnelly Christmas Gathering, 12/26/11

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

4 years ago today....

This was my first glance at my gorgeous baby - it was love at first sight!

Four years ago today on 12/1/2006 at 1:01pm, I received my referral call to tell me about my baby, my lovely Rose. Before the call, I was leaning toward naming her Jacqueline. During the referral call, they told me her Chinese name - Fu Bao Xia meaning treasure in the rosy clouds - I felt like I was punched in the gut and just knew this baby's name would be Rose! And she's such a Rose! She's a beautiful, courageous, intelligent, goofy, fun, easy going, inquisitive, knows her own mind gem of a person. She amazes me daily and I'm so blessed to be her Mom. On days like these, I also think of her birth parents and my heart breaks for them that they had to make such an incredibly hard choice and they are missing out not having this amazing person in their lives. It's so hard to believe that 4 years have passed since that most wonderful call - I kept waiting for the picture they sent me in email and had to call my agency back since I hadn't received it. It had ended up in my junk email! Mom and Dad were with me, I had Beth on the phone and we just stared at that picture. Life is even better now then I ever imagined on that day!

Thanksgiving, 2010

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with thirteen at our house. The kids enjoyed running around playing together, everyone pitched in to bring some food which was delish and we had a good time chatting, eating and catching up. We are so very blessed. I'm thankful for our health - particularly after our recent health scares with my Dad having pneumonia, Peg's breast cancer scare and Uncle Dick's heart surgery. We've weathered that round and I'm thankful for my whole family's well being. I'm also so thankful for my daughter, Rose, who is a pure delight who I cherish. I'm also so blessed with great friends, a wonderful job and home, a good school for Rose - so many, many things to be thankful for!!!