G'night Gracie

2011-03-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

a girl and her dog

2011-02-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

what's with that half-time show?

fergie singing guns & roses. really?

i don't know about you, but i didn't get it.

what i did get was Glee after the super bowl. fun. entertaining. and that "see your chevrolet in the USA" commercial? loved it.

so, what was your favorite commercial?

2011-02-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

recipe: yummy pulled pork

2-3 lbs Boston pork roast
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper
1 can beef broth

heat oil in dutch oven. add onion until soft. mix garlic, seasoning salt, black pepper and red pepper. rub into roast. quickly brown pork roast in olive oil and onion. add beef broth and enough water to fill dutch oven half way. bring to a full boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-4 hours. remove roast from dutch oven, shred pork and remove fat.

use broth as an au jus for sandwiches. or use it to make gravy for mashed potatoes. if you prefer bbq pork, add your favorite bbq sauce to warm shredded pork.

it's yummy. you'll like it. trust me.

2011-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

snow day craft

snow days make me want to eat and craft.

craft? OK. eat? not OK.

so Grace and I worked on a Valentine craft.

first i cut out a bunch of red hearts in all different sizes. some with pinking shears, some with straight edges.

then we painted them.

while we waited for them to dry, we took a snow break.

finally we taped straws on the back and cut them to different lengths to create a valentine bouquet.

what do you think?

2011-01-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

trying to blog again

so i'll start with something very important.

have you tried the chocolate chip cookies at McDonalds?

they're the bomb.

i mean really. they're good.

but they do have 160 calories each.

so sorry I mentioned them.

2010-07-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

Blogging by Necessity

Did I spell that right? I'm home recovering from a kidney transplant. I was called last Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Arrived at the hospital at 10. Went into surgery at 3. And was done by 9. It went so fast I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. No more dialysis. A few more pills. And a little time to recover. I was out of the hospital by Tuesday.

I've been thinking a lot about the people who lost their loved one and made the decision to donate organs. I'm so thankful for them. And praying for healing and comfort in their time of loss. I can't even imagine. My life has changed for the better, but someone else paid the price. It's a lot to think about.

I'm looking forward to having more energy for Grace. Getting a good night's sleep for a change. Becoming an advocate for organ donation. Making a difference. It's something I need to do. Something I've been putting on hold. Why do we do that? We do we say "someday". The time is now.

If you haven't spoken to your loved ones about organ donation - now's the time. The best case scenario is that it will never come up in your lifetime. But if it does, having the conversation ahead of time makes it so much easier.

This life is so precious. I'm so blessed. Praise God for this kidney.

And now, for pictures of Grace since the last time I posted was October! Ugh!

2009-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

That was then, this is now...

3 years ago today we adopted our beautiful daughter. We're still amazed at what a perfect match she is for us!

2009-10-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Guess who went apple picking?

And it was fun! Lots of fun. The weather was perfect - sunny, cool, awesome. We went to Eckert's with my brother and his boys. It couldn't have been a better day. Other than the fact that we somehow ended up with $30 worth of apples. Anyone need some apples?

2009-10-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

A little late but still fun...

I made fun-in-the-sun cupcakes for our China reunion this summer. They were fun to make and turned out pretty cute. At least Grace thought so. I got the idea here. Bakerella always has great ideas. Check out her cute Halloween cupcakes. The spiders remind me a little too much of the ones we see in every corner of the dock when we're on the lake. Eeeewww!

I found food markers and even drew on bikinis, sunglasses and swimsuits. I used blue icing and graham cracker crumbs for sand. They were pretty tasty!

2009-09-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Driving Lessons

We believe in starting young. For instance, you're never too young to start driving lessons. At age 3, Grace knows where to find the gas and how to buckle the seat belt. We're still working on the fact that you actually have to steer. She hasn't quite got the hang of that. Her cousin Colin did his best to pass on his mad driving skills.

2009-09-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

2009-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ring Pops Make Your Teeth Blue

There's a Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood and one of the waiters always likes to see Grace. He thinks she looks like Dora.

Every time we leave he gives her a special treat. Last night it was a ring pop.

Grace calls it her binky. Then I call her my baby. Then she argues that she is not a baby.

It's just part of the routine. Along with her blue teeth.

2009-07-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

2009-07-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

New Character in Curious George

While reading Curious George to me the other day, Grace mistakenly referred to "the man in the yellow hat" as "the yellow man with the green hat".

I had to stifle my giggle.

2009-07-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Is it really July?

So yesterday when I got home from work I put on sweatpants, a hoodie and socks. What? In July?

What happened to global warming? Should we rename it global cooling? Now I'm not complaining about the cool weather. I think it's heaven - 68° in July. Yahoo. But it's not making a whole lotta sense to me? In honor of the cool temperatures, Grace had a photo shoot.

And while this picture appears to show a sweet cooperative girl, she was NOT sweet or cooperative. She didn't want to listen to anything I said. She refused to talk to anyone in the room. She was very bratty. I know she's only three, but how do you deal with this behavior? I could use some good advice. I would like to teach her that she needs to listen and follow directions. I can say something five times and she totally ignores me. ACK!

On another note - she picked the boots to go with the dress. I think it works.

2009-07-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Reunion Recap

You know when you come home from church camp and you feel high on life from the fellowship and spirit that permeates the camp? You know that feeling? When you can't wait to get home and share that feeling with everyone around you. When you have an epiphany moment and you feel all is right with the world and you're right where you belong? Do you remember that feeling? That "you against the world, with God on your side" feeling? That feeling where you want to keep singing church songs and avoid saying goodbye to the people and the place that just contributed so much joy to one weekend or week in your life?

Yeah, that's kind of how I'm feeling. It wasn't exactly church camp. But I felt blessed. I felt the hand of God in everything we did. I felt the holy spirit bringing people from far and near to celebrate the joy of 10 little girls and their families. It was a great weekend. Full of talking, laughter, good food, great friends and fun. It was a weekend I'll never forget and one I hope happens again in our future.

In case you're reading this and you don't know what I'm talking about, we spent the weekend with 9 other families that traveled to China with us and adopted a daughter at the same time. 9 families from as far away as California came together to celebrate the joy of adoption and family. It was an awesome weekend.

Thank you to all my friends that traveled to St. Louis for our reunion. You made it so special. I haven't scrapbooked in a long time, but this weekend is definitely going down in some kind of memory book. It's just too good not to share.

2009-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

2009 China Reunion

2009-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ft. Myers 2009

2009-06-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Look! A blog post.

What happened to June? And why haven't I blogged?

Can you believe it's mid-almost-late June already? Where is this summer going? First off, it hasn't felt like summer until today. And today it feels like St. Louis summer through and through. How does that happen? It goes from a breezy 75° to a steamy 91°-feels-like-100°-because of the humidity. What up wit dat?

Grace and I are leaving for Florida in two days. Only one more day of dropping her off at school and hearing her cry because she doesn't like her new classroom. Does she know what that's doing to me? Every morning my heart gets torn out of my chest because I have to go to this place called work and leave my daughter in a place she calls "the torture chamber" because that's how it is. OK - maybe "torture chamber" is a little dramatic. She's never actually said that. But she does cry. Mostly because she misses her previous teacher. The one who always had time for her and showered her with hugs and kisses. Her new teacher is a little less "warm". Doesn't she know my baby needs hugs and kisses? There goes my heart again.

Does anyone know of a legitimate work-at-home job with decent wages? Pick me. I'll take it!

In the meantime, I not only drop Grace off at the torture chamber on a regular basis, but I also make her work for her meals at home. Check out her latest gig...

photos courtesy of Sears Portrait Studio (not Hawaii, like you thought!).

2009-05-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Kids

Really - is there anything more precious than happy kids?

2009-05-10T19:28:00.001-07:00

On Being A Mom...

Today I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have a beautiful daughter and four loving stepchildren and as much as it's hard to admit it, stepgrandchildren. And although I cringe each time I hear myself being called "grandma" this week, I'm happy to have so many children in my life. My nephews were dedicated in their church today and part of the message was that you will never regret failing more than if you fail in bringing up your children. Or something to that affect. It hit home. It reminded me of the enormity of raising a child. The responsibility. The joy. It made me grateful for my own upbringing. It made me think about what I've done wrong so far. And what I've done right. It made me thankful that I am charged with bringing up Grace and being a role model to my stepchildren and yes, grandchildren.

On Having the Best Mom...

My parents did it right. They may have had some bumps along the road, but they gave me the foundation I needed. They loved me unconditionally even when I was almost impossible to love (high school:). They worked hard, loved much and laughed often. I was and am lucky to have the best mom and dad on the planet. Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Grandma! I love you.

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:27

Grace and her niece Olivia.

2009-05-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

2009-05-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

A day at the farm...

We spent the day at Grant's Farm with Grace's brother, his family and Grandma & Grandpa. It was a beautiful day. Grace and her niece Livy had a great time together. The elephant show was awesome. The Clydesdales were beautiful. It was a perfect day.

2009-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

A great story...

I've been away from the blog for a while. When I came upon this story I knew what my next topic had to be. I show a lot of pictures of my daughter and I shared our story of visiting China to adopt her. But there were so many children still needing homes. And the people of China were so kind. EVERY ONE WE MET was kind to us. I highly recommend adding "visiting China" to your "things to do list". It was an amazing experience for us. Check out this story from a wonderful foster home in China. Maybe it will move you to help an orphan somewhere - anywhere.

2009-04-18T20:20:00.001-07:00

After Work Photo Shoot

Been trying to practice using manual settings on my camera and the best light is always right after work. Lucky for me Grace was a willing subject. Thursday morning Grace said "Mommy, my eye hurts, so I'm gonna eat like this" and she closed one eye and finished off her breakfast. She looked kind of like a pirate. Today she showed me how she can run with one eye closed. Now that's talent. Arrrrgh (say it like a one-eyed pirate) she cracks me up!

2009-04-12T16:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!

2009-04-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

Colored Bath

When it's bath night the first thing out of Grace's mouth is always "I want to take a colored bath". She loves tossing the color tablets into the tub and watching them dissolve into a brightly colored bath. Whoever thought up colored bath tablets is a genius.

2009-04-07T19:26:00.001-07:00

Snow in March

It's always a surprise when it snows in March. I personally don't find it to be a pleasant surprise. I prefer the 70 degree temperatures we had just days before this. But obviously Grace loved it. She played out on the deck until she was frozen. It didn't last long. A little bit of sunshine and it was gone.

2009-03-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung...

...or so it appeared. For a few days. Until last night. When it snowed. What's with that?

The pictures are from two trees in our backyard. One is a pear tree and the other is just this beautiful pink tree - I have no idea what it is. I think it may be some kind of plum, but we have never seen any fruit on it.

We have a flowering cherry tree in the front that is just about to bloom - hopefully the snow didn't ruin it. I am done with winter. Let it be spring!

2009-03-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Please pass the cabbage...

I'm taking an online photography class and sometimes I just need a new subject. So naturally, I got out the giant cabbage.

2009-03-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

When Tiffany Comes Home

Grace loves her big sister. Unfortunately, she only gets to see her every other weekend. But despite that, Grace thinks that Tiff walks on water. As soon as she walks in the door you can bet Grace will ask her to play in the playroom. And sure enough, Tiff always indulges her. She's a great big sister. I can see why Grace loves her so much!

2009-03-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

Rapunzel, Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair

2009-03-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Goofy Chicks Rule!

2009-03-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

91 Sure Looks Good

Grace is lucky to have a great grandma who is 91 years old, but doesn't look a day over 70. At 91 she still walks every day, drives (short distances), reads the paper, follows sports, sews, reads books and does cross stitch. She knows more about the Cardinals than I even pretend to know. She's been an inspiration to our whole family. She and my Grandpa both graduated from college. She was one of the first married women to teach school in Iowa. She fostered a love of education in her own children which was passed down to her grandchildren. I'm thankful that she's my Grandma and that Grace is getting to know her.

2009-03-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

My Niece...

is so adorable I can hardly stand it. She totally takes after me. And I'm not talking about her cute face (see below).

2009-03-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Valentine Flashback

We made cupcakes for Valentine's day. Then we ate them.

Two posts in one day. Yeah for me!

(Yes, that is a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer shirt she's wearing on Valentine's day!)

2009-03-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new and improved blog! I was perusing the McMommy Chronicles one day when I saw that Erin from Designer Blogs was running a sale that was too good to pass up. I figured a new look would inspire me to blog more consistently.

So, thanks to Erin for my new look. I love it! I highly recommend that you stop by Designer Blogs if you're thinking about a blog redo. Erin was so easy to work with and gave me exactly what I was looking for.

2009-03-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

First People

Grace drew her first "mommy and daddy" that actually look somewhat like people. I love how their most prominent features are their belly buttons.

2009-02-26T18:40:00.001-08:00

Wishful Thinking in February

I wish I was here...
...looking at this......with him.

2009-02-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

Annoying As All Get Out
The music on this blog is driving me crazy. You too? I WILL get rid of it. As soon as I can edit the Christmas slideshow. The music just slid its way in there. I did not electively add the music. I do not wish to drive anyone mad. By the end of this weekend it will be gone. I promise.

** UPDATE ** Yeah - broke that promise. OK it WILL be gone by this weekend!

2009-02-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Snow much fun!

This is what happens when you let your dog help build the snowman...

We had a great time playing in the snow on Saturday. It was about 60 degrees and sunny. The snowman didn't last long.

2009-01-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

Because it makes me laugh...
and it's a snow day...and I have nothing better to do...and I don't post enough anyway...and why not??

Myspace Animated Graphics

2009-01-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

Myspace Chinese New year Graphics

2009-01-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

December 2009

2009-01-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Little Goofball

This is what she does when I ask her to smile.

2009-01-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

Word on the street is...
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, eating her curds and whey. All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again."

The Reindeer Song:
"Jingle Bells, where are you? Cause the reindeer are in town. And they're calling Santa to get them out of town. And Santa pulls the sleigh, back and forth, all day long!"

-Grace Krueger

2008-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Look Who's 3!

At three Grace is such a joy to be around. She is loving and snuggly. She's funny. She loves gymnastics and school. She can do a mean tootsie roll dance. She speaks pretty clearly - I can almost always understand her. She likes to dress up (see photo). She loves to read books and can recite the book "Pinkalicious" while showing us the pictures. She's very talkative and drives her Dad crazy; but I love her chatter. She makes up songs about anything. She really likes to sing Jingle Bells. She got lots of great presents for her birthday but her favorite, by far, was the Tootsie Pop my grandma included with her card! And last night she sat next to me and said, out of the blue, "Mom, I love you very much." How can you possibly top that?

2008-11-21T12:27:00.001-08:00

Holiday Photo Shoot
(Actually this photo was taken in October)
I think this may be Grace's last photo shoot for a while. She was very wiggly during this photo shoot. Just when the photographer would get her situated and go behind the camera she'd wiggle and come all undone!

I read an article in Family Circle Magazine last night about how fast little girls are growing up and how important it is to stress talent over looks. Of course that's logical, but there are little things that I had never thought about. Like the unrealistic beauty and fairy tales of the disney princesses. I get all excited about Grace when she wants to play dress up - but is that really something to encourage? I'm not trying to go all radical on the idea, but it did make me think. It also talked about how sports are so great for girls because it helps them focus on what their bodies can do vs. what their bodies look like. Just food for thought. I know I'll be a lot more selective about the kind of TV shows that Grace watches, especially as she gets older. Disney and Family channel do not always mean appropriate for any age. As a matter of fact, "Family" channel is VERY misleading.

OK - enough of my public service announcement. Just watching out for my girl!

2008-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

When I get bigger...
Grace mentions "when I get bigger" at least three times every day. Lately I've been finishing the sentence with "you can clean up the house" and she plays right along..."when I get bigger, I can clean the house". I'm really looking forward to that day. I'm not, however, looking forward to her growing up quite so fast. Where has the time gone? She's almost three. In this picture she looks five and ready to "go on the school bus and the choo choo", as she puts it.

Lately everything is her "favorite". Last night we ate McDonald's and she had orange Hi-C for the first time. She said "Mom, this is my favorite!" A few days ago we went for a walk outside and she said "Mom, being outside is my favorite." And last Saturday when we finished gymnastics she said "Mom, gymnastics is my favorite." I'm so glad I'm hitting on all her "favorite" things!

2008-11-02T17:39:00.001-08:00

2 Years Have Flown By
Two years ago on October 30, an ll-month-old girl in China started out on an adventure. Her foster mom said goodbye to her with a tear in her eye and a certain ache in her heart. The little girl understood goodbye, but she didn't understand forever. She rode in a car for the very first time and it was a little scary. A nanny who looked a lot like her foster mother carried her on her lap and gave her a bottle as they rode. They passed by trees, fields, water buffalo and people working outside. Soon they arrived in a city with many tall buildings and more people than the little girl had ever seen. She had dozed off and she looked around, desparate to see something familiar. The little girl was dressed in thick layers and she was hot. Her face was red and her hair was wet from sweat. Her nanny carried her into a one of the tall buildings and sat down with her on a couch. She took out a comb and combed her hair into a pretty ponytail on top of her head. It helped. The little girl felt a little cooler. She looked around and noticed some people looking at her. They quickly disappeared behind two doors that closed together in the middle. She noticed tiny white lights but soon felt tired again and dozed off. When she woke up she was in a different room. Some of her friends, who had traveled with her, were gone and she watched as another one left the room in her own nanny's arms. Before she knew it, the little girl was being carried into another room. She heard someone call her name and watched as two people walked straight toward her. A strange woman held out her arms, said something to her nanny and took her from her nanny's arms. The little girl cried. This woman looked different. She had never seen someone who looked like her. She was used to women with black hair and the same dark-colored almond-shaped eyes as her own. This woman had lighter hair and her eyes were light colored, too. A man was with her. He had funny looking hair on his face and he was much larger than any man she had ever seen. She wanted to go back to her foster mom. She didn't know how long this was going to last and she didn't like it. The strangers took her to a new room where they quickly took off some of the warm layers that were making her sweat. She was glad for that. She was so hot and sweaty from crying and wearing such warm clothes. The strangers put her on a big bed and gave her some toys. They talked to her and kept saying words that sounded like Grace, Mom and Dad. Soon, they even coaxed a smile out of her. And that was just the beginning of this great adventure that started two years ago on October 30, in Wuhan, China.

We celebrated Grace's 2nd gotcha day with a Chinese dinner, a puzzle we brought back from China and a new charm for her gotcha bracelet. It was a fun evening!

October 30, 2006

October 30, 2008

Typical photo with our eyes closed...

On October 31, 2008, Cinderella appeared at our house for some trick-or-treating...

2008-10-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Arguing Phase
Grace's new thing is to argue with absolutely everything we say whether it warrants an argument or not. If I say "It's sunny today", she says "no it's not". If I say "we're having hamburgers for dinner", she says "no we aren't". If her Dad says "Bear's outside", she says "no he's not". Why? You tell me. It's driving her Dad crazy!! It just makes me laugh.

2008-10-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

A visit to Rombach's Pumpkin Patch with Grandma, Aunt Amy and cousin Lucy.

It was the first year Grace would ride the pony and she loved it.

Grace's First Gymnastics Class - she loved the trapeze and falling into the foam block pit.

2008-09-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Florida 7/30-8/4
Tiffany, Grace and I traveled to Ft. Myers, FL with my family while Steve traveled to Sturgis, SD with his brother, cousin and a friend. We had a great time but missed Daddy! Steve had a great time, too. And I think he missed us! The best part of Florida was watching Grace with her cousins. They got along so well and have so much fun together.

Beach Babe

Beach Bums

The Three Amigos

Avary - Mr. Hollywood

Sleepy Girl

2008-08-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

A little preview from Florida...
My Dad caught a lizard and Grace and Avary thought it was pretty cool. They said the lizard tried to bite their fingers. The lizard was pretty tiny. I don't think it could do much damage! More photos to come...

2008-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Amazed & Delighted
That's how I feel every day when my little sunshine sleepily walks into our bedroom and wakes me up. Usually I hear her come in and lay on the floor. This morning I saw her laying at the top of the stairs with the dog. She just lays quietly, sometimes talking to her self. Sometimes flipping the handles on my dresser drawer. A not-so-subtle wake-up call if you will. She's a morning girl. She's happy to see us. And if Dad's already gone she asks "where's my Dad?" And if Dad is home she usally sticks to me like glue and doesn't want him bothering her. She's a little fickle that way. She loves her Daddy, but likes to play hard to get. It's frustrating for him and sometimes he gives up. Some mornings it's a battle to get her moving, even though she is a morning person. Everything has to be done in her own time. Who is this independent, stubborn girl who, only 6 months ago, would do whatever I said without blinking an eye? Amazed and delighted at the little girl that is emerging right in front of my eyes. Oh, and did I mention frustrated? Sometimes.

2008-07-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

Playing Catch-Up
The summer is zooming by and we've been busy. Just thought I'd post some photos of what's been going on lately...

Grace got a new clubhouse and we play on it every night after work.

Grace and her nephew Julius on 4th of July

Miss Hollywood in the pool

Baby cousin Lucy came for a visit.

Dog pile in the clubhouse

Grace visited with Lauren from California

Me and my sister with our girls

2008-07-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Reunion 2008

We had a great weekend getting together with three other families that traveled to China with us. We went to Grant's Farm and had a BBQ at our house. We spent about 12 hours together and had so much fun. I hope more of you can make it next year! Lori -these pictures are for you. We missed you and your family!

Wren and Jason at Grant's Farm

Grace & Wren feeding the goats

The Girls (Abby, Wren, Kaitlyn & Grace)

Bear and the Girls (at the end of the night Bear was a prop for pictures. He was so patient and ate up the attention from all the girls!)

2008-07-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

There's a new cousin in town...

...and doesn't she have the cutest swimsuit? She's Grace's cousin Lucy. Daughter of my sister and brother-in-law. Actually she's over in the Kansas City area, but we're so glad to have her in our family. She is a sweet baby. We've been waiting for her for a long time! Grace likes her as long as I don't hold her. She's a little jealous when I'm sharing my attention. I can't imagine why! We can't wait to see her again. She's almost 2 months and she's growing fast.

2008-05-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I got a boo-boo. I need a rubber band-aid."

She said as she played with the hangnail on her thumb. LOL

2008-05-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I Like Meatballs
Yesterday, as we were eating oreos and milk, Grace said "I like meatballs." I thought it was so funny because it came from totally out of the blue. We didn't have meatballs for dinner. We hadn't talked about meatballs. In fact I can't remember the last time we had meatballs. Where she comes up with this stuff is beyond me. But I'm glad she does. I'm always laughing because of her. She's like sunshine with a sense of humor.

I've been putting Grace to work lately. She has had four photo sessions in the last two weeks. That's what happens when Mom works for a portrait studio and has to scout the competition. She's gotten really good at posing and was even hamming it up for the last photo session as seen in the photo above and below.

And one more thing - to Grace, everyday is Mother's Day. I love it. Every once in a while she'll just blurt out "Happy Mudder's Day, Mommy". And then she takes out all the tupperware and "makes" me something for "Mudder's Day". And really, that's the way it should be. Mother's day everyday!

2008-05-21T15:06:00.001-07:00

OOH LA LA!

2008-05-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Don't have a heart attack...
We're back. The blog that has sorely been neglected is back in business. At least for another post. So, what's been happening? Grace has become too independent, too headstrong and way too adorable. What's new with you?

Steve and I took our first vacation away from Grace - it was not easy. Quiet, yes. Easy, no. We missed the little munchkin. So, in order to compensate, I spent my time scouting for Florida wildlife. And man did we see some. We rented a boat near Sanibel and Captiva Islands and saw pods of dolphins and drumroll, please, a MANATEE. If you are an animal lover, you'll understand the joy of seeing a Manatee in the wild. It was awesome. Yes it was.

But really, do you want to hear about our trip or Grace? Our trip? OK. We saw a bald eagle right behind the condo. Very cool. And we both held a 23-lb. alligator. It rocked! We also took an airboat ride in the everglades. What's that you say? You want to see pictures of Grace? Really? Is that all you come here for? I know how you are. (I'm kind of that way too. I can't get enough of her!)

Helping in the kitchen making vanilla pudding.

Sitting in the puzzle box and snuggling in her PJs

Looking cool for school except for the drool!

And now, from Florida, Elvis has left the building.

Chris the Croc-hunter.

Beautiful landscape in front of Heritage Palms.

Sunset from our condo.

A pristine day on Sanibel Island.

P.S. This post took me over an hour. Not because I'm slow, but because I used the PC and it's a little like molasses. And that, people, is why I don't blog much!

2008-03-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

OK - maybe just a few words - these pictures are from October at my Sister's house. You'll have to tilt your head a bit to look at the 2nd one. But at least I'm posting something! Grace's latest funny habit is running through her laundry list of favorite foods before breakfast and dinner. When I'm getting her dressed for the day she says: "No chips, Mom? No marshmos? No mmmmmm popcorn? No MNs (m&ms)? No butzels? It's so funny. She tries. Just in case I might say yes one time!

2008-02-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

Can you say slacker?

Finally, a post. So much for my pipe dreams of making this a day in the life of....Now it's more like every other month in the life of...!

Grace is talking up a storm. My favorite right now is when I ask her a question and she says "because". Or when she says "Mom Holda Me" 4,000 times while I'm trying to make dinner. But the best is when she says "I love you mom" out of the blue. Or when she says "where's dad? I miss him." And now she's even dressing herself and gets very bent out of shape if I help without asking. A certain Kelly Clarkson song comes to mind.

So, without further ado, some pictures of Grace - with her first snowman, at the dog parade and on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

2007-12-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

2-year-old photo shoot

We recently entered the terrible twos. On December 4 to be exact. So far, Grace is doing her part to keep up the "terrible twos" reputation. She has decided to carefully ponder every command that we give her. Meaning she takes her time, mulls it over, thinks about it, looks at us as if to say "yea, I'll do it" and then takes off the other way throwing caution to the wind and ignoring our very words. What is up with that? What will she be like when she's a teenager? I know if my Mom is reading this she's probably thinking "it's payback time!" Man, oh man. This is getting interesting. Now for the photo shoot. Check out Grace's new smile - she's gonna love it when she's 35 and I show this to her first boyfriend:)

I'm trying to take a picture of her in this chair every year. She wasn't having any part of it this year.

This was her favorite gift, she didn't want to get off of it, even for cake!!

2007-11-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

Starting today...
This blog will be taking on a slightly different twist. From an all-about-Gracie-type blog to a day-in-the-life-of-Gracie's-family-type blog (that's a lot of hyphens) with a twist of humor. So starting right now I have a couple little stories to tell. The first being all-about-Gracie. Monday night I decided Gracie needed a bang trim. So I got out the scissors and asked her to sit really still while I gave her a little trim. I promised her that I'd give her "treats" if she sat real still, and she did. So we went downstairs, I grabbed a few candy corn (yes - by some miracle we still have Halloween candy) and gave them to her. She immediately ran with them into the family room yelling "here Bear, here Bear" (sounds like He Be) thinking that the "treats" were for the dog! She sat their so patiently just waiting for treats to share with the dog. That's my girl. I'll post pictures soon so you can see the results of the bang trim. I'm thinking that beauty school may be in my future. They're pretty darn straight and she looks adorable. If I may say so myself.

Second story. So last night at 1:15 a.m. in the morning me and hubby hear the garage door opening at the same time. And since both of us were lying comfortably in bed we knew something fishy was up. So big strong guy proceeds to hop out of bed, run down the stairs and out into the garage without hesitiation. While I hunker down waiting to hear gunshots or some form of a scuffle. I hear said big strong guy yelling at the top of his lungs and panic a bit. Shortly he comes back into the house and tells me to call the neighbors to check their cars. Apparently someone had gotten into his truck (which he mistakenly left unlocked) and stole our garage door openers and then proceeded to open our garage along with our neighbor's garage. Police came, husband put on his pants (because he did run out of the house in his underwear - yelling at the top of his lungs, mind you) and they caught the guys. The police speculate that they were stealing garage door openers and planning to rob people the next day while we were working. Good thing for big strong guys in their underwear who react with lightning speed.

2007-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love fall...
...it's my favorite time of year. The pretty leaves, pumpkins, Halloween and then thanksgiving. I love all the traditions and sharing them with Grace has been so much fun!

A visit to the pumpkin patch

All dressed up for Halloween - go Mizzou!

Thanks, Aunt Amy, for the cute pjs!

2007-10-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

You've come a long way baby!
One year ago today, October 30, we were in China just getting to know our little girl. We excitedly went to a room where we patiently waited our turn to hear Meng Yun Niu. I was nervous that I wouldn't recognize her name. But as soon as I saw her, I knew she was ours. All that hair and those perfect pouty lips. There was no mistaking which one was our Gracie. It's hard to believe it's already been a year. She's been with us for a longer period of time than she was without us. I love that. I love her. She continues to be the joy of our lives. We celebrated 1 year with Chinese dinner out. Grace loved the white rice and Moo Shu Chicken. A year ago we were feeding her prunes, green beans, carrots, cereal and formula. Now she eats just about anything we put in front of her. Tomatoes and green beans are two of her favorites. She's talking up a storm and learning more and more words each day. Last night she sang the "Ghostbusters" song with me.

Opening my book from China with Daddy

Opening my charm bracelet with Mommy

Daddy reading to me

Me and Mommy

Enjoying my new book after a busy Gotcha Day!

2007-10-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

A visit with my big brother...
Grace's big brother and his family are visiting us this week. The best part is that he has a 3-year-old daughter. They're having a great time and Grace is learning how hard it is to share, toys, attention, space, etc!

Her favorite phrase right now is "Right Bap" (right back). She holds her pointer finger up and says it with such conviction. We had our last homestudy this week and in a couple more weeks it will be officially one year since Grace became our daughter. Can't believe how time flies!!

Now for the reason you're really here....

Grace and her older niece

Riding the train at the pumpkin patch

Checking out the tunnel with Dad

Four-way tug-of-war (did I mention we had 2 canine visitors also??)

My big brother's family

2007-09-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just for fun... states I have been to...click on the link below to make your own map!

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

2007-08-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

A year ago on August 25th to be exact (I'm a few days late with this post) - we had our first glimpse of Grace. My how she's changed. That was an incredibly emotional, perfectly wonderful, day. And since then, time has flown. I can't believe how much she's grown up. Now she wants to WALK down the stairs every morning instead of jumping into my arms and being carried. What is that about? I'm not ready for this independence!
Then:

Now:

2007-08-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand...
The last two weeks have been "interesting", but things are starting to get back to normal. So in the name of normalcy, more photos from our Florida va-ca-tion!

2007-07-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Gracie Goes To Florida
She had a great time with Grandma & Grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins. The first picture is of the three amigos (Grace and her two cousins)and the second is her Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue pose - two of my favorite pictures - more to come...

2007-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I want to be a supermodel...

Christmas pictures in June? That's what happens when your Mom works for the home office of Sears Portrait Studio. Grace and Tiffany had a photo shoot and the pictures turned out great. They might even show up on a postcard in your mailbox. Check back this holiday season. Here are just a few of my favorites...

2007-06-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

This girl cracks me up...

2007-06-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Before I forget...

At 18 months, Grace has a ton of words she's saying right now and I don't want to forget them. So sorry there's no photos, but I promise I'll post some this weekend. Now for the words:
Milk
More
Bear
Book (always in twos - book book)
Ball
Thank You
Please
Dada
Mama
Nose
Eye
Uh-oh
Wash (for wash hands)
other one
yes (though she rarely says it)
no (says it all the time, constantly, with fervor!)
bubbles
night, night
diaper (sounds like biper)
ouch
boo boo
elbow (sounds like belbow)
elmo (sounds like melamin)
plus she's great at making animal sounds - especially growling like a lion!
I'm sure there's more that I can't think of right now.

Which brings me to something else I never want to forget and can't remember if I've already posted. I'll never forget the day we got Gracie's referral photos. I drove out to my Mom and Dad's as quickly as possible. And when my Dad said these words, I knew that this was going to be something really amazing. He said "she has no idea that half a world away three people just fell in love with her". And so we just continue to fall in love with this amazing, frustrating, stubborn, beautiful, independent, wonderful, little girl.

2007-06-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Time Flies When You're Having Fun
It seems like Grace has really grown up in the last month. She's become quite a little ham. Always cracking us up with her silly faces. One of her favorite things to do is close her eyes really tight and scrunch up her face. It's hilarious to watch her do it. She realizes that she can't see and she thinks it's really funny. I caught the little hambone doing it just the other day...
Daddy bought her a Cinderella chair and she fits in it perfectly. She thinks it's really cool. I can finally get her to smile for pictures...

Grace had her first popsicle Memorial Day weekend. She wasn't so sure about it and after a few bites, she gave it back to me. If you haven't tried Slowmelt Popsicles, you're in for a treat. They do not drip. Genius! They have gelatin in them which makes them much slower to melt. I like 'em, but I'm not so sure that Grace does...

Grace isn't the only one growing up fast. Her cousins Ethan and Avary turned two this month. My how time flies when you're having this much fun!!

2007-05-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

The littlest gardener...

2007-05-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

My 1st Mother's Day
Sunday was a most excellent day - it was my first "official" Mother's Day. Grace and I took my Mom out to breakfast and Steve took his Mom out to breakfast. Then Steve, Grace and I spent the day planting flowers.

Grace was a big help (wink, wink). She had so much fun digging in the dirt, watching Mommy and Daddy, and trying to do exactly what we did. And I might add that she was the prettiest little flower of all!

I am definitely the luckiest Mom in the world. Wow - I'm a Mom. And I absolutely love it.

Now for the pictures - sorry, this little gardener is not for hire!

2007-05-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

They're Back
Gracie and Daddy made it home safe and sound from North Carolina. The trip was rough on Grace. She was so happy to be home. I think she likes her home and was afraid that she wouldn't be coming back. The first night she was home I put her to bed and she had the biggest grin on her face. She fell asleep without a peep. I'm so glad their back. I sure missed my little girl, oh, and Steve too! Now for some random photos...

looking pretty cute in my very first nightgown

Grace and Daddy after a long trip.

"Here I am carrying a bunch of stuff, just like Mommy on Monday mornings!"

Grandpa and cousin Ethan - they're best buddies and I just love this picture!

2007-04-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Already missing my little bubble girl...
Steve and Gracie left this morning to visit big brother Nate and his family in North Carolina. I already miss them. New airport security makes it so hard to say goodbye at the airport. I couldn't even stand with them while they waited to go through security. They got in line and Grace waved. I'm a sad, sad, Mom. It's the first time I'll be away from my girl for so long - 5 days. What am I gonna do?

2007-04-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

Rewind to Christmas
I came across these pictures of Grace on Santa's lap and couldn't believe how much she's changed in four months. She wasn't scared of Santa. She just wondered why he was dressed in that bright red outfit with funny white hair!

2007-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Before I forget...

There are a lot of things Grace is doing now that I don't want to forget. My favorite thing is every time I come home she screeches when she hears my voice - then she comes running to me with a big smile on her face. It's THE BEST. She's a little repeat parrot right now and tries to say everything we say. Her best words are: ball, book, bear, thank you, milk, more, more milk, momma, dada, night night. She'll say anything we ask her to, but you can't always make the words out. But she gives it her best. She's ready to talk. She has also learned the art of throwing fits - when I'm changing her, when I'm wiping her face off, when she wants my undivided attention and I'm trying to make dinner. She gets easily frustrated and is not so patient, but she gets that from me AND her Dad. She loves to carry her purse or basket on her shoulder just like Mommy. It's so funny. She tries to eat with a spoon, but still has a hard time maneuvering things into her mouth. She's a little peanut and I love her more each day.

Funny Girl

2007-04-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

2007-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!
We had a great day with Steve's family and a visit with my Grandma. The highlight was Church in the morning - celebrating the resurrection of our savior. Grace thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. She managed to burp 3 times really loud (always during a quiet time of prayer). She also felt the need to practice her lion imitation which makes her sound slightly possessed. Steve, Tiffany and I could barely contain our laughter. To me, laughter is one of God's greatest blessings. I have never felt more blessed as I sat and rejoiced with my husband and two daughters. Easter is a time for miracles and I had a tiny little miracle sitting right on my lap. Hallelujah, Amen!

2007-04-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

How much fun can a girl have in one day?

Start with swimming lessons with Daddy. Add a few hours at the park with my cousins, hunting Easter eggs and top it off with lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's house- now that's my idea of a fun day!

Grace had a great time learning to swim. She started with a "death grip" on Daddy but pretty soon she was splashing and going after floaties like it was nothing. Hopefully she'll be a fish like her Mommy.

The Easter egg hunt was another new and exciting experience. Grace got her bucket filled with eggs and would not let go - see the pictures in sequential order:
1. Hunting for eggs holding my bucket.

2. Swinging and still holding my bucket.

3. Eating lunch with a tight grip on my bucket! She could have cared less what was in the eggs, she was just happy to have a full bucket. The girl is so easy to please.

We're looking forward to a happy Easter and wish anyone who is reading this a blessed Easter, too!

2007-03-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Just walkin' around, lookin' cute.

2007-03-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Mom, what exactly is so great about goats?

2007-03-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Whazzzzzup?
So a lot has happened since my last post. Tiffany turned 14. It's hard to believe I've been a part of her life since she was just a tiny little 4 year old. I'll never forget the first time we met when Steve and I took the kids on a picnic. Tiffany said, "I wish you were MY mom." I'm sure she'd deny it if you asked her today. But you know how kids that age are so sweet and they just love anyone who is new and different and willing to spend some time with them. She still is sweet and special - even at the crazy age of 14 (which is really a lot more like 18 these days). So shout out to the birthday girl - here pictured with the little sister who absolutely adores her!

Sunday we took Grace to the zoo for the very first time. Finally the weather was warm enough to spend time outside. Glory, hallelujah! I am so tired of being cooped up inside. Grace had a great time at the zoo, but was defintitely more interested in the other kids and people than in the animals. Check out her cool shades and that oh-so-serious expression. She doesn't look happy, but honestly, I think she was having a good time.

And check out this picture of the otters. But seriously, the otter was putting on a great show for us - swimming right up to the glass and then diving under the water and all Grace wanted to see was why the little girls next to her were squealing with delight.

And two more zoo pics of an otterly (pardon the pun) happy daddy and his two beautiful daughters. I love how they are completely opposite in looks - blond haired, blue eyed vs. black hair, brown eyed.

And I can't resist posting this next picture of Gracie and her dog Bear both smiling for the camera. Bear is an amazing (but gigantic) dog. He is so patient with Gracie. She can sit on him, pull on him, ride on him, and he just takes it in stride. The other night she had him chasing her around the house. She does occasionally get whipped in the face by his "weapon of mass destruction" otherwise known as a tail. And you can visually see her brace herself when he walks by because he tends to be a giant klutz. But I bet if Gracie fell down the well, Bear would save her. I bet a million dollars. He's a good dog and we love him and so does Grace.

2007-03-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

| View Show | Create Your Own

2007-02-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

She's really our daughter.
There are times when I look at Grace and think about how blessed we are. It still seems like a dream, that we could fill out some paperwork, travel half way around the world and bring home the most precious and perfect daughter. She is a one-of-a-kind treasure that we have been entrusted with completely. It's still just hard to fathom the responsibility that comes with that. I'm completely 100,000% committed to this relationship and who would ever have thought? That fierce love that I hear people talk about with their biological children - I have that same love for Grace. Sometimes I just want to wrap her up in my arms and make sure nothing, ever, hurts her. Right now she has a cold that won't go away and an ear infection that's clearly bothering her. Yet she is a trooper - you would never know she was feeling bad except for the cough and tugging on her ears. And I feel so guilty not being able to stay home with her and keep her away from all those germs. She deserves more of my time. I miss not being home with her.

She amazes me every day. She has a new word that she loves to say - "ball". In fact we had the TV on tonight and she saw a commercial with a volleyball and a tennis ball and she pointed to the TV and repeated over and over again "ball, ball, ball, ball". She not only says "ball" she loves to play ball. Big or little, she loves her balls. Do I hear soccer player in her future? You never know. It's amazing to watch her enchanting personality develop. I just want to breathe in every minute of it and not forget a thing.

2007-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

2007-02-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
It's the year of the pig (or wild boar) and last night we celebrated with friends and family. We ordered Chinese Food from China King and had a feast. We had special guests who moved here from China that made the celebration even more meaningful. And although it was a very Americanized version of the Chinese New Year's eve, it was a lot of fun and we plan to continue the tradition every year. We also had special guests from Iowa, my dear Aunt and Uncle who I don't see nearly enough. It was a real treat to have them here. Grace dressed up in her finest Chinese outerwear straight from Chinatown in San Francisco! You'd think she would at least be wearing something from China. But my Mom got her the outfit and it was perfect for the occasion so she wore it. The only problem is, now her chest is stained red from all the drooling onto her new Chinese red outfit. She's getting more teeth and drooling like a maniac! At least Ally was wearing her authentic Chinese dress. She looked fabulous in it.

2007-02-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today was my first Valentine's Day as a mommy and Grace's first Valentine's Day as a daughter. I'll never forget it. The card I got from Grace made me misty - finally, a card for "mommy". I loved it. Grace was so sweet and loving this morning. I think she new it was a special day. She got a valentine book "Elmo Loves You". We read it at breakfast and she listened to every word. Wow, this Mommy stuff just keeps getting better and better. Take a look at the slideshow below - Grace made her own shout-out to our friends and family especially for Valentine's day (with a little help from MOMMY).

Hope your day was as special as mine.

P.S. Happy anniversary Jeff & Tracy!

One more thing...check out Grace's first art project from school. She made this a while ago and I'm just getting around to posting it. I believe it's an abstract of a caterpillar eating a blueberry, but you'd have to speak to the artist to find out for sure.

2007-02-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

| View Show | Create Your Own | Playlist

2007-01-24T04:45:00.000-08:00

We had our three month visit with our social worker last Thursday. It went well, of course. Gracie is doing great and adjusting to the daycare routine. She doesn't cry when I leave her and she's happy as can be when she gets home. It's just that there's so little time with her during the week. And I can see how much she's grown since we came home and how fast time goes. Her big brother Eric just started bootcamp on the 19th. So, I'm posting a picture of her with him right before he left. And the other photo is one of Gracie's favorite gifts - handmade by her big sister - a 1st Christmas snowman. She loved it and carried it around all Christmas morning. She really does adore her older brothers and sisters. It's too bad she doesn't get to see more of them.

2007-01-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Finally some new photos:

Mommy likes to play with my hair. In the bathtub, I think it's pretty cool to have a big spike on my head. You can even see Elmo swimming around in the background trying to get a closer look at my new do. But later, Mommy had this bright idea to put her fake ponytail on my head. It was OK for the first two seconds. But after that I realized that I looked like a total valley girl and just couldn't take it any more. So the last picture is me making it crystal clear to Mommy that I did not appreciate her making me look like a valley girl. I can't believe she snapped the picture anyway!

Excuse me for a moment, I need to use the "S" word.

Daycare Sucks

This week was Grace's first week at daycare. Lucky for me, but not for Grace, she was sick on Monday so I got to stay home with her. She was still feeling pretty crummy on Tuesday so she went to Grandma's house. Then Wednesday (or should I say d-day) came. I had to take her to daycare. It was the most heart wrenching thing I've ever had to do. She cried, I cried and cried, and cried again. It was so hard to see her upset. She rarely ever cries and when she does it's because she's tired, hungry or she just fell down and bumped her head. I know, I know. Lots of kids go to daycare and they are just fine. And I know she will be too. But right now it makes me feel really bad, really guilty. And to make it worse, I don't even get to pick her up. Steve gets home earlier than me and he gets to pick her up. Therefore I'm bad cop and he's good cop. But she still likes me better. I guess it's just that thing that Moms have. She wants me above anyone else. Especially when she's tired and crabby after being at daycare all day. I know, it will get easier. And I'm sure there will be many more situations like this in her lifetime - when she'll have to go somewhere she doesn't want to. But man, this is tough. I guess I'm a wimp. Or maybe I'm just a Mom who loves her kid. Don't we all feel that way?

2006-12-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

I like pigtails!

2006-12-21T20:40:00.001-08:00

Check out what Grace has been up to...http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=2fd1e88b49822969032897bG06122120