Beach Fun!

We just got back from a week on the ORegon Coast. The weather was great, minus one rainy day, and we all had a ball. Grace had a few tantrums, most notably three at the Aquarium, but did great. We stayed at a beach house that I stayed in as a kid, so it was nice reliving some of my favorite childhood memories. I'm posting pics and running as I have an overnight guest coming and I need to clean the house, somehow post vacation it is always dirty and this time there is a ton of sand laying around!

potporri

Too much going on around here to post!! It seems like we are busy all the time, and yet I have days where we never leave the house (we go outside, but we don't drive anywhere). The haps around here are that on Sunday I turned the dreaded 4-0. I'm not bothered by age, which drives Scott nuts, but he insisted on a bit of hoopla. In the morning we went to to the top of the Space needle for brunch. The boys have been dying to go there and had a ball looking out the window. Tthe restaurant rotates in a circle, so you get to see the whole 360 degree view every hour. We went around 2.5 times and had a ball. The food was great and so was the Mimosa! After brunch we went to my favorite park and Scott had five of our favorite families there, so we played in the water and had cake and snacks and drinks. We walked to a fun hamburger joint and ate by the water for dinner, a perfect day in my book. The kids had a ball and so did the adults.

On Friday I went to a big sale at my favorite department store. They had some shoes on sale for Grace that I loved, but they are the most impractical things ever! I know that when I was little I would have wanted the shoes very badly and my mom would have said no they were impractical. I agree with the sentiment, but since I am now the mom I said yes! Grace is a shoes freak just like her mom and she loves these shoes. She wears them as often as she can. And here's the funny part. Since the shoes are so impractical I hardly let her wear them, I don't want them to get dirty! The poor child gets these shoes and her freaky mom won't let her wear them, I'm sure this will just be one of the things she writes about in her tell all book someday, lol.

We are madly trying to get ready for vacation. We leave Saturday for a week at the beach. The weather is supposed to be sunny, but not too warm. Just cross your fingers for no rain!!

I'm so computer savvy, to caption the pictures top one is the family at the space needle. IT really was aclear blue sky day. Middle one is the bracelet the kids gave me, they picked it out. Grace constanly points at it and says hear, love you. Bottom one is "the shoes" still clean I might add.

One Year

Grace on July 9th 2007 and July 9th 2008, the change is dramatic. I marvel at how much personality shows through her expression now.


One year ago today the Judge in Magadan made us the legal parents of Grace. I am sitting here at my computer trying to encapsulate the past year and I can't. If I am honest I can divide the year into fourths and share our first year that way.

The first quarter I spent a lot of time with wildly fluctuating emotions. I went from being thrilled that we finally had a daughter to thinking what have I done, I have wrecked my little family. And if I'm completely honest I spent more time thinking I wrecked the family and trying to figure out how to fix it that doing anything else. J had a hard time adjusting to his new sister and was a crying wreck some days. Grace was never a difficult kid, she was fairly easy going and happy, but I felt little connection to her, she wouldn't allow it. I didn't love like I loved the boys and it panicked me. I never thought we'd survive a year, I couldn't see that far ahead.

The second quarter. We settled into a routine and Grace started coming around. She would come up and hug us and she would tell us "too", for love you too. I was starting to feel more connected to her and the panicky feelings were less and less. I think sending the boys to school helped us all have more structure and Grace thrived with that. I also think time just helped us bond.

The third quarter. I finally felt like she was our daughter, when I looked at her my heart would melt. She would now throw her arms around our necks and hug us tight. There was just something in her that was so bonded and attached to us, that we finally knew that everything was going to be just fine.

The fourth quarter. Grace is now just one of our kids, she no longer feels new or adopted she just feels like ours. These last few months have been very peaceful and our family feels very happy and complete.

Grace's stats

At adoption she was 25.8 and she is now 28 pounds on the nose. (she was a rather chubby thing when we got her)

At adoption she was 31 inches tall and she is now 35 inches tall.

At adoption she wore 12-18 month clothes she now wears 2t, but the pants fall down, lol.

At adoption she wore a size 5w shoe and she now wears a size 6m

At adoption she rarely smiled and now you can't wipe the smile off her face

At adoption she didn't laugh when tickled, now she comes to you to be tickled saying ticky-ticky

At adoption she didn't know how to be carried, she hung like a sack of potatoes, now her legs and arms wrap around you, and she loves to be held and carried.

At adoption Grace didn't know what a family was or parents and brothers were, a year later she is an active member of our family with thoughts, feelings and opinions, we couldn't ask for a more perfect member.

A few pics from the last few days

Grace on the Fourth of July, what an American girl with her sparkler.


In the pool this afternoon, we're having great weather and she stands at the back door, saying go swim? All.The. Time!
On of the things I longed for and basically missed by adopting a 2 year old, was ruffles on the butt, but I found this suit and had to have it. How cute are those ruffles.
Running ruffles are even cuter than standing still ruffles.

3 three 3 three 3

Yes, it is true GRACE IS THREE!

Yesterday we celebrated Grace's third birthday. It was the first time that she had ever had a party or presents on her birthday, so we did it up big. We had four families an Grandparents join us for a "Rella" party. We had dinner which was centered on the theme of Shish-ka-bibbidy-bobbidy-boo's both meat and fruit. She played pin the slipper in Cinderella and had a piniata and a mountain of gifts that was emabarassing. Grace had a ball. She took on her role of Queen for day like she'd been born to it and frankly she's a bit sad that life isn't quite as good today.

I have to say in the almost year that we have had a Grace I've never been sad about her previous life until yesterday. I thought about what she had missed in herfirst two birthdays, and then I thought about the day of her birth. I tried to search my mind for some inkling of what we were doing on July 2, 2005. Frankly I think it was just an ordinary day for us, and it makes me cry to realize that, it was an amzingly special day, our daughtr was born, and we know nothing about that day. I realize I can't change the past, but I never thought that I would be sad about those things.

Anyway, on to the birthday, Grace tells everyon three now, so they know that she has aged up. she is loving all the toys and dress up that she recieved and I think I succeeded in giving her a great party, but not one that was soo overwhelming that she couldn't enjoy it.

Happy birthday Princess Pink!I tried to get a shot of her in her dress, this was the best of my efforts.
When Happy Birthday was being sung she had look of such happiness on her face the song was for her and she knew it.
She was opening gifts and got a pink crown and wears it all.the.time.
the piniata
Grace and Daddy in their "Fancy Nancy" dress up stuff, how approriate!

Scott giving his daughter her first flowers on her birthday, too sweet!
The "fab five" dressed for the party. Yes, I tried to coordinate the boys outfits with Grace's dress, I am a dork that way.
Grace with "some" of her gifts. To say it was obscene is an understatement.
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The cake, it was too cute and she LOVED it!