around na and pa's house

We're having a really nice time staying with Na & Pa. Lilah has really opened up now and is full of her usual antics! I've included a few pictures of her today, running around with Sally the farm dog. Sally keeps a close eye on Lilah (through the kitchen window) while she eats her breakfast every morning. Lilah has even started suggesting that we share some of her Weetabix with Sally. Hmm, sounds like a good excuse for her to not have to eat it!

[ more pictures here ]

christmas day

Happy Christmas!

We had a really lovely Christmas. Our little Lilah was transformed into a nurse and a cute one at that! We had a delicious dinner all together; my parents, Colin's parents and Auntie Iris. It was a great day and we have some lovely memories of our first Christmas together. Well it's not really our first together, but since we arrived home on Christmas Eve last year, we can't remember a whole lot of what happened on our first Christmas Day together, because of jet lag and tiredness! This year definitely made up for it.

[ more pictures here ]

christmas eve

Well I deserved this, since I was gloating about going on a holday where there would be little chance of snow! The picture above is the view from our bedroom window, sigh!

And here's a few pictures of our excited girl on Christmas Eve!

[ more pictures here ]

merry christmas

From our house to yours...

...and we're away!

Finally, I have all our suitcases packed. We're flying tonight! Lilah seems pretty excited at this point. She was running around after me this morning while I was packing the suitcases, picking up things, like a bouncy ball and a book and several other things, asking me each time, "Bring dis to Nirnand?". But best of all, she's just thrilled with her flashy 'Dora & Boots' carry-on case! Luckily it has wheels because it's heavier than she is, by a long shot!

I hope to check in and possibly even blog while we're on vacation.

let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

Only because more than likely there'll be no snow in Ireland and that's where we're heading in two days! And this might be the only snow we see for a long time. That's the reason we don't mind it snowing all it jolly-well-wants right now!

"...but as long as you love me so...
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

[ all our pictures here ]

not getting married

Baba has convinced our Lilah girl that she's not getting married. Of course, if she even remotely knew what getting married was all about, she might disagree!

But for now, she agrees - no married, no boys!

supper with a special family

Last night we went out for supper with the family we travelled to China with.

Here are a few of the reasons this family is so special to us...

: Our girls were born in the same province, same year, just 3 months apart.

: We became new (first time) parents together.

: We met our girls in the same room, on the same day, at the same time.

: We spent almost two weeks together in China. Two weeks of flights and hotels and cities and taxi rides and sight seeing and shopping runs and buffets. Two weeks worth of memories and moments that no one else could ever understand.

Our girls went through so many tough changes in those first two weeks, they didn't even notice each other. The first time we saw them interact with each other was on our last evening in Beijing. However, time has brought changes, many really wonderful changes. Last night the girls enjoyed each others company, they copied each other, they held hands and were full of smiles. It was beautiful. It made me realize how strong these girls are and how much they've grown and developed in the past year.

We are two blessed families. We have two amazing girls.

And here the girls are (with their Babas),
on our first full day together, exactly one year ago today...

[ all our pictures from today are here ]

together for one year

One year ago today, we became a family of three.
We are very very proud parents and so SO thankful for our precious daughter.

more of the things i love about her

How she uses the word 'open' instead of 'light'. Like at night she says "dark outside", but in the daytime she says "open outside".

How she calls all belts, seat belts. I have a belt on my winter jacket and as I was buckling it up this morning, she said "Mama put on the seat belt"!

How she simply swoons when I hold her tight and tell her "You're my baby girl".

How when she's washing her hands she always asks me for 'soup', but she actually means 'soap'!

How when we're at the Mall and walk by the Kernels Popcorn counter, she points and says to me "Mama, sweetcorn". (No, she doesn't know they are one and the same!)

How she calls all her small board books her hymn books.

How when we get home from being out and Colin has left us a voice message. I play it back and she chats away to him answering him and telling him all about her day and where she's been, not realizing he's not actually on the phone. When he hangs up she looks at me with a frown and says "Baba not dere (there)".

How after a meal out and we drive away from the restaurant, she waves and says "Bye food - Bye people"!

How she's been asking to go see Santa since we first saw him a few weeks ago, and not to hurt Santa's feelings, but I know all too well she just wants another candy cane!

How when we're driving to meet Baba for lunch (at his work) she is so animated and talks-non-stop-in-a-super-excited-high-pitch-voice.

How she says 'everymore' instead of 'anymore'. For example, "Lilah not singing everymore" or "Baba not sleeping everymore".

How she gets confused and calls a snowball a riceball. (I make her small little balls with the sticky rice and call them riceballs when we are at a Chinese or Thai restaurant)

How we go to Costco once a week and she knows Costco only because of the caramel ice-cream sundae we get there. I don't think it's crossed her mind that we actually buy groceries too!

this day last year

We flew Ottawa-Toronto-Beijing-Guangzhou. And waited just 14 hours (after that long flight) to meet our precious baby girl. I still feel the same way I did this time last year, that feeling like you're living in a dream. It's real now, of course. Our dream came true and we couldn't be happier. We thank God every day for bringing us together and making us a little family.

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.
But those who make their journey home across time & miles,
growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us
by God's very own hands.