Two years ago today...

Two years ago today, this baby girl was placed in our arms in China, just one year to the date of sending in our application.

 Karl and I still marvel to this day that we actually went to China. Prior to this adoption, we had never left the USA. We applied for our very first passports after age 40. We don't get out much?

Jolie has come a long way in two years. She has quite the little personality. Jolie has a passion for the Disney Princesses...and reminds us daily that she wants to go to Disney World tomorrow. She has been planning her wedding for when she grows up. She says she wants to wear a blue Cinderella dress. She still loves noodles even for breakfast. AND lipstick is another of her favorites, can you tell?

 I asked her how many kids she wants when she grows up. She says 5, but she wanted a boy, just like Daddy cause she loves him so.

 Just the other night at bedtime, we were reading the book Motherbridge of Love. It's a children's picture book about Chinese/international Adoption. She has been asking lots of questions lately, after noticing photos of her siblings' baby photos that were taken in the hospital. She's also recently discovered that some round bellies on mommies, means there's a baby inside.

 She asked if she had been in my tummy, when I told her no, she was born in China. She looked so sad.

 But I told her that GOD lead us to her, and we adopted her and we love her very very much.

And her dad echoed my words, and then she looked at us and grinned the happiest biggest grin I've ever seen on her face.

Photos from our first meeting...

For me...love at first sight, for Jolie not so much...

She's always loved Daddy...

Shek announced he was no longer the baby.

By the next day, I think she decided I was a keeper.

Adoption means you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!

Born not from our flesh, but born in our hearts, you were longed for and wanted.

Not flesh of our flesh, Nor bone of our bone, but still miraculously my own!

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Hey Jack! It's Camo Day

I drove "SI" to school today.

 And Willie came too. Si was sure to bring along the plastic cup for his sweet tea.

Today was Camo Day at Konos, and the girls took it really seriously. They planned it for weeks. They wanted to look like Willie and Si Robertson of the popular tv show Duck Dynasty...I hope they had fun and weren't the only camo dressed people there today.

A trip to the Lone Star State

Karl and I just got back from a trip to The Lone Star State, our second trip to Fort Worth in the past year. We've been to AdvoCare Success School with our Advo Family. It's always lots of fun, jammed pack with info, fun and we all come back filled up.

This is the 20th anniversary of AdvoCare, and these necklaces with blinking lights were in our chair along with some other goodies for a party atmosphere.

karl and me waiting for the events to begin.

Advo Friends...I have my eyes shut of course, but we are all having fun learning together and that's what it's all about.

There were new products introduced. This is one of them. There is a variety box of spark flavors. We have to vote for our favorite. I am lovin' the watermelon flavor, it tastes and smells like a watermelon jolly rancher. AND what's not to love about that? It's wonderful. Our order comes in today. AND I can't wait.

There were friends of mine all over the arena and all over the 20/20 vision room. I don't have photos of all of them here. I can't wait to go back. Karl and I have our Success School tix purchased for August and we are ready to go. Come Join Us.

The Konos Academy play Fiddler on the Roof

 Konos presented their play last weekend. I forgot my good camera, but snapped a few with the phone. The students were great. I was quite impressed with their talent and the play. Karlie's in the background of the above photo, see her?

 Here she is before she changed out of her costume.

 The Program

Karlie and a few classmates.

I can't wait to see next year's performance. This year's was awesome.

Smile....it's Happy Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year just kind of crept up on me. Last year, we had the whole family over, made decorations, and even tried our hand at making some Chinese cuisine on our own. I even put the girl in her silks and snapped photos of her standing by our Chinese treasures, and a basket of oranges.

This year, I got started early, finding ideas on pinterest and hoping to do it up good this year. I even looked at the Atlanta chapter of families with Chinese children to see when their big celebration is....only to discover it's this coming weekend, when we will be out of town for  AdvoCare Success School.

BUT this year, the best we could do as for as celebrations go, was just stop by the Chinese restaurant after church. We were not near our favorite Chinese place, and just pulled into another one of the same name. WE assumed these restaurants might be affiliated with the same type good food, but we were deceived. I snapped a photo or two to commemorate the day even though the food was not as good as our favorite place.

Snapped at the restaurant...she was looking at the menu and telling us that she needed won ton soup. When the waitress arrived to take our orders she was not Chinese, but rather a young lady with no front teeth. This waitress immediately made an impression on my girl, who I secretly thinks wants to become a dentist. My girl is very fascinated with teeth, the mouth, lips, she even tries to floss our teeth. That's got to be a dentist in the making if you desire to floss other people's teeth...but I digress..I wonder if her fascination with the mouth is due to her own cleft palate issues.

Baby girl, immediately asks me and rather loudly,"What happened to the girl's teeth, momma?' Did she lose her teeth, they're gone!" I tried to shush her to no avail. I simply agreed with her and said yes they're gone. (referring to the teeth). When the waitress left with our drink orders, she continued to ask me about the missing teeth. I told Jolie,"Yes her two front teeth are gone, but we are not going to talk about it, because that could hurt her feelings?" and she didn't mention it anymore until we got to the car.

AND dad just said that's what happens when you don't brush your teeth, you get silvers or they fall out. Usually, at night when baby girl doesn't want to brush, we say ok, you're gonna get more silvers in your mouth, and she rushes to brush, now we have more ammunition. Silvers and no front teeth.

SO if you want to go to the Chinese place for lunch, and the waitress has no front teeth, don't take my daughter with you. She wants everyone to have pearly whites and no silvers. 

WATCH out She might bring you some FLOSS!

And the Winner is!

I am excited to announce the winner of our recent Sparkle Cup and Spark sample give-a-way!!!
Thanks to everyone for participating in this Spark give a way. If you're not a  winner this time, stay tuned, I do give a ways all the time. If you would like to try spark, simply email me or facebook me and I will mail you a sample. I just love to help others feel as good as I do, and it always starts with a spark.

The winner is:
MonicaJanuary 25, 2013 at 5:44 PM

Mmmm...mango strawberry sounds yummy!

Monica, Please email me( berrybliz90@gmail.com) your snail mail address to claim your prize.