~ HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL ~

She is busting with excitement

thrilled beyond belief

smiley & giggley

Just how it should be ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIA HOPE ~

WE LOVE & ADORE YOU!

Enjoy the Birthday Girl :

~ THE BIRTH"CAKE" CELEBRATIONS BEGIN ~

This is Mia's very last day of being a 3 year old! We've already started with the celebrating ~ yesterday we had my family over for dinner, cake & presents. Mia was just glowing and beyond excited . . . I am loving this age - she really understands what it's all about - she's having a great time :)

busting with excited!

Mia kept saying "I the birth"cake" girl !!"

(it is birth"cake" for her, not birthday - I love it!)

Opening presents with her cousins and brothers

Mia's all about the cupcakes this year ~
I found this cupcake mold at W*lmart, not realizing it was an info-mercial...
I scooped ice cream into the middle - which melted a bit and seeped out the bottom
BUT it was still cute and very yummy!

loving her new skooter!

My mom made me this birthday cake (Mia and I share a Feb bday)

with my grandmothers recipe for yellow cake and chocolate cocoa icing...

just tasting it reminded me so much of my wonderful grandmother ~ she was the BEST!

*The silly little carousel is a family joke - when my oldest brother turned one year old ~ he had this huge carousel cake; and I always tease my parents because in my pictures I had a small, regular cake for my first bday...second child syndrome?!

My mom found this carousel -

it was a Christmas decoration and popped it atop my cake when I wasn't looking :)

very funny mom!

"Happy birthday to you!"

Tomorrow my princess will turn 4 years old!

It will be her 3rd birthday home with us

amazing:)

~ PEEK INTO PRESCHOOL ~

The other day Meggie's mom left her camera at school ~ the teachers took these photos of the kids ~ and we got to peek inside preschool :)

Oh, and if you think the children are dressed a bit strange...that is because it was crazy dress day:

Love Mia & Meg's concentration :) serious snack time!

I'm assuming the music is on?

Mia's teacher, Miss "J" really gets into the theme :)

her outfit was hysterical - she was wearing her daughter's

old prom dress!

When I picked Mia up on this day, her teacher stopped me to tell me what a smart girl my Mia is :) She told me how Mia knew there were 4 fish, how to spell her name and how her speech has really improved :) She is making friends and interacting so much more with the other children :) To say I was busting with pride and joy would be an understatement :)

Big smiles for this mama!

~ LOLLIPOP LOVE ~

Just love the little pinky sticking out :)
Oooo, those sweet cheeks :)

~ MY LITTLE PARTY PLANNER ~

Mia's "thing" lately, is making a party(which means a mess) all over the family room and livingroom. If it wasn't so adorable and if I didn't really look at the details; the flowers in the middle of the table ( which she took from my bathroom!), her dollies with a napkin on their laps ~ I could go nuts - you see, she takes things from ALL over the house for these parties...if I can't find something, I go to her party :)

love her concentration ~

and how she has to dress up for the party :)

I just adore my little party planner :)
who has a birthday coming up real soon ~

I feel pressure to plan a real good party...wonder why :)

~ FUN IN SNOW BOOTS ~

The other day we got a fresh coating of snow and it was in the 30's; which at this point is warm! Mia and I went out to run errands and of course, she had to wear her dress and tights...no leggings or pants for this girl!

She was having the best time just walking around in the snow - in her boots and it was so cute...I had to run inside for my camera :) I kept thinking to myself "I will remember this, I don't need my camera"; but I needed it :)

When we got to the store, the parking lot was so crowded - I drove around and around looking for a closer spot and then gave up. Mia held my hand, jumped in every puddle she found, stepped in every slushy, snowy spot she could find ~ and it was FUN! She just giggled and laughed for our walk through this lot. Now... that I did not need my camera to remember ~ her sweet laugh, that giggle, her one-dimpled smile ~ I will not forget :)

~ A NEW OLD PHOTO OF DAN DAN ~

While checking emails the other day I came across one from the yahoo group/orphanage group from Mia's SWI. The subject line said "photos from June 07", and I got that 'feeling', I knew there would be one of our Dan Dan/ Mia! And, yes "Child B" sure enough, is our daughter at 16 mos. old. It is a picture we do not have. It is priceless to us!

Mia is the sweetness to the right, those eyes, those cheeks :)

The mom who uploaded these photos to our group said she was organizing her daughter's photos and came across three photos with unidentifyed babies in them. We are so blessed to get a new photo of Dan Dan/Mia over 2 years later! I have already added it to her baby photo album ~ the more information and pictures we can give her - the better.

When I showed Mia the photo, she was very concerned for the baby in the background, the one laying in the crib. The baby laying on the flat board, just gazing out at the other babies. It can just break your heart ~

I guess I will always worry, wonder and pray for the poor children left behind. After showing this picture to my mother, she said, "I wonder what Mia will think when she sees these photos from when she was in the orphanage.." I know, even now, they can just break my heart ~

I guess I will always wonder what Dan Dan/Mia's life was like before she came home.

~ MY PRINCESS AT THE PRINCESS MOVIE ~

Mia and I got a phone call on New Year's morning from Meggie & her mommy ~ do we want to go see the Princess & the Fr*g together? YES! What a fun way to start off 2010 :) Daddy and the boys came too...but they saw Avit*r (and really enjoyed it) while we did the girly-thing... My China Princess
The girls were so excited to see each other ~ it's so sweet,
their frienship is really growing :)

Their seats kept popping up because they are still so tiny,

and we let them sit on our jackets to see the screen better :)

The movie was. . . o.k., Mia could not wait for Tiana to turn into a princess; which took quiet a while and didn't last very long. Mia thoroughly enjoyed the popcorn and playing with Meggie, but she did have "ants in her pants" and it was a bit of a struggle to keep her seated at times. It is such a nice memory for us girls to have and I'm so glad we all went together :)

~ RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR, 2010 ~

Usually we stay put on New Years Eve and make up some app's and ring in the new year at home...but this year we decided to get out of our comfort zone and go to our friend/neighbors house for, what turned out to be, a great time! We may never stay in on new years again :)

Lisa (Paige's mommy), me and Melissa, our hostess (Owen's mommy)me, Lisa & Michelle (Meaghan's mommy)

Meaghan & Mia playing air hockey - it was so cute!

They were moving their little bodies to the music as they played :)

Paigey, me & Lisa

Eddie & his buddy "A", who lives next door.
We kept joking, it looks like they were on a date :)
They were sitting, listening to music together
and singing to each other - sweet...

More sweetness :)

As it approached midnight, all my kids were still up ~ and so was I! The excitement was building and they gave out horns and noise makers. Mia thought those horns were hysterical and could hardly stop from laughing to blow hers :) Her giggles were contagious! Let me tell you, we were way out numbered kids-to-parents and the horns & noise makers blarred loudly - it was FUN!

Mommy & Mia (she loves the loud horns!)
HAPPY 2010!

My big guy had a blast with all his friends

Mia rubs Eddie's back, he's tired and she's trying to make him feel better :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ 2010...WOW!