Chinese New Year

We celebrated Chinese New Year a little late this year because it fell on the same weekend as our Gotcha Day and Grommy's Birthday celebrations, so we planned our party for the next weekend.  Miles and Sam were working on their Cars puzzles before the party got started while I was getting everything ready.  Kevin took a picture of Miles hard at work!

While I was getting ready for the party, I saw this cake on a fellow adoptive mommy's fb status.  I decided that we had to make it because it was, after all, the year of the dragon this year!  It was only hours before the party though, so I had to improvise! I was already headed to the store for a few things, and I picked up some already made angel food cakes to use as the dragon's body.  So, it was pretty simple.  One cake that I saw was covered in yellow m&m's that looked like scales.  It was awesome!

We love CNY because it means we get a chance to get together with our families and we always love that
!!

We LOVE that the Paredeses were able to join us and celebrate CNY with us!  Max and Jason both came in their super authentic garb that they got while in China getting Max!!!

Grant found our treasure hidden in one of the dumplings.  Traditions says that he gets an extra red envelope for finding it, which he did!!!

Sam and Miles were demonstrating some of their crazy dance party skills!

Todd joined the dance craze!

GPK took on the role of the dragon and the boys attacked him!!

We made dragon puppets for our parade and these kiddos were hard at work!

 Claire made hers in Baylor colors, so it was beloved by lots of our party-goers!  The Goods and the Paredeses both have serious allegiance to those Bears!

 Next up, we wrote our wishes on strips to tack onto our oranges.  We throw them into the trees.  The word "orange" in Mandarin sounds similar to the word for "good luck!"

 Maddy's orange in mid-flight!

 Time for the dragon parade.  Laney didn't want to be the leader of the parade, so we asked Max to take the lion puppet and lead our parade!

 Once again, Todd joined in as a rather creepy dragon at the back of the parade!

 Time for red envelopes stuffed with brand new one dollar bills!

 And finally, we shot confetti poppers, our version of CNY fireworks!

 Todd is re-enacting one of our favorite pictures of Jack making a silly face last year at our party.  Jack is such a good sport!!

 Miles brought GPK into his room to show off his big boy bed and bedding that Bobbis and GPK got for them.  Todd has been working on their room since our foundation was repaired, patching all the cracks and repainting.  He has painted their beds too and added some wooden paneling.  It is so cute.  The brothers room is finally nearing completion, they have certainly waited long enough!

Jess and Jack's Birthday!

My sister and Jack have January birthdays and get a combined party at Bobbis and GPK's every year.  As soon as we got ther, Sam asked GPK for his Ipad.  Sam is obsessed with technology.  His brain may rot right out of his head if we are not careful.  He would play on the Itouch or watch TV all stinkin day if I let him.  My other two get bored with "screen time" soon enough, but not this kid!

 I made a yummy pinterest cake with lots of chopped Snickers involved.  Can't go wrong with chopped Snickers!

 My two sweet sisters. 

 I love this picture of Laney and Aunt Cait!

Cookies for Sale!!

Laney is a Daisy Girl Scout this year.  I signed up to be her troop leader at the beginning of the year.  I wanted her to have an opportunity to build relationships with Ditto girls and to feel comfortable in the group, and I thought that leading it would be the best way to ensure that!  As previously stated, she has done amazingly in kindergarten and probably didn't need any of my scheming and masterminding to make sure that she was going to be successful!!!  Regardless, we are having lots of fun with our Girl Scout friends!!!  We sold cookies this year, a project that was completely organized and handled by my very resposible and with it co-leader!  I did nothing!!  We sold cookies at the grocery store one afternoon, and the girls couldn't have been cuter!  I am not sure anyone said no to these adorable faces!!!!

Dinner time cuties!

This was a while ago and I can't remember why I started taking pictures at dinnertime, but obviously the kids were looking cute and I do love to document everything......

Some reading!

When I saw everyone squished in our chair doing a little reading of Meet the Cars, I had to snap some pictures.  How could you not love seeing all three of them loving each other and loving reading.

 For the record, I think that I might be able to tell you every single character in this book!!!  Any questions you may have about every last insignificant role in either Cars or Cars 2, send them my way!!!

Gotcha Day Pure Bliss!!!

We always go to Pure Bliss on Laney's Gotcha Day and this year was no exception!  The Goods and Bobbis came with us and helped us to make sure that Laney felt super super celebrated!!!!

Grommy's Birthday!!!

We left Putt Putt and raced home to have our birthday celebration with Lezlie!  Her birthday is the day before Gotcha Day so we always get lots of celebrating!!  Grommy opened up a calendar from us and Laney made sure to be a good little trash-kie just like at Christmas time and picked up all the wrapping paper!

Sam and his precious Lovey Bear!

 I can not stand how cute this pciture.  He is so cute looking lovingly up at his sweet Grommy!!!

 Hailey brought a super yummy carrot cake!!

 The brothers got a remote control helicopter from Sladana and Soraya for Christmas.  Todd got his hands on it and they all love playing with it so much.  It has since suffered an accident and is not flight worthy at this point, but my husband is skilled and it just might make a recovery!

Grommy wanted to keep the photo ornament that I made for her out all year, so we found this little ornament displayer for her.  Right before she opened it, she told me that her bestie had gotten her the exact same thing!!!!  Guess I will have to make her another one next year to hang on ours!!!!