HodgePodge Happenings

Introducing Maksim

2011-05-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

We are still here and doing well, except for my poor kidneys and the stones they keep producing:( So much has been going on around here. The biggest news is was the arrival of our Boston Terrier Maksim aka Maks. He and Noelle get along great:) Dallas is happy to have another little one to play with. Poor Maks gets pushed up and down the driveway in a baby stroller. He had better get used to it!!! Noelle is the tiniest Boston Terrier you will ever meet and Maks is just the opposite. He is a little "butterball." Here is his first official portrait.

"The Dallas"

2010-10-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Dallas is modeling the headband named after her. "The Dallas" can be found at Petal Patch Baby on Facebook.

I Will Reach for the Sun, Moon and Stars for You.

2010-10-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

My beautiful baby girl. I will reach for the sun, moon, and stars to get you the help you need and deserve. Wo Ai Ni♥♥♥ Dallas has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder by two neurologists. I have one last chance to appeal the denial for her much needed occupational therapy. I am now going to appeal directly to John's employee benefits committee. They have the authority to over rule the insurance denial. Now I just have to write the most important letter of my life and plead with them to cover her services and also pay for the services she has already received(lots of $$$). Please say a prayer or send positive thoughts that we can get them to agree to services and pay.

What is a Hero?

2010-10-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

{hero...a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life}

We're Still Here

2010-10-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated the blog since New Year's Eve!!! I really thought about shutting down the blog down this year. Dallas is getting older and I want to respect her privacy. Honestly, I just don't have the time or energy. So I have decided to take the blog in a new direction. I am going to make it more about me and my photography!!! Seriously though, it will end up being about Dallas and Noelle!!! Here is a photo I took of my baby at her first ballet lesson in last month. I call it {tiny ballerina}.

See You Next Decade!!!

2009-12-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

THE LOST REINDEER!!!

2009-12-26T09:52:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

2009-12-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Nothing better than hearing your little one sing Happy Birthday to you. I'm quite happy to be 43 years young!!!

Nature's Beauty

2009-12-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

Trying Hard Not to Smile!!!

2009-12-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Bad, Bad Blogger

2009-12-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I am just a bad blogger these days. I have the best of intentions with updating here but always seem to find an excuse not to update. Maybe these pics will hold you over until I can give a proper update in the next week or so!!!

Dallas and her friends "K" and "M" at their Halloween Party at Chinese school. Dallas wanted to be a doctor so Mommy fixed her up as "Mrs. Doctor McDreamy"!!!

Our Christmas Elf "Peter". He's not a big hit with Dallas this year!!!

Crazy Update on Me

2009-10-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

Life changed around here last Monday night. I went to the ER as I wasn't feeling well. I had a bladder and sinus infection that I had been fighting for almost a week and just couldn't seem to get rid of them. I was drinking gallons of water and any liquid I could get my hands on, I felt achy all over and my eyes were blurry. As soon as I walked in and described my symptoms, they checked me over and also my blood sugar level. They hooked me up to an IV and started draining my blood!!! Test results indicated a blood sugar level of 987!!! Turns out the dreaded family diabetes had finally caught me after all. I stayed in the hospital until Wednesday. Hospital food is horrible but even worse when you have diabetes. I have been resting at home trying to get the sugars under control. I finally got them into the high 100's yesterday after a few medicine changes. It should return to a normal range within a few weeks. My vision is slowly returning and I can drive now. My doctor is confident that I can get this under control. I hope to eventually manage this without any medication at all just by diet and exercise. Dallas is fascinated with watching me give myself shots and check my blood sugar. I swear this kid is going to be a doctor.

Thanks for Following Me

2009-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

I realized a while back that I needed to move the blog as I have had a paid Site Meter account and have been watching my stats closely. It seems that anyone looking for anything having to do with the city of Dallas gets directed to my blog. I got uncomfortable with people looking at her pictures and associating them with the naughty things they were searching for. Better to be safe than sorry as some of those search terms were quite descriptive. Jonni over at The Chronicles of Mommia designed my last blog and it was great. She is going back to China this Friday for Samantha and I didn't want to bother her so I decided to make on myself. Well, I cheated and used one of those premade backgrounds!!! I just need to finish resizing all the photos for this blog and I should be finished.

This summer I decided to take a break from photography and concentrate on other things, mainly getting the house into shape. Still working on that!!! We have had so much craziness here lately, including a broken tail bone, visit to the neurologist, physical therapy, 4 weeks of no rain and 100 plus temps. Hopefully that got your attention and you will visit again to found out all the details!!! To top it all off, my IL's are coming to visit in 10 days!!! What few photos I took this summer are coming soon.

Four Year Old Cuteness!!!

2009-05-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Noelle's annual Easter photo. She was mad at me and wouldn't look at the camera. For the past three years I have tortured the dog and made her pose with bunny ears on. She pounces on the ears when they come off. I have a few more photos which I will try and post tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Dallas!!!

2009-03-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Dallas turned 4 years old today. My baby girl is growing up fast. It seems like only yesterday that they handed us a bundle of joy. Look at her now. We celebrated by having lunch with a few friends. Dallas was very excited to have her two best friends Allie and E. join her for lunch. We went to my parent's tonight for birthday cake. Dallas picked out a My Little Pony cake this year. Here are a few pics from today.

She's So Serious at Times

2009-03-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

Please Vote for My Pumpkin!!!

2009-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have entered Dallas into a contest for a chance to be on the cover of our local mom's magazine. The winner gets to be "Cover Cutie" for 2009. Dallas is #39 and is in the 6th row. There are no names by the kids so here is the photo of her to look for. You can vote as many times as you want to each day until March 11th. Please, please, pretty please go vote for her!!! Here is the link.

Mardi Gras Madness

2009-03-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras 2009 saw Dallas' first parade and her first trip to the ER in an ambulance!!! I kid you not. We went to a Saturday parade and she had a blast. Dallas learned how to say "Throw me something mister" and caught quite a few beads and other trinkets. We also took her to the fair and she got to ride and eat cotton candy and popcorn. Just try and take it away from her once she tasted it!!! Fat Tuesday was another adventure. We went back to the same spot as before. My parents had their RV parked out there all week end so we had a place to chill in between parades. I was standing with Dallas on the parade route along with my parents and nephew. John had to go back to work so he wasn't with us. The last float of the first parade had just pulled up beside us. One of the riders threw me a huge bag of beads for Dallas!!! I was so excited because I had never caught an entire bag of beads before. I was holding Dallas in my arms and all of a sudden I see a large hard plastic bucket come sailing off the top level of the float right at us. I tried to deflect the bucket with one arm but I couldn't. It sailed right into the top of her head while I was holding her!!! Dallas started screaming and I started cursing like a sailor. I was furious and freaked out at the same time. My Mom saw the incident and she picked up the bucket and ran with me back to the RV. I just sat there and rocked Dallas in my arms while trying to figure out how bad she was injured. The bucket hadn't split her head thank goodness. The sheriff showed up to see what happened and took the bucket to go find the float. Here come the medics and we decided that she needed to go to the ER as there was a ridge in her head and the front was swollen. So Dallas and I got hauled off the parade route in an ambulance with the sirens going!!! By this time, Dallas had stopped crying and was loving the ambulance ride. The doctor said she would be fine. She had a red stripe on her scalp where the ridge of the bucket hit but no concussion. Her head was very sore and swollen and she was tired. We had to get back to the parade route because that is where I had parked. We get back and the parades are over. Dallas got lots of sympathy beads and trinkets from people who saw what happened. According to the witnesses, it was a freak accident. When the guy went to throw some beads, they snagged the bucket so the bucket went flying along with the beads. Five days later, she still has a slight ridge in the top of her head but she acts fine. The Mardi Gras Association delivered roses to the house along with more beads than she can ever play with. These photos were taken at the Saturday parade. BTW, we don't live in New Orleans so I have never questioned taking her to a parade. Next year she will have a helmet on!!!

3 Years Ago Today...

2009-02-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

Three years ago today my dream came true. I saw my daughter's face for the very first time. The phone rang at exactly 2:00 pm CST. Amanda from CCAI said "Congratulations Mommy, It's a beautiful baby girl." As she went over the referral information, I opened up the email she sent and just stared at the face of the most beautiful baby girl in the world. I was in shock, I was in love, I was a MOM. Right then and there, all the pain, hurt and fear just left my body. I was filled with instant love for my daughter. I just wanted to jump on a plane that day and get to her soon as possible. As I grow older I know my memory will begin to fail me and I won't remember all the little things that I would like to. Rest assured, somewhere in my heart I will always remember how I felt the moment I saw her sweet little face for the very first time.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Blog Redesign

2009-02-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am going to totally redo the blog. It might look freaky for a while but please bear with me. I want a fresh new look for this year. I am hoping it might inspire me to post more often with pics of course!!!

ETA: It is now Sunday night and I am still not finished. I have never met a more stubborn blog layout before. Hopefully it will be completed this week!!!

ETA: It is now the 11th and I have turned the blog over to Jonni at The Chronicles of Mommia. She has kindly offered to fix it up for me. Just wait until she sees the big Mardi Gras care package coming her way!!!

Hey You, Slow Down!!!

2009-01-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

Dallas has now turned into a back seat driver!!! Mama, slow down, slow down, SLOW DOWN. I'm not even doing the speed limit and she's screaming at me from the back seat!!! I'm not speeding these days because the cops are out in full force in our town lately. Plus, the next town over has those lovely speed vans and cameras at many intersections. Don't even try to argue with her and explain how you are carefully doing 3 mph under. You cannot reason with an almost 4 year old. Just admit you are speeding and promise to slow down!!! Dallas was screaming at her Daddy while he was mowing the lawn today. Slow Down Daddy, Slow Down. Hey you, slow down. I was laughing so hard I just had to go outside and tell him to Slow Down!!!

I bet many of you thought I would go an entire month without a post!!! We have had things going on around here lately that have taken up my time and energy. It just seems as though there is never enough time to get everything done that needs to be!!! My digi-scrapping is non-existant for now. I am concentrating on my photography skills as well as trying to learn Lightroom 2. Here are some pics I have taken lately.

New Year's Wishes

2008-12-31T21:40:00.000-08:00

"Oh no, it's New Year's Eve already. Where has the time gone." Wishing you and your family a safe, happy, and prosperous 2009. For all those waiting families, our prayer is that the CCAA will finally speed up in 2009 and bring your little one home sooner.

Favorite Links

2008-12-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

Family Blogs

(D)rivvel Supp
A View Through My Window
Adventures of Hannah Mei
Allie's World
Cady Chase
Double Happiness
La Bicicleta
Love & Happiness
Making a Family
Moments with Maisie
Oliver Michael
Our Loco Life
Rachel Days
Salsa in China
Sasha Lili
She Makes the Stars Twinkle
Stinky Mouse
The Chronicles of Mommia
The Pixel Fairy Princess
The Taming of Tenley
Waiting for Sophie

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Noelle, as usual, didn't want to pose for her traditional Christmas picture but I managed to bribe her with the promise of ham and roast for dinner!!! More pictures to come later after we visit with my family.

Look What Dallas Got for Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Looks like Dallas got her "pink bikikul" for Christmas. Now she just needs to learn how to ride it!!!

Update on FIL

2008-12-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all the prayers and kind words for my dear FIL. Here is all we know so far. The doctors cannot find the source of the stroke(the blood clot). He is a very healthy(aside from the stroke) and stubborn man. He is now in rehab in Duluth and doing very well. They are hopeful he will be able to go home this weekend.

I've been tagged.

2008-12-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged for an 8 things meme by Casey from "The Queen Bee" Here are my answers.

8 Favorite TV Shows:

1. Grey's Anatomy
2. CSI Miami
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. Fox and Friends
5. * Wow Wow Wubzy
6. *Caillou
7. * Make Way for Noddy
8. *Kipper
* By this time Dallas won't let me watch anything else I like so no more favorites for me*

8 Things I Look Forward to:

1. Watching my few favorite shows.
2. Time for my Photography
3. Time for my Digi-Scrapping
4. The end of football/baseball season!!!
5. Few minutes of peace and quite here and there!!!
6. Having my house clean if only for a day!!!
7. Seeing the joy on Dallas's face when she sees the new "Pink Bikickul" Santa will bring her
8. Turning "42" on Tuesday(the 16th)!!!

8 Things on my Wish List:

1. Peace and quiet on my birthday(Hey it's my wish list!!!)
2. Dallas would sleep in her own bed all the time with no problem going to sleep
3. My family's/friend's health and well-being
4. All the camera equipment I can imagine
5. The knowledge to use all that equipment!!!
6. To lose weight and look good in that bikini on the beach in Cancun(Hey it's my wish list!!!)
7. For people to know the true meaning of Christmas
8. For everyone to know of God's love

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Emergency Room(Sinusitis and Pharyngitis)
2. Take a nap with Dallas
3. Few loads of laundry
4. Internet
5. Hit Amazon for last minute deals(Dallas' birthday in March is now covered!!!)
6. Read Scott Kelby's "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2" Chapter 1
7. Watched TV with Skip and Dallas(Their fave shows not mine!!!)
8. Sulk and pout around the house about not feeling good

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Landry's Seafood(local)
2. Chili's
3. Applebee's
4. Casa Ole
5. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
6. Outback
7. A great Italian Restaurant(unfortunately none around here)
8. A few various local Chinese Restaurants

8 Blogs I Follow:

1. (D)rivvel Supp
2. La Bicicleta
3. A View Through my Window
4. Kristin Vald
5. Making of a Family
6. Allie's World
7. Love and Happiness
8. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
*In no particular order*

An innocent little cough....

2008-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

It all started last Thursday with an innocent little cough. Dallas was in the doctor's office the next morning. Cough, cough, snot, snot!!! Then she started with the high fever that wouldn't stay down. Two more calls to the pediatrician's office and three prescriptions later, she is finally feeling better. Then it happened, she gave it to me!!! Why is it that I feel like death and she was bouncing off the walls while sick. Cough, cough, snot, snot, puke, puke!!! I really don't feel like typing anything else so I am going to take my codeine cough syrup and go to bed. Maybe I will blog more tomorrow.

Dallas and Santa 2008

2008-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Miss Priss went right up to the big guy and hopped up in his lap. She wasn't afraid of him at all. Santa asked what she wanted and she told him "I wont pink bikickul Santa". Dallas wasn't shy about asking either as she kind of demanded it!!! Yes my baby, Santa will bring you a pink bicycle for Christmas.

Prayers for my FIL please

2008-12-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Skip's dad had a minor stroke yesterday. The doctors ran tests today and found his carotid artery 60% blocked. He is being transferred to Duluth tomorrow morning where he will undergo more tests to find out where the blood clot is and then surgery. Could you please say a prayer for him. I will update tomorrow when I find out more.

I'm Getting Braver!!!

2008-11-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

I find myself not taking nearly as many pictures of Dallas lately. Now that I have learned to take the camera out of Auto, I have a tendency to take better quality pictures(or at least I think so!!!) I'm not just standing there shooting anything that moves hoping to get just one good picture!!! I'm getting braver about taking my camera out in public and taking pictures of Dallas when the mood hits "both" of us. I really enjoy shooting in RAW format. I feel it gives me more freedom to do what I want with my pictures. I shot the second picture this afternoon with a Nikon 85mm f/1.8. I think this will become a favorite lens along with the Nikon 50mm f/1.8.

Oh How I Love Her Smile

2008-11-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

"Grammie, I Da Bomb"

2008-11-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

I finally got into the mood to take some pictures today. There are times when Dallas gets aggravated because I won't stop!!! Then there are the times when I just don't feel like it. I decided to take Deb's advice and bribe Dallas to let me take a few pics of her today. What worked you might ask...Mint flavored Chapstick!!! I swear she would eat it if I didn't watch her. Today was a beautiful day here in South Louisiana. Tomorrow is a different story, with it being about 15-20 degrees colder. She was so proud of her new "Moo Cow" dress from Matilda Jane. When we arrived at my Parent's house to take my Mom shopping today, she looked up at Grammie and said "I Da Bomb". Oh the things kids say!!! The last pic is of my nephew "B" or "Bubbie" as Dallas calls him. She still can't say his name, so "Bubbie" it is. I shot these in RAW today and tried my best to process them. I have a long ways to go but I am quite proud of the start I have made. Before I get emails asking about the Christmas decorations in the yard, it is my Parent's house and half their neighborhood is already decorated!!!

Why Can't They See What I See?

2008-11-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Dallas is my daughter...she was born on the other side of the world..she was born from her Chinese mother...she was born from my heart...she was wanted...she was prayed for...many a tears have been shed over her...by her Chinese mommy...by her forever mommy...by her Chinese family...by her forever family...when I look at her, I see hope...I see love...I see beauty...I see laughter...I see childhood innocence...I see mommy...I see daddy...I see the Chinese family who gave her life...I see the child who makes my gray skies blue...I see the child who is making me go gray early...I see God's answer to our prayers...I see that God does have a sense of humor...I see the child who is her grandparent's joy...I see the child who is adored by aunts, uncles, and cousins...I see the child who puts a smile on everyone's face...I see the most beautiful, intelligent, spirited, loving, creative little girl God put on this planet...most of all, I see my daughter Dallas.

written by Mommy on 11-09-2008

The Things They Say!!!

2008-10-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Daddy: Dallas, are you a goof-ball?

Dallas: Thinks for a second and then says "No, I'm a red ball"!!!

One of those Moments

2008-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at the computer this afternoon messing around on the internet and I hear Skip yell for me to "Hurry up and bring the camera". I grab my trusty Nikon D90 and run as fast I could to the back door. Dallas was standing there in her school clothes all covered in sidewalk chalk. Wait a minute, she wasn't like like when I picked her up from school 30 minutes earlier!!! Of course I had to remind myself that they are only little once and this is, after all, one of those moments I just have to photograph!!! I'm in the last week of my photography class so I have learned a few things about taking the camera out of Auto. I start going through my mental checklist of what I would need to do in order to take a great shot of this moment in manual mode. I set the ISO too high and I wish I hadn't set the aperture for this much blur. I did a little color correcting in Photoshop, added my watermark, and here is the finished product. While I was getting the camera set to take the pictures, Skip was telling Dallas where to stand and to smile(which she didn't). He was even telling me where to stand to get the best shot. I think I've got him trained!!!

New Layout

2008-10-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my new blog layout. I really wanted to create my own background instead of just doing a plain one. I am going to change it more often now to reflect holidays and seasons. It was a real pain but I was determined not to quit. I am still seeing HTML code flash before my eyes!!!

Many Apologies

2008-10-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry to have been such a lame blogger this past year. I fear I have lost many faithful readers due to my lack of posting. I am back blogging now and plan on posting much more often. Now that I am developing my photography skills, I won't be as ashamed of showing off the pictures I take. Now catching Dallas in a mood to be photographed is another story!!! She's not always the most cooperative when the camera comes out. My Mom says it's payback because I did the same thing to her when I was younger. Here is a picture I took of her last month. She was tolerating me sticking the camera in her face!!!

Look What I've Been Working On!!!

2008-10-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have forgotten to post some of my Digital LO's I have been working on. I haven't done any lately because I just haven't felt like it and I have been doing other things, like learning how to use the camera!!! Here are some LO's I have done over the past several months.

Photography Course and More Pictures

2008-10-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

I've been taking this online photography course over at the Spraground for the past 4 weeks and I am loving it. I have actually taken the Nikon out of Auto and put it into Manual!!! I don't always know what I am doing but I love it. Dallas and I went to the airport last week and you should have heard hear scream DADDY as she ran to Skip's arms. She is such a daddy's girl and has him wrapped around her little finger. The first picture is the original straight out of of the camera. In the other four I was playing around with different actions I purchased from Mindy.

Can You Guess What She Did Today!!!

2008-10-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Dallas got more chalk on her than the patio!!! As you can tell, she really gets into her work.

My Poor Baby was BittenToday

2008-09-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dallas hadn't even been at preschool for 2 hours when the phone rang. Her teacher was calling to tell me that another little girl had bitten Dallas on the arm. She didn't break the skin but she did leave her bite mark on Dallas' arm. Dallas was crying but she was okay and they had ice on her arm. It was a totally unprovoked incident according to the teacher who witnessed it. When I picked Dallas up later that afternoon the director mentioned that the little girl had done this before. Kids will be kids and things like this unfortunately do happen so I didn't make a big deal out of it. If something like this does happen again I will ask that more be done. Dallas is fine now and hasn't even mentioned it tonight. Give her a few chocolate chip cookies and she's happy!!!

New Camera and of Course Pictures

2008-09-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dallas is getting more used to the idea of being in front of my camera now. I bought the newly released Nikon D90 last week and I love it!!! I am also taking a photography course finally and am learning how to take it out of "Auto" mode!!! Here are some of my favorite pictures taken over the past few days.

Post-Hurricane Update

2008-09-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

We all made it through the storm. It was bad but not quite bad as it was supposed to be. We went to my parent's house and stayed from Sunday to Wednesday. I don't remember much about the hurricane because I took a tranquilizer and went to bed!!! I slept for a while then a big branch came off the tree in the front yard and hit the bedroom window. Thank goodness the windows were boarded up. The electricity was off for about a day and a half but it didn't bother us because we had a generator on the refrigerator/freezer. My parent's have a motor home so we took turns relaxing in there with the air conditioning and satellite TV!!! There was no damage to my parent's home, our home, or my little brother's home. Our home lost power for 2 days and we are still under a "Boil Water Alert". I lost the entire contents of my refrigerator and freezer because things had started to defrost. I can't complain because we could have lost much more. I just can't restock it yet because the grocery stores also lost everything and it will take at least a week to restock them. Somehow all 3 of us have managed to become sick. This is a first for all of us to be sick at the same time. Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, headache: you name it, all the good stuff. So we are at home resting and doing nothing much. I am closely watching out for the next hurricane and praying that it doesn't come near here(IKE STAY AWAY!!!). I managed to take some pictures during the daytime when the curfew wasn't in effect.

The pecan tree in my parent's adjacent lot. Took out 2 neighbor's fences!!!

Snapped power line downtown.

My brother's neighbor lost an old oak tree.

Mulate's world famous Cajun restaurant lost it's roof.

Pulled the pumps out of the ground at the service station.

It didn't take long for the hummingbirds to return.

Darn Hurricanes!!!

2008-08-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those who have emailed and text messaged me about my need to update the blog. I don't know why I have a mental block about updating the blog lately!!! So here we go. Looks like Gustav is going to roll right over us. Looking at the last hurricane tracking map, the eye might pass extremely close to here. As soon as I finish this post I will finish packing up a few things and we will head to my parent's house. Then we will all decide on where we are going to next. The adoption paperwork already got packed up first yesterday. Can't forget that paperwork!!! Skip and my little brother will be staying behind at my parent's house so they can check on things after the storm passes. We really think they will be fine or my Mom would have already thrown them in the camper and locked the door!!! I packed plenty of chips and beer for Skip so he is all set!!! We might head towards Houston so I have already contacted someone about the possibility of staying with her family for a few days. I will update you as soon as everything is over and they let us come back home. If you can spare any prayers and positive thoughts for us all I would appreciate it. This was the weekend we were supposed to head to Disney in Florida for our travel group reunion. Oh well, maybe next time.

Look what I got!!!

2008-07-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

We bought this to travel in. The new 2008 Honda CR-V EX-L. It gets awesome gas mileage on the highway!!! I love green so I had to have this one.

We're still here!!!

2008-07-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy busy summer around here. After my last post we decided on the spur of the moment to head to just outside of Boston to visit family. My Aunt was in the final stages of a brain tumor and we knew she didn't have long. We had a great time with my cousin, her husband and their 3 wonderful adorable girls. Dallas just loved meeting her new cousins. I took Dallas to meet and spend some time with her Great Aunt. She was a very important person in my life and it meant so much to me that Dallas spent time with her. My Aunt was in a semi-coma but I have no doubt that she knew we were there. We left on a Monday and she passed away that Tuesday morning.

We were home for about a week and a half before heading to Minnesota for my IL's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Another 11 day trip!!! I loved the weather as it was about 25-30 degrees cooler that it was here!!! I had to go buy sweatshirts and warm pj's for us. Dallas spent time with more cousins, 16 to be exact. She's grandchild #17 on that side of the family. I don't think she had a chance to walk for the first few days we were there because they all wanted to carry her. We had a great time and are already planning to go back next summer. I would really like to buy property up there for summer vacations and eventually retirement.

I don't want to leave the house until next year!!! We have decided to cancel our trip to Disney World this September. Being gone for 22 days was alot, especially $$$ wise with gas prices. Dallas did well but it took her a while to get settled back down once we got home. I was looking forward to seeing our China travel group again and seeing how all the girls have grown. Oh well, there's always the next reunion.

Dallas is doing extremely well in preschool. She really likes going now and doesn't cry when I drop her off!!! We are going to try her two full days a week next month instead of the two half days we do now. I have ordered a preschool homeschool curriculum for us to do together. It arrived yesterday and you should have seen the look on her face when she saw all her new books. She just sits there and "reads" to herself.

Overall, things are going well now. We have had our fair share of ear-infections, stomach viruses, etc. We did have a scare back in May when Dallas had a few minor seizures. She had to have an EKG, MRI and EEG. The MRI and EEG were both done with sedation. I am happy to report that the test results all came back negative. We have to watch her in case it happens again.

Big Girl Bed!!!

2008-05-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Dallas is now sleeping in her "Big Girl Bed"!!! She started climbing out of her crib a few months ago. Sometimes she would climb totally out and other times she would get "stuck" on top and scream for us in the middle of the night. I converted her crib to a toddler bed but that didn't work at all. She would wake up and promptly run to our room and get in bed with Mommy and Daddy!!! There were several nights where we would lay on the floor next to her until she feel asleep. By 2:00 am she would be right back in bed with us!!! Dallas has never been a great sleeper. It took us 7 months just to get her to sleep in her own crib after we got home with her. Even when she does get in bed with us she still is very restless. She gets half of a king size bed and we get the rest!!!

So "Sleeping Boot Camp" began earlier this month. I went out and bought full sized bedding for her and we converted the toddler bed to a "Big Girl Bed". Bye Bye crib!!! Yeah, Mommy didn't handle that too well. The the real fun began with night #1. I ended up sleeping in the bed with her because she would have nothing to do with her new bed. This went on for several weeks. She didn't want Daddy in the bed with her only Mommy. I was functioning on very little sleep. We finally decided to let her CIO. This was the best thing for us and we all sleep much better now. I made sure the furniture was bolted to the walls and that there was nothing she could get into. I moved the video camera to where it could scan the entire room. Finally, we put a gate in her doorway to prevent her from walking around at night. The first week was horrible. Skip would lay in the bed with her until she went to sleep and then go back to our room. When she would wake up and realize she couldn't get in bed with us, she would scream. I would watch her from the monitor in our room. She started taking everything off the bookcase by her bed and throwing it over the gate into the hallway. Then she threw the bedding into the hallway. Finally, she would climb back in her new bed and go to sleep. The next morning she would get up and clean up her mess and act as if nothing ever happened!!! It's been about a month now and Dallas is doing much better. She still doesn't like to go to bed but at least she is sleeping through the night without anymore major tantrums. If she does wake up she will cry for a while and then go back to bed. I think she got tired of cleaning up her mess so she doesn't throw stuff anymore!!! The gate will remain there until she can learn to stay in her bed without running around the house in the middle of the night. I have the monitor by the bed and can check on her at any time. Mommy and Daddy are finally getting some sleep and Dallas is actually sleeping better as well.

This Child is Making Me Go Totally Gray!!!

2008-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dallas decided to fall off the back steps tonight and land on her back and head. By the time we got her to the ER, she had a nice sized goose egg on the back of her head. Thank God Daddy was home for this trip to the ER!!! Nothing broken and no stitches needed!!! We just have to watch her tonight and keep putting ice packs on it. I think Dallas wanted to see her favorite Nurse tonight. Nurse Deb is the best and always takes great care of Dallas. Dallas is making the most of her injury now and getting waited on hand and foot!!!

Several people have reminded me that I need to update the blog. I have been sick for about 4 weeks now and am just feeling better. It started out and allergies/sinuses then went to a respiratory infection and finally pink eye. After 5 trips to the doctor I am finally on the mend. Fortunately, Dallas was only sick for a few days. She went to Grammie and PaPa's for a few days so Mommy could rest up. Skip was at work as usual.

As soon as I catch up with cleaning the house/laundry, I will sit down and post more. I have some pictures that I managed to take and will post them as well. It will be a long night as we have to wake her every few hours and check on her. I think Daddy gets to do this since he has all the emergency medical training!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

My Baby Turned "3"

2008-03-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately. Dallas turned "3" on Monday. I threw a party for her Saturday with several of her friends and cousins. Total Hello Kitty themed party. They all had a great time. Dallas finally got her doll house she wanted and hasn't stopped playing with it since then. I promise to post a few pictures of her birthday and some that I took of her in her birthday dress. She is growing up so fast. Her 3 year check-up is next week and I will let you know her height/weight stats then. I have been working on my digi-scrapping after she goes to bed. I really am getting into it now and get so excited when I learn something new!!! Here are two that I have worked on lately.

Two Years Ago Today

2008-02-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today my dream came true. I saw my daughter's face for the very first time. The phone rang at exactly 2:00 pm CST. Amanda from CCAI said "Congratulations Mommy, It's a beautiful baby girl." As she went over the referral information, I opened up the email she sent and just stared at the face of the most beautiful baby girl in the world. I was in shock, I was in love, I was a MOM. Right then and there, all the pain, hurt and fear just left my body. I was filled with instant love for my daughter. I just wanted to jump on a plane that day and get to her soon as possible. As I grow older I know my memory will begin to fail me and I won't remember all the little things that I would like to. Rest assured, somewhere in my heart I will always remember how I felt the moment I saw her sweet little face for the very first time.

Plea for Help from Half the Sky

2008-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Half the Sky has set up a Little Mouse Emergency Fund to help the orphanages with the weather crisis in China. Please consider making a donation today. Living conditions are severe and deteriorating rapidly due to the coldest weather in China in 50 years.

Silly BowHead

2008-01-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

Dallas has this fascination with hair bows lately. She loves to look at them but doesn't always choose to wear them. Every morning as I get her dressed, she asks for a hair bow. It stays on about five minutes!!! She is constantly losing them when we go out. Yesterday I went out and bought her ten new hair bows. This morning she wanted to wear them all at one time!!!

She's Growing Up

2008-01-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

I have been going through pictures of Dallas the past few days. She has only been with us for 21 months now, but she has changed so much. I am getting a little teary-eyed looking at all the pictures. She's not my little baby any more. Today I managed to crank out 2 more digital scrapping pages. I'm getting better at it!!!

It's Official, I'm Addicted...

2008-01-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

I've contracted the Digital Scrapping bug. I finished three today.

Whoops, I Did It Again!!!

2008-01-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with Photoshop again tonight and look what I did. I created my very first digital scrapbooking page!!!

WooHoo, I Did It!!!

2008-01-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

I learned how to use Photoshop Elements 6 to create my new blog design!!! I won't tell you how long it took. I have never done digital scrap booking until last night. It wasn't easy but I am hooked on it now. I think I have found my new hobby and it goes great with all the pictures I have been taking on my Nikon D40. Now to convince Dallas to let me have computer time to create all those layouts of her!!! In the meantime, here are a few pictures I just took of Dallas playing in the front yard.

Biker Girl

2007-12-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Dallas got a pink motorcycle for Christmas. It was a gift from my parents. Dallas sits on it and scoots it around. She is terrified of pushing the pedal to make it go and freaks out whenever she accidentally hits the pedal!!! Give it time Poppa, she will soon be zipping up and down the driveway. Dallas, you will NOT own or ride a motorcycle when you are older!!! So enjoy this one while you can.

Trying out Bubba's motorcycle for him.

Fun in the Sun

2007-12-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

Celebrating with Family

2007-12-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

Dallas and I went to my Parent's house for my birthday dinner and cake Sunday afternoon. My Mom baked "Turducken"(Turkey stuffed with a Duck stuffed with a Chicken). It is delicious but the dressing in it is a bit spicy. We had family over from Baton Rouge. My SIL Melissa and niece Windsor and nephew Jace. Since we wouldn't be seeing them again before Christmas, we decided to let the kids open their gifts. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Dallas and cousin Windsor

Cousin B's new puppy "Sophie" or "Fofie" as Dallas calls her.

Bubba and Sophie. Dallas calls him Bubba because she can't say his name.

Cousin Jace

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2007-12-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Today is my Mommy's Birthday. She is a young 40 something! We are going to my Grammie and PaPa's house for cake and presents later. She says I don't have to buy her anything because my hugs and kisses are the best present ever. Happy Birthday Mommy. "I Wuv Ooh"

Dallas
XOXOXO

Playing with Uncle John

2007-12-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Dallas just loves her Uncle John. He came over the other day and they spent some time playing in the yard in the wonderful 80 degree weather we had. Ladies, my little brother is still single!

Introducing Mary Elizabeth

2007-12-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Dee & Bill just received their long-awaited referral of a precious daughter today. Mary Elizabeth was born October 6, 2006 and resides in Guizhou Province, PRC. Her Chinese name is Guan Min Huan. Congratulations Dee & Bill, Mary Elizabeth is precious. Dallas can't wait to meet her new friend "Ary"!

I Love this Kid!!!

2007-11-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Dallas & Santa 2007

2007-11-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

I'm Still Around...

2007-11-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

I've just been in a bit of a "blogging slump" lately. There have been a lot of things going on around here this past month and I just haven't felt like blogging. My little brother Joshua went to Iraq a few weeks ago and I have been feeling down. Dallas is a "little terror" lately and is constantly keeping me on my toes!!! The best news is that I found my half brother who was adopted!!! We have been emailing back and forth and finally spoke on the phone for the first time this past Friday. I have two more nieces!!! Hopefully we will all get together soon as we have many years of catching up to do. I will leave you with a picture of Dallas and I do promise to post more this week.

It's Not Even Halloween Yet, and Christmas Is Out

2007-10-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know about where you live but Christmas is already out here and it's not even Halloween yet. They started putting things out about 3 weeks ago. I've already got most of Dallas' toys purchased and hidden in the house. Please don't tell her!!! We went to the mall before Chinese school today just to do a little shopping, Yeah right! I wanted to go to H*llmark to see the ornament collection for this year. I always buy a few of their ornaments each year. I saw this one and had to have it. It is way too cute. It is dated Christmas 2007. It will fit on my tree perfectly as I don't have a theme to my tree. It seems to be just whatever I like.

Cutie Pie Pics

2007-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy around here lately and I haven't had a chance to post. Here are some pics taken over the last couple of weeks.

Chicken Pox!!!

2007-09-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, Dallas now has Chicken Pox!!! She was fine yesterday. We went to to our Mommy Sing with Me class at the Conservatory and she acted totally normal. Last night I went to put her pj's on her, and they were all over her torso. I didn't know what it was so I took her to our local ER. This would explain the viral infection and high fever she had recently. We chose to have Dallas re-vaccinated when we returned home but she still managed to get them. Hers is a mild case though, thanks to the vaccine. We still have to keep her at home away from everyone. I felt so bad when I had to call people this morning that we had contact with the last several days. This is not going to be a fun week. We finally got her play area in the backyard fixed up and now she can't go outside because it is still in the 90's here. Maybe my house will finally get a thorough cleaning!!!

Time for an Overdue Update

2007-09-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a good friend last night who reminded me "Susan, you need to update your blog. Dallas isn't sick anymore." I have been meaning to update but ~~have just been too lazy~~ something always seems to happen when I sit down to update the blog. Yes, Dallas is better now. She ought to be especially after two trips to the doctor and one to the ER. Turns out she had a rather nasty virus that just wouldn't go away.

I have made the decision not to send her back to preschool until next year. I just don't think she is ready yet. I was really looking forward to my two mornings of quite time each week but her well-being is more important now. I am putting her into activites at least three times a week that way we both get out of the house. I signed her up for Mommy Sing with Me lessons at the symphony orchestra. Nobody told me that it was also an aerobic workout for me!!! Saturdays she goes to Chinese school. Yes, I have the class clown. She entertained everyone instead of learning how to sing a cute song. We are also going to get family memberships to the zoo and Children's Museum. Definitely enough to keep us both busy. I am taking her back to the beach in Bilioxi tomorrow. I got a news lens for my camera and am anxious to try it out. Here are some pictures taken over the last several weeks. I will defintely post the beach pictures when we return.

All smiles until the dentist comes in!!!

Her favorite ride at the mall

Taken while she was sick

First Week of School and Guess What...

2007-08-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Dallas gets sick!!! I finally decided to send Dallas to a really nice Daycare not far from the house two mornings a week. We are working on her social and emotional skills at the request of her speech therapist. Tuesday went pretty well. She didn't even cry when I left. She only hit a kid twice so that's a plus. I went to pick her up at 2:00 pm and they said she was okay until naptime. She refused to take one and proceeded to scream for two hours!!! No problem as I gave her a late nap at home. Thursday was a different story. She was crying as I walked out the door. Three hours of peace and quite at home!!! Then the phone rings. My heart sank when I saw caller ID. "Come pick Dallas up." She screamed for three hours and refused to eat lunch. We agreed to try it again next week for a few hours and slowly build up. Yesterday(Friday) Dallas woke up with "Summer Snotfest 2007" going on. She was also drooling more than a St. Bernard. Off to our favorite ENT, Dr. David. As much as all the members of my family visit her office, her kid's college education will be paid for!!! So today we have to stay home and miss the annual FWCC luncheon. One look at her snot crusted eyebrows would probably get us tossed out anyhow. I was so looking forward to adult conversation today. Hopefully her medicine will kick in soon and she will take a nice nap.

First Trip to the Beach

2007-08-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

We stopped at Bilioxi Beach last week while taking Skip over to take care of some business for work. The devastation from the hurricane is still overwhelming. Most of the beaches in that area are closed but we found a few in Bilioxi that were opened but still not lots of people around. Dallas didn't know what to think of the water and sand. She wasn't scared but she wasn't going in!!! It was at least 100 degrees so we didn't stay for long before making the 3 hour trip back home. We will be back in the area after Labor Day so hopefully we will have time for her to play in the sand and get wet.

Few Ideas for the Quilt

2007-08-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

I been going through websites looking for ideas for the quilt. I really don't know what I want it to look like yet. The final design depends on how many squares I receive. Now to figure out who I can get to ~~make the quilt for me~~ help me make the quilt!!! Here are several designs that I am leaning towards.

100 Good-Wishes Quilt

2007-08-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

To welcome and celebrate a new life, it is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei or 100 Good-Wishes quilt. The custom is to invite family and friends to contribute a square of fabric and a wish for the baby. Most of the square is sewn into the quilt, while a smaller piece goes into a creative memory notebook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a square of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

Here is what you would need to send if you choose to participate:

(1) One 12x12�square of pre-washed 100% cotton fabric. This type of fabric is best, as it washes and wears better. Select a fabric that is meaningful to you. If there are several members in your family, please feel free to send more than one good wish note and pieces of fabric. In China, these quilts were originally made from the garments of family and friends surrounding the child with luck and good wishes.

(2) A 3x5(or larger) card with a wish dedicated to Dallas. Please include a separate scrap of your fabric glued to the card. What would you wish for a child to have in her life? Some ideas are good health, perseverance, compassion, love, and a sense of humor. Use that as a guide for your good wish note. It can be something original you wrote, a favorite poem, lyric, or quote that has special meaning to you, or your favorite Bible verse. Please remember to sign your wish and include your city and state. Your wish-card can be elegantly simple or colorfully decorated with stickers and photographs, or whatever else that tickles your fancy. Anything goes. This card will go into a scrapbook for her to always be able to see all those who waited and prayed for her to come home.

Skip and I hope you will be able to participate in this gift for Dallas. We just want for her to know how loved and cherished she is, not only by us but by so many others. I haven’t decided on how I want the quilt to look yet and what main colors I want to add to it. So I will wait for all the squares to come in and then decide once I see all the beautiful squares you have sent. If you do decide to participate, please email me at lingbabygirl-blog@yahoo.com.

One Year Ago Today....

2007-08-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Dallas stood for the very first time by pulling herself up in the computer room. I remember turning around and there she was standing up grinning at me. I tried to take a pic but I got one right after she fell. Then about 5 minutes later, she did it again and I was waiting with the camera. Then she practiced it over and over until she got tired. Later that day, she started crawling for the first time. Seems like a lifetime ago. Definitely one of those moments I will never forget!!!

Finally an Answer!!!

2007-07-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting about problems we have been having with Dallas' health lately. I really didn't want to post about this earlier because I have been so worried and didn't want to make myself more paranoid about what could be wrong. For several months now Dallas has been having what I would call "assplosions" or mush several times a day. Anywhere from 2-9 a day to be exact. She is finished teething so that wasn't a concern. Her appetite was normal and she was growing and gaining weight. She was very active and literally bouncing off the walls. Couldn't get any answers from her pediatrician as to what could be causing this "problem". I took in diapers on two different occasions to the lab to be tested. Nothing infectious or unusual in either sample. We changed her diet and still no relief. We even tried Soy milk with no relief.

The worse feeling for me was watching Dallas child scream and cry because she was in so much pain and didn't want me to change her diaper. Dallas had a horrible yeast infection from going to the bathroom so much. I finally called a pediatric gastrointerologist and made an appointment. I lucked out and got her an appointment the next day because of a cancellation or we would still be waiting. He examined her thoroughly and couldn't determine what might be causing the problem. So he did an upper GI endoscopy on her last Thursday to rule out some things. Dallas did very well up until she saw the IV in her hand and then freaked and wanted it out immediately. Although not the cause of her diarrhea, he did say she has a hiatal hernia and reflux.

I finally got the remainder of all the tests/biopsies in today. She has been diagnosed with "Toddler's Diarrhea". It should resove itself eventually. We have had to cut out most of her juice intake and limit her mostly to whole milk and water. She was tested for Celiac Disease and it came back negative!!! All her stool tests have come back negative for any parasites. They did put her on Prevacid for the reflux/hiatal hernia. Hopefully after a while her esophagus won't be as swollen/irritated. Dallas has never shown any signs of reflux that's why we were shocked when he told us that she had it. Things seem to be returning to "normal" with her digestive system since we altered her diet last Thursday!!!

I just knew something wasn't right with her lately. I am so glad I kept pushing until we found an answer. There were many times when we both cried during her diaper changes. That "problem" is also clearing up slowly and she doesn't cry any more. We will continue watching what she eats and limit the fried, spicy, and sugary foods in her diet. She has to go back to the pediatric gastro in September for a check-up and hopefully all will be back to "normal" by then. Sometimes the more you try to find out what could be wrong, the more worried you become. I was terrified that something horrible might be wrong. Thank God there isn't.

Cutie-Patootie Pics

2007-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Friendly Hurricane Advice!!!

2007-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Gulf of Mexico and making two basic Meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.

(2) We could all be Killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Texas and Louisiana. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you needto do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on my past experiences of having 37 Hurricanes run over me, I recommend that you follow this simple Three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1. Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three (3) days.

STEP 2. Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3. Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will stay here in Texas and Louisiana foolishly. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and

(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Texas and Louisiana, or anyother area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance Companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance at all,because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainlynot why they got into the insurance business for in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value ofyour house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane Katrina/Rita, I have had to use 27 differenthome-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Company, under a policy which states that in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my husband and kidneys.

SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

(1) Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourslf, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

(2) Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps until December.

(3) Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

"HURRICANE PROOF" WINDOWS: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

HURRICANE PROOFING YOUR PROPERTY: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles (also a good place to hide family).

EVACUATION ROUTE: If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an Evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's License; if it says "Louisiana," or South Texas, you live in a low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES: If you don't evacuate, you will need a mass of supplies. Do not buy them now! Louisiana/Texas tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fist-fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies as well:

(1) 23 Flashlights.

(2) At least $167 worth of batteries that, when the power goes off, will be the wrong size for the flashlights.

(3) Bleach (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)

(4) A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.

(5) A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool).

(6) A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Camille; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators).

(7) Have $35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

(8) A chain saw (you might have to cut your car out of the house).

(9) Gasoline (people will trade sons and daughters for gas and can help you cut the car out of the house).

(10)A generator (along with instructions on how not to electrocute yourself hooking it up to house power) along with plenty of gas.

(11)A gun to prevent people from stealing your gas.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the Gulf and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to get away from the Gulf.

Remember, as you are trying to get away from the Gulf, there is protection afforded when stuck on the freeway with all the other cars who have run out of gas on their way to Nebraska (just be on the inside lane).

Good luck, and remember: its great living in Paradise!

Prayer and Praise Friday

2007-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kristi over at BamaGirl Diaries is starting a new weekly "Prayer and Praise Friday". If you would like to request a prayer or have praise for something that has happened, please post it over there every Friday. Kristi is a great friend who really cares and genuinely believes in the power of prayer.

To Whom It May Concern

2007-07-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this over at Magi's blog and had to borrow it. This is so true of Dallas and her dolls and stuffed bears and kitties.

To Whom It May Concern,

I do solemnly swear that regardless of what you may think upon observing my daughter at play with her doll, I have never:

dragged her by her ankle
jammed her sippy cup up her nose
poured a pretend drink in a stacking cup into her ear
sat on her head
carried her by her hair
held her by the arms and shaken her
buried her under the blanket.

I do, however, admit that the following actions she did learn from us:

cuddled her
stroked her back
stroked her face
rocked her
given lots of kisses
held the sippy cup to her mouth
covered her and said night-night.

Sincerely,
Dallas' Mom

P.S. Don't you love watching pretend play?

Happy Birthday America!!!

2007-07-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July from my little "Fire Cracker". BTW, the ladybug tattoo on her right leg(3rd pic) isn't real but she sure does like it!!!

My Little Diva

2007-06-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

"Superstar"

2007-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Dallas has now had her picture published in a major magazine!!! I took some great photos of her back in March and decided to send a few of them into Adoptive Families Magazine to see if they might publish one of them. Check out the August issue that just came out. Page 52, top right corner. That's my girl!!! I found out today when they sent me three copies of the magazine along with a letter which I will frame for her. I couldn't stop screaming when I opened the envelope. Of course I called John at work and then my family. Now I've hit the internet, shamelessly bragging about my girl!!! In case you don't subscribe to the magazine, here is the picture. It was also published in our local parenting magazine a few months ago. I just love this picture of her because that smile is so genuine and she was so happy to be outside picking flowers that day.

Not So Happy Kitty

2007-06-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here is what Cissy looked like this morning after she came out of hiding. She actually is more comfortable in the hot summer months with being shaved. We only get it done once a year around this time. That way it will be grown back by the fall and winter. At least she wasn't hissing at me this morning like she usually does. She actually let me pet her just for a second last night!!! That's because I made John take her to the vet while I picked her up. I wasn't the mean one who had this done to her this year!!!

Kitty Goes to the Vet

2007-06-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Our cat Cissy goes to the vet once a year for her shots and to get shaved. She isn't happy about this because they have to sedate her. She is a rather mean, cranky, temperamental old cat who dislikes me intensely. She and John were part of a package deal. I think it all started with me making him get her declawed and spayed before he could move in with me. We get her shaved because her fur is thick and gets matted because she doesn't let anyone pet her. Dallas would love to get her hands on this cat and just pet her and hug on her but Cissy will have nothing to do with her. Dallas' second word after we got home was MEOW. Still doesn't impress the cat. So John and I got up early this morning and formulated our plan of attack to corner Cissy and get her into the cage. Luckily this year, no blood was shed by either of us!!! She might be declawed, but she can still bite. After getting her into the cage, Dallas and Noelle were anxious to get at her and torment her. Poor kitty, just wait until you see how she looks when I get her home!!!

Messy is Fun

2007-06-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

I love this week's Family Fotofun Friday Challenge over at Donna's blog. Her challenge this week is "Messy". This is something I can totally relate to with Dallas.

We're Back Home

2007-06-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Actually we've been back for several days now but I've been to ~~lazy~~ tired to post anything. We had a wonderful time. It was nice to get away from home and even nicer to get away from our hot/humid weather here in Louisiana. North Carolina was so pleasant last week. I should have packed Dallas a lightweight jacket but didn't think she would need it. I have lots to post about but this collage will have to do for tonight. This was at the NC/TN state line on I-40. It is so beautiful around this area and is where I grew up for much of my life. Dallas did well for as much travelling as we did. Every once in a while we would have to stop and let her run wild and get rid of that energy she was holding in!!!

VACATION!!!!

2007-05-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

See you in a week!!! I will have lots of great pics so be prepared.

"Gazillions of Buboos"

2007-05-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

I went out and bought Dallas a bubble machine last week. She calls them "Buboos". In fact anything that is round is a "Buboo" to her!!! The bubble machine supposedly makes 4,000 bubbles a minute. I can't exactly count them all, but I'm pretty sure it does make that many. I put it out front last week and turned it on so she and Noelle could chase the bubbles. About 5 minutes later the neighborhood was full of bubbles!!! I'm surprised Mr. Cranky on the corner didn't come out and fuss at me. They were kind of landing on several cars. She and Noelle had so much fun chasing the "Buboos". Of course, Noelle was eating them as she caught them. I had to hose Dallas down when we were done because she was covered in bubble mix.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

I want to wish all the Mom's a Happy Mother's Day. To all the Mom's to be who are still waiting for their precious little ones Happy Mother's Day. Your little one is out there and the first Mother's Day celebration with them will be so sweet.

The Moment I've Waited for....

2007-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Finally came true this past Saturday. My daughter told me she "Loved Me". My heart just melted and I fell in love with her all over again. "Wu ooh", the two sweetest words to come out of her mouth. She's also started calling me Mommy more and more. Of course it's still MOMMA when she wants something or MOM when she wants out of her crib!!! "Wu ohh to baby doll".

No More Physical Therapy!!!

2007-04-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

We cancelled PT as of last month. Dallas doesn't seem to need it anymore. Her therapist said Dallas wouldn't qualify after her annual review in June because she has caught up to her appropriate age level finally. She will still qualify for Speech and Occupational therapy but she is catching up in those areas, just not as quickly. Dallas is fearless. She is climbing on everything and jumping off the furniture like a maniac. This explains all the bruises on her arms and legs!!!

This is where I found her last week!

She wanted some Easter candy.

So, she climbed on the table and got it herself!!!

Raspberries

2007-04-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

I think this video was taken the next day in the evening after we had finalized the adoption. Dallas was finally beginning to open up to us. John was already teaching her to do all kinds of new things like saying DaDa, sitting up, rolling over, and Raspberries.

Video of Gotcha Day

2007-04-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video of "Gotcha Day". Until today, I didn't know how to get video from a mini-disk and transfer it to the computer. It took a while to figure out what I was doing. Now that I might have figured this out, you will be seeing lots more videos of Dallas and of course Noelle! I have more video of the big day that I will work on tomorrow. Enjoy this short clip, I had to fight back the tears as I was working on it. I still can't believe the Lord blessed us with this child.

One Year Ago...

2007-04-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we were handed the most beautiful baby girl, our daughter Dallas. I don't remember much about the hour leading up to the big moment. I was in total shock by that point. We started the process on December 27, 2004 and there we were on April 23, 2006 with our dream coming true. It was right after 5:00 pm that our guide James came in the room and told us that Dallas had taken a nasty spill a few days earlier and had a "bump" on her forehead but that she was okay. He just wanted to let us know so it wouldn't be a shock when we saw her. We both knew right then and there she was meant to be our child!!! They started bringing in the babies one at a time and the crying began, babies and parents!!!

Then came our turn. Dallas was so beautiful, bump and all! John ~~grabbed~~ took her first. She was so quiet. All I could do was look at her in total awe thinking "So your the one who stole my heart even before you were born." Then John placed her in my arms. I was actually holding my daughter!!! It was the greatest feeling ever. Right then and there I felt my heart grow a hundred times with love for this child. The motherly instinct kicked in right there and I knew what I had to do from there on out. She was our child and I loved her with all my heart and there was no way I was leaving China without her!!! She just kept looking at us and looking around. There were twelve families in our group and they were still presenting the babies. Then it was done and the babies were all in their families loving arms. I realized that I had just witnessed a miracle, the creation of twelve new families.

I will write more later today. I am also going to show our "Gotcha Day" video for the first time ever along with pics of Dallas from that evening. Here is a picture taken of us moments after becoming a "forever family". The second picture was taken of us yesterday after celebrating our "Gotcha Day" anniversary with my family.

"Gotcha Day" Anniversary in China

2007-04-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

As I type this it is already April 23rd in China, our "Gotcha Day" one year anniversary. This time one year ago, we were already at the airport preparing to fly from Hong Kong to Nanchang. Only about 6 1/2 hours away from meeting our daughter. I remember just how excited, scared, nervous, and anxious I was. The day I had waited well over 16 months for and dreamed of a thousand times was finally happening. When I wake up in the morning, I will have had my daughter for one whole year.

We were so happy that day.

Our travel group.

Twelve anxious families.

Nanchang, here we come!

The scenery around the Hong Kong airport is spectacular.
Notice the high rise apartment buildings in the background.