22 Months

Blowing kisses with her jewels at 22 months

Tutu fun

Not a fashion day just a kick back tutu day! Had a tea party with lots of crackers and monkey hugs wearing slipper boots and a pink tutu....such fun!

9 months - oh how cute

9 months ago on the 24th our daughter was placed in our arms! Wow look at her now!

Deodorant for animals

Laney is with us 24/7 and watches everything we do. So yes when she sees us putting deodorant on she holds up her arm and says "turn". So we pretend and put some on her. Well this time she grabbed it and ran into her room.................this photo is what we found her doing. YUP putting deodorant on her friends. OMG...TO CUTE!

Kitchen

She is kind of excited and really likes her new kitchen toys (thanks Auntie D).

2nd CNY

We enjoyed dressing up in more Chinese outfits for our 2nd 2010 Chinese New Year Celebration. Laney was so into the show. It was a joy for us to just watch her laughing, smiling, dancing, singing and just staring at the stars of the show. They had martial arts, singing, dancing, instruments, costumes, magic and comedy. The best part.........we went as a family of 3 (still love writing that)!

CNY photos

The blog post from 2-13-10 will describe our day but here are photos to go with that. Amazing after all the years of CNY celebrations dreaming of our daughter and she is now finally home!

V day photos

The blog post from 2-13-10 will describe our day but here are photos to go with that. In the morning Laney loved her Valentine pink heart monkey and wanted to read her new monkey a book. At night she sat with some special Valentine's she got in the mail and just giggled with joy. Happy Valentines day it was!

CNY and V Day

February 14, 2010 is Chinese New Year (year of the Tiger). Of course the 14th of February is Valentines Day as well. We will celebrate Chinese New Year with all 3 of us dressed in our Chinese outfits and having a special Chinese meal while watching an awesome red dragon dance with special friends. As far as Valentines day we will shower the precious love of our life with hugs, kisses and a few special gifts for her 1st Valentines day at home with us. We will take a moment and hug extra long thinking of two precious little ones that left our world on V day 2004. This year we can remember them with a newly found special happy heart in the precious innocence of Laney. We are so fortunate to have been blessed with our wonderful daughter Laney and the love we have for her helps bring smiles to our hearts. Happy Valentines Day & Happy Chinese New Year to all!

PLEASE help Families and Children

The photo is what I am sending to all my senators, representatives and congress people. Would you please take a moment to write a letter, send an e-mail, maybe even send a photo if applicable. PLEASE help families & children, PLEASE. Details below:

Help make the federal adoption tax credit permanent
Adoption, congress, federal adoption tax credit, h.r.213, letter to senator, taxes
by Jason Kovacs
Here is detailed info on how you can contact your Senator and Congressional representative to urge them to support "The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213." This legislation will make the tax credit permanent. Unless legislation is passed, the Federal adoption tax credit that allows many adopting families to take a credit of up to $12,150 (2009) is scheduled to expire in December 2010.
Here's what to do (much of the text below is updated from theAdoptivefamilies .com website):
1. Find the name and Washington, D.C. mailing address of your Representative and Senators at http://www.congress.org/. To find e-mail addresses, click through to the Senator's or Congressperson' s Web site.
2. Send them your request. Tell them how important the tax credit was to you when you adopted your children, or how much you and other families you know are counting on it to be available in the future. Emphasize that the tax credit truly results in more children finding homes. Tell them that this is so important to you that you will be following the bill's progress through Congress.
p.s. Even if you are not planning to adopt, please support adoptive families and advocate for orphans by contacting, thank you!
3. INCLUDE A FAMILY PHOTO: While e-mails are valuable, a written note with a picture of your family or your children will be most effective. If sending e-mail, you'll actually want to avoid attaching a photo; the large size of the message and the attachment could, potentially, mark it as junk or harmful e-mail.
4. If any of your Congresspersons are already co-sponsors, write them a thank-you note. Again, letters sent by snail-mail with photos of your children will receive more attention.
To make it even easier, here is a sample letter that you can personalize with your own experiences:
SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR SENATOR or CONGRESSMAN:
The Honorable FIRST NAME LAST NAME
U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives
OFFICE ADDRESS
Washington, D.C. ZIP CODE
Dear Senator LAST NAME:
My family and I are your constituents in NAME OF TOWN. We request your support of The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213
The adoption tax credit that this legislation would make permanent is very important to my family and me. Without this significant financial help, we would not have been able (or would have found it very difficult) to adopt our beloved son (or daughter), NAME. I include a photo of my son/daughter.
As you may know, adoption expenses can easily exceed $25,000, a significant sum to most families. (Or, if your expenses were more, say so.) Without the adoption tax credit, we would probably not be able to adopt another child.
I truly believe that the adoption expense tax credit results in many more children without homes finding new, loving families like my own.
I urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 213. This legislation is so important to me that I will be following its progress through Congress. Thank you in advance for your support of this legislation that truly serves children who need new families.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME

family shot

1st build a bear (lamb)

Laney got a present! Her first build a bear (well actually it is a lamb) and yes she loved the box! But she also loves the lamb. She hugs, kisses and cuddles her. Every time she sees it she says "hand" (because when you squeeze it's hand it says "I love you").

those chubby little hands (and thighs)

I did not want to forget those chubby little hands that no longer want me to help her hold her cup of milk (we are now on a rice milk but that is another story). She takes my hand and moves it from the cup and puts it elsewhere on her body (her leg, her back, her neck) like to say "mama don't use your hand to hold my cup use your hand to rub my leg, my back, my neck". Cracks me up because if I stop rubbing she takes my hands and motions it to rub. Can't say I blame her, smart girl. While I was taking the chubby hand picture (everyone always tell us what chubby little hands she has) I thought about those thighs - oh I could just eat her up so hence the chubby little thigh pictures too. Just a few pictures I never want to forget and she is growing up so fast!

1, 2, 10

ONE, TWO, TEN all in that sweet sweet voice. Oh Laney you are precious and your counting is cracking us up.

Uncle

Laney's Uncle (mama's little brother who is a pilot) is off to the Dominican Republic to help fly doctors, food and others supplies to Haiti. What an amazing thing! I am sick to my stomach with worry but beaming proud at the same time. Just a moment to say ..............................LOVE YOU UNCLE!
Love, Laney (Mama & Poppy too)