To her BirthMother

To Her BirthMother

You gave her birth. We’ll give her life

You gave her todays. We’ll give her tomorrows
You gave her race. We’ll give her identity

You gave her heritage. We’ll give her future
You gave her possibilities. We’ll give her potentials

You gave her up. We’ll have to let go
You dream of her future. We’ll work hard for your dreams to come true

You gave her hope. We will too.

Tom Fisher - "I am now the proud father of two adopted daughters, both are from China. Our second adoption was in February of this year." © April 17, 2006

As I celebrated the three wonderful young years of my precious baby girl, I got this lump in my throat today. I was standing at the sink washing up dishes from lunch listening to her and her big sister laughing , sharing the new birthday toys, it hit me, hard!!

In the city of Fuling today there is a BirthMother and Father wondering what and where their child is doing today as she celebrates her day of birth.

I know her heart is heavy, maybe tears stinging her cheeks as they stream down her face but I think she can feel the love that we feel for Jillian deep in her soul.

I hope she knows how deeply I love her, how I will always honour her and teach our child how much you loved her.

So today I not only celebrate Jillian's life but her BirthMother who gave it to her. I honour her decisions she made for Jillian and I thank everyone who was involved in entrusting our family with such a precious gift.

Happy Birthday Jillian,

Love and hugs,

Daddy, Mommy and Jie-Jie.

Our second year in a glimpse.

Jillian playing dress up, she is such a ham.

Again, dressing up in last years Halloween costume.

Very artistic and creative, loves to draw.

Eating her first pancake breakfast at the maple sugar bush, truly Canadian.

That's the smile that melts my heart.

Our first year with Jillian.

Xmas 2007

Storybook Gardens with my big Sister

In Grandma's garden

Spending time with Great Grandma

Getting to know her Jie-Jie

Her first snowman

Home from China just a couple of weeks.


Just a note of thanks for all your get well wishes for Jillian , her fever raged for about 8 hours, getting to 104.5 F. Today she is feeling much better, a cough is all that remains, her energy level is almost back to normal and her appetite is too(always a good sign).

Looks like she will be more than ready for her Tinkerbell party, cake was ordered today, Dairy Queen ice cream cake with Tink , all done in pinks.

Christmas Party.

My Hubby's company always throws one terrific Christmas party. The last couple of years they have had it at The Circle R Ranch, it has been a huge hit for the kids.
They have pony rides, hay(sleigh, but no snow to speak of)rides, pizza party and presents from no other but Santa Claus(his helper because the REAL Santa is too busy getting the toys ready)!
This is Mommy, Jen and Jillian riding on the hay wagon with the horses Ben and Jerry.

This is Jen and Jill with their favourite little pony"Skittles". They would have rode him all day long, trying to pry Jilly off so other kids could have a turn was a challenge. LOL.

You can see by the huge grin on her face Jill is having a blast!!!

Jen taking her turn with the very tolerant, gentle and adorable "Skittles".

Jen wanting Daddy to let go!!

The End. LOL.

Under the weather

Jillian is under the weather, she is fevered, a chesty cough going on and is very lethargic.
This is very scary to watch my very!! active baby lay around , sleepy and fevered.
Yikes.....

Looking back...

Jillian with First Hugs Nanny

My baby at 1 year, so tiny.

As I prepare for my baby's third birthday I can't help but reminisce . It has been two years since we brought our daughter home and what an amazing couple of years it has been!!

Jillian was born in Fuling and waited for us in Chongqing. Jilly bean was a very tiny baby and at 8 months had slightly delayed motor skills, she could sit but only for short periods, couldn't take a handkerchief off her head without falling over, unable to stand for any length of time and constantly cried for attention.

In the Chongqing orphanage there was a program(near and dear to my heart forever)called"The First Hugs Program", Jillian was one of the first babies placed. Within a four month period my baby could stand, could take steps while holding her hands, no longer cried for constant attention and formed healthy attachments to her nannies. I will be forever in the debt of the many supporters out there who generously donated time and money to see this program come to fruition and develop. Without this program and the wonderful nannies I really don't know what would of happened to my daughter, I know first hand the benefits these babies receive.

Today Jillian is quite an amazing little girl, beautiful, clever, very humorous, affectionate and I am happy to report her motor skills, let's just say the Doctor said she has no problems in that department. If he could catch her he'd probably be able to examine her. LOL.

So as I plan to celebrate her third birthday I can not help but give thanks to her beautiful, loving birth Mother, her home for fourteen months, the Chongqing Orphanage(The Lily Care Centre) and the First Hugs Program and the wonderful caring Nannies. For protecting, nurturing and loving my daughter I am indebted forever.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American Friends

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Embrace life...

Today my family has been once again been reminded to embrace family and friends.
Twice in 6 weeks a young life has been taken.
Fourchildren are to grow up without their Dads.
We can not wrap our heads around this, our faith is being tested.
From the loss of these two wonderful men we have learnt a valuable life lessons.
Live your life to the fullest, embrace your family and friends, tell them NOW you love them.

Thank you

We received a special package in the mail today!!
It was from Kimberley at The Seventh Diamond. Kimberley sent us Pumpkin lights for The Halloween blog contest, we tied for first place.
A big thank you to Kimberley, all those who voted and the judges who lurked about viewing our sites, thanks everyone.
The pumpkins will be a spooky cute addition to our Halloween decorations.
Kimberley, the girls loved the butterfly card so much, they had to put it on their bedroom wall!!

There you have it.

A theme has been chosen by Miss Jilly Bean, we are having a Tinkerbell birthday party.
Some supplies have been purchased, just doing some party planning.
Can't believe my baby is almost three.

It doesn't make sense.

Once again it has affected our family, my Hubby is losing a friend as I type. My hubby 's co-worker and friend is in hospital ending his very long battle, he is surrounded by his wife and two young children. My prayer now is that he finds peace and goes without anymore pain and suffering.
Are thoughts are with Kerri and her two children. May they find their strength, faith and be surrounded with love and support.

If you give Mom a muffin...

Little Ones If You Give a Mom a Muffin.

If you give a mom a muffin She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it., So she'll pour herself some., The coffee will get spilled by her three year old. She'll wipe it up.Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer, She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound of Hamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow. She will look for the checkbook.The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two year old.

While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!) Her five year old will answer it and hang up.She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee on Friday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, If she has a cup of coffee, Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Written by Kathy Fictorie

Lest We Forget....

In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

They are at it again!!!!!

I'm so frustrated , tears flowed from me this morning, so tired all this, must take some action, rectify this......

Dreams

Here I am at fours years old cradling one of my favourite dolls. I always had a baby doll in my arms, it was my favourite pastime as a child. I never had a favourite, I had many, they all had a name and a special outfit, but I was always their Mommy.
Andy M, my neighbour was always the Daddy, poor little guy didn't have anyone else in the neighbourhood to play with!! We would walk our babies up and down the street(lived in small town, never any traffic on the roads), fed them and carried them everywhere we went.
As I got older the baby dolls sat on my bed,got pushed into a corner as I grew and moved on to Barbie. I can remember packing them away in a box to give to my cousins to play with, not upset because I felt I was too big for dolls.
As my hubby and I completed our adoption and we received our referral photo for the first time I can remember thinking how I couldn't wait to buy Jennifer her first doll.
My Aunt made her tons of beautiful handmade doll clothes, knitted them little sweaters, smocked little nightgowns and made them quilts.
The first doll purchased will always be remembered because we were caught by the local television station and put on the 6 pm. newscast(it was close to Xmas and they were doing a story on popular toys).
As I sat on the floor to show my daughter how to hold her baby ,feed it, cuddle it, nurture and love it, I was flooded with childhood memories. I had dreamt of playing dolls with my daughter.
I am making a plea to those waiting Moms out there, in the constant roller coaster of emotions that adoption can lead you to, don't give up on your dreams they do come true, I promise.

Jillian with her doll she calls"Baby"



Jennifer calls her doll "Oprah". (Mommy is a huge Oprah fan, one wish in life would be to meet her)

Help me Welcome Owen Home..

Please help me welcome Owen home, go tohttp://journey-ofthe-heart.blogspot.com/ and leave some best wishes.

Welcome Home...

Thelma and Louise .

Photo courtesy of Sam at Just Keep Swimming

Well Thelma and Louise ride again.
In the early morning hours as Mom and Dad snored away like two bears in hibernation something dreadful was being conspired with whispers and giggles.
Thelma and Louise tucked under flannel and fleece decided to tiptoe out into the kitchen and prepare their own breakfast, you can see where this is going can't ya??First,they fed the fish again, poor Lenny and Frankie's gills were clogged with food, unscathed again they had full little tummies and they were rescued in time , jeez, I thought only cats had nine lives!!
Next it was on to the dog, on the menu for him this morning, Rice Crispies and water. Thelma dumped half a family box of crispies into the dog bowl, he gulped them up and lazily retired to his bed to watch the crime unfold(grinning all the while, I'm sure).
Louise got out the English muffins, toaster and butter. With good intentions she cut(Yes, all knives will be stored in the evidence room under lock and key)the muffin and stuck it into the toaster, this makes my hair stand on end!!! Thelma then butchered the butter, she cut and smeared a perfectly good pound of butter, leaving her fingerprints at the scene, EVERYWHERE.
You could be a blind crime scene investigator and not miss a print (on the floor, counters, cupboards, chairs and anywhere else you can think of) and that's not even taking the honey into consideration!!!!!
Next came out the rest of the Rice Crispies and the bag(full, last night) of milk, let's just say I am thawing a new bag as I type.
Now Thelma with a little good sense this morning decided she had better cover her tracks before the bad cops came out she decided to get the broom from the closet, all the banging woke Dad.
Now Dad knows from experience if Mom is awoke from hibernation, crawls from her den to see the mess that had incurred she is going to roar. He quickly started to clean, now I can hear the noise, thinking how sweet hubby has left me in bed started breakfast for the girls, I start to close my eyes and dream of Hugh Laurie,oops, I mean my husband. Then rudely Jennifer shakes me into the present to tell me "Dad is grouchy, he woke up on the wrong side of your bed".
I shuffle sleepily to the kitchen and ROAR, "What in the heck....."
Lets just say you'd have to be one fast police officer to take down Thelma and Louise this morning, they run out of sight before I could finish my sentence.
How was your morning....................

The sad tale of Princess Pee

Once upon a time there lived two Princesses in a tiny castle with their Mom the King, oops the Queen and Daddy the King.

The little Princess, to protect her identity we will call her, Princess Pee. Pee was an adorable little girl , but, yes there was a butt, there was a little problem with her sitting on her throne.

Now the Queen was getting a little digruntled with her Princess "I'm a big girl now" pull up pants. Not only were they breaking the royal bank but PP Princess is having her coming out party soon(refer to countdown clock)and we want her to be able to get some big girl underwear.

The Queen is just tired of pull ups and changing"stinky bums".

We have tried royal treats(carmels, yes resorted to bribes), princess stickers and kiddie soap(special sparkly foaming , you name it). We have tried saying if you go pee princess we will have high tea with the china cup and saucer and special cookies(every princess loves a tea party right?).

Now pee refuses to sit on the throne, fusses and screams, kicks and does her famous Princess pout. When the Queen or King finally settles her down she sits forever, we get her off put on the pull ups, you guessed it she will pee.

The last couple of days we have had pretty good sucess, not a lot of royal tantums and the Queen is doing her happy dance(thinking of an extra $40.00 in her purse), keeping her fingers crossed we may have turned a corner.

All I want is for Princess Pee is for her to have the honour of doing the royal flush, not to be wearing depends for her royal wedding to her Prince(like her Daddy will ever think any suitor will be a Prince, LOL)

Please....

With Our Sympathy

To Anne, Kyra and Grace our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.