Summer Catch Up

Posted on June 21, 2013 by ehilimire

Ok, I have not done a very good job of blogging lately.  That must change!  Here is a quick overview and catch-up so I can get back to talking about some of the day-to-day craziness around our circus.

D graduated from Kindergarten. He was full of smiles, and I was the crazy mom crying in the front row.

We went on a wonderful Disney cruise with some of our favorite friends. It was a perfect way to kick off the summer.

Hannah started the summer screaming in terror when I took her in the pool. She is getting better every day.

We have been enjoying family time in the mountains every chance that we can get.

Here is a rare shot of Z without a book in his hands. I have loved watching him become such an avid reader.

The boys started swimming on our neighborhood team. Competitive swimming is not something that really comes naturally to either one of them. Still, they have blown me away with their hard work and dedication. I am so proud of these guys!!

There is always time for some ice cream!

Can I just say that I love summer?!?!  I love having the kids here, I love our relaxed pace, I love the fun things we are able to do together.  I wish it was summer all the time!! 🙂

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Cardiologist Time

Posted on May 9, 2013 by ehilimire

This month is an important month for our sweet Hannah.  This month she has officially been home with our family longer than she was in China.  It feels like she has been with us for a very long time, and it is still hard for me to accept the reality that she lived so much of her early life without us.  I grieve the precious time that we missed with her, but celebrate that she is ours forever more.

This month we also went back for her check-up with her cardiologist.  I was pretty nervous going into that appointment.  I know that at some point we are going to find out that surgery is now inevitable, which means that I will be filled with apprehension each and every time we go.

The overall good news is that she does not have to have surgery now.  She has a leaky pulmonary valve (which we knew), a leaky aortic valve (which we did not know), and now some enlarged vessels in her heart from the back flow of blood.

So, we continue to watch her.  She can continue to grow bigger and stronger before she has to have surgery again.  We can breathe a sigh of relief, even if only until next time.

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The Story of a Haircut

Posted on May 7, 2013 by ehilimire

Today was a big day for Miss K.  She got her very first haircut.

Beforehand she was feeling pretty good about it, and happy to pose for me for her “before” shots.

When we arrived and it was time to sit in the chair, she started having second thoughts.

Then the hairdresser started cutting.  Sweet K was not at all sure this was going to go well.

Finally, she was finished and K got to see it.

At first she was happy, but I think that was mostly relief that it was finished.  Luckily I got this one picture, because she was not willing to let me take many “after” pictures.

By the time we got to the car, we had a lot of this.  She has also been asking repeatedly when it is going to grow back.  Poor girl.  I thought it was going to be me shedding tears watching her baby hair be cut away, but turns out it was K herself.  Awww.

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My Christmas Present Finally Arrived!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by ehilimire

Last weekend was the weekend that I had been waiting for since Christmas.  It was my photography weekend with one of my photography role models, Lisa, and 11 other wonderful women.

I was incredibly motivated to go on this trip.  I flew by myself to PA.  The flight was on a teeny tiny plane.  It was raining.  Those of you who know me know right there that that was HUGE.  We also stayed in a haunted hotel.  It was a 9 story hotel, and I figured there wasn’t much of a chance that I would be near the haunted room.  Yep, the haunted room was 932, and I got room 930!!  I had an adjoining room to the haunted room!  Luckily all went smoothly in the hotel. 🙂

We spent the weekend together doing multiple photo shoots of adorable children in absolutely gorgeous settings.

To say that I learned some things would be an understatement.  I feel like I definitely took some steps forward as a photographer, which I am thrilled about.  I also met some incredible women, most of whom are also adoptive moms.

It was just an absolutely wonderful experience.  Thank you, Lisa!  And thank you again to my wonderful husband for making this happen for me. 🙂

 

 

 

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Easter 2013

Posted on March 31, 2013 by ehilimire

You might not be able to tell from this picture, but K had a rough night last night.  She cried for over half an hour before bedtime because she was scared of the Easter bunny. She got so upset at one point that she asked me to leave a note asking the Easter bunny not to come to our house.  That put D in tears.  Well, K didn’t want her big brother upset, so she said, “D, if the Easter Bunny comes upstairs to my room, will you fight him for me?”. D was thrilled with this compromise. I guess I should just be glad that he was looking out for his little sister?

This morning everyone was all smiles though. We had a wonderful early morning together, enjoying family time.  We made it to church (only slightly late), and we had a fantastic lunch with two sets of grandparents, aunts, and our sweet cousin.

And after all, it isn’t about the Easter bunny anyway.  Happy Easter everyone!            Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

 

 

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