Christmas Pictures

We have had some Christmas pictures taken....tada. Not to worry...everyone will receive their own personal photos with their Christmas cards so no need for downloading. I, of course, am completely partial to the ones with just Haley. Now photographing a 1 1/2 year old is challenging at the best of times. And from these photos you can clearly see that Haley is absolutely happy when she is moving and confused when she is asked to sit still....So we had the photographer for the national ski team take our photos! ...... well it looks like you will have to wait for the family photos.....blogger will not accept the picture files....too big....so all you get is a glimpse. Is she not completely beautiful! and what a smile!

Born in Our Hearts

Today is the day we officially signed Haley's Adoption papers.....An important day technically but she was part of our family so long ago already, even in terms of being physically with us. By now we could not imagine life without her. and it had only been one day. We woke up this morning one year ago to Haley's smile and a "bah".

Oh yeah...smile....Happy Birthday Daddy! It is also a special day for another reason. I don't think I can top last year's gift! It is the gift that keeps on giving!

(This new blogger has so many options...I keep pressing buttons to see what will happen, sorry about my blogging technique....I was going to hang on to the old version just for comfort sake but really it is fun to move along with the times....besides I would be out of the blogging loop....there are still more buttons.....maybe I will post before I mess around some more)

I'm having fun blogging...on this sunny but cold day. A very special day for my family.

Today is the day

Happy Forever Family Day! It is hard not to feel sentimental on this day...okay for me...maybe the whole month. My daughter has changed my life in the most beautiful and best way ever. I just have the best family and I love them so much. It really is difficult not to get too mushy about them.

Blogger Challenged

So blogging is not really that difficult...time consuming....but not difficult. Being a fancy blogger...now that takes some effort....I continue to learn....I think my font is going to change? Is this good or bad....I have no idea what all these new buttons are for....let's just keep trying....Bear with me everyone....

Haley, Wei Ling and Megan 1 year earlier.

Trying to post some more...blogger is not cooperating...

So it really depends on your time zone

So my last post was 20 days ago? Hmmmmm Time is flying. Yes it truly is -26...and has been for the past few days...and will continue for a few more....sigh....better by the weekend. Who can think that far in advance..it is freezing cold...and yes...we do wonder why anyone lives here...really... we question ourselves at times like this. It does seem insane....I think it is warmer in Yellowknife...we could move north and be warmer...True Albertans are tough...they have to be...but the purpose of this post....One year ago.......

One year ago today, we were definitely in China. Were we about to see Haley for the first time? Did we have her in our arms already? Does it really matter? These were life altering days, so exciting, so beautiful and so completely overwhelming. She was meant to grow up with us but we had no idea how to change her diaper...Ahhhh we have come a long way. I could do it now with my eyes shut. We didn't sleep, we were so excited, we were far away in a country that was about to let us adopt one of their own and raise her as ours. Quite a gift. Thank you to Wei Ping's mother and father for their precious gift, we love her completely. She is beautiful. She has an incredible smile, a gentleness of spirit, a mind of her own and a family that truly loves her.

We celebrated our "together day" with our friends. We had a play date at the Southland leisure centre and then went out to dinner. Can you really make these girls sit together for a picture? We tried. Wei Ling, Emily, Megan, Haley, Kendra and Lily...It is the gang. A few highlights..Wei Ling has finally refused a meal...he he he.... we all knew it was coming. Megan has a scratch from older sister Emily. This was also coming. Haley can not sit still....too busy, Kendra lets her mother put bows in her hair...no one knows how... and Lily has an older sister that we are all a little jealous of. Sarah makes such a perfect babysitter.

The first of many more to come......Happy Forever Family Day!

Our Day at the Zoo

I don't really like the zoo. I love animals and think they should be where they belong. Hence, I don't think a giraffe belongs in North America. But, when your child loves animals..off to the zoo. Now Haley didn't really find it all that much fun either. However, I think her frustration and eventual boredom was the result of not being able to throw her arms around any of them. She wanted to kiss and hug every animal she saw. She was not even allowed to touch the turtles that were just walking about...too much for her....she fell in love with the ice cream guy wearing shoes....at the very least she could touch his feet and his shoes!

New Friends

We are still into giving people rides. Makes for some good friends. This is Haley and Meredith.

Halloween?

Okay, so what happened to Halloween? Well for starters, Haley has a terrible cold. Secondly, it was -17? Thirdly Haley is terribly unimpressed with her Tiger outfit. It was one of those great full body, warm as can be costumes...but no way did she want to be in that outfit...and certainly not with a snowsuit on already. She spends most of her time trying to undress and this includes when she is outdoors...and sooooo we stayed in. She wasn't that impressed with the other kids coming over and making moves on her "smarties" either. She knew where they were and kept a close eye on the box and well the other candy bars...she doesn't recognize anyways. That smartie company....they really should never change....add new colours......if they must....but certainly not on Haley's account. The box is great...she can spot that box from a mile away. And well "love" is not really an adequate word for how she feels about them. So for Halloween dinner we had smarties and her other favorite broccoli. Don't ask. We also frequently have peas for breakfast along with hard boiled eggs...but only the white...no yellow. She even turned down waffles this morning...for peas? Who can figure this out?

So she still has a runny nose...I will try to get a picture of the "Tiger" this weekend...but I am pretty sure it will look like a torture scene. As you can see from the picture we also have snow....and we are pulling out our Christmas decorations this week-end....Haley really likes stars! So out with Halloween and stupid costumes and in with the stars!

Smile

So this is Haley at the table being told "smile". Hmmm it is a different kinda smile. I'm not saying that I don't like it..it is just a little less the spontanteous grin. However, maybe we will have to use this more often, because as you can see...she is sitting still. Hmmmm
Okay and about the bad haircut...this is cutting Haley's hair in the bathtub...very difficult...People tell me to give her a lollipop and she would sit still for the haircut...others tell me to see a professional....I'm not convinced about the lollipop and I don't want to pay a professional yet....so I am left with a lopsided haircut....hmmmm....maybe for Christmas...we will get a professional?...maybe sooner...hmmmmm

Mommy & Daddy Love Haley So Much

So it has almost been a year...what a year. If the slideshow ever works you will see the most beatuiful, loving, little girl. Our Haley has brought us the most fantastic year. She is the centre of our world and we would not wish it any other way. Our family is closer than ever and we could not be happier.

What a perfect year

Create Your Own!

Daddy

These are for Daddy. Geez I am a single working mom and he wants more pictures....So this is the time I can take pictures...Bathtime..which is a good time!
We can brush our own teeth and spit! Can you guess whose toothbrush this is? It is not Winnie the Pooh....

So you all hear alot about Haley and mommy through this blog....but what about daddy? Now daddy has been away for a about a week and a half....he is working far away. I think daddy can be summed up in a little story...Here is is. So every year Andy goes away for about 3 weeks. Every year we decide that it is pointless for me to go as well...but for completely different reasons. Andy thinks that he will not be able to spend enough time with me and I might be bored and lonely. okay true...I decide not to go...because given these conditions...I will be tempted to go shopping and I can think of nothing more fun than to spend a week shopping!...and well I probably should not go shopping for a week, sit in cafes and read...entirely too decadent..best I stay home...work and pay off my current visa bill....very practical but you have never seen me really get into shopping. I really would love to go along. Okay so this year we had the same debate but with Haley. I said it was too much of a trip with a 1 1/2 year old....true enough. Andy agreed. But this is the fun part...Now about a week and 1/2 into his trip away...he has declared that next year we are both coming no matter what! He misses us terribly. And from the way he declared this...the tone in his voice...Next year we are really going along. Now I am not confused about whom he really misses the most...since he has survived this trip for many years without me...he really misses Haley...There you go. That is how Daddy feels. I think this is a great story and says everything. Smiles from mommy.

Haley's Words

So what are Haley's words these days? As we know "horse" was and continues to be one of her favorite words...these days "blue", "orange" and "purple" can come out...don't really know if these are tied to anything real. I think most parents love to exaggerate their children's vocabulary and what sounds like "dah" can be translated by the best meaning parent..into anything they wish. I can respect this..since I have been known to do it myself...However, I really wish to let you all know that these are really good words...understood by others...not just myself. Some others...let's say thanks to the three year olds in Haley's life "mine", and then "bubble", "poop" "more poop", "mommy", "mum", "ma", "daddy", "duck". Okay, she still prefers some of our sounds or symbols to real words...so some words are missing...though Haley and myself can communicate...."flower" is a sniffing sound, "dog" is unh unh unh...I really think this is Haley's interpretation of the sound they make....Then there are the confusing words...context is needed...box, books, rock, big rock, more rock, you can see the problem...then there is spoon, moon, ahh the list grows every day....I love this age.

My smiling girl

So this photography and motion thing still has me stumped. You have to take about zillion pictures before you get a good one....thank goodness for digital...I have been trying to get Haley grinning....this usually involves running or jumping these days...As we clearly saw....bribery and food only gets you eating pictures...so this is my best picture...so far...still practicing

Remember this one!

Almost one year ago...we saw our first pictures..Oct 13th to be exact...What a year!
Hi to Daddy so far away!

Eating

Not good times to take a picture....First..the breakfast of champions....this is Haley licking the butter off her bread...with one hand in the raisins....yep...sometimes this is what it comes down to. Next...trying to get her to pose with her moon cake...I had to strap it to a button and bribe her with a jelly bean...She is savouring the jelly bean with all her might. Our lovely friend Christine brought us these from the big city....kid's moon cakes in a little flower bag...they were so cute. Thanks so much Christine...next year we will drive to Chinatown ourselves to celebrate the occassion...Mommy will get better at these holidays.

Breakfast Time

So Haley has very little time to eat these days....and being strapped into a high chair or booster is almost ridiculous. She is a grown up and deserves her own chair. A chair she can climb on and off, and on and off, as often as she wishes during the course of a meal. This is her pose....and she is currently staring at the food she has spilled and I can hear the oh oh as I look at the picture! Going out to dinner?!?! hmmmmm very interesting....luckily she is very cute!

Sheri's wedding

There is always time for a park...even at Aunt Sheri's wedding. And there is certainly always time to make a new friend. So my darling little social butterfly was apparently the "one with the idea". Haley grabbed Dominique's hand on the way in and only later did we discover that they are only 6 days apart in age...with Haley being the older. Needless to say this was a true meeting of kindred spirits....when one threw something...the other usually thought it was brilliant. When one stood on a chair the other thought it was brilliant and so on. Even their dinner etiquette was so similar...neither one had time to sit still and both thought that crayons tasted quite good. It's great to meet friends!

Horse

Haley's new favorite place to sit...on her horse!

Gymnastics

Yes, here in Banff we have a program for 1 1/2 year olds. So we thought she might roll around a little and be done with it. Boy oh boy what fun. She is a wiz at the balance beam. All that walking on curbs has paid off. She was so exhausted afterwards she fell asleep on the way home. Hard to get a good picture she just never stopped moving.

Horse coat

Yep, we crumble at the mention of a favorite thing. So Haley's obsession with real horses....has led to the purchase of a coat and hat covered in horses. What can I say.....she loves to wear this coat. I think this is success. I now have to find socks with horses.....because she hates wearing socks!

Please stand still

So I've been a little lazy with pictures. I'll probably regret this later or maybe not. Haley is still always in motion. It rained all day, a few days ago and all we did was practice doing stairs. You know...laundry, vacuuming, dusting....it went on and on. Well, Haley thinks she is now a stair expert and actually shoves my hand away! Now the books tell you not to try this until they are 2! Oh well. We were eager to show off for Daddy when he came home....but Daddy also would not pose for Mommy. So what is a girl supposed to do? You post the pictures anyway. You can see how much she has grown if you look back at the other pictures with the filing cabinet..and she looks so skinny...sigh.

Heritage Park

Out and about with our dear friends Sarah, Emma and Katy. What a day! So Haley's new favorite word is horse. She loves horses. We see horses everywhere around here and Haley loves them. Actually everything is classified as a horse or a duck. Now you would think that stuffed horses and play horses might be fun as well, but oh no...my little girl is transfixed only with reality....moving, breathing, snorting, living horses only please! Well, where do you find horses everywhere...Heritage Park of course....they also have moving rides with horses, and when you get a whole ice cream cone to yourself! You have gone to heaven. Then to top off the whole event you add a steam train and a horse and buggy ride...It is over the top. Haley fell asleep, on the way home, before we even left the parking lot. Now that is good clean fun.

Driving

It is a rental. Kennedy has kindly lent us her car, while she is away on vacation. Now cars are dangerous and this one has proven so as well. But, boy is it fun to pretend.

Cutting my fingernails

A Day with Lilly at the Beach

So it actually looks like we are sharing....ha ha ha....tough times ahead

Dishes?

There is something about Marshall

Haley is born in March and Marshall is born in July. These two have gotten along since they met. They are a little similar...both started walking around the same time, (ie Haley started at 10 months and Marshall started at 10 months, they like to do similar things and they react in similar ways. A great friend to have down the street! Tonight Haley wanted to push and Marshall wanted to ride and they were both unhappy when we pulled apart their little caravan...

Did I mention that Haley loves the Slide?

Daddy and me at the beach

So what is changing the most about Haley? She is still an absolute sweetheart. Most of the time she is just imitating something about either Andy or myself. If I find myself getting angry...I just watch a little closer and wow...you can see it....sometimes it is not obvious given the circumstances....but she is just doing what we do....yikes and double yikes. She is soooooo much our daughter! She loves waving, slides, swings, sand, dirt, rocks and her all time favorite....water. According to her Oma..."it is wonderful that they all love water so much...can you imagine if they did not!" She seems so happy these days..except for the odd disagreement about leaving the park to go home...she is just pure joy. It is truly what makes you love them so much....Their happiness is just pure happiness. Her personality....stubborn (or determined according to her father...smile), fearless, bold, watches everything, loves animals, always moving..never still and she is a chatterbox these days....nothing we could translate....just babbling. We can hardly wait to see what comes out!

Cousin Katie

Too distracted by cousin Sam....

Cottage Life....Ahhhhhh

What a great time! Casual napping, Feet on the table and time in the water with Grandma. The beach is fanatastic!