Get Fired Up

Last night horse was cancelled due to rain and bad lightning, so I took Saiya to Get Fired Up in downtown Melbourne.  It is a place where you pick a piece of ceramic pottery and glaze it yourself.  She picked a very cute little heart-shaped box to paint.  I had a bowl with kitty feet on it.  She had such a great time painting her pottery!  It was a great way to spend a rainy Tuesday night.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Monday was Card day and I found some left over thank-you cards in the junk drawer. I had Saiya sign her name under where I had written "thank you for all you do". We made one for each of her teachers.

Yesterday was candy day, so I took some left over candy from Halloween and Christmas and made little goody bags for her teachers.

Today was flower day. Saiya was supposed to bring flowers in for her teachers. Well, I don't get paid until Friday and truthfully, didnt have time to get to the store to purchase flowers for her teachers. So, this morning, we made these for her teachers. So much better than store bought, I think! Saiya liked them and I thought they came our really well. We didn't have any construction paper and no glue, so we inprovised. Like them?  Who knew such pretty things could be made with soda boxes and packing tape?  We added a bit of curling ribbon to make it more 3-D and Saiya signed her name on each under a little heart I drew.

I will be very lucky if i can make it through the rest of this week without spending a dime on teacher appreciation. :) tomorrow is "Bring in a School Supply day". Might be in trouble for that one.

Violin Recital!

Saturday was Saiya's violin recital.  We went out shopping for new shoes and even spent the day together.  We got pedicures together and had a very nice lunch at her favorite Chinese restaurant.

She did a great job!  I had to hold her notebook for her to read her music from and she even did a little curtsy at the end.  She was very nervous, but muddled through "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" with only a few squeeky notes here and there.  Overall, a great job!  Some of those kids are so talented!  I can only hope that Saiya sticks with it for years to come.

Sad Decisions

After many hours of long discussion and several days of mourning, we have decided to cancel the adoption of our second daughter, Xylie Austin.  This was a heartbreaking decision for our whole family, but one that we feel was in the best interests of everyone involved.  We thank everyone for their understanding in this very personal matter and hope that Xylie will find a family who will love her and cherish her and give her the world.  We are comfortable with our decision and know that it is what is best for her and us.

In light of that, we are so very proud of our first daughter, Saiya and so very happy to have such a perfect little girl with whom we can share our lives.  She has her first Violin recital April 28.  She will be playing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star".  We are so proud of  her and her strength and ability to adapt to changes amazes us everyday.

Memories and Sharing Moments

I remember when we were little, my dad would work on the car or the boat and we would watch and "help" him while he worked.  Holding the light was the most important job a kid can have.  So, this weekend, I replaced Chris's headlight bulb with Saiya's help.  She, of course, held the light.  She had a great time helping me fix his car.  She was so proud of her work that she went running inside when we were done to tell Baba that it was all fixed.  :)

Happy Birthday Saiya!!

We had Saiya's 6th birthday party on Saturday afternoon at the Bear Factory.  She had a blast!  After the Bear Factory, we went home and had a little get together with people who couldn't make it to the mall for the kiddie party.  She had a great time!  I am so happy she is growing up so well.  But not so happy she is growing up so fast!!!  I have no idea where the last year has gone.  :)

Happy Birthday, Saiya!

Log in Date: 12/22/2011

We have finally received notification of our log in date for Xylie!  This means that China has received our paperwork and has started to process our request to adopt a Tian Xing.  So now, aproximately March 1, we should be receiving our Letter of Acceptance which means we will then be able to file with the US government. So excited to be moving along towards bringing her home. :)