Short Pictorial Year in Review

SO - we have been blessed to have experienced so many milestones and memories with Mary since May of this year! I'll post just a few pics, especially when we got her from Hefei City. Have a very blessed new year - MAKE IT COUNT and don't waste it!!!! Love - Robert, Ronda and Mary!

Our VERY first glimpse of Mary as we entered the Civil Affairs Office, May 5th in Hefei City

I had just given Mary this Curious George Doll, so I was able to get closer to her!

This was our very LAST day in China - after our 'swearing in' ceremony in Ghuangzhou.

Mary (MeiMei) with her JeiJei (big sister) Jennifer at Opryland Hotel, November 2008

Mary and big brother, Brian in May of 2008

Our first family vacation in Destin Florida, October of 2008

Mary, Robert and I before our lunch arrives at Opryland Hotel, November 2008
Mary's first Rocking Pony, given by Grandpa on her first Christmas 2008!

A Christmas Letter to Mary

Dear Mary,
There is nothing more comforting and peaceful to me than to be the only one awake in this house and listen to you breathe softly and steadily while you sleep. Soaking in the quiet and stillness of this evening, the very sound of you stays with me. I’m looking at the Christmas tree and all the decorations and I am just beside myself, wondering what you make of all this. I see the wonder in your eyes (and by the way, your eyes reveal a lot!) so I know that this first experience of Christmas has gone beyond amusing you….. it has captured your heart.
So now, as your mother, I have to be open and listen (carefully) to how God wants me to lead you beyond the symbolisms, traditions and commercial eye candy – to the real magic. The miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Your Savior! The only plan that would reveal God on a level that His creation (us, the world) could relate to…..God in the person of Jesus Christ. Yeah, it’s a lot for me to take in still but, I promise you that it’s not only true, its plan is a foundation for freedom on every level – especially as a woman. (We’ll get into THAT good stuff, later! ☺) Look, the older you get and the more you get into HIM, you’ll know what I mean. Once you understand how it all began with Jesus, you WILL know what the true spirit of Christmas really means and as a Christian - you will know why Christmas can be a very powerful and special time of intimacy with God. For now though, I’m keeping myself in check, realizing you can only take in so much as a toddler, a toddler who has only been with her forever family just over 6 months. I’ll go with His flow and commit myself to the task of making sure your first Christmas will be rockin’!
In the meantime, I’ve thought long and hard of what I want you (Hope for you) to experience in this life within a relationship with Jesus as your Savior. I have made that list available to you in a separate letter, one of many which I will write to you through the years; I have found that when I can claim some uninterrupted, ‘quiet’ time and I write, it helps me articulate my thoughts and heart more concisely, with focus and a truthfulness and transparency that can sometimes otherwise get ‘diluted’ or distracted by the noise and whatever else is going on in the immediate world. You will read my thoughts, my heart, prayers and input uninterrupted, uncensored and laid out for your eyes only to process in your heart. I am hopeful that as you grow and find some of this precious kind of time that you will find the rewards of writing and journaling or whatever it is that God lays on your heart to do to grow stronger and wiser in Him.
I love you so much, and as a mother – I truly get the heartache and longing to want the very best for you, but most importantly, knowing that the very best for you has already been delivered to you through Jesus Christ. He is the best gift you will ever receive and he is presented to you from God the Father with a love for you that surpasses all understanding, full of peace and endearment. Merry Christmas, my sweet baby girl – and know that YOU are an answer to my and Dada’s prayer! We love you!

Here they are!

Okay, so here's the pics I was promising that GeeGee made! (THANKS DALE for sending them) So here's me, Mary and Lori before we embark the Ice Slide! Notice that Mary is NOT amused... NOW, our little lab monkey/baby bumble is about to go down her first Ice Slide.....actually it was the first time any of us went down this Ice Slide (I think) BUT - the rest of us already knew our butts would be cold and slick going down it!

Momma & Aunt Nancy try to document as our baby bumble goes for the G-force....

HEY - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! She's all fired up!!!

Now, the group shot above is one of those..."what are they thinking? Who is Lori yelling at? Does Nancy see a vision?? Do they know where they are......WHO they are....just - what the......."?!?!? LOL!!!!!

Momma, Mary and the Reindeer!

Mary in awe of the lights and all the animal characters floating in the conservatory! Our little Miss Sassafras who not only dressed herself in the PJs, (I'm pretty sure DaDa showed her how) but was showin' us how Miss Mary works it!'

And then...........

There goes my baby.........she is literally off and running......my little determined explorer is taking it all in, trying to figure it all out and making the journey count! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Momma's lesson is that the only way you can freeze time is to keep the lens close by and grab the moments as you see them. I've been told they grow up fast.

A taste of Christmas!

A couple of weeks ago, my Mother (GeeGee), sister Lori and sister-in-law Nancy took Mary and we head out to Opryland to see this awesome exhibit, "ICE - How the Grinch Stole Christmas"!!!

It was absolutely fabulous and abso-freakin'-lutely COLD!!!!! My baby girl was wigged out, to say the least and WOULD NOT GET OUT OF MY ARMS! Her little legs were wrapped around me really tight! It also didn't help that it was nine degrees -so I just can't imagine what she was thinking!

Then, once we hit the ice slide, she started warming up, so to speak! Mary was SO bundled up, she could hardly walk, it was hilarious but she LOVED going down the slide and the last time she went down, she just tumbled and skidded at the bottom and couldn't get up! I have it on video but until I'm smooth on downloading such video, you'll just have to visualize it!

So we get through the exhibit, grab a bite to eat and go into the Opryland Hotel to check out the Christmas displays already up - GORGEOUS and man.....if you just could have SEEN the wonder and amazement on Mary's face, it was unlike anything I've ever experienced. What I would give to have been able to get inside her thoughts and know what she was thinking. My little curious George then turned into "Miss Independant" and just sashays ahead of us, checking everything out - it was truly precious!

We head back out to the van through the misting rain; It was incredibly cold and trying to maneuver a loaded stroller with a fired up little girl, dodging cars and traffic and bumbling over the medians as Nancy and I tripped and about toppled Mary - was just slapstick comedy! It was a really GREAT evening and I've been told there are more pictures on the way, but in the meantime, here are a few Aunt Nancy made. We all needed this jumpstart to the holidays and perhaps we'll make this another tradition for Mary!

Links of Love, Hope and Info!

Okay - so first of all, I have never met Jerrie King. BUT - thanks to my friend Jo Kelley, I am connected and supportive and by the time you find out more of her story, you will know her, love her and support her too! Her journey of overcoming breast cancer is documented on CARING BRIDGE which is a non-profit web service that connects family and friends during a critical illness, treatment or recovery. AWESOME. In support of Jerrie, I'm listing her link not only on this short post, but on the side bar under my links section.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/4jerrieking

I believe in connecting people to know and love each other and also to support them in whatever endeavors, prayer requests or good information or support they need or desire. Knowledge is power, the most powerful being from God's Holy word in the Bible. Take some of that, check out the links, take what you will from it and let's all go out and use our power for good and not evil!!! LOVE YOU!

Mary's First Halloween!

Our little Mary just seems to fly into all things new with 'NO FEAR', laughter and more curiousity than our favorite monkey, Curious George! After a great report on her follow up chest x-ray that informed us of clear lungs (YEA - THANK YOU JESUS!) we began to establish what will become our family tradition of Halloween! By the way, that waaaayy cute outfit, her Aunt Nancy made........shweet!

First things first, after searching all over Wilson County for a freakin' pumpkin patch/corn maze or something - we DID find the PERFECT pumpkins at a United Methodist Church and the funds went to their youth....party on - good cause. THEN -

Baby girl and I are up and at it Halloween morning, carving our pumpkins!!!! Mary would have been more content to play with the knives but she did just fine stirring the pumpkin seeds and mush that Momma dug out and no, unfortunately, she was not amused at the 'squishy' stuff enough to play in it like Momma did....or does.

THEN EVENING COMES AND MARY TURNS INTO THE -
MISCHIEF MARY, THE HALLOWEEN FAIRY!!!!
After her transformation she visits her Grandpa and eats pizza with the family and goes on her first trick or treat excursion with her cousin Jacob aka "Mike Myers", Uncle Kenny, Aunt Diane, Uncle David and Momma & Dada!

The Fairy, Jacob and Grandpa

The Fairy getting a ride from Uncle David

Mischief Mary's Halloween War Cry....or maybe it was a whine...hmmmm

Mary getting another lift from Uncle Kenny and just having a ball!!!! (This must have been before she puked or coughed up.....Lord, we just don't KNOW what but thank God she seems to be back to sweet and ornery!)

Last stop on Mary's first Halloween tradition is to Aunt Nancy's to get some goodies, but most of all, lots of love! I'm sure that made her feel MUCH better!

One more picture of my sweet one! Robert and I just had a ball and I'm sooooo glad that these pictures reflect one of the many millions of good times ahead for both Mary AND the family!

Back and Rested!

Well, Mary is over her pneumonia and we'll have a follow up chest x-ray within the week! Mom & DaDa had a little funk but we're good too! Not much to chat about but Mary is doing INCREDIBLE with her hearing aids and will have her first speech therapy session with her hearing aids this week. There are some things that seem to throw her off regarding being overstimulated and that's usually indicated by her throwing her hearing aids or getting angry. Our audiologist warned us there could be some temporary behavioral changes as Mary adjusts to her new world and lately Robert and I have seemed to have forgotten that so we're keeping that info in the forefront of our minds and going with the flow, flooding her with love, understanding and when it gets too much, time out on the "naughty rug"! But our daughter is doing better, trying harder and doing the best she can so we try and focus on that and enjoy this awesome blessing. I'll put a few captions under the new pics so enjoy - we all love you!!! Robert, Mary and I enjoyed the Octoberfest in the Germantown area of Nashville. Mary had her FIRST Bratwurst - well, actually, I offered her a bite of mine and she basically took it for herself and inhaled it like a hoover vacuum cleaner - ROCK ON!

Mary and DaDa chillin out in Destin - was a GREAT, relaxing trip, we ALL needed it!

Wow, for such a princess who can't STAND anything spilled on her body or hands, our girl LOVED the sand in any and every way!!!!

Mary running toward the next sale at SeaSide! No, really, she was just having fun!!!!

Mary petting the miniature pony at ZooWorld in Panama City Beach.

A family picture at SeaSide!
Mary having a ball and playing hard with all the other kids at the Destin Commons! Here's a GREAT story, and only better had we been able to catch it on camera! There was a live band about to play and in the middle of the playground mayhem, the bass player started up and our daughter, shoots both arms up with her fingers pointed to the sky (Like a rock star, of course) and shouts, "WOOOOOO"!!!! Momma followed and even another parent was just rolling laughing and went up to Robert to see if he saw it....yep, couldn't miss that one - THAT'S MY GIRL~~~~~~~~~~Okay, so Mary's FIRST exposure to the ocean/beach we weren't so sure of at first. The night we got in, we went out to eat and afterwards, decided to take a walk barefoot along the beach. It was dark and Mary's first sensation of sand beneath her little feet was NOT good! She freaked out and would NOT get out of our arms. We were kind of dreading the next day but - BUT - we set up at the beach and thank GOD, we bought her a sand bucket with appropriate accessories. She started playing and just getting it ALL OVER HERSELF! Go figure. Then, Robert and I both gradually took her into the ocean and SHE LOVED IT! Again, we missed out on a great video opportunity but she was squealing and screaming and laughing at jumping the waves with Momma and Dada. The only thing that was cute but very concerning was (IS) is that this little guppy has NO idea that she CAN'T swim! She would try to tear out of our arms to go to DaDa or Momma thinking I'm sure, that she could just swim to us. She was the same in the pool, too! Although taking her out of the pool was traumatic for Robert and I because she literally showed her teeth and tried to nip at us - typical toddler. We are SOOOOO sure, within the year, our little guppy will be swimming and tubing with the rest of us and will probably kick our butts on the tubes!!! Oh, the swimsuit ensemble is courtesy of Sheila Wardlaw - you ROCK!More family photos!

Alas, baby girl fell asleep on the way back to the condo from Seaside. The VERY first time she actually ate a cookie (Oatmeal Raisen) and of course, our girl has that cookie in both hands, as she's dreaming of swimming with Nemo!!!!