What is going on???  Where have we been???  It has been WAY too long since I updated the page, but a lot has gone on in the last two months.  So quit biting your thumbs in anticipation, here is Part 1 of our last couple months.  To get you up to date quickly, I will keep it pretty brief, here are the last two months in pics:

Following the huge snow storm, Liliana had tons of fun in the snow!   

Mother’s Day 2008.  Celebrated a fun day with Liliana and finally planted this really cool “mom” plant.

After two years of hard work, I graduated with my Master’s…as you can see, Liliana is totally enthused! 

At a recent MAA meeting (Mathematics Association of America), Liliana decided to learn to play the xylophone.  Notice that our little math-nerd in the making is sporting her cool MAA t-shirt!  

Our little bug has been working really hard learning how to smile for the camera.  Here are the results so far.  We swear that she is part Chinese, part Klingon.  Who knew?!?!

Then Nana F. arrived…  

Part 2, including Nana F’s visit to follow soon!

Aloha!

Spring has sprung, the grass outside is growing, and the temperatures around here have been on the rise.  That is, until today!

We awoke today to a blizzard that has totally shut down the city. 

All schools are closed, as are the hospitals, the city offices, the banks, the courthouse, the air force base, the interstate for over 100 miles, and even the local mall.   The winds are blowing 50-65 mph and creating huge snow drifts.  We cannot even open our doors because of the accumulated snow.  A “no-travel” advisory has been issued, and police will ticket you if you drive a two-wheel drive vehicle, or you get stuck in one of the many snow drifts in the area.  So, we are having a snow day!  Woohoo!  Except for the fact that Liliana really just wanted to go out and play.  Sorry Little Girl…Bummer!!!

Hard to believe that on Sunday the temps will be in the mid 60s!

Aloha!

When we were in China, we learned that Liliana’s foster mother used to feed her with chopsticks.  I continued to do this occasionally after we returned home, usually feeding the bug rice.  Now that she is two years old, the bug is ready for a new adventure!  Time to learn how to use chopsticks.  Enjoy the video!

Aloha~

Hard to believe, but the little ladybug recently turned two years old.  Although we have yet to celebrate the occasion, (Easter was just too close to her birthday this year…and think about it, does a 2 year old really know when her birthday is supposed to be?!?!), mommy and the ladybug did make it to the photographer to get some photos done.  It was one long hour of trying to get the bug to smile…something she just doesn’t really do on command.  But, in the end we ended up with some really nice photos.  Below are some of my favorites.  To view a larger size of any photo, just click on the photo.  To see some more, check out the Dropshots site.  Enjoy!

Aloha!

Liliana met the Easter Bunny for the first time today.  Surprisingly, she really enjoyed the fuzzy bunny.  Although spring is in the air, it is still a bit cold up here in the Dakotas.  Thus, the bug is still wearing her winter coat and hat in the picture.  For those who would missed out on our Easter festivities from last year, check out this cute video!

Enjoy!

Do not, under any circumstances, leave your child unattended!

1. Child may unlock and crawl into cabinets, hoping to hide away from parents or unexpected visitors.
2. With the newly acquired lock-opening skill, child may realize that food is not always off-limits!
3. Now an expert locksmith, the child may endeavor to expand her horizons…possibly mailfraud?!?!.  No sealed box is ever to be left unattended, especially with popcorn inside.
4. Finally, with all of these acquired skills, cryptography and tattooing will be of great benefit for a future in crime (I mean, seriously…)

Aloha!

P.S.  She really is an angel…most of the time!

Another year gone by (ever so quickly), another Chinese New Year upon us.  Last year we missed the local festivities because the ladybug was feeling under the weather.  Unfortunately, this year we missed the local festivites again…but this time for a far sadder reason.  The ladybug’s grandfather on her daddy’s side passed away, and we travelled out of state to grieve with family.  To view the beautiful euology given by the Travis in honor of his father, please visit Trav’s site.

The trip provided the ladybug with another reason to earn even more frequent flyer miles.  As a fun little project, my mom suggested that I figure out how many miles Liliana has travelled by plane so far in her life.  Although I thought this idea a little funny to begin with, after mulling it over for a few minutes, I decided that if wasn’t half bad.  Plus, although she has travelled numerous times already, I am still able to remember all of her travels to date.  Give me year though…I doubt I will be able to remember even half.  So, while me mind is still sharp, here is what the bug has done and where she has gone so far.  In her 23 months the ladybug has already logged over 30,318 miles:

Guiyang, Guizhou to Guangzhou, November 2006:
Approximate miles: 450 miles

Returning home from China, November 2006:
Guangzhou, China to Los Angeles (LAX): 7250 miles
Los Angeles to Rapid City (RAP): 1145 miles

Visit to Nana & Papa Franz in Florida, February 2007:
RAP to Ft. Meyers (RSW): 2304 miles
RWS to RAP: 2304 miles

Trip to Hawaii, June 2007:
RAP to LAX: 1145 miles
LAX to Kona, Hawaii (KOA): 3534 miles
KOA to RAP: 4679 miles

Family wedding in California, August 2007:
RAP to Ontario, CA (ONT): 1120 miles
ONT to RAP: 1120 miles

Visit to Kowalskis in Vegas, September & December 2007:
RAP to LAS (round trip): 1874 miles
RAP to LAS (round trip): 1874 miles

Family funeral, February 2008:
RAP to Denver (DEN): 301 miles
DEN to LAS: 629 miles
LAS to DEN: 629 miles
DEN to RAP: 301 miles

(Important mileage information: RAP to DEN = 301, DEN to LAS = 629, RAP to LAS = 937, ONT to DEN = 819, LAX to DEN = 844, KOA to LAX = 3534, RSW to DEN = 2003).

Although Liliana has made her way almost all the way around the world, because she is not yet two years old and thus has been a “lap-child” on these plane rides, the logged-in miles are not official with the airlines.  So, these miles are just for fun to show how much the ladybug has travelled.  Oh well!

The other big news around the ladybug house is that the bug is in the process of Potty Training.  She is doing a stellar job, and before we know it she will be out of diapers all together. 

Liliana definitely enjoys the challenge of becoming a “big girl” especially since she receives a reward of a sticker if she successfully…”does her business”…without an accident.  Thus far her sticker chart is filling up quickly.  Plus, she gets to walk around the house wearing “big girl” panties…her Disney Princess panties.  She absolutely loves wearing them, they are reward enough for a job well done.  Oh, the simple things in life!

Below are some more recent photos of the ladybug.  Feel free to click on any of them to view a larger image.  Also, for many, many more photos and videos, visit our DropShots site.  Enjoy!

Aloha!

Liliana beamed when she learned that Santa Claus was going to visit us on Christmas Eve.  She ran around the house saying “Tan-ta Taws…Tan-ta Taws!”  Hard to believe that just one year ago she really had no clue what was going on at all.  Fortunately, she totally got it this year.  All of the presents and joy of Santa did not overshadow the reason for the season.  And, it is during this wonderful time of year that we feel truly blessed to have this little girl in our lives.  We thank the Lord for blessing our lives and making us a family.  To give you a better understanding of what went on around our house Christmas Eve, click on the photo below to see a little video of our evening.  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to all…

Winter is in the air, holiday shoppers are everywhere, and our little ladybug is ready to begin celebrating this festive season.  Today we ventured out into the mall to place the ladybug on Santa’s lap.  Because the photo from last year’s visit with jolly St. Nick found a permanent home this past year on our refrigerator, Lili is quite familiar with Santa’s face.  So, in hopes of making this year’s visit very smooth, I opted to bring the photo with us, coaching her on the way about who was in the picture.  When we arrived at the “North Pole,” Liliana immediately recognized the jolly ashen-haired man.  She eagerly pointed to Santa in her picture and then to the real-life Santa sitting in front of her, and continuously said, “Sa-Ta Taws.”  My immediate thoughts… “Woohoo…she isn’t terrified!”

But then…we asked her to walk up to him.  Although she knew who he was, she suddenly became very apprehensive about the entire ritual.  So, to help egg her on, Daddy suggested that Lili show Santa last year’s photo of the twosome.  The ploy worked.  Liliana slowly walked up to Santa, handed him the picture, and he carefully picked her up and placed her on his knee.  After looking at the picture for a few seconds, we were able to get a great shot of Liliana, looking rather pensive, and Santa…just before she started squirming out of his lap.  It’s all about timing!

In the process of Liliana learning about the finer points of Christmas and Santa, Daddy decided that it was time to teach her some reindeer names.  If you click the link above you will be able to see Liliana and Daddy discussing the different reindeer.  I just love the giggles and the end.  Also on the DropShots website is another cute video of Liliana and Mommy singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”  Take a look if you get the chance.  With so many more exciting things expected to take place in the next few days I will definitely be updating the website soon (gotta keep those grandparents happy!).

 …I was in China!!!

One year ago today I began the celebration of my birthday by hopping on a plane with my family, ready to embark on the greatest journey of our lives.

One year ago today I waited not-so-patiently in a hot hotel room to finally see my baby’s face for the first time.

One year ago today I learned that the joy and excitement that I was feeling during this amazing time was not felt by all in the room.  My heart still aches for the sadness that Liliana’s foster mother was feeling at that same time that I was so excited. I saw first-hand how much this little girl meant to the other mother in her life.  And I can only hope that now, one year later, the foster mother understands how amazing she is in our eyes for helping to raise such a wonderful little girl.  This woman forever holds a very special place in our hearts.

One year ago today Liliana was placed in my arms for the first time.  A shy and timid little baby, she cried often, but found solace in cuddling up to her new mommy. 

One year ago today daddy was able to give Liliana his first kiss on her cheek. 

One year ago today we saw our baby smile for the first time.

One year ago today we became a family.

Dearest Liliana,

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day we became a family.  It is a day that we will forever celebrate as “Forever Family Day.”  One year ago today you were placed in my arms for the first time.  At that time you seemed almost inconsolable because you were scared and unsure of what was happening to you.  Everything and everyone you knew was being taken away, and replaced by things so different.  Little did you know how much we already loved you, and how long we had waited to hold you close.  That first day was difficult for us all.  We just wanted to console you…make things better.  All that you could do was cuddle close to me and suck on your fingers…a nurturing habit that you have since stopped doing.

Those first few days were amazing.  Your nanas fell in love with you instantly, as did your daddy and I.  You slowly began to warm up to your new family, smiling and giggling when you felt most comfortable.  Although you started warming up to us, you were still not sure what was happening to you and what the future would bring.  Upon bringing you home, your personality started to sprout.  Your giggles became more frequent, as did the playfulness and happiness in your daily life.

You soon took on the challenges of growing up from a little baby to a little girl, and my oh my have you accomplished that task by leaps and bounds my little girl!  You no longer need a bottle at feeding time.  Instead, you eat with ghusto!  You love eating, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that is off limits to you.  Yup, you love chicken, fish, cereal, vegetables (especially broccoli!), eggs, bread, crackers, noodles, rice, soup, and just about everything else we feed you.  You even squeal with excitement when a waitress or waiter brings us food.  You go girl!

You are turning into the most amazing little girl.  You love to laugh, play, draw, color, sing, dance, run, swim, and sleep.  Yes, you enjoy your sleep.  You have made our lives very easy little girl…you fall asleep each night without as much as a wimper.  Woohoo!!!  You love to cuddle up with your daddy and I and read books…something I cherish deeply.  You love to sing in the car with me as we go do our chores.  You love to draw and color with daddy which I know makes him proud.

I love how you have turned into sich a playful little girl.  Your unbridled excitement for just about everything brings such joy to your daddy and I.  I love how, when you open a greeting card, that you think it is broken if it doesn’t play music (someday you will learn that most cards do not play music).  I love how you mimic everything that I do, and how happy you are when you think that you have done something good.  I love how you thorougly enjoy playing on the floor, rolling around giggling with daddy and I.  I love how you enjoy the simple pleasures in life.  I love how you love your daddy and I, and show us your love by giving us kisses and wonderful hugs.  And more than anything little girl, I thoroughly love how you say, “momma.”

I love you my little ladybug.  You have brought such joy to my life, and I cannot wait for all of the joys that the future will bring.  Thank you little girl for making me a mommy.  Thank you being my daughter.

I love you Liliana.  Love Always,

Mommy