Our Annual Year End Review

I'm not sure how many years our family has done this but each New Year's Eve we head to the Egg Roll Machine/Cafe Mimosa on Bardstown Road for hot tea, egg rolls and to look back over what the year held for us.  We make a list of whatever comes to mind.  Anything that was significant, good or bad, for our family.I have always scrap booked these lists but they are now part of my blog.  Here is the list in no particular order:

•  
• Madison got his full license
• Madison spent four days camping out at his first Icthus Concert
• Madison got his first job
• Camden lost his job at Hosting.com
• Sophie began Mother's Day Out
• I got an Iphone
• Camden started his own consulting business
• Camden got his Ford Explorer 
• Camden wrecked his Ford Explorer a week later
• I sold my SUV and bought my mom's old car
• Madison became CPR/Lifeguard certified
• Madison went to his first Homecoming dance with a date
• I got my first embroidery machine
• Camden started working for Ebit 
• Our family considered relocating to Florida
• Madison got his first ITouch
• We received our long awaited Adoption Tax Credit
• Madison drove us to Lexington
• Sophie began ballet
• I started a play group for families with children from China
• Madison got several of his classmates to sponsor a young man, Kibwika Jeofrey,  in Uganda through Compassion International

Even with the ups and downs of 2010, we have much to thank God for.  He has once again showed us his faithfulness in so many ways and for that we are truly grateful.  Not sure what the new year will bring for our family but I am so glad we will go through it together.

Merry Christmas 2010

Santa was very good to everyone!

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Sophie, who very rarely wakes up before the sun was yelling "Mom" at 7am.  When I went in to pick her up she said, "Mom, Christmas!"  I took her in to wake up her brother, who made me promise I wouldn't let her near the tree without him there to see her face.   She headed right over to the new table chair set and Playhouse that Santa brought.   

Sophie recieved a Calico Critters Playhouse.  She loves it!  We played with it together most of the day.  

My beautiful daughter.

Santa brought Madison a new Ipod Touch.  He was thrilled and surprised.  Santa had it wrapped and hidden in the shirt pocket of one of his other presents.  We spent the day in front of the fire Daddy built playing with and enjoying each other.  

Madison bought Sophie the Aristocats.  He's such a thoughtful brother.

Sophie doing a little dance in her new glass slippers.

Daddy got Madison a book to help him study for ACT.   

This year Sophie would entertain us with her own little version of Jingle Bells,  Frosty the Snowman and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind (aka...boo lock)  We thought it was time for a microphone.

Giving the new baby a bath.

Madison relaxing on the couch while killing the enemy on Call of Duty Black Ops.

Sophie helping me make buscuits to go a long with the left over ham.

 We finished the night sitting on the couch watching Toy Story together.  Me in between my 3 year old and 17 year old.  It was so special to be introducing this movie to Sophie as Madison and I began revisiting his childhood.  Laughing at the lines and remembering his 3rd birthday when he got a Buzz Lightyear and Woody toy.   He is growing up and someday will have his own family and start his own traditions.  I become more and more aware of this as each Christmas passes making them more special to me.

We had a very Merry Christmas.  We are so blessed and thankful to have each other.

Getting ready for Santa

After a busy day with family we settled down to get ready for Santa's visit.  Sophie said good bye to Ollie.  When I explained to her that he won't be coming back till next Christmas she kept asking me, "why?"  I tried to make her understand that his work was done and that Santa needed his help at the North Pole but I'm not sure she understands.  We will look forward to seeing him return next year.Since Madison was little Daddy has always read Twas the Night Before Christmas and then the story of Jesus's birth from the gospel of Luke.  We always like to end the night with Jesus so that our focus is on the true reason for Christmas.

We hope Santa likes our cookies we left for him.

Christmas Eve at Mamoo's & Pappy's

Christmas Eve at Mamoo and Pappy's house has been our families tradition for as long as I can remember.  It started with my Grandmother and continues to this day.  The kids always look forward to it.  I asked around this year to find out what makes it special to them.  Madison liked it because it is tradition.  Victoria said because Mamoo's house is so homey and it just feels like Christmas when she's there.  As usual mom cooked a wonderful meal with many of our family favorites we've had every year since we were kids; pink salad, Grandmother Hoagland's fruit salad and fresh apple nut cake.....yum!

Madison, Sophie and Victoria ready for Santa to come!

Sophie loves Uncle Dwayne's iphone.  She always climbs right up in his lap and starts playing Angry Birds with him.

Sophie loved her bath baby from Mamoo and Pappy!

Christmas Eve at Granny's

Camden loving Jack the newest baby of the family.

This morning at Granny's house was wonderful and a great way to begin Christmas.  We all met at her new Condo for great food, fun and presents.  

Sophie and Rollins excited for Santa to come!

Sophie loved running on the bubble wrap.

Sweet little goodies!

Granny and Jack

Madison sitting on Daddy's lap.

Jeremy sitting on Camden's lap.

Sophie getting ready to go exploring with Dora.

Everybody loved the Rockem Sockem robots Nanna got Rollins!

Tap shoes and lipstick

Tonight I took Madison shopping and left Sophie home with Daddy.  When I came home I found my daughter had gotten into my lipstick and was thoroughly enjoying her new tap shoes my cousin Jamie gave her.  She had them on the wrong feet and was dancing all over the house.  She brought me in the kitchen and showed me that they don't make noise on the vinyl floor.  She then dragged me onto the hardwood floors and began showing me all the wonderful new moves Daddy helped her with.  

Girls are so much fun!

Playgroup Christmas Dinner

Tonight we had our Playgroup Christmas Dinner.  We went to the Oriental House on Shelbyville Road.   This little group of girls has become such an important part of my life and Sophie's.  It was important to myself and the other mom's to expose our girls to other families like them, caucasian parents, asian children.  It is so nice to have other parents who can relate to the long wait times, paper-chasing and a wonderful but stressful two week trip to China.  

Caroline, Kim and Anita.  Anita is Kim's mom.  We invite her to all the functions.  She is precious and loves  all the girls so much.  

Sophie opening a gift from Lydia.

Sweet little Ella and Kelly

The Kratts.  Such a great family.  They always make everything so much fun.

Lydia,  little Lydia and her brother Daniel.  Sophie seems to have developed a crush on him.  Can't say as I blamer her.  He is a doll.

All the children playing ring around the rosie.  They are so precious!

Church at Christmastime

The boys are always the first ones to pick up Sophie in the nursery.  

I love our church.  Camden and I have been attending Southeast Christian for 22 years.  We started when we were dating, we were married in the chapel and both of our children have been dedicated to the Lord there.  My goal as a mother is not to just raise smart, successful or even good children.  It is more important to raise Godly children and Southeast plays a huge part in that goal.   As I sat shoulder to shoulder with my husband this morning as I have done for so many Christmases  I was touched by the beauty of the service.  The children's choir singing along with adult choir and orchestra.  I loved singing O Little Town of Bethlehem and Oh Come All Ye Faithful with fellow believers.  Old songs that seem fresh and new each Christmas season.   All the hustle and bustle, the disappointments and stresses of the season faded away as we worshiped God and remembered that holy night so long ago.

My Favorite Christmas Tradition began with Daddy

When I got married, my husband and I assumed the usual roles; I cook, he mows, I take over all shopping responsibilities including Christmas for family and friends, he does garbage detail.  You get the idea.  When I was a child my mom & Santa did all the shopping for  us.  I think the closest my Dad ever got to a shopping mall in his life was if they needed their AC system fixed and he would climb up on the roof and take care of it.  So this is how I expected it to be with Cam and I.   Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning ,1993, when under the tree was a gift to Madison from his Daddy.  My 3 week old son who only weighed 4 1/2 pounds on Christmas day (he was 5 weeks premature) received a football from his Daddy.   I cannot tell you one thing I got Madison but I remember what Daddy bought.  I just thought it was so precious.  He wanted to get his boy something.  This tradition has continued every year since.  One thing about the gifts is that they are never anything that Madison would have asked for.  Mommy and Santa take care of those presents.   They have never been super heros, matchbox cars or video games.  They are never expensive, big ticket items.  They usually always are something that Daddy wants to share with his son or something they have in common.  In years past there have been Miami Hurricanes T-shirts (their favorite college team next to UK), Yankees hats,  UK tickets, Led Zeppelin and Aaero Smith Greatest Hits CD's (this was Madison's classic rock phase). Just small things that mean a lot to the two of them.  But there is more.  It's the presentation that I love the most.  I take lots of pains with each gift.  Wrapping it so that it looks beautiful under the tree, perfect bow, matching gift tag.  Not Daddy's. You can spot it under the tree from across the room.  The gift comes wrapped in whatever container it comes in.  I've seen T-shirts wadded into a ball with wrapping paper rolled around it and 1/2 of the tape dispenser holding it together.  There is never a bow and the best part is he never uses a gift tag.  He writes their name on top with a Sharpie.   Why do I love this so much?  It's just something I look forward to every year.  It's just so Cam.  This tradition has now come to include Sophie.  Did her Daddy get her a beautiful doll her first Christmas home, a dress maybe?  No, last year she got a yukalaylee from Daddy.  He just thought she would look cute with one.  And he was right. 

Sophie her first Christmas home with her yukalaylee.

Where in the world did he find a Silver Sharpie?

This is the first present that Daddy has put under the tree this year.  It is to Sophie.  She loves it and picks it up every day and shakes it.  I am looking so forward to Christmas morning to see what Daddy has wrapped up this year.  I'm sure he won't disappoint.  He has already made my Christmas just with the wrapping job.

A clueless mommy- a first performance

 Sophie had her first dance performance today.  The studio where she takes lessons has the girls perform their routines at assisted living homes for the elderly patients during Christmas.  I thought this was a very sweet gesture and was excited for the date to come till I got the letter on what the girls needed for their performance.  Costumes-check....white tights and ballet shoes-check.....pink blush and lipstick-check.....hair pulled up in the front with curls in the back.......huh!!!????  Did they notice that my daughter is of Asian decent?  Are they aware that Sophie has shiny, straight as a poker, slick hair?  Do they know that this mommy is clueless how to do "girl hair"?  When I asked how to do this they suggested Dipity Doo and sponge curlers.  My hair dresser suggested a hair piece and my friend Becky suggested prayer.

Somehow this hair needs to become curly so I headed to Walgreens to see what I could find.  After almost having an anxiety attack on aisle 3 from too many choices, I settled on these products and added in the prayer.

I curled her hair with the curling iron and while the hair was still hot I rolled it on the sponged curlers.  After it cooled, I uncurled the hair and sprayed it with extra hold hairspray.  It worked!  We actually ended up with beautiful curly hair and off we headed to the nursing home.

On the way my little Shirley Temple fell sound asleep because the performance was right at nap time.

 Here Sophie is getting in line to go on stage.

Everyone is in their positions, let the dancing begin!

Sophie did wonderful.  She wasn't the least bit shy.  All the girls did great.  These girls range in age from 2 1/2-3 years old.  No one cried, got stage fright or froze.  They did so much better than when they practice during class.  I guess they just needed an audience a beautiful costume and some curls.