Good Times

In the spring of 2007, we were in the process of adopting Emma from Guatemala.  We were in the thick of it.  We had already visited Emma twice in Guatemala and we were assuming that we would not see Emma again until our pick up trip. 

Matt and Liz were also in the process of adopting a sweet baby girl from Guatemala.  Actually, we were using the same agency that they were using.  Liz contacted me and asked if I would be interested in taking a trip to Guatemala with her to visit our girls.  I felt so humbled and of course, excited!!  We had a wonderful visit with our girls in March of 2007! I will never forget it!

Izzy and Emma

Emma…so precious!

Those EYES!

Eating…sort of!

 

Awwwwww… 

We met so many sweet people on that trip including…

Miss Sofia and her Mommy Tricia!

That was then…

This is now!!  We met Liz, Matt and their family for lunch today and we snapped these photos of Izzy, Emma, Lily and Dasha!  Emma does not always like to have her picture taken and she was not excited about this photo shoot but Liz and Matt’s girls were great sports! My, the girls have certainly grown!  Izzy and Emma are just a couple of months apart in age and they will be FOUR this year!!  I can’t believe it!

Good times!  : D  A delicious lunch with a special family!       

I love adoption!

God bless,

Tera

Catching Up

I have soooo much catching up to do here at my blog it’s not even funny!  Emma’s Grandma who lives in North Carolina came to visit, we went to the State Fair, to the zoo, etc.  Here are a few “catching up” pics…  (there will be at least one more catching up post to come soon)

Roasted corn at the Minnesota State Fair!  We didn’t think that we would end up going to the fair this year, so we really did relish our time there!  (Pam…these photos are for YOU, friend!!!!)  : D

The carousel…Emma’s FAVORITE.

If you have ever been to the MN State Fair, then you are familiar with the GIANT SLIDE!!  Can you spot Jason and Emma?  Hee hee.  : )  Emma walked up ALL of the steps by herself up to the tippy top of the slide and she was not scared at all about going down.

A tradition…we enjoy our guacamole and Beer-garitas from Tejas as we watch karaoke.  Hee hee…  : )  GOOD TIMES!!

A few photos from this week…

I have to throw in a pic of Gumpus…’cause he’s just so CUTE.  : )

This time of the year, the high temps are usually in the low 70s.  However, today we reached the mid 80s and Emma ENJOYED an afternoon in her pool! I think she went down her slide about 344584754857487584 times.  ; D

And, I took about 344584754857487584 photos of her that look just like this.  : )

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh…the summer has been sweet!

God bless,

Tera

The MOA Carousel and a Sweet Gift from Friends

Emma absolutely LOVES IT!

And, if it’s available, she almost always chooses the pig.   : D

Before I sign off, I have to give a “shout out” to my sweet friend Rhonda from Our Treasure of Four.  Rhonda is a sweet friend that I met during our adoption process.  Not only did Rhonda adopt her youngest daughter using the same placement agency that helped to bring Emma home, we were surprised to discover that Emma had the same wonderful foster family that Rhonda’s oldest daughter had during her adoption process!  I have enjoyed keeping in touch with Rhonda over the past few years…she is a sweet lady!  In the mailbox today was a box from Rhonda filled with goodies for Emma.  Emma was SO excited…wide-eyed, she helped me open the box.  Among the items that Rhonda sent was a personalized Veggie Tales CD…hee hee…so cute and very fun for kids!  Thanks so, SO MUCH, Rhonda…you are such a sweet and generous friend and Emma loves everything that you sent!  : D  I wish that I could send things more often to people…it is just SO FUN to get boxes of goodies in the mail!  : D

God bless, Tera

Christmas 2008

A Christmas post.  Finally.  Hee hee.  : )  Sorry to keep you waiting…  We had a wonderful Christmas.  It was filled with the true meaning of Christmas.  We also had fun at the Christmas parties and get togethers.

You know that I probably took at least 37363338373 photos.  So, here are just a few of them…  : )

Needless to say…Elmo Live was a HIT (thanks, Papo and Clem)

So was the Little Tykes basketball hoop.  DUNK!!!!!  (thanks Jimmy and Lesa)

My parents peeling potatoes for a tasty Christmas dinner.

The dollhouse?  A MEGA hit!  I couldn’t even get my niece and Emma  to turn around so that I could take a photo of their smiling faces.

“Ooooooooooooo…JACKPOT…cousin Izzy’s Hannah Montana guitar…”

“YEAH, baby!!!!”

Sorry, Dave.  You SAW me taking photos of you rockin’ out with your daughter’s sweet Hanna Montana guitar…and, you could have stopped me.  Any photos taken with my Rebel are bloggable, my friend.  ; )  Hey, give thanks…I decided to keep the truly blackmail-able shots all to myself.  : D  I will erase said photos for a price…lots and lots of Godiva.  Truffles.  Dark.  Oooooo yeah…  ; D

On a sentimental note… 

My beloved Grandmother passed away earlier this year.  When her grandchildren were small, each year she would have each one draw her a special picture.  She would then take all of the pictures and hand embroider them onto pillowcases and she would give the pillowcases to them as gifts at Christmastime.  Needless to say, the pillowcases are true TREASURES…I have a STACK of them and they are precious to me.  Not only are they a snapshot of childhood…but they are true handmade gifts of love.  My mother has decided to pick up where my grandmother left off.  And, this year, my mother’s grandchildren each received an embroidered pillowcase…  My grandmother would be touched and proud.

Emma’s pillowcase had her handprints and footprints embroidered onto it.

Ahhhhh…young love.  My brother with his fiancé, Lesa.

My niece Isabel with her handmade tutu from auntie Tera.

Goodies…fresh off of the plane from Guatemala.  A PRECIOUS gift from precious friends!!  I love you, Tricia!!  This sweet gift meant so much to me!

If you have not read about Tricia’s recent trip to Guatemala, please visit her blog and read all about it.  You will be touched and you might even be inspired to ACT.

I love Emma Grace.  Very much.

God bless,

Tera

Emma's Second Birthday Party

This is the MOTHER of all birthday posts!  So, grab a cold beverage and stay awhile.  ; D

Yesterday we celebrated Emma's second birthday.  It is so difficult to believe that she is two.  I think part of the reason why that is so difficult to believe is because for seven months of her two years we were not with her.  So, in some ways, maybe I think of her as being younger than she is.  We are so grateful that she is with us and we adore spending each day with her!

Emma had sooooo much fun at her Backyardigans birthday bash!  It was a crazy whirlwind for her and a bit overwhelming at times too I think, but she seemed to thoroughly enjoy each and every moment of her party!

When she woke up from her nap, I took her birthday tutu out and when she saw it, she said, "OoooooOOOhhhh!!"  She was so excited to put it on!  In this photo, she is waiting by the door for the guests to arrive.

Dancing to her favorite Lori Berkner CDs before the party.

The party cupcake tower.  A baker, I am NOT.  But, cupcakes are pretty easy!

Presents!

Emma trying to figure out how to blow into the party horns.

Emma's cousin Grace had no trouble at all with said party horns.

Black.mail.  Hey dad, I know that you read my blog.  Have I got the goods on you or what???

Party Menu:

Rocky Rococos pizza

Caesar salad

Apples with caramel dipping sauce

Chocolate cupcakes

Icecream cone cupcakes

CAKE and icecream

This is the face that Emma made when we were singing to her...LOL.  I'm not sure if she knew quite what to think.  She was fascinated by the cake.  : )

Mmmmm...

When we purchased this piñata for the party, we did not consider the fact that Emma would be witnessing one of her most beloved Backyardigans characters being clubbed and beaten until candy fell out of her.  : / 

"Oh precious, Ooneekah...I LOVE YOU!!"

We were a bit worried about Emma's reaction...  But, for a Guatemalan girl, what would a proper birthday party be without a piñata?  ; )

*sigh*  Oh dear...  So sorry, "Ooneekah"

After I took that pic, we almost decided NOT to go through with the clubbing of "Ooneekah"...  But then we decided to go through with it.  (Edited to say:  Please say you'll still be my blog friend!)

Izzy gave it a whack (several whacks, actually)

And, Grace gave it several good slugs.

Much to our amazement, Emma thought that piñata clubbing was the coolest thing EVER!  She was begging for a turn.  So, we gave her the baton and...

THWAP!!!!!!

SMACK!!!!!

WHACK!!!!!!! 

Emma LOVED the piñata!  I do not anticipate that any future therapy sessions will be necessary.  ; )

And, in the end, like last year's piñata, this year's piñata would NOT break!  So, we resorted to the "civilized" method and we pulled the strings until the goodies fell out.

Emma received many cool gifts!  (Thank you, everyone!)

Emma likes to look into the camera after you take a picture of her.  : )

Sweet cousins.  : D

This is one of the last pics taken of her last night.  I think that you can see her smile progressively getting larger as the party went on.  She had a WONDERFUL time!

It was able to sleep in just a bit this morning (thanks, Jason) and this is the face that greeted me when I woke up.  "MAMA!!  Get UP!  I have been waiting to show you my NEW stroller and all of the rest of my new toys!"

So...  Today Emma has been doing this.

And a little bit of this.

Oh, and this too.  : D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my sweet baby girl.  You are SO PRECIOUS to us!!

God bless,

Tera