Journey to Jadyn & Jenna

Visits with Santa

2009-02-18T21:52:00.004-07:00

This was the first year the girls were not too afraid of visiting Santa Claus. Going to see Santa was definately a process. First, we would walk by Santa to get a glimpse of him, then talk about him for a while, sometimes a long while, and then stop to see him before we left the mall. We were able to visit with Santa atleast 4 or 5 times this season. For the top picture, Nate was napping well in his stroller, so he missed out on this photo opp. :-)

Picture with Santa at the Phoenix Zoo Lights

Christmas Cookie Fun

2009-02-18T21:44:00.006-07:00

Lots of fun!! We got together with some friends to decorate Christmas cookies. All the kids enjoyed rolling out the dough, using the cookie cutters, decorating and... sampling the frosting! Thanks to Jorgie for opening up her home for this event... very brave. :)

First Haircut

2009-02-17T21:52:00.004-07:00

In late November the girls had their first haircut. They have had their hair trimmed previously, maybe 2-3 times, and the cuts just evened out their hair. Well, with this cut, they had about 2-3 inches cut off at a kids salon called Lollilocks. It was very cute, the girls each sat in this pink elephant to have their hair cut. After the cut, they each picked out the hair style of their choice and a lollipop.

Second Gotcha Day Anniversary

2009-02-17T21:35:00.006-07:00

On November 19 we celebrated our second gotcha day anniversary. We started the day by having breakfast with Nana and Papa at the Deer Valley Airport Restaurant. This was our first time here, it was really fun for the girls. It is a small airport and the restaurant faces the runways. We saw several small planes and helicopters taking off and landing. Next we visited a preschool that we are looking at for this fall, then to the zoo and to Nana and Papa's for dinner. It was a fun and busy day. I wish we would have gotten more pictures!

New Glasses

2009-02-17T21:25:00.004-07:00

In November, Jenna picked out her new glasses. She has had two other pairs before this pair and we've just ordered the frame (a VERY limited selection) at Costco that came in her size. Well, we ventured out to Target for new frames and as soon as Jenna saw these frames... "the light pink ones" there was no changing her mind. Jenna has been wearing her new frames about 3 months now and she is taking very good care of them. :-)

Halloween 2008

2009-01-29T16:44:00.006-07:00

Two cute ladybugs and and an adorable pumpkin. ;-) Jadyn and Jenna insisted on being Ladybugs again this year for Halloween... well, their costumes still fit, so all was good.

Picking pumpkins in the desert

2009-01-29T16:36:00.003-07:00

In Phoenix, there are not many, if any, real pumpkin patches. The local Botanical Gardens puts on The Great Pumpkin Festival each year and they bring in lots of pumpkins for the kids to choose from. There are other fun activities for the kids to do too, including the hayride to the pumpkin patch, the hay maze, a petting zoo and decorating pumpkins. Here Nana came along for the fun!

Watching our baby brother

2009-01-29T16:28:00.003-07:00

In this picture Jadyn is actually keeping a pacifier in Nate's mouth. The girls will do most anything to help out with their baby brother. Nate was 6.5 weeks at this time.

FREE Birthday Dinner at Red Robin

2009-01-29T15:22:00.004-07:00

We love the FREE meal offers that come in the mail, or e-mail, around birthdays.
If you have not signed up up for Red Robin's eClub, click here! We have not signed Nate up yet, but everyone else in our family receives a free meal around their birthday.

We were happy to have Grandma Ann in town over the girls' birthday!

Little Cheerleaders

2009-01-29T15:11:00.002-07:00

The girls started to wear these cheerleading outfits last fall. "Da Bears" is Daddy's favorite team, NOT Mommy's however. Wouldn't you know it... this is the girls FAVORITE outfit! Well, the outfits were put toward the back of the closet for our ummm... chilly month(s) and made their 2009 debut last week. I have a feeling Jadyn & Jenna will be sporting these outfits all spring!

Happy Birthday to Jadyn & Jenna!

2009-01-29T14:57:00.004-07:00

Well, this is the day Jenna and Jadyn were looking forward to. They turned 3!!! We had a fun party at My Gym and then had pizza and cake at home. Jenna really likes Minnie Mouse these days and Jadyn really likes Mickey Mouse. So some of the cake plates were Mickey and some were Minnie.

Three Year Pictures

2009-01-29T14:33:00.005-07:00

On October 5, 2008, Jenna and Jadyn turned 3 years old. We can hardly believe that our babies are now 3. Here are some of our favorite pictures.

The pink and purple cheongsams are the ones the girls wore in their red couch photo when we were in China. We love this picture because it really captures the girls' fun personalities. We have the joy of seeing this everyday and love it. :-)

These pictures were taken in the end of September when Nate was 5 weeks old. (He is a bit bigger these days!)

An Update at Last!

2009-01-29T14:16:00.005-07:00

In the end of September we took the girls bowling, actually bumper bowling. We never realized there were bowling shoes small enough to fit toddler feet... well there are! Some of the bowling balls were light enough for the girls to carry. The preferred method of getting the ball down the alley was to roll it between their legs. It was a fun time!

Here is Jadyn, looking like an experienced bowler, watching her ball roll down the alley.

Below is Jenna after a fun time bowling.

Two Years Ago Today...

2008-09-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, it was a Monday, September 25, 2006, we received our referral for our two wonderful daughters. We received a phone call from our adoption agency, around this time actually, with the information that we were matched with TWO little sweeties. The next day we saw their beautiful pictures for the first time. This will always be a very special day for us!

Off to a High Noon Tea Party

2008-09-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, the girls and I went to a High Noon Tea Party at a friends house. It was their first tea party. They used real China (happy to report that nothing broke!) and tried tea for the first time. They enjoyed trying some of the little sandwiches, fruit and cookies!

Pretend Play

2008-09-25T09:28:00.001-07:00

Jenna and Jadyn love to "pretend" and have good imaginations. Their favorite things to play is making dinner and birthday cakes in their kitchen which is usually followed by a round of them singing "Happy Birthday". It is so cute to watch and listen to them play.

Since their brother has arrived, the girls have taken a new interest in their "babies". They love diaper, feed and take their babies on wild stroller rides around the house.

Good Morning Baby Brother!

2008-09-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

The girls can not wait to check on their baby brother as soon as they get up in the morning. Their Dora step stools come in handy again!

Welcome to the World Nathan!!

2008-09-25T06:54:00.001-07:00

Our baby brother has finally arrived!!
Three weeks before his due date, on August 23, Nate decided he was ready meet his big sisters. He measured in at 20 inches and was 7 lbs 1 oz. The girls have been anxious to meet their little brother all summer long. The talked to baby brother while he was in Mommy's tummy and gave him kisses too. Here is Nate meeting his sisters for the first time, about 10 hours after being born.

Proud BIG sisters!!

Fun Ride with Mickey

2008-09-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

The girls' treat after being so patient looking for a crib for baby brother. We needed a new crib because the girls' cribs were recalled in June... so they are now in toddler beds and loving it!

Playing at the Mall

2008-09-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

On many Wednesdays we meet up with friends and find somewhere fun to play. On this day we went to the mall play area.

Tickle tickle Sissy!!

Trip to the Dentist!

2008-09-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

What troopers! The girls were so good when having their teeth cleaned and prodded at. It was a good check up... way to go!

These are pics of Jenna who had her teeth cleaned first. There must have been a big distraction after taking these because there are no pictures Jadyn! Opps... we will get some next time sweetie!

Say "Cheese"!

2008-09-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Here the girls are in their beautiful dresses that we purchased in China. These are the dressed the girls wore for their "red couch" picture in China.

Ready for the Olympics!

2008-09-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

On your mark, get set, go! Here the girls are in their FAVORITE shirts these days. We picked up these Olympic t-shirts in China. They were wearing them as often as possible in August, but for some reason the red shirt has been, and continues to be, the favorite. We try to keep track of who wore the red shirt last so they both can wear it.

We were hooked watching the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and stayed up late many nights to watch some of the events. The girls took an interest, watched the tv for a couple minutes, during some swimming and gymnastics events.

Nice and Refreshing!

2008-09-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a popsicle after swimming. Jadyn on the right.

Children's Museum of Phoenix

2008-09-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

We spent several days during the summer at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. It was a great place to go for the girls to play with lots of fun toys, spend time with friends, get a little messy in the arts and craft room and test Mommy's paint removal techniques. :-) (All the paint was washable, so it was not too bad to remove!)

Here the girls are working on a big paper mache ladybug.

Jadyn painting a little house in the arts and crafts room.

Ahhh... smocks helped stay a bit cleaner!

Scooping ice cream. Jenna is on the right.

First Bandaid

2008-09-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

We are not sure how we made it this long, but the girls got their first bandaid in July. It was a hit. Each of their bandaids lasted about 5 minutes max. Jadyn (on the right) was the one who really had a little owie on her foot, however, there was no blood involved, but the bandaid made it feel much better!

Jadyn's cute little foot!

Important Phone Call

2008-09-25T05:56:00.001-07:00

Just before bedtime this phone call just had to be made. Possible stall tactic? Very likely these days. The girls are too funny, we've never seen them move so slowly as when it is time to get ready for bed. They get very concerned about how soon they go to bed once Mr. Sun goes down. Jadyn is on the left.

Fun with Playdough

2008-09-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

Playdough is a huge hit in our house these days. We are talking a good hour or more of entertainment! Here Jenna, with the help of Daddy, made a figure to represent "Mommy". The ball on the stomach represents their little brother who Mommy has been pregnant with for most of the summer!

If you look closely, Jenna has two little braids in her hair. We really like braids these days.

Fun at the Museum

2008-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last week our Wednesday Playgroup we went to the Arizona Museum for Youth. Our girls had a blast playing in the Artville area which is a "hands on" area with lots of toys for imaginative play for children under 5 years old. The picture to the left shows the girls sporting life vests and dangling their feet over the side of a "boat".

After lunch we went back to the museum to play in the sand and with the other activities in Artville, the girls loved it. We look forward to our next trip back, maybe we will check out the rest of the museum!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to a wonderful Daddy and Husband!! The girls enjoyed their first trip to Build-a-Bear. Later that day we had dinner at Arriba's... one of Daddy's favorite places. :-)

There were lots of different animals to choose from here is Jenna and her puppy before it was stuffed.

Jadyn was thrilled with her elephant.

Jenna watching very carefully as the voicebox for the puppy was put into his leg.

Jadyn kissing the little red heart that goes inside the stuffed animals after the stuffing is in, but before they are sewn shut.

Our Little Fish!

2008-06-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

We finished 3 weeks of swim lessons in the beginning of June. The girls had lessons every weekday for 10 minutes each. It was a big commitment, but it is paying off... they are loving the pool and can't get enough of floating and swimming! Here is Jenna swimming from Daddy back to the pool steps.

I think this is Jenna jumping off the steps to swim to Daddy.

This was one of our last days of swim lessons and the girls had a test. Each of the girls were dropped into the pool from various angles and had to float successfully. It was a lot of work for them, but they did awesome! Their test was done with clothes on... an oversized sweatshirt, jeans, socks, shoes and if that was not enough, their swimming suit was underneath.

Here is Jenna getting ready to be rolled in backwards.

Here is Jadyn mastering her float.

Flowers and Frogs and Snakes... Oh My!

2008-05-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, after dinner at Pei-Wei's, we took a self-guided Flashlight Tour at the Desert Botanical Gardens. The girls loved holding their own flashlights and we looked for flowers in the dark. We went by the pond, in the back of the gardens, and heard lots of frogs and toads "screaming". We all saw about 4 or 5 frogs in the water. The gardens had stations set up highlight various exhibits. One of the stations had snakes. Each of the girls touched a garden snake (Jenna is in the picture below touching the snake.) They were particularly interested in the snakes tougue and how it goes in and out all the time! Mom did not touch the snake... I do not do snakes or most other creepy crawly things. We passed by the exhibit with the taranchula, mom did not think she could handle that! It was fun, we will probably go back for another self-guided tour before the summer is over.

Cruzin' on the Trikes

2008-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

The girls really like their tricycles. Over the weekend we took them out so they would have a lot of room to ride around and get the hang of pedaling their new wheels. Jenna was quite the speedster and really got moving. Jadyn was not into riding as fast, but enjoyed running to keep up with Jenna on her trike. What great exercise! (Jenna is really not sleeping on her bike in the picture below. :-))

Jenna needed to take a little break during her ride.

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Mother's Day weekend. We were at the Phoenix Zoo, bright and early, Saturday morning and rented this cool bike. We cruised around the zoo for about an hour. Jenna and Jadyn were up high so we really did not need to take them out of their seats much. The girls LOVE carousels, so our zoo visit would not be complete without a carousel ride. (Jadyn "loves" tigers these days and was very happy to ride the tiger.)
After the zoo, we had lunch at The Farm at South Mountain. The food is great and all the seating is outside, perfect with kids! On Sunday Scott and the girls took their first swim of the year in our pool. At 80 degrees, it was a little too cool for mom. The girls' teeth were chattering toward the end of their swim, but they really did not want to come out.

Nothing like a BIG fruit smoothie to relax you after a fun weekend!

Lounging

2008-05-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

There is something really fun about being on mommy and daddy's bed. This particular morning I was not ready when they got up so they got to watch a TV show. They were probably watching Ni-Hao Kailan which is one of their favs. Another favorite show of Jenna and Jadyn's is Go Diego Go.

Bows like Tika's

2008-05-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

The girls and I took Tika in for her first summer grooming of the year. It was a little tramatic for the girls to leave Tika at the groomers for a couple hours, this was new for them. While Tika was being groomed, we did a couple errands and grabbed a bite to eat at one of mommy's favorite places for lunch Paradise Bakery. (Their chicken salad and cookies are great!!)

When we picked up Tika from the groomers she had bows in her fur! The girls thought that was just so funny and could not wait to get home put bows in their hair too; they wanted to "match" Tika! Too cute.

Jenna was pointing out to Tika where the last crumb from her treat was. The girls adore Tika and Tika adores them too... particularly at mealtime.

A Visit to Shamrock Farms

2008-05-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

In late April we toured Shamrock Farms, a local family owned dairy. We really enjoyed the tram tour and the girls were able to pet a baby calf in the calf nursery. We saw several hundred cows being milked in their automated facility and we played on their "life-like" cows and with some other kid-friendly farm toys. The tour ended with a sample of milk and an ice cream! The logo for Shamrock Farms is a white cow which is named "Roxie". After our visit, Jenna and Jadyn have been pointing out Roxie either in our fridge or on cartons of dairy products when we are out!

Jenna taking a turn at "milking" a cow!

First time having chocolate milk. Guess what... they liked it! :-)

Washing the Car

2008-05-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

Jenna and Jadyn enjoyed helping "wash the car". When we, Ha! I really mean Scott, had the opportunity to do this in the past, it was always when the girls were napping. This time, Jadyn and Jenna got to join in the fun!

No more water fun... time to dry off and get the car dry too!

Easter

2008-05-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

We attended our first Easter egg hunt that was put on by a local church. Jadyn was not too concerned about the number of eggs she picked up, but was very curious as to what goodies were inside. Jenna, on the other hand, picked up as many eggs as she possible could. It was a fun day. Later that afternoon, the girls were anxious to help decorate Easter eggs... mainly with markers and stickers. Maybe next year we will be a little more brave. :0)

It was a good morning collecting Easter eggs. Actually, we enjoyed a hotdog, chips and face painting at the Easter Egg Hunt too!

Bedtime Fun!

2008-05-29T13:48:00.001-07:00

Do they look tired to you?? Well, after playing around with Daddy, they were not so tired and could not stop giggling! :-)

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2008-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year...(ummmm mid February) my sweet husband turned the big 4 0! The girls helped him open one of his gifts, a Margaritaville t-shirt. We celebrated his big day by having a special dinner out at Christo's with family and friends, then back home for cake and ice cream. In the picture below the girls were having fun with a "walker" that Scott's sweet sister had brought for him!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Happy Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-04-23T15:08:00.001-07:00

In February, we had the opportunity to attend two Chinese New Year celebrations this year. One was at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix and the other was a celebration put on by our local FCC chapter. It is a fun time of the year.

Happy Happy Chinese New Year is a book that was recently Jadyn's FAVORITE book. I can't begin to count how many days, in a row, at naptime and bedtime, Jadyn wanted this book read... it was probably going on 2 weeks. We have not read this book now in another couple weeks; I keep meaning to ask Scott if he conveniently brought it downstairs and mixed it in with the rest of their large book collection.

Jadyn really likes dragons these days, so she really enjoys being read books about Chinese New Year. Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors is another very poplular book at our house along with a newer book Bringing in the New Year.

At the cultural center, the girls had their first pony ride. Ha! We were surprised to see the pony rides, but the girls certainly enjoyed it!

Here is Jadyn and Daddy.

Jenna and Mommy on the "train" ride.

At the FCC event, Jadyn and Jenna were patiently waiting for their balloon characters to be completed. The final products below. Jadyn is holding her rooster, they were born in the year of the rooster, and Jenna is modeling her dragon headpiece.

Face/Hand Painting

2008-04-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

We went to a birthday party in the end of January for sweet little Mia who turned 1 year old. It was a fun day. Jenna enjoyed having her face painted with a heart, to "match" her shirt, and stayed just as still as could be while it was being painted. It was too cute. Jadyn was not too sure about having something on her face, so she opted for a ladybug on her hand.

The girls have really been into "matching" recently. I guess I never realized how often I/we made a reference to different items matching. Both girls will point out when the colors they are wearing match almost anything else they see. When wearing bows, the girls see to it that the bows match their clothes. It is cute. When this phase first started the girls wanted the straws in their drinking cups to "match" or "be the same color as" their cups. Well, this did not always happen as many of the colors of the cups, lids and straws are contrasting colors. There were some interesting mornings when I would hear that their straws do not "match" their cups, so most times they did not drink out of their cups until they are thirsty enough, but some days I would cave in and clean a straw that "matched"! :0)

Happy New Year!!

2008-04-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

Our silly girls with their silly smiles on New Years Day.

With their Daddy who they adore.

New Years Day 2007

They have changed a little bit! Jadyn is on the left.

Christmas Fun!

2008-04-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

We are baaaack!!! Wow, it is hard to believe that we really have not posted in over 4 months. We are all well and these months have really passed in a blink... or maybe 3 or 4 blinks!

Our girls are growing and changing so quickly and we are just taking in every ounce of cuteness!

Above Jadyn and Jenna are enjoying their Christmas smoothie and milk. Jenna is wearing glasses.

The girls LOVED opening their presents from Santa and all their many gifts from our relatives.

The girls adore Minnie Mouse and the placemats are really a source of entertainment at mealtimes, like we need more activity... :0)

The girls Christmas picture in front of the Christmas tree at the Biltmore Shopping Center.

Gingerbread House

2007-12-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we got the courage to decorate a gingerbread house with the girls. I'm quite certain Jadyn and Jenna liked sampling the candy and icing more than decorating.

To the left, Jenna is eyeing the CANDY as Jadyn is using her finger sample some of the icing on the roof. The picture below shows Jadyn's special touches at the bottom of the roof line.

Putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree, or better known around our house these days as the Chris Chris tree, as the girls so sweetly pronounce it.

The finished product!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

2007-12-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

Jenna and Jadyn are really liking the Christmas season! They recently helped us finish decorating our big Christmas tree. Each morning they get up and point at the big Christmas tree and then say "Two Christmas Trees". We have another smaller tree in our family room. We picked up a Little People Christmas CD and Jadyn often requests the Christmas music to be on and especially likes the "reindeer song". The girls have seen Santa from a distance and like to see him on TV, but when asked if they want to go see Santa or have Santa come to our house, they both shake their head nooo!

Happy Gotcha Day!!

2007-11-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we held our beautiful daughters for the first time. What an exciting day. We spent the morning of November 19th flying from Beijing to Nanchang. By the time we were in our hotel room after our flight and our luggage arrived, we had 15 minutes until we boarded the bus to meet our babies who were waiting for us at the Civil Affairs Office in Nanchang. Once we were at the civil office, we took elevators to the 26th floor. Immediately when we entered the room with all the babies, our sweeties were in their matching orange outfits. We could hardly believe we were finally in the same room with them. They were being held by women in red jackets from their SWI. It was about 10 minutes, which seemed much longer, before we were able to hold them in our arms at 5:15 pm China time on November 19, 2006. It was a little chaotic in the civil office as there were twelve other families in our travel group who were also meeting their precious daughters at the same time. It is hard to believe a year has passed since we were in China, but we also feel as though our girls have been with us forever.

Jadyn is on the left in both pictures above.

Too Cute... Our Little Ladybugs!

2007-11-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

The girls sure enjoyed trick or treating. They very softly said "trick or treat" at almost every house we went to. Their bags were filled with treats by the time we were done.

Jenna has glasses on in a couple pictures and in the picture below Jenna is on the left.

Picking out the candy they wanted from a very large basket... life is good!

Jenna on the right.

Happy Fall!

2007-10-28T10:47:00.001-07:00

Looking for pumpkins. Jadyn on the left. Four perfect pumpkins!
Jenna is sitting.

The Birthday Fun Lasted ALL Weekend!

2007-10-26T14:49:00.001-07:00

Here is Jadyn and Jenna's TWO year picture.
Jenna's glasses were not on because new lenses were being put in her frames. Jenna is on the right.
Their birthday was Friday, October 5, and we went to a park that morning and out to lunch with friends. We had one of their favorite meals for dinner, macaroni and cheese, followed by gifts and cake. The girls LOVED opening their gifts and eating cake!
Saturday we had more fun with a picnic in the park with friends. Sunday we had a small Elmo party. It was a wonderful birthday weekend with family and friends. Ohhh, and the weather really cooperated... it was gorgeous!

Friday night, the girls opened their "dancing" skirts. In this picture they were holding their new Elmo and Dora books, which play music, and were dancing to the music.

Now the girls think that inorder to dance, they MUST have their skirts on. So cute.

Cake time on Sunday!

Yummy, finally we get our cake. Jadyn ate hers very delicately and Jenna could not wait to feel the frosting in her fingers.

Birthday Eve

2007-10-04T23:03:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Jenna and Jadyn's 2nd Birthday! As we put our girls to bed tonight, we were playing a silly game pretending to fall asleep in the chair while holding them and the girls would wake us up and we would laugh. Then the girls were pretending to fall asleep and we would say "wake up sleepyheads" and tickle them. They would crack up laughing. We love our little girls sooo much! They are very sweet.

The girls are sampling their birthday cake batter (a small amount... at first) which they "helped" make. The batter must have been okay, below Jenna is going back for seconds!

Opps... An Early Birthday Present?

2007-10-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Guess what... They liked it!! Well, a week before their birthday we figured we should just make sure this would be an okay gift. Maybe it would assist in their balance and jumping skills! :-) We could hardly wait to finish breakfast to show the girls their new toy, so they were still in their PJs.

One Year Anniversary of our Referral

2007-10-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 25, 2006

We still remember the details as if it were a month ago.

Shortly after getting to work on that morning, Kim e-mailed everyone in the office where she worked to tell them that our daughter's information was in the states and we should be receiving a phone call sometime today after 12:00 noon with all the details. We could not wait! It was hard to concentrate on anything. Well... the phone call came in at 9 am, earlier than we thought, what a great surprise! Then Scott was conferenced in. The person from CHI mentioned that she was glad to give us this information at the same time and we were the first call that she made that day. She proceeded to say that "the first one"... then it dawned on us... the first one??? What... TWINS???? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! This was beyond our greatest expectations. We have been over the moon ever since.

This year, September 25th was the date of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, a big holiday celebrated in China. For dinner we went out for Chinese food and had soup and noodles, a big hit with the girls! Afterward we were entertained at a celebration at the Chinese Cultural Center; the girls loved watching the dancing.

Jenna right, Jadyn left

Fun with Dad!!

2007-10-04T21:35:00.001-07:00

Jenna and Jadyn are getting so big. They really LOVE to play at the park. The girls braved this BIG slide with the help of Dad.

Jenna in the pink shirt

The slide was a hit. What a fun Dad! The other pic is from the FCC

Autumn Moon Festival.

Halloween Preview

2007-10-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

We tried our two costumes on for size. They fit great! Often when we have 2 different items, the girls seem to like the SAME thing and these costumes are no different. Ha! We have a little work to do before Halloween. ;0)

Jenna in the Bee costume

Jadyn in the Ladybug costume

Cool California

2007-09-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

We recently spent a few days in the San Diego area and enjoyed the nice cooool weather. This was the first time Jenna and Jadyn had seen the ocean and played on the beach. The girls really enjoyed digging and then digging some more in the sand. It was a treat for all of us. On our trip, we were happy to visit with 2 families whom we traveled with to China. The girls are all so sweet and growing up so fast. We also enjoyed time with family friends who we had not seen in a while. See pictures from our visit to the Birch Aquarium in the post below.

Jenna on the left and Jadyn below.

We were at the La Jolla Children's Pool area one morning and saw lots of harbor seals on the beach.

Fun carosel rides in Balboa Park.

The girls really liked their cribs...

but, mom and dad's bed was more fun!

The Birch Aquarium

2007-09-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

We spent a couple hours at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, CA. The girls really liked the large aquarium that they could stand infront of and watch all the fish swim by. They touched a starfish and sea cucumber. Another highlight was getting drenched in the pretend tide pools that were set up for kids to play in. See the pictures below, Jenna has her glasses on.

Jadyn on the left.

Jenna on the left.

Yum Yum!

2007-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year, when the fresh corn is available in the grocery store. Well, the girls' daddy loves corn on the cob. So, no better time than now to get them started!

Jadyn

Jenna

Good job!

Sweet Girls!!

2007-08-03T14:27:00.001-07:00

Sweet Jenna

Funny Jadyn

Jenna, left, and Jadyn coloring.

Sweet Dreams Sleepyheads!! Jadyn on the right.

Pretending to be like mom. I had rested my foot on the side of the tub so I could easily paint my toe nails. Well, as soon as I was done, these two cuties were using travel size shampoo bottles to try to paint their toe nails too! It was adorable. We have to keep an eye on Jenna, though, as she likes to unscrew the covers from any bottles within her reach!

New Seats

2007-08-03T14:16:00.001-07:00

Here are Jenna and Jadyn with their front row seats for Sesame Street. They are each sitting on a ball. These new "seats" were quite the rage for a couple weeks before they were able to easily climb on the couch.

Here are the girls holding on to the same toy eight months ago. Jadyn is on the left.

4th of July

2007-07-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was fun and relaxing. We took the girls to a splash pad in the morning, finger painted in the afternoon and saw fireworks in the evening.

You can catch a glimpse of Jenna's GLASSES in the last picture. The glasses are adorable on Jenna, but sometimes she just does NOT want to wear them. Jenna's left eye wanders occasionally and we are hoping her glasses will help strengthen her eye.

Jadyn on the left in the picture above.

Almost ready for a bath!! Jenna on the left.

Dad and Jenna taking in the fireworks.

Jenna, Mom and Jadyn watching more fireworks.

What we love to do...

2007-07-11T13:56:00.001-07:00

CLIMB!!! Look we got on the couch all by ourselves and we are very proud!
Jenna on the left.

Yikes, this has made things a little more interesting in our house. Yesterday I was filing a couple papers in another room to get back to the kitchen/family room (where we spend most of our time) and the girls were each sitting on a kitchen chair at the table.

Jenna is below getting into her highchair.

Lots of Fun!!

2007-07-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

In June, we traveled to Wisconsin and Illinois where Jenna and Jadyn met MANY new relatives and friends. We probably could have counted the number of times their feet touched the ground as their doting relatives, particulary cousins, enjoyed spending time with them. :-)

Our trip included graduation and birthday parties, playing at parks, a trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo, a welcoming party for Jenna and Jadyn and much time spent with family.

The above picture is with cousins and a new calf.

More cousins! Jenna on left.

Sitting on a John Deere - Jadyn below

Triplets at the welcoming party- Jadyn, Abby & Jenna

Our trip home, in the afternoon on Father's Day, started with a 2 1/2 hour flight delay. Fortunately, we spent the delay in the airport, not on the plane. It made for a long day, but the girls held up pretty well. This picture was taken just before we boarded the plane.... finally!

This was our first time traveling with the girls since China. We were gone 9 nights and we all did really well.

Here are Jadyn, Jenna and Dad. The girls had their "I Love Dad" shirts on. Happy First Father's Day to Scott, a wonderful daddy and husband.

Strawberry Girl

2007-05-28T23:00:00.001-07:00

In her glory, Jadyn is starting breakfast with strawberries... several strawberries! Jenna, who does not share this passion, was still sleeping while Jadyn was having her feast.

(This picture is from today.)

Sharing Snacks

2007-05-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

Jadyn in particular likes to share her snacks with Tika by placing the snack on the floor. Tika loves to "hang out" by the girls during mealtime or any opportunity she can when there is food involved.

First Trip to the Dentist

2007-05-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, the girls were preparing for their first visit with the dentist. It was a good check up, no cavities. Mama and Dada learned how to better brush their teeth.

Because of the girls' early dentist appointment, Dada went into work later and was unloading the dishwasher with lots of help from Jenna and Jadyn. I think Dada now knows why Mama does this before the girls are up in the morning.

Jenna streching - left and Jadyn on the door below.

New Word...

2007-05-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Minnie Mouse! We told Jadyn that Minnie Mouse was on her PJs and right then she started to say those words with her own adorable way of pronouncing them. It is very cute.

Jadyn pointing to Minnie Mouse on Jenna's PJs. Jenna is also saying Minnie Mouse.

Six Months as a Family on May 19th!!!

2007-05-28T22:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, not sure where the time has gone! We feel that we have known our daughters for much longer than six months.
We went to a Parent/Tot music class at the zoo in the morning and celebrated at Red Robin afterwards. (This is becoming one of our favorite restaurants... it is so kid friendly!)
Jadyn - left

Jadyn having fun.

Red Robin made a very brief stop at our table and Jadyn gave him one high five.

Jenna, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with Red Robin.

First Mother's Day

2007-05-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day was fantastic. What an honor to be the mom to these two wonderful little girls. We had a fun day; went to breakfast and then to a splash area for the girls to wear off some energy. The girls love the water!

Jenna in the green hat.

Dada and Jenna.

Mama and her tired girls after all the fun in the water and sun. Jenna - left

Jenna breaking in the new play equipment that we were putting together at the end of the day.

Our Little Sweeties

2007-05-28T21:22:00.001-07:00

In the beginning of May, the day after our girls turned 19 months, we had these pictures taken. The first time we had pictures taken of the girls was in January and they wanted to be carried the entire time, so we were not able to get pictures of them without us in the pictures.

Here is Jenna (left) and Jadyn. A little apprehensive with the first shots.

Jenna - left

Jadyn - right

Hum... what do you have?

Jenna - left

Jadyn - right

Fun at the beach. Lots of new things to check out!

Jadyn - standing

Jenna - sitting

The girls were really done with all this picture stuff by now.

Jadyn - left

Jenna - right, ready to leave

Backyard Fun

2007-04-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

These pics are from today. The girls are almost 25 pounds each. Jadyn is now just a half pound more in weight than Jenna. Jadyn has 9 teeth and Jenna has 8.

Jenna has started to repeat words that we use during the day like Jadyn, green, doctor, yellow and some others. Jadyn has also starting to say some words and can identify many objects in books. Both girls are making many animal sounds too; their favorite sound is that of a monkey. Hearing them start to talk is so darn cute!

Jenna is sitting.

Sweet Jenna.

Smiling Jadyn.

Swimming Lessons

2007-04-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

The girls are half way through swimming lessons. They are learning to swim under water and float on their back if they should ever fall into a pool. Their classes are through Infant Swimming Resources.

Jadyn is getting ready to do a rotation to her back float from this position. Jadyn seems to be a strong swimmer.

Jenna is relaxed watching Jadyn swim and waiting for her turn.

Here is Jenna getting into her float position. Jenna is a very good floater!

Hello

2007-04-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Important phone calls for Jadyn, on the left, and Jenna. They LOVE to play with their phones.

This picture is from the beginning of April. The girls have been changing so much in the last month.

Botanical Gardens

2007-03-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Botanical Gardens to see the butterfly exibit and wild flowers. The girls got to see butterflies close up in the screened in pavilion.

Jadyn is on the left.

Jenna is on the left.

Play Time

2007-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Lots of concentration going on here.

Jadyn on the left in both pictures.

Coloring is fun... good thing the crayons are washable!

Birthday Celebration for Papa!

2007-03-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, Scott's brother and two of his sisters came into town to celebrate their dad's birthday.

The girls were able to meet some of their new aunts and uncles. It was a fun time, although Aunt Dawn was missed.

Jenna, on the left, and Jadyn were anxiously waiting for another bite of ice cream that Nana and Papa were happy to feed them.

On the Move!

2007-03-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted and the girls have been changing a lot!! In the middle of February, February 13th to be exact, both of them started walking on their own. Our house has not quite been the same since. This has kept us all, including our dog Tika (who the girls adore), on our toes even more and we love it!

Here are pics from the end of February which show Jenna and Jadyn racing through the house with their walking toys. They really do not need these toys any more but they still enjoy playing with them. This is also their first time with pig tails.

Jenna is above and Jadyn is to the left.

Silly Sisters

2007-02-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

The girls were enjoying a late afternoon snack and being silly in their highchairs. (Jenna is on the left.) Jadyn and Jenna like to play together, are constantly watching each other and often copy one another.

Dinner Time Fun

2007-02-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

Daddy gets the girls laughing after we finish eating by making funny faces and noises. Of course, the girls follow dad's lead and copy everything he does; it is very entertaining!

Jadyn is showing us her 7 teeth, 3 on the top and 4 on the bottom.

Here is Jenna, who also has 7 teeth, 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom, yes, just the opposite of Jadyn.

Tired Out

2007-02-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

During a recent wagon ride, the girls could not stay awake any longer! It was before noon, so we brought them home and let them finish their short nap in the family room.

The girls are wearing squeaky shoes from China. Jenna has on the black shoes with the strawberries on the top and Jadyn has the pink shoes on. These shoes have a little squeaker in the heal of each shoe so when the girls take steps it lets out a squeak.

Trip to the Park

2007-02-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our first trip to the park. Jenna had a grand time and Jadyn was a bit unsure of her first experience. Here is a picture of Mom, Jadyn, Jenna and Grandma (Kim's Mom).

Double slide, double fun. Jenna on the right.

Sweet Picture!

2007-02-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Jadyn sleeping in on the weekend.

Morning Playtime

2007-02-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, the girls discovered more toys in their toybox and had fun exploring. Jadyn is standing and Jenna sitting making a silly face.

Kitchen Helpers

2007-01-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Our busy girls organizing the bib and towel drawers. These drawers are "reorganized" almost daily!

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Trip to the Zoo

2007-01-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

The day after Christmas we went to the zoo. Here are Jadyn and Dad watching the playful otters.

Our trip to the zoo ended with a ride on the carousel. We ended up with the scariest animals on the carousel, but the girls survived. They were not overly estatic to be on the ride.

Merry Christmas!

2007-01-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

Family photo after mass on Christmas Eve. Scott, Jadyn, Kim, Jenna and Tika.

A few days before Christmas, the girls began to get very interested in the presents under the tree.

First photo with Santa.

Cleaning Crew... Not Quite Yet

2007-01-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Jadyn are intrigued by the vacuum and were looking for a ride.

Referral Party

2007-01-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

In mid-December we attended a Referral Party for Nancy and Brian. Nancy and Brian will be traveling to China tomorrow, January 11th, to be united with their daughter Lily! These are some of the people we have gotten to know, through the Families with Children from China (FCC) organization, who are waiting to travel to China.

Settling In

2006-12-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

We have been home over a week and we are all getting into a routine. Jenna and Jadyn started to sleep through the night about a week ago and that was really nice after a few nights of 1:30 am - 5 am playtime. It is nice to see how the girls are exploring and becoming more comfortable in our home.

We had our first doctor's visit last Monday. The girls are around 21 lbs and are each 30 inches long.

We have been out and about this last week; dined out for lunch and dinner two times each. We also went to Zoolights this past weekend along with grandparents. That is where this photo was taken.

Jenna and Jadyn have taken everything in stride and we are having a lot of fun. Also, thank you to our parents for their help during this time!

Recent Pictures

2006-12-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures since returning home...

Their first wagon ride was a hit!

Jenna practicing her walking...

Jadyn too!

The girls enjoying their "retro rockets"!

More Welcome Home Pics...

2006-12-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

The signs at our house were very nice to see. Here are the signs welcoming us home...

Thank you to everyone involved with the signs, a special thank you to Mark & Deb!!!

Thank you to everyone for following our journey to Jadyn and Jenna, this was a trip of a lifetime for Kim and I, we are truly BLESSED!

Also, thank you for the very nice comments posted to our blog!

Welcome Home

2006-12-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

We arrived early am on Thursday morning. We were met at the airport by Kim's Mom, Scott's Mom & Dad, neighbor Mary and friends Cheryl & Ardie, and Mary & Marty. What a great surprise to see everyone and the signs welcoming us home!

The flight home went okay. Jenna had a tough time sleeping, but overall the girls did very good.

The above picture is Kim, Jenna, Jadyn and Scott...

and with the proud Grandparents.

Last Full Day in China

2006-11-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow evening, 11/29, our flight leaves back to the USA. The last two weeks have really flown by and we are a little sad to be leaving China, the birth country of our daughters. We feel very honored and privleged to be entrusted with these beautiful children who are now ours!

For those of you who will be traveling to China for your adoptions, let us tell you that we are sooo excited for YOU and will be anxious to follow your trip. This is an amazing journey.

On our agenda for Wednesday is, of course, any last minute shopping!!! (Good thing Scott got a great deal today on 2 new pieces of luggage to bring home the extra purchases we made.) At 3:00 pm we leave our hotel and go to the American Consulate for the oath of citizenship for the girls and then on to the airport for our 9:00 pm flight.

Family photo on the red couch.

Our picture with Anna, our coordinator for our entire time in China. Anna helped all of our travel group with every aspect of our trip from paperwork to laundry to ordering our meals for us when we were out at a restaurant. What an important job she has and does it with a big heart.

Thank you for following our journey, it is very special for us... and it is just the beginning!

Good night from Guangzhou. Our next post will be from home, later the week or over the weekend.

Group Pictures

2006-11-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is the famous "Red Couch" picture. All families who adopted from China and stay at the White Swan Hotel have pictures taken on one of their red couches. These are the 14 babies in our travel group. As you can see, it is not easy to get all these girls to cooperate at one time. Jenna is is on the bottom left and Jadyn is on the bottom right.

This is a picture of our entire travel group, a total of 13 families. Four of these families were back to adopt their second child from China. We have had a wonderful time getting to know these terrific families in our travel group. All of our daughters have much in common and are from the same province in China, Jiangxi.

Monday - Visa Pics & Medical Exam

2006-11-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning we had Jenna and Jadyn's Visa Picture and Medical Exam. There were three stations, the first one checked their weight (both 22 pounds) and their height, the next one checked their hearing and the third one checked their breathing and skin condition. Again, they did really good. We are blessed with two very good girls!

Building for medical exam

See below for more pics during the medical exam...

Jadyn getting ready to get her temperature taken

Jenna having her mouth checked

Jadyn having her breathing checked

Sunday was our free day

2006-11-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

(Picture with some local girls)

Sunday was somewhat a free day for us. After the very good breakfast buffet, we walked around the park that is right next to the hotel.

In the afternoon, some of us in our group went to a indoor Jade and Pearl market. Yes, Mom, Jenna and Jadyn did a little shopping while we were there!!!

For dinner the four of us went to Lucy's Cafe, very close to the hotel.

Dinner at Lucy's Cafe.

More Pics

2006-11-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Jenna practicing her walking along the side of the crib.

Jadyn hamming it up for the camera.

Room at the White Swan hotel for 2 babies. :-)

P.S. We are having a great time in China. The time is going by rather quickly. We have stayed healthy this far and feel fairly rested. The girls seem to be adjusting well. Thank you for your posts!

Greetings from Guangzhou

2006-11-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Today, Saturday we flew to Guangzhou. This was Jenna and Jadyn's first airplane trip, they did very well. It was a long day for them and also for us.

The four of us went out for dinner at a very good Thai restaurant, called the Cow and Bridge. We thought the girls would crash once we got back to the hotel room and they had their bottle. We were wrong, they wanted to play and they took us for a walk down the hotel hallway. After a little while then they did go to sleep!

Good night from Guangzhou.

Above picture is our guide from Nanchang, Sally, with Jadyn and Jenna.

Jenna sleeping on top of the luggage. Dad's back needed a break while we were waiting for the rest of the group.

Dad trying to pose with the girls.