County Line Orchard!

Since Auntie Debbie and Uncle Rick were in town for a couple of days after my birthday celebration, we decided to take them to one of my favoite fall places...County Line Orchard. We picked apples, rode on the hay wagon, and ate yummy apple doughnuts.

Happy Birthday Maya!

Today, Maya celebrated her 3rd birthday with family and friends. Everyone had a great time jumping on the trampoline, swinging on the new swingset, eating yummy fried chicken, and just hanging out. We even got to play musical chairs which was quite entertaining.

It was great having Nanny, Auntie Debbie , Uncle Rick, and Auntie Jil here to celebrate with us.

The Swingset - Day 1

Today, construction began on Maya's new swingset. The instruction book divides the process into 20 phases. Today, we were able to get through phase 15. We couldn't have done it without the help of our friends Tab, Tom, and Chris, and of course DiDi and Papa. Maya had a great time playing with Kyle and Kaitlyn while the guys worked on the masterpiece. More work awaits for tomorrow.

Maya's 3rd Year Check-Up

Today, Maya had her "3rd year" check-up with her pediatrician. She was so brave at the Dr's office and didn't even cry. She followed every direction and really made me proud. Maya now weighs 30.5 lbs and is 34.5 inches tall. My how our little girl is growing up so quickly!

The Things Kids Do With Shaving Cream!

The Princess Cowgirl

Maya the Hula Girl!

Today, Maya received a package in the mail from her Nanny, who just got back from Hawaii. When she saw the skirt, she just had to put it on right away. She also loved wearing the shell necklace and coconut top that came with the skirt. She must have danced around in her new outfit for 15 minutes. Thank you Nanny!

Mosquitos Terrorize Indiana!

The aftermath of those dreadful August storms has arrived....in swarms! That's right, we are experiencing one of the worst mosquito outbreaks that I can remember. They don't just come out at dusk, but are beating against our doors and windows at all hours of the day, just waiting to sneak in for a meal. It is AWFUL! Even though it's 89 degrees, Dom donned long pants, long sleeves, and a mosquito head net before mowing the lawn. He definately got a few looks from the neighbors. The other pic is of Maya dressed in pants, long sleeves, and socks, sprayed head to toe with bug spray, getting ready to battle the mosquitos on the trampoline.

The Beach!

Today, Kristi, Kenna, and Michal came to spend the day with us. We had a couple of minutes to visit DiDi (Maya's grandma) at her elementary school, and then we headed to the beach. The girls had a great time playing in the sand together. We ended the day with jumping on the trampoline, which the girls LOVED! Thank you Kristi, Kenna, and Michal for making the long trip to come and see us. We had a blast.

Our LOI Arrives in Beijing!

I just tracked our LOI package on the DHL website. It's official... at 9:58 a.m. on 8/27/07 (that's actually tomorrow morning, but China is 13 hours ahead of us), our package was hand delivered to the CCAA Office via a courier. Horray! Just one step closer to holding Kai in our arms.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Today, we were hanging out in the driveway drawing with sidewalk chalk when we heard the echo of the ice cream truck a few streets away. Maya knew right away what was coming and jumped to her feet to ask for ice cream. I don't know what was more fun...the anticipation of the truck's arrival or the ice cream itself.

Kai Bear!

Today, Maya made a bear for Kai at Build-a Bear. For those of you who do not know, we think we have finally decided on a name for Shao and it's going to be Kai. Maya has called him Kai since we first suggested the name and now, everyone in the family is referring to him as Kai. She hugged and squeezed all of the stuffed animals at the store and finally decided on a very soft, lovely bear. She has named him Kai Bear and even picked dinosaur jammies for him to wear. When we got home from the mall, she wanted to take a picture with Kai Bear and of course "the boys".

Maya Moments!

The pictures say it all. The first pic is of Maya experiencing shaving cream. The second captures Princess Maya with her best friend, Princess Kenzie. The third I like to call "Rainbow Explosion". Maya is now picking her own clothes and dressing herself and this combination was one of my favorites. The last pics are of Maya on her bike. She is so quick and confident on her big girl bike and rides laps around our block.

LOI is on the way to Beijing!

We just got word from our agency that our LOI (letter of intent) to adopt Shao is on the way to Beijing. Our count down officially begins. Today marks day one!

Maya and "the Boys"!

Maya loves her dogs, who are referred to in our house as "the boys". Today, she wanted her picture taken with both Benson and Hunter on her new big girl bed. As you can see, "the boys" were absolutely thrilled to take part in this photo shoot.

Maya and Kayleigh at the Beach!

Today, Kayleigh, Lois, and Grandmama came to visit from Indianapolis. Maya and Kayleigh had a great time playing at the beach. They filled buckets with sand, splashed in the water, and blew bubbles.