reading.

For the past 2 weeks I have been entertaining a visitor (MY DAD!!!) and gone for the Thanksgiving holiday (to see my SISTER!!!) and so my blog has been neglected.  We are back, for a little while at least, so look forward to some updates later, but for now, I am going to neglect again and go enjoy a good book. 

I have been in a reading slump for a few months and forgotten how enjoyable it is!  Oh!  The joy of escaping life for a few minutes hours days to relax and enjoy a good novel!

Just finished this:

Going to go start this:

  :)

first birthday.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...

The birthday girl is what you are!!!

I decided to try and make it simple this year, mostly because Hannah is a little to young to remember it and another reason is because our house is a little on the smaller size and just not very conducive to a large birthday party!  Nevertheless...I still themed her birthday!  hee hee.

I used the "Twinkle, twinkle little star" theme and it turned out very fun to prepare!  First, we made cupcakes with star sprinkles and brought a little activity to play group.  I made strawberry flavored cupcakes and used this buttercream frosting recipe.  We brought some blue scrapbook paper that looked like a night sky (cut into smaller sheets) and some star stickers.  I think the kids had fun "sticking" the stars in the "sky"! (So simple!)

Cupcakes!

With a couple of our friends from play group.

Devouring the cupcake!

That night for Dinner (night before her "birth" day) we had our traditional Pot Stickers meal. :)

On Hannah's actual birthday, Connel was able to stay home.  When Hannah woke up, we sang Happy Birthday to her.  She was so EXCITED!  Hey, who wouldn't love to wake up to a fun Happy song being sung by your two favorite people?!  We all ate pancakes, eggs and bananas and got ready.  Then, we took her to the "Twinkle Tots" presentation at the planetarium in the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center.  Hannah actually payed attention and even tried to do some actions that the man was having the audience do!  We were glad to have some good friends join in on the fun!

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday girl!

Kisses!

getting ready for her birthday debut!

Love the face that Connel is making!

Hannah with her friends.

Waiting to go into the planetarium...ya, just try to keep 3 kids under 3 in line!

Waiting for the show to start!

Ooooo!  Aaaaaa!

We looked around the center for a little while longer and then decided to go to McDonalds---every kids dream right?  Well, I enjoyed my Big N Tasty, I'll tell you that much! :)  After we ate, we decided to go and get Hannah a balloon at the dollar store.  We bought one successfully and then Hannah gave it a little too much love and bit into it!  So the manager at the store gave us another one for free!  After all that, we came home for a very needed nap!

We had some time to kill and it was a fairly nice day so we went out and took a walk.  One of Hannah's favorite activities!

Gotta LOVE that CUTE hat that Kimi made her!

That night we had Mac n Cheese for dinner and then opened her presents.  We were very proud of ourselves for getting all her presents from a kid's resale!  Yay for saving money!  Some people may think we are cheapskates or that shopping at resales/yard sales is gross, but when the toys are practically new??? Seriously, you gotta give me some credit here! :)  And she loves the toys! 

I wonder what's in here?

the next Mozart.

Didn't really even need gifts...the paper was way more interesting!

My first laptop!

Here is a video of her opening the card from Grandma Cathy.  (The present was wonderful too!  But...she LOVED the card!!!)  It was her favorite part and whenever she sees it sitting there on the shelf she wants to play with it!

Then the glorious cake...  I decorated it as the "pink" version of STARRY NIGHT by Van Gogh.  

I am very proud of my creation, maybe not as good as any of these ones, but still, very creative, wouldn't you say?

...I have to validate myself.

But the BEST part of the whole day was when she at that beautiful masterpiece, and it was worth the hours put into making/decorating it...I'll just let the video explain.

Happy Birthday Little Girl!  We love you to the STARS and back!

one.

a bit about adoption.

I know I have a little birthday to post about, and I know I promised some pictures of Hannah at 1 year...but...I feel I need to post about something very important and so I am going to do it now.  

When Connel and I were having a hard time becoming pregnant, we thought of all the options.  We thought of not doing anything and just "letting" things happen.  We thought of getting infertility treatments...

...and we thought of adoption.

We ultimately wanted to try and become pregnant ourselves...and through prayers, little miracles, and some great/not-so-great medications and hormones...we did.  But, as I researched and read about adoption and the miracle that it is, I gained a testimony that it is truly an act of love and unselfishness, of and for all parties involved.

Today, this post today deeply touched my soul and I felt the strong need to share it, maybe someone out there needed this today.

Click text below to read the post:

Adoption and the Bible from Lannie

or copy and paste to URL:

http://1pieceofme.blogspot.com/2010/11/adoption-and-bible.html

one year.

Hannah at 1 month

Hannah at 6 months

Hannah at 1 year!

My dear Little Bug, my Peanut, my little Sweet Cakes!

YOU ARE ONE!!!  I can't hardly believe that a year has passed so quickly.  What am I going to do with  an emerging toddler?!?!  You are starting to act more like a little girl and less of a baby, but I still see those baby things pop out at me and I hope they don't go away too soon.  You have been so cuddly lately and I love it.  I don't know if it's because you have had a cold or if Heavenly Father knows that I need to have extra little baby cuddles for me to cherish forever. :)  I am amazed at how quickly you are learning things at this point!  It's so fun to see you learn and watch your personality and little quirks!  I love all the little things you do.  I know I have lots of pictures to look back at, but there are things that you just can't take pictures of, and I hope I will be able to remember little things like how you put your forehead to mine when I am rocking you, how you cling to me when you are scared, how you look at me with those big blue eyes, kick your legs and grin at me when I look at you in the rear view mirror, and how you like to rub your silky blankie as you go to sleep.  I am grateful that I have recorded the little things here so that I will be able to remember the cute, funny and smart things you did!  As for right now you are doing tons and I will probably have to go back and add to this list because there is just so, so much...

• At your 1 year appointment you were 20 lbs. 14 oz. and 29 inches tall! (our scale says you are more than 21 lbs.  --> which, by the way, means we weigh less than what our scale says...NICE!)
• You are now in a forward facing car seat!  Hurrah!  You got a new car seat about a month ago, but we decided to keep you facing backwards because of you know, the law and all! ;)
• You are a little kissy-baby!  You like to give kisses to Mommy, Daddy, stuffed animals and dolls, pictures in books, your own reflection in the mirror and pretty much anything that has a face.  You even say kiss, but it sounds more like "tsss. tsss."  It's adorable!
• You are half-way weaned from formula, but you still are not a huge fan of milk.  And you are eating almost all table foods.  Your most favorite foods are bananas, grapes and goldfish.
• You are a HUGE fan of peek-a-boo!  You giggle and/or smile every time!
• You love books.  Daddy is very happy about this because he wants you to be a reader!  Your favorite books are "Guess Who, Elmo?" and of course "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (you like to turn the BIG pages).  You also LOVE "lift-the-flap" books because of the peek-a-boo factor.  When you read a lift-the-flap book you shout or squeal whenever the flaps are lifted!
• You are standing on your own for long periods of time, "cruising" along the furniture like a pro, and starting to take several steps at a time to Mommy, Daddy, or something you really like--like a snack, or favorite toy or book!
• You are saying several words.  Ma-ma, Da-da, hhho-tttt (whispered) or Na-na for food, You will say AYE! (hi!) with the phone to her ear or waving to someone, Ba for binky or bottle, and the best of all..."Ah! Ah! Ah!" when we ask what a dog says or when you see a dog, or sometimes other animals. and then there's "tsss." for kiss.  You make a really funny growling sound when you are trying to say "baaa" for a lamb.  And you repeat when we say all done with "Ah...d".
• You sign all-done, sometimes more and once you signed please, but at this point you are talking more that you are signing, so... I am almost resigned to not try so hard with this!  ;)
• If you see something you like or are interested in you will squeal "Eeeeeeee!" or "Oooooo!"  while making a really excited, eyes wide open, nostrils flared, eyebrows raised face.  It's really funny!
• You still have 7 teeth.
• You are officially attached to your binky and blankie!
• One more funny thing, when you are doing something that you are not supposed to (like get into the bookcase, or get Mommy's papers) and I say your name you start to hurry and try to run away or hurry even faster to make a mess!

Here are some very out of order/random pictures from this month...

Ball!

Enjoying some play time at the library!

Watching a video...sitting on the huge couch for 30 minutes without moving a muscle.

Eyes.

Classic.

Clapping!

Getting some culture.

Eyes again.

Watching the leaves fall...or something.

"Aye! Da-da-da!"

Blankie!

Oh dear, my little bug is getting so big!  Stop it right now!  My oh my, you are so cute and lovable I could just eat you up!  We love you munchy-kins!

Love, Mommy and Daddy


And for your enjoyment...here's a little sneak peak of Hannah's 1 year Photo Shoot!