mortiz001

One "Karate Kid" One football player One Chinese Princess One attempt at a group picture !

  H appy Birthday Maggie !! You are two years old today.   Y ou laughed and smiled all day.  You reached out and hugged my neck with strength and love.  You snuggled close and didn't want to let go.  You played and played and played.   Y ou are finding your niche in our family, feeling more comfortable and confident.   Y ou are getting to be such a big girl now, beautiful and elegant. But, still such a baby. We love you, sweet Maggie.  Happy second birthday.

Auburn's new basketball arena had a special opening ceremony last Friday ( featuring the basketball team,a magic show and the Harlem Globe Trotters).  We somehow missed out on getting the FREE tickets that were passed out, so we begged for tickets.  It was a little embarrassing at first, but the boys  (and a friend)  really got into it and everyone thought their home-made signs were so cute. It worked.  We ended up getting enough tickets for all of us to attend the opening night. The new arena is incredible and so much better than the old one ! I was a Dunkin' Darling ( hostess to the Auburn Basketball team) back in the day and loved seeing the new, shiny arena. The Harlem Globe Trotters were just as I remembered them...... Hilarious !!! Maggie did not need her hearing aid on.  It was so loud ( we sat behind the band) and she loved all the excitement. What a big girl she was sitting in her own orange seat ! Oh, and...... War Eagle ...

Please take a look at Ruby.  She is a beautiful girl in need of a loving family.  My heart is breaking knowing she will age out in three years and that she has had to wait so long for a family.  I have spoken to several families that have met Ruby and know her personally.  They ALL say she is a very sweet, thoughtful, smart girl and would be a blessing to any  family that adopted her. Her special need is very minor - a port wine stain on her face that could possible be lightened with a laser procedure. Madison Adoption Agency is waving all their fees, she has an additional $3000 grant and then there is the $12,000 tax credit that is available.  She is also being advocated/sponsored by Love Without Boundaries. Please go here for more info or contact Madison. ( I will be out of pocket for a couple of days) Join us also in praying for Ruby.  Could she be your daughter ?

Friday afternoon update....   Maggie is now consuming pizzia without any help...

Maggie enjoyed her first sucker ! She has made up her mind that she likes certain sweet treats now.  As we were all sitting around the kitchen table Sunday night after church and cheering Maggie on, I thought of December 2009.  I was packing for China back then and had read that I need to bring Cheerios and lolly pops and lots of them !  So, I stuck Cheerios and lolly pops in every crevice I could find in my overstuffed suitcase.  They were every where.  Which is funny to us now, because as every one knows  - Maggie had never eaten solid food and had NO patience for us trying to put anything near her mouth.  She would break down something terrible if we even got near her mouth.  So all that to say... It was a big deal when Maggie pulled that tootsie roll pop from my hands Sunday night and went to sucking on it.  It is the little things in our  life right now, like tootsie roll pops, that really remind us how much Maggie is changin...

Maggie is a night owl and she really gets going just before bedtime.  At night she is happy, babbling and dancing.  But during the day, our little girl is cranky, whiney and clingy,very clingy. A lot of times,we let Maggie stay up because she's just so cute and fun to play with. It really kills us to have to put her to bed when she is in the happiest, playful mood. I don't know what it is about standing in her kitchen drawer, but she thought it was a great idea !