More Play-dough

Daddy and Maryn were at it again....a mustache!

Josh's Big Night Out!

This past Saturday was South County Secondary School's Homecoming Dance. It was Josh's first dance, with his first girlfriend, Angie. They went as a group of 9, 3 couples and 3 additional girls. They went out to dinner first, then came home to get all dressed up, to a friend's for pictures and then to the dance. Josh had a great time, but since he is a man of few words, that's about all the information I have, oh and he can't dance! He did look handsome in his new suit. Maryn loved her flower and being able to see all the "pretty girls."

Happy Birthday!

They grow up so fast! On September 23rd we celebrated Josh's 17th and Maryn's 2nd birthday. We celebrated with both sets of grandparents and my sister and her family. We ate pizza, veggies, cake and ice cream. Mommom made the cakes! A purple butterfly (chocolate) for Maryn. Maryn selected what she wanted from the design, color and flavor! Josh's cake was a prism which is the theme of the marching band show this year. Mommom copied the design from Josh's show shirt. We had a fun dinner followed by football game and marching band show.

We are so thankful for each of our children and enjoy celebrating each year with them. We had to light Maryn's candles and sing to her four times. She was enjoying the attention immensely! She was actually able to blow out her own candles, unassisted and joined us in singing "Happy Birthday" to her!

My Helper Girl

I am so blessed to have a daughter who wants to help...sometimes I'm more "blessed" than others. Maryn loves to help cook, prepare food, and wash dishes. When I start dinner she runs to the dining room to get a chair to stand on. This day she helped me make a meatloaf. Later when we were telling Josh what she did, Josh made the comment that Maryn could cook more than he could. He can heat up pizza and hot pockets. Maryn very quickly pointed out that she can cook pizza too! She is especially thorough in washing dishes to include the counter, chair, front of her clothes and the floor below! :)

Play-dough

One of Maryn's favorite activities to do with Daddy is playing with play-dough, as you will see in the pictures, Mommy would not be encouraging head pieces. Caleb even gets in on the action!

Maryn and Daddy

Maryn loves water and is learning there are many ways to enjoy the water. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the pool...actually I'm thankful because I would have been in them... you get the idea! We spent quite a bit of time at my parents home on Lake Anna. Maryn got her first rides on the wave runner with Daddy. She also enjoyed jumping off the dock into the lake.

Gotcha Day!

A year ago today Maryn Yu-Meng was placed in our arms...it was the end of a very long wait and the beginning of a wonderful, exciting and fun journey. This year has gone so incredibly fast, but has been full of joy! Tonight we are celebrating with Maryn's favorite dinner...chicken and french fries. We'll also have some carrots, apples and end with an ice cream cake. While she won't remember the day, it is one that we will celebrate every year!

Almost a Year!

It's been almost a year since we got Maryn. This time last year we were packing, trying to keep our suitcases under 50 pounds. What a difference a year makes and what a tremendous blessing this little girl has made in our lives! We just had our last social work visit and need to send pictures along with the report that will make it's way to China. This is one of the shots required (child with her parents). It's not often we get both Rich and I on this side of the camera.

When She's Quiet...

If Maryn is up and it's quiet...it usually means trouble! She is especially fond of my markers and if I leave them out, she will find them. This day she plopped herself on the chair and just stared at the colors. When we caught her, she had just selected a marker and was taking the cap off...oh what might have been!

Reid Cousins

My sister Debby and her family came for a visit from Iowa. We all converged on Mommom and Pops at Lake Anna. Debby and Jeff were able to bring their two foster sons, whom they hope to adopt. It was fun getting to know the boys. They are lots of fun and played well with Maryn...though she wasn't used to their tackling. The house was definitely NOT quiet with all the kids running around. The current grandkid count for my parents is 13 (we have 3, Dave and Carrie have 5, Cindy and Brian have two and Deb and Jeff have 3, but that number could vary depending on the day and the plans God has for them).

Swim Team

Caleb once again swam this summer with the Crosspointe Cruisers. He moved up to the 13-14 year old division and while he didn't win many races, he still loves the sport and the exercise. He worked really hard in practice and was recognized as "Swimmer of the Week." His favorite events are the Breast and Butterfly strokes as well as the Individual Medley (one lap of each stroke). Maryn was Caleb's #1 Fan. She yelled "Go Caleb" in the car, all the way to the pool and when others were swimming. She still cheers for Caleb at random times which makes us laugh. We sure are proud of Caleb and all his hard work!

Where There's Water...

Where there is water, you'll usually find Maryn. She was helping Rich one night with the sprinklers and "accidentally" got a bit wet...as you can see, she was drenched in her clothes, but had a ball running through the sprinkler. She also loves to wash her hands, thankfully she can't reach the faucet yet to do it "by herself." She loves the pool, the lake, the bathtub, the kitchen sink and there's always puddles to splash in too!

Our Little Artist

One of Maryn's favorite things to do (inside that is) is to color or as she says it "draw." If there is a pen laying around, she will find it and locate a piece of paper and start drawing. This is especially helpful when shopping at IKEA as it keeps her busy. We have her large Dora the Explorer coloring book and crayons sitting out most of the time at the kitchen table so she can hop up and draw. So far, she's keeping to the paper now all we need is to keep the crayons on the table so Winston can't get a hold of them!

Can I play too?

One of Josh and Caleb's favorite past times is playing on the Wii. They like playing Guitar Hero and can't wait for the 4th edition coming out sometime this fall...note to self...good Christmas gift idea! Anyway, Maryn loves to get in on the action and this day Josh was gracious enough to let her help!

Time flies by

The summer seems to be flying by, but I wanted to try to catch you up on some of the things we've been doing. While Rich and Josh were away in the Dominican Republic, Caleb, Maryn, Winston and I celebrated Maryn's first July 4th at my parents house in Lake Anna. Maryn wore this adorable flag dress! She also wore her swim soup...no, I didn't type that wrong...she calls it that and she's always right...she is going to be two soon!

My great swimmer Caleb is great with Maryn and she loved every minute being held by her big brother!

Maryn spout sighting ...

The say a picture says a thousand words. Someday, we'll tell the true story, but now it's your turn to tell us what you think happened.

Update from the Dominican Republic

For those that didn't know, Josh and I are in the Dominican Republic with his Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Baseball team. Here's a picture of Josh today in the middle of a very hot game. If you'd like to know more as we're on this trip, please go to the blog for the team http://fcapowerbaseball.blogspot.com.

Meet Winston

We've added a new family member over the weekend, Winston. Josh and Caleb have wanted a puppy for a long time and Maryn has loved every dog she sees. We were surprised that she loves dogs the way she does because the orphanage told us she was afraid of small furry animals. Winston is a Shih-Chon, a mix between a Shih-Tzu and Bichon. He is little and will only be about 8-10 pounds fully grown. He has been great, only one accident so far. He even endures Maryn "loving" on him! She loves to hold him!

Happy Mother's Day

One of the things I love to do is play with videos. Here's a little clip that Maryn and I put together for Mommy for Mommy's Day. As you'll see, there's no lack of personality.

Peek a boo!

These pictures don't even need words!

Big Brother and Little Sister

While Josh was away on his two band trips, Maryn's only playmate was Caleb and the two really had some fun together. It is so wonderful to see how Maryn has bonded with us and the love between these two is evident, even in these pictures. These are moments that I'll treasure for life!

A Girl and Her Stuff

Maryn definitely takes after her mom when it comes to "needing" her stuff. This day she went to great lengths to get all her stuff into her arms...quite a lot...a box of raisins, her juice cup and her baby doll. It was comical to watch, but the joy in her face when she succeeded was priceless!

Oh the Messes We Make

What starts out as a small project sometimes becomes a bit bigger with the help of a toddler! I was cleaning out the pantry...what you see in the picture is the "bit bigger" part. Maryn also found this piece to a dinner plate, that we're not using, but makes a great crown! She has had more fun with this little piece of plastic. Sometimes "non-toys" are better than the real toys!

Easter

We spent Easter with family. Grandma and Grandpa came down from Delaware. After church we went down to Lake Anna to Mommom and Pops' house. The house was full with aunts, uncles and cousins - lots of cousins for our Easter egg hunt. Maryn got to sit at the "big girls" table. She actually did the best job sitting at the table. She had fun running around for Easter eggs, but was more interested in what we in the egg!

Moving at the Speed of Sound!

Life seems to moving at the speed of sound around our home. Josh is finishing up his drum line season. The third marking period just ended for the boys and Maryn is just doing what 18 month little girls are supposed to do. She continues to bring lots of sunshine to this house. I've been very slow in updating this blog and am going to try to get some posts as well as some recent pictures.

South County Drumline Wins

Last night we (Caleb and I) got to see Josh perform as part of the Drumline. They didn't play until around 9:30pm, so Sherry and Maryn stayed home. This was the first competition we've been able to see. As you'll see (if you click on the link below), the show is rather complicated. They practice six hours a week and are making constant improvements. Their season will end next month when they travel to Dayton, OH for the WGI World Championships.

The show is called Palindrome because it is the same forward and backwards. You know ... solos, wow, taco cat, sit on a potato pan Otis. Just to name a few. Right in the middle, Josh has a solo; one note. :) Look for the whole drumline to pop up on their toes as he hits it.

Here's the link. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXSbuF8khjU

Talk to the Hand!?

This morning I was making waffles while Maryn and Caleb were watching TV...specifically Sponge Bob! I still shake my head that my precious little daughter recognizes and says "Sponge Bob." Anyway, this morning after Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer came on. I went over to see how Maryn was doing and give her a few kisses. The problem was, I was in the way of Dora and my precious little stinker put her little hand up in my face as if to say, "Talk to the hand!" I'm guessing this is just a glimmer of what will come! Oh the joys of little girls!

Maryn and Valentine

Maryn made her first bear at Build a Bear. She receieved a gift card from her Aunt deedee for Christmas. Maryn, Aunt deedee and I went to the store together to make this special bear. deedee and I fell in love with an adorable Valentine's day puppy, white with pink and red hearts. What more could a little girl ask for? Well the answer according to Maryn, is a cute black bear (not a puppy). We tried to steer her towards the puppy on several occasions to no avail. deedee asked, "does she usually know what she wants?" My answer was an emphatic "YES."

deedee made her own puppy and went first so Maryn could watch. She wasn't too sure about things, but quickly caught on. She pushed the pedal to stuff her bear, then "washed" and brushed it, then came the fun of accessorizing. Of course, many of the items were at the perfect height for a little one to rearrange the shelves. Again deedee and I picked out our favorite outfit, but Maryn chose the cute red dress with matching shoes.

What did we learn? Maryn knows what she wants. You might as well save your breath because she doesn't change her mind. Enjoy the time when I can dress her without her picking her clothes. Build a Bear is lots of fun and I'm sure we'll be back. It was a fun experience for all...so much fun that Maryn needed a nap to recover. Thanks for a fun day, Aunt deedee!

Snow?

We've had a lot of rain this winter and very little snow. The boys haven't even had a snow day yet, which is unusual for the DC area. We've had school cancelled for the threat of snow. We've had a few dustings of snow but we hope for a big snow and a couple fun days off from school. We had some flurries today...Maryn watched as the flakes fell from the sky. She's had a few opportunities to walk in her snow gear, but we hope for more...only time will tell.

These Boots Are Made For Walking...

You know the song...here is Maryn's maiden walk in her pink boots. She wasn't too sure of them at first and her gait was awkward at best, but she sure looks cute! Thanks Kristie for the boots!

I Want What You're Having

The boys were on their youth group retreat, Rich was flying in from California so I decided to get a cheesesteak for dinner. Maryn and I got home and I got her plate ready, but she wouldn't have anything to do with her plate. She carried on and I couldn't understand what she wanted. She kept pointing to my plate, though she had the same things I had. Finally, I just handed her my cheesesteak...yup, that's what she wanted! The sandwich is about as big as she is!

Life is Fun!

It is such a joy and blessing to have a little one running around the house again. Maryn is learning new signs from her Signing Times DVDs and is starting to say more words. Yesterday she said "Bible." Last night she was hiding around the corner from where I was sitting and popped her head around and said, "Boo!" So cute!

Of course along with those blessings are the not so pretty scenes in life, though some of these you have to laugh at as well. This morning I was emailing our pastor when I heard the toilet seat drop...Maryn was trying to raise the seat so she could wash her hands. How do I know? She smiled at me and signed "wash hands!" I laughed, then promptly shut the bathroom door.

15 Month Stats

Maryn had her 15 month check up this morning. At her 12 month check up she weighed 16 lbs. 4 oz. and was 28 3/4 inches tall. Today, she weighed in at 20 lbs. 2 oz. and was 31 1/2 inches tall. This puts her weight on the growth charts in the 10% (for the first time) and is now in the 75% for her height (she was in the 50%). She says about 8 words, normal at 15 months is 3 words. The doctor is thrilled with her progress and says we have a smart little girl. The only other hurdles to jump are routine eye and ear screening. The only down side of the visit was 3 shots - OUCH! Maryn took a marathon nap today(6 hours) and went to bed an hour earlier than usual. Hopefully we'll have a quiet night! It's amazing to see the tremendous progress Maryn has made in such a short time. I know I have said it before, but we are truly blessed!

No?!

I can hardly believe the injustice of it all...I waited so long for this beautiful little girl. We've only had her 4 1/2 short months. She's learned so many things and starting to speak more, included in her repertoire is "No!" She used to shake her head no, and that was very cute. Sometimes it's funny when she says "no" and she certainly hears it as she "trolls for trouble." (My phrase for her when she is in "stinker mode" looking to get into trouble.) I've also heard of little ones entering the "terrible twos" around 18 months and (encouragingly, NOT) lasting until they turn three when their catch phrase becomes "why," and of course every parent wishes for their child to be gifted, but gifted in "NO?" I think not! I've been told, be careful what you wish for! Seriously, this new found independence is sure to challenge me, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! The pictures below were taken on a Sunday morning before church, this was before Maryn said no, but as you can see her actions were saying no. She did eventually give us a smile!