Saturday, September 19, 2009

Dealing with a medical emergency with my brother yesterday kept me from posting this.....

Yesterday Sept. 18th marked one full year of having Derek in the United States as a part of our family!!!
We are so thankful to have him!!!!

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Here is what our day looked like one year ago.....












HAPPY GOTCHA DAY 2009 DEREK!!!!!!


































Tuesday, September 01, 2009

SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 AT 3 pm WE SAW THIS LITTLE FACE PEEKING FROM THE ORPHANAGE GATE.....











HERE WE ARE ONE YEAR LATER, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 AT 3 pm THIS IS THE LITTLE FACE LOOKING AT ME FROM MY LIVING ROOM COUCH


PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

Friday, August 28, 2009

SO MUCH HAPPENED FROM THIS DAY FORWARD....


It was one year ago today that we embarked upon a journey that would lead us to this beautiful country.....



To see for reality this beautiful face...


It has been a fun, enjoyable,yet some days challenging ride through this adventure but I wouldn't turn back in a second. We just look at Derek each day and thank God and our friends and family for each day we share with him.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I think I can confidently say that.... Derek is potty trained. He even did a poo in the potty today!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Daycare is going quite well. He usually wants to stay when I get there for him. He loves the kids. Even though they were all in their little cots sleeping when we left today he still waved goodbye to each of them. So cute!!!!!

I am campaigning for prayer again for my mom. She got a report to day that her liver enzymes are quite high and that she will need to have a full body cat scan on Monday. We are scheduled to get the results for that on Sept. 8th. We are hopeful that it is a fluke in the lab or that it is caused by her new medication. Please remember her.

Tomorrow Derek, the girls, and I are heading out to Hershey for a day of back to school shopping. I am NOT looking forward to it!

Friday, August 14, 2009

SHOULD I OR SHOULDN'T I......

I am almost afraid to put this in writing but after Day 2 of success I would like to brag about the potty training with Derek. We started really getting serious about it this week. I seem to keep it under control here at home but when he goes to work with Norm all hell breaks loose. I guess Daddy needs to get tougher. Anyway we have been doing what a few other blogging parents have done...PANTSLESS!!!! IT WORKS!!! He realizes there is nothing there to catch what is coming out and he runs for the potty. We even did a short road trip today in UNDIES and he stayed DRY!!!! A big WOOHOO to Derek!!! So we are almost "Potty Trained". Derek will start daycare Tuesday and it was my goal to have this accomplished by then. We'll see.....

Sunday, August 09, 2009

As I looked back through the archives of Derek's adoption process I realize that it was one year ago today that we made our decision to travel to Vietnam at the end of August 2008 regardless of whether there was a decision made by the Vietnamese government or not. We needed to be there....we needed to fight for our son!!!!!

Friday, August 07, 2009

WOOHOO.....A BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!!

Dialogue on our ride home from the amusement park tonight:
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Big D
Derek: Daddy
Norm: What
Derek: Mommy, Daddy...I LOVE YOU!!!!

Me & Norm...instant tears of joy. Our first time hearing Derek tell us that he loved us and for us to both enjoy it together was so awesome!!!!

He is the coolest!!!!!!

On the way to the park we were passing a McDonalds and Derek said: Mom
I said what Derek and as we passed by McDonalds and I looked back at him he pointed and said: HEY!
Probably the first time we passed a McDonalds without stopping for him to get a "CheeBurr"!!!!!
Well we have decided to enroll Derek in the Daycare/Preschool Program just 1/2 mile from our home. It is a great little center with wonderful staff. He will start going 2 days a week for 4 hours per day and then increase to 2 full days and 1 half day in about 3 weeks when school starts for the girls. It was a hard decision but we feel he needs the structure and social time and also that he may take to learning there better than he is at home. They even potty train and have a super record of successes. We are working on it here at home but I think they have a better set of nerves than I. I am packing his bag of clothes and undies for his cubby and he starts on the 18th. We know he will love it and that it will be us who have to work through the tears and transition.
As you all know I am trying hard to divert Derek's attention to racing. Any racing will do....Nascar or Dirt Track. Wednesday we found out about a local track in our area that Kasey Kahne would be holding a charity race event. I of course made the decision that we would be attending. We headed to Walmart early in the afternoon to buy ear protection for Derek (pictures below). He didn't want to take them off from the time we tried them on until the races ended. It was a struggle keeping them off of him. It all ended up that we sat 30 feet away from the flag stand where they had Kasey & Kyle Busch stand to do interviews. What a thrill to be so close. The race was awesome!!!!









Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

We have had the wonderful opportunity of staying in close contact with 2 of the families we were fortunate to adopt with, The Haags, & The Harwells. This past weekend the Harwells flew into Pittsburgh, the Haag hometown, and we jumped into the van and drove to all meet again together since our stay in Vietnam. What a wonderful time. It was so surreal to all be together again and to now be able to share and compare stats about our children. The kids were so cute together and played as if there wasn't an eight month gap since being with each other. They had so much fun. It was hard to return home and even harder to say goodbye to the Harwells as we knew that would end our kids' time together for another period of time. Be sure you check out the matching outfits on the kids which they wore to the awesome BBQ that Matt & Lauren planned for friends and family. Thanks Lauren for the cuteness you created!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Check out these beautiful pictures that Alyssa took on her Art Club field trip.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013970&id=1394828307&l=2f4a4bb7e5

Thursday, May 21, 2009

RANDOM PICTURE POST....


Derek looking as cool as ever



Taking the "Caregiver /Survivor Lap" but Derek got tired and requested a lift

Derek's first ice cream cone



Looking Dapper!!!!


Alyssa being less than thrilled to head to the prom 2009

Hey just passing on a great opportunity to all of you readers. Visit Laurie over at
http://www.goodhappenings.com/
and get in on the DadGear Giveaway she is offering. Not to mention she has a house full of delightful little ones and is alot of fun to blog with. She always has something amusing going on there!!!!

Monday, May 04, 2009

A moment of thrill just came across me as I had a few moments to sit and think through my calendar of upcoming events.....
May 8th---My beautiful daughter will attend her 1st prom!!!!
May 10th--Mother's Day
May 12th--My mom's final chemo appointment!! YAHOO!!!!!!
May 30th--See Matt, Lauren & max & Jeff, Michelle & Linhly!!!!!
July 20th--Spending a week in sunny California with The Harwell's!!!! VERY EXCITED!!!!!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Introducing The Future Pit Crew Tire Changer For The #17 Matt Kenseth Team......




We got Derek a workbench that has carpenter tools on one side and when you flip it you get a car engine to take apart and put together. I guess I don't need to tell you that Derek can do it in record time. It also came with this car that you can do repairs on and he learned how to change the tires quicker than I learned how to cut hair!!!! I am pretty sure that the #17 team will be recruiting him when he is old enough. Does anyone have a connection to Matt or his crew??? We would love to have Derek meet him (okay secretly it is me who wants to meet him). Huge Fan!!!!! Go Matt, or as Derek says Mo Matt!!!!!!

Monday, April 13, 2009






LOOKING FOR A PLAYDATE.....



The swingset should be all done this week since the weather will be warmer. The house is invitingly fun and the picnic table just needs a few cutie pies gathered around it. Anyone interested?????


Derek Hangin' With His Buddy (Pap-Pap)...






Random ADORABLE pics.....






DEREK"S FIRST ICE CREAM CONE


He wasn't too fond of this and didn't get very far with it. Guess I'll be having a fattening summer at the ice cream stand this year.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

DEREK'S FIRST EASTER EGG COLORING & EASTER EGG HUNT...
He even found a prize egg which supplied him with the big chocolate bunny he is chewing the ear off of.





















Saturday, February 21, 2009

We have had so much going on and it is too much to talk about here. I just realized it has been almost a month since we blogged so I am going to leave you with a new picture of Derek until I have a little more time to write the novel.....

Saturday, January 31, 2009



Here's Derek showing his culture. We thought ths would be appropriate to wear for the Tet holiday!!!! I had to throw in this picture of him snapping a picture of Tinka with his camera that Santa brought him.

Friday, January 30, 2009

I have been "face" inspired by Jenna over at Stoll My Heart. Thanks Jenna for taking such awesome pics of Ella since it has made me realize that taking a cute picture doesn't always mean it has to be posed. Here's one I took that I love!!!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009






Since there is no local Tet Celbrations in our area we had to "ad-lib" our own. Today Derek colored some pictures depicting the Holiday!!!! We also spent time browsing through our pictures from our adoption trip.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

HAPPY TET!!!!!!!

If you haven't read this article check it out......
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KA27Ae01.html

What is everyone doing to celebrate the Tet Holiday???? We are making ornaments and coloring pages about Derek's Vietnamese culture!!!!
Do something special with YOUR child!!!!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

OK so here's how it all went down.....
Yesterday Norm's sister brought Derek's birthday gift by and it included Elmo Potty Time video. He loves Elmo and watched the video over and over. Well a miracle happened.....
Derek woke up with a completely dry diaper this morning and after alot of coaxing and teeth brushing he "PEED IN THE POTTY"!!!!!!WOOHOO!!!! Probably just a freak moment but I am going to brag about it for a little while!!!!

Friday, January 16, 2009








Thursday Was A Day Of Fun For Derek, Mommy & Daddy.
We snuck away for the day to attend the annual PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. Derek loved seeing the HUGE tractors and he screamed with excitement everytime we got near one. The animals were something to look at for him but he didn't want to get too close. He again showed greater excitement when we checked out the chickens and the horses. The rest of the animals he just looked at but wouldn't pet. We toured, ate, and chatted with a few friends and then called it a day as we jumped back onto the shuttle bus and snuggled into the car for a restful ride home. Here's a few pictures we took on our adventure....