Four Years Ago Today

I became an official mommy to the most beautiful, perfect, amazing, sassy little girl! On the 19th of December 2006, I first held Nan Zi Yun in my arms and she became my "Yunnie". On the 20th, it became official as I signed the papers and put my thumbprint on the papers that recognized legally that we were mommy and daughter.

Today, her most common nickname is Bop although she is also known as Big Boppa Flip Floppa, Baby Bop, Pippity Pop, Pip, Pip Pop, Doodle, Poppin, Yuncakes, etc, etc, etc. I'll never forget her two year old teacher coming to me very concerned that Regan did not recognize her name when she would call for "Regan". When Regan was asked her name, she would respond that her name was Doodle. I laughed when her teacher told me this story and did not share her concern! Regan rarely heard herself called by given name and therefore insisted it was not her name! At the same time, she also called me "Becky" because that is what Konnor calls me......again, just a phase and I was not concerned! So funny now because her teachers often call her "Raygee" or "RayRay" and have also nicknamed her a gagillion names!

I think it is amazing that God placed the most perfect little girl in my arms. She is a little Mommy's girl and I love her so much it hurts. My life is so perfect because she is in it.......I love this girl!!! I'll have to get a picture of her in her 'Gotcha Day " clothes and try to get them to post, but for now here is what I wrote on the one year anniversary:

The happiness I feel in this photo is unbelievable!

Still grinning like an idiot.

Little did I know, but I needed to appreciate this moment very, very, very much because for the next 11 months, Regan going to sleep and sleeping peacefully would not happen very often!

My first glimpse of her "aren't I clever smirk"!

I had to take the required picture in her "gotcha" clothes! She still fits (wish I could say the same for the clothes I wore that day!!!)

Here it is again! Her little smile!!

Warning: Sappy, dramatic posting from an emotional mommy ;)

One year ago today, I was given the most precious gift anyone can ever receive. In my arms was placed a red-faced, sweaty, slight odorous ;), bug bitten, but oh so beautiful and miraculous gift. I met my daughter, Regan NanZiYun. I have been thinking back more and more as this anniversary approached. Part of me rejoices for this day and yet the happiness is a little tainted because the coming months would bring such horror. I can't think of one without the other. December 19th, 2006 was the most amazing day of my life, but I think the day I will truly celebrate is the day my daughter was given to me again...the day she graduated from the hospital.

But, enough of the melodrama....only happy thoughts today! I remember the moment Yunnie was placed in my arms and I felt the weight of her and it became real. I began crying like a baby. She was smiling from the first moment and was thriving in the attention (it would all hit the fan a few days later !!!). I look at her now and think how blessed I am that I was chosen to be her mommy. She is such a funny, loving, active little girl with such a spunky personality! I can't even begin to describe how much I love my little girl, but it is the most amazing feeling.

Some Postcards

Like I mentioned in my previous post, we have been postcrossing!! Here are some of our recent postcards. I also have the kids signed up to participate in some round robins, where a group of individuals send each other postcards of a certain theme. The kids have already received some native animal cards, Disney cards, trivia cards, and are signed up for lighthouses, map cards, sticker cards, and more. This is so much fun!!!! (and educational :)

This is Samson, on of the most complete T-Rex fossils in existence. Sent from Liza in Oregon!
Sent from Iovanna who also writes a finnish phrase on the back as she is originally from Finland. Hiva Poika - Good Boy

Regan wrote in her profile that she loves horses and so Joanna in Poland sent her a horse picture~

This card is really pretty in person because the gold is really shiny! Kitty writes that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police actually do dress like this, but it is mostly for formal occasions and not for everyday duty.

From Beatrice in Lithuania!!

Ima from Romania sent Regan a picture of a horse farm located in northern Romania.

Konnor received this postcard from Hendrix in the Philippines. It is of a Philippine Tarrier. It is the size of a man's hand!! Hendrix writes that it is the world's smallest primate. Too cool! I have no idea why this saved with that huge white space. It is not like this in real life.

Michelle in Sydney sent this postcard. She also decorates beautiful cakes. This postcard was stamped with the coolest koala stamp!

Sabrina is a 19 year old girl from Switzerland. Aren't all of the stamps so cool?!?!

We have many more favorites, but they haven't been scanned into my computer. I'll have to do that when I have time. Probably my favorite is one of Pippi Longstocking. I loved those books when I was a kid. The card was sent drom Holland and has the cutest picture of Pippi. A person from Belgium even sent Konnor an extra envelope with pamphlets of the Battle of Waterloo and Villers Abby. She also put 8 stamps on the envelope!!

Our New Hobby

Through another blogger, we have recently discovered our new hobby!! http://www.postcrossing.com/ It is a site where you register to send cards to various places around the world. In return, you receive random cards back! Konnor and Regan have both loved buying postcards and stamps and then finding out where their postcards are traveling. They are even more excited to go to the mailbox everyday to see if they have received any postcards. So far, we have received and/or sent postcards to/from Australia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Brazil, Netherlands, US, Belarus, Italy, Japan, Sweden, China, Czech Republic, Russia, Canada, Phillipines, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Lithuania. Both kids now have maps hanging in their rooms to mark the countries they have sent to or recieved from. The video is of a contest Postcrossing had recently where you sent in pictures of yourself sending your postcards. Isn't it amazing that all of these pictures are from people going to their various mailboxes located around the world, sending postcards to foreign countries? It is amazing that all around the world people are uniting for a common purpose and interest. It really is a small world:) Konnor is located a little after 4:40 minutes into the video and Regan is just after 5:50 into the movie!!

http://vimeo.com/13809748 from ana campos on Vimeo.

I Love My Kids, but Man They Tire Me Out Some Days!!

Back before I had two, I always thought I wanted three;) I'll count my nephew, Konnor, as my third.......he did tell me today that I'm more of a mother to him than his own mother:( I love my kids, but it is hard to be outnumbered!!! I can't wait until summer when all I'm doing it working at KidSpirit, seeing a hospital homebound kid a couple of days a week, finishing my last pre-requisite course for the Speech Language Pathology program, and the rest is playtime and fix the house and yard time (desperately needed!!). Yay!!!

I Stink At Updating

Cub Scout Camping Trip - lots of fun!!
You can imagine the Dorito mess aftermath.

Nature walk

Wacky Wednesday at School and yes, she is eating popcorn as a pre-breakfast snack.

Shepherd's new leg. He LOVES it, and so do I!

Sibling love.

Obviously as seven months ago we went to India and I haven't even finished blogging about the trip. Anyway, pictures, pictures, pictures.