Christmas 2010

Keith here...

What a blessing to celebrate this past Christmas and New Years with our little Lia!  The impact she has made and how she has changed both our lives is wonderful.  We also acknowledge and celebrate the impact Jesus Christ made at His birth many years ago.  We are thankful He made an impact on our lives and the entire world.

Amy and I are loving Lia so much as we watch her grow and change.  She is now walking all over the place and is loving exploring her surroundings.  I get tired just watching her walk and walk and walk and walk.  She also loves music, so she is dancing and shaking her little bottom when she hears a good tune.  She takes after Amy and is a much better dancer then her daddy!

We had a nice Christmas at home here.  My nephew Christian and his girlfriend Maggie were with us as well on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  It was fun having them here.

Here are some pictures taken during December.....

 Two Santa hats and only one head = ????  

A horse cart ride at a local Christmas Fair. 

Lia loved watching the horses.  

Lia with a Christmas Elf. 

Lia with Frosty.

Lia's first visit with Santa Claus.  She took it well but was very cautious.

Christmas 2010... as a family!

Breakfast on Christmas Day with Lia, Amy, Christian and Maggie. 

Opening gifts. 

A cold walk on the walkway bridge over the Hudson River on Christmas Day.

Lia and cousin Maddie.  Two cuties in pink!  

Lia and Mommy in the snow after the blizzard.

Lia's first sledding adventure.  She loved it! 

Over the river and through the wood...

...to Grandmother's house we go.

Well, not really.  More like,  "Up at 5, and down 84, to JetBlue terminal we go".  We went down to Florida to visit Keith's mom, sister, brother in law, niece and nephew the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Everyone loved meeting Lia!!!!

Hey Keith, couldn't we just all wear pajamas at this time of the night?

Pick me up!

"I love you Grandma".

Keith's niece, sister and nephew 

Lia's first time at a beach...

"OPA!!!!"  Tarpon Springs for lunch!!!!  

After a quick "jet-setter" weekend, everyone deserves a nap.Check out Lia's arm up in the air.

We got home safe and sound, and spent Thanksgiving with our good friends.  

BTW, Lia's been walking for a few weeks now, and discovered that she can run.  She especially loves doing laps through the kitchen and living room; of course I get a big smile and a hug each time she passes by me.

What a fun time we're having!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Now we're off to a Christmas party!!!!

Peek-a-BOO!

Keith here...  We celebrated Halloween tonight on Molly's Way.  Amy dressed Lia in a cute "dancing teddy bear" costume.   They went up the street with our neighbors and did a little trick-or-treating.  It was a cold night and Lia and Amy came back with rosy cheeks.  Thankfully the trick-or-treating for Lia was minus the candy, so she had no sugar high.  I'm sure that won't be the case a few years from now.   She did get a box of animal crackers from our neighbor...  and she loved them!   Here are a few pictures.  

I'm ready to go! 

Scary friends!

My sweet girls! 

Our neighbor grew this pumpkin and gave it to Lia. 

P.S.    I love being a "ba ba"... (Chinese for daddy).   

P.S.S  I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!  God has blessed Amy and I greatly! 

      

Lia's 1st Birthday!

Lia had a great time celebrating her birthday this weekend and ended up being quite the party girl.

 We took her to the Apple Pie Bakery (CIA) for a quick dinner.

Lia had a cupcake at home.  After we blew the candle out, Lia did what any 

one year old would do with a cupcake; she got really messy.

                                  

The next day, we had a small party with family and friends.  Before the party, Lia decided she didn't need an afternoon nap as Keith and I hung Chinese lanterns all throughout the house.  (She didn't want to miss anything, and was confused about our busy-ness).
It was great to celebrate Lia with everyone.  Somehow, she made it through the cake!  She could have done a face plant into it and fallen asleep (it would have been justified), but she loved the attention and went right along with accepting her new birthday tradition.

Emily, Annie, and Beth...

Wow, kinda scary, but I taught Emily in Kindergarten (don't want to tell you how many years ago!).  When I had Emily, I hadn't even thought of a Chinese adoption...maybe it was a seed that was planted in my head...

I had Annie just a few years ago.  Annie is from the same province as Lia!

It's been so cool watching the girls grow up. Through the years, I was looking forward to them finally meeting Lia.  

While we were waiting, Beth and Steve have always encouraged me...and now I can say "it finally happened"!  What a nice visit we had!

Yipee! Finally, the girls meet!

Busy Lia, smiley Emily and Annie

And the party goes on...

Keith's brother and sister-in-law came up this past weekend.  The weather was perfect; not a cloud in the sky.  It was so good to see them and for them to meet Lia!  The condensed version of the Dutchess County tour included...snacking on local cheeses and wine, Hartney and Sons, the Culinary, apple picking, and the Walkway.  What fun we all had!

Cheryl, Curt and Lia

Looks like we took a plane to Italy...(It's the Italian Restaurant at the Culinary).

And no one was wet...how'd Keith do it?

Last week's highlights...

Keith's good friend John and his wife Joanne

Isabella and Lia finally meet at Debbie's Health Connection.

Having tea with Lia always includes a chocolate cake! 

Tonight, we went to get our usual haircuts, but were very surprised to have a little party with our favorite haircutters, Fran and Barb.  It was Lia's mom and dad's turn to have REAL chocolate cake!!!!  Delicious! 

A fun weekend...

Last night, my brother Mark, my sister-in-law Liz and my 2 nieces came over to meet Lia.   Of course, we had to have Chinese food and try out the chopsticks!  During dinner, Lia couldn't take her eyes off Mark.  She babbled like crazy!  It was so exciting to have them come up and see Lia.

Maddie, Katie and Lia

After dinner, we had Jasmine tea and dessert. We used our teaset from Dr. Tea (bought in Beijing) that had dragons on them.  My nieces loved watching the dragons change colors when the hot water was poured into the tiny Chinese teacups.  We had good ole American apple pie with the tea.  What a fun night we had!!!!

Lia getting acquainted with our friend's dogs.

After church today, we meet our friends and their 2 dogs at the Walkway on the Hudson. It was freezing!  We had to put a hat on Lia!

Our real pumpkin was born October 22nd last year.