Quilt Giveaway

Head on over to Malani's blog for your chance to win an Amish quilt!

Also there is a chance for a blog makeover by Alexis.

Go check it out! 
Click on the link below

Journey to Malani

Thanks
Julie

I found a fairie in the woods

Build a Bear or a..............................

We were in Gettysburg for the weekend.  We had a few "firsts" while there.
She wasn't able to hang onto these rings with both hands last year.  Her left hand just couldn't do it.  This year she hung on long enough to swing back and forth twice.

But she was even more proud of the fact that she was able to climb up the slide ladder all by herself while using her left hand. Although she would stop using it at the top.  I think she climbed that ladder at least 60 times while we were there.

We went to Boyd's Bears again, only because the last time we were there she ended up with a rat instead of a bear, because we didn't see the long tail until we got home. 

It actually took me a few minuets to convince her to stand close to this big bear.  She was pretty scared of it.

She found this black bear laying on this bench "sleeping" and fell in love with it.  Guess how much it was?   $116.00,  No, we did not buy it.

So she picked out her "bear" and then got to choose what color beans she wanted in it,  guess what color she picked..........PINK.  I know shocker, right?

She got to put the beans inside the "bear" except for maybe 1/2 cup.

Then she got to pick out an outfit for it,  she picked out a purple wizard holloween custom for it.  She really enjoyed dressing it.

Well as you can see its really not a bear its a COW.  Yeah, she picked out a cow.  There were soooooo many cute things to pick from like at least 7 different bears, puppies, bunnies, frogs, etc.  But NooOOOoooo, she picked a cow.

It's growing on me though.

Our awesome weekend

We went camping this weekend, and we had FUN!

We made smores

We had karaoke night, where they sang into the end the fire poker stick.

(Sorry for any of our neighbors who had to listen to us singing and giggling)

Of course we hit the swings..............

Then we went out on a paddle boat in the lake and our ot nowhere Malia says that she wants a fishing rod
and she wants to go fishing.  We both looked at her and went Whaaaaaaaaat?    She was insistant after that and kept asking and asking.  So off the to camp store we went.  She had her choice between a spider man and a barbie rod.  Of course she picked screaming pink Barbie rod.   Off to the lake we went again.

The second time she threw it in she got a bite and reeled in her very first fish.

Believe it or not she sat there and fished for over an hour.  Saying that "She was into it" just doesn't cover it.

The people who own the campground raise a lot of money every year for St Jude's.  They have two big events a year to help raise money. One of the many things they do is raffle off an authentic amish quilt made by a local family.  I spent $5.00 for 8 chances on this quilt.   Can you guess who won the quilt?    Yeah, I know ! I can hardly believe it myself, lol.   I have decided that my mama gets first dibs on it and if she doesnt want it maybe I'll try and raffle it off myself.   It is pretty stunning to look at it close up because it is all hand sewn and the designs in it are..........Well just put it this way, I could never do something like that by hand.

Over all it was an awesome weekend, we relaxed and had fun at the same time.

First day of school.

Malia was super excited about the first day of school and she seemed to understand.  Every time we went by her new school she would point it out "There's my new big girl school".

She is such a poser

She gets her "bus" at daycare, so we headed on over there. She waited for the "bus" with Ms. June who owns the daycare.  Dustin my 22 yr old went to this daycare when he was younger too and Ms.June remembers him well.  Here they are waiting for the "bus" to get here.

Of course this whole time we are telling her how exciting and fun school will be and she was very happy.

That is until "it" came.  Here's a little back round on the situation.  Malia went to therapy 3 times a week for the past 2 years.  A "school bus" which was really a yellow school van picked her up and took her.  So she thought she was cool cause she got to ride in a "school bus".   While having a discussion with some of her therapist and teachers we decided that she would be better off riding a van to school instead of a regular school bus, we felt that she would have too much of a hard time stepping on and off the high steps to get on and off.  So a van was arranged,  I thought this would be a big help in her transition because she was used to the van.  BUT her van was yellow, the one that pulled in was white along with a strange (new) driver and a totally different set of kids on board.   The look on Malia's face was an indicator that this was not a good thing.  She does NOT take well to ANY changes.  Ugh, I think it was just as hard on me as it was on her. 
The look on her face is the attempt at a smile but I'm going to cry look.

Happy 5th Birthday Malia !

Wow, I can NOT believe that its Malia's 5th birthday already!  It also happens to be the 3 year anniversary of when she put her feet on US soil.  We came home from China on her 2nd Birthday.  We didn't have a big party for her, just a small one with family.  We do plan on having a big one next year because it will be a double one!  Malia and her new sisters birthdays are only 7 days apart.

Everyday I have to pinch myself, I cant believe this beautiful and sweet little girl is MY daughter.