Merry Christmas from the Long's

Picture catch up

It has been forever since I last posted pictures. Sorry Aunt Vick! I am on my computer every day, but I just don't take the time to upload pictures. We've had a wonderful Christmas - too wonderful for Jerry! We've missed going to Florida and vow we'll be there next year. We've been watching our home movies from this past year -dubbing them onto dvd's - and enjoying watching what all we did. What a year! I hope everyone had as blessed Christmas as we did! Can't believe it is almost 2009 - and I have to go back to work soon. I am not looking forward to it. Very sad - but soon it will be Summer vacation and it will be wonderful again!

Healthy Heart!

Hanna had an appointment yesterday with a pedriatric cardiologist at Riley. They did an ekg, echocardiogram, and a chest x-ray. Poor baby - she was scared during the ekg, but a candy cane did the trick! The best part of the appointment was when the doctor (who has 2 daughters from China) said that she is healthy and her surgery in China was done very well! She doesn't have to go back to see him for another year. Her only restriction is that she can't play football (American Football...not soccer). That shouldn't be a problem, because we all know she is going to be a cheerleader! ;)

I need to post pictures about our Christmases we had over the weekend, but it will have to be later! I need to get lunch for my family! Merry Christmas everyone!

Hanna's birthday

We celebrated Hanna's birthday at Old Town Buffet - a local Chinese restraurant. Jerry told our waiter that it was her birthday and asked if he would speak with her in Chinese. We are sad to say that she was scared of our waiter. We're hoping it is just because he is a stranger and not because he was speaking to her in Chinese. She loved the food there though! She was so excited to see noodles, egg drop soup, and jello! She was in heaven. The boys were equally excited about the fried donuts and jello, but not really anything else. At the end of our meal, our waiter brought out a cake and a candle! We all sang Happy Birthday to her and she blew out her candle. I think Hanna enjoyed her first birthday with her new family! God has been so good to us! We feel so blessed to have 3 beautiful and healthy children.

Shop at Cornett's

I feel compelled to shout my praises to our local furniture store. Jerry, Hanna, and I went in there and bought a new sofa and chair. While we were there, Hanna found child size rockers in the window that she really liked. While Jerry worked out the details, Hanna and I sat in the window and played with the rocking chairs. She lined them all up, sat in them, and watched the traffic go by. She kept telling me that she liked them. Well today when they delivered our furniture, the first piece they brought in was a little rocking chair. The gentleman said it "Merry Christmas" for a sweet little girl! Hanna was thrilled. I could not believe it. I am still in shock. I thanked them up and down before they left. I called the store and almost cried as I thanked them. I told them that today is her birthday - and her first one with us. I am still is shock and awe! Please let everyone you know in Crawfordsville know what kind and generous people we have at Cornett's! If you are in the market for new furniture, please give them a try! Merry Christmas!

Hanna is officially 3!

It just turned midnight and my sweet angel is sleeping. She is having more difficulty tonight than usual, but she is asleep upstairs in her butterfly bed! Our plan for her birthday, since we already had her party, is to take her to a local Chinese restraurant for dinner. Brooks loves Old Town Buffet, so we'll probably go there. We are supposed to be getting some weather tomorrow afternoon, but hopefully it will hold off long enough for us to go. We bought new furniture! It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow and I can't wait! I just thought of something. We bought the sectional - that is now in our barn - when we were pregnant with Brooks. We got the loveseat that I'm on now right after Reese was born. And now we bought a chair and couch very soon after Hanna joined our family. We still need a few new chairs - does that mean we'll be adding to our family again??! Never say never!
Hanna has learned to sing part of Happy Birthday. I suppose it is from her party, but there is also a very sweet song on K-Love that we've been hearing - Happy Birthday Jesus - by a children's choir. Everytime she hears in she breaks into her chorus of Happy Birthday Hanna. I hope you all enjoy the video. We think it is just adorable.
I'm getting tired and stressed just thinking of the week we have coming up. The boys and Jerry get out of school Friday at noon. We are having breakfast with our Wabash Student (at our house so I have to clean sometime!) on Saturday morning, then going to see Santa in Frankfort, and finally having Christmas at my mom's. Then Sunday we have church, Christmas at Jerry's parents' house, and then we're taking our Wabash student to the airport. He is going back to China for winter break. Monday Hanna has a doctor's appointment at Riley - just a checkup and we will hopefully visit the Children's museum. Tuesday is a free day - yea! Wednesday we have Christmas Eve at my mom's with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thankfully we get to be home on Christmas. Now do you see why we like to go to Florida??! If we were going this year, we would be leaving Friday and would be on the beach Saturday. We would be on the beach every day! Christmas Eve we would go to church and then Christmas Day we would be on the beach! Ah, relaxing! Next year, next year....
I've gotta get to sleep. Hanna and I have a busy day tomorrow...at least in the morning. I have know idea how I would be getting everything done if I were working right now. I really don't want to think about that though, because I have to go back on January 5th.

Brooks' Unicycle

Brooks got a unicycle last year for Christmas and never learned to ride it. After Jerry got to experience riding in China, he was determined to teach Brooks to ride. They go down to South each evening for about a half hour just to practice. They have a "block" set out that is their practice place. Brooks had a record of making it around in just 10 falls, then 7, and last night he called super excited to say he made it all the way around without falling! He is getting the hang of it and is really enjoying it now. He knows he is the same age as Jerry was when he first learned! Circus life here we come!!

Hanna news: a few weeks ago she decided that she wanted to sleep in her own room. Before I would ask and she would say no, but now that is where she wants! She started out not making it through the night, but would each night make it a little longer. Well the last 3 nights she has slept in her own bed all night until I wake her in the morning to take the GeGe's (brothers) to school! I can't wait for tomorrow morning when I won't have to wake her! She is also learning English very well. She adds new words each day and surprised me the other day while shopping with my mom when she said, "hungry mama, bites!" She is a doll and we are very blessed to have her.

Ladoga's Christmas Program

Last night was the boys' Christmas program. This year they got to wear their "Sunday Best" and Reese was so excited! He loves to wear ties! I just had to snap a few photos of them before we left. Santa came to the program. Hanna didn't want to have anything to do with him, but she's been carrying around the sack of goodies he gave her smiling and saying "Santa". Perhaps there is a little hope for my Santa picture after all! I didn't take any pictures with Santa - only video. We'll go visit Santa in Frankfort when we have Christmas at Mamaw Albaugh's later this month. He's our tradition! ;)

Hanna is very excited about Christmas now. She understands presents and loves the music. When we are in the car, she either asks for Jingle Bells or Christmas (We wish you a Merry Christmas). Mr. Stout may not have thought my singing was good, but my daughter sure does! Tonight we are going Christmas shopping with Mamaw Albaugh in Lafayette. It is Senior Citizen night at Kohl's and we get to eat at O'Charley's!

Hanna looks so cute today - if I do say so myself. My friend Jenn gave us so many cute clothes! Jenn, if you are reading, Thanks so much! I'll get a pict of her later and post it so you can see. Looking cute in her new birthday dress coat!

Happy Birthday Hanna - early!

Today we celebrated Hanna's 3rd birthday a little early. Her birthday really isn't until December 18th, but that is so close to Christmas that we decided to have her party early. We kept it a little low key so we wouldn't overwhelm her and she really enjoyed herself. She celebrated with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a great aunt. It took her a few minutes to wake up, but once she did, she loved it. She really started getting into opening presents - boy she is going to love Christmas! She got a new chair for the pool, a swimsuit and cover up, a dress coat for church,a doll, purse, two pairs of shoes, a movie in Chinese, a book, and a drawing book. Mamaw Long made her a butterfly cake (she can say butterfly!) and I helped her blow out her three candles.

We had a nice weekend. It snowed and the boys enjoyed playing outside. They are hoping Santa brings them new snow stuff! Brooks has been practicing on his unicycle and is getting much better! He's hoping to break his record of now 7 falls around Jerry's hallway at Southmont!

December

It is December! I can't believe how quickly time flies. I know that I'll blink and it will be time for me to go back to work! Hanna is doing well at Mamaw Long's house. I've been having her stay there for about an hour each morning this week (not Monday or Today) while I volunteer in my classroom.

She is amazing. Jerry and I can't believe how much English she is learning and how great her receptive language is. She seems to understand everything we say to her. Brooks is keeping me on my toes writing down the words she knows. Yesterday she kept asking for me to sing "Christmas" which is We wish you a Merry Christmas. She also knows Jingle Bells - when she hears the tune, she yells, "Mama - Jingle Bells!"

I've introduced her to Nihao KaiLan and she really likes it. She's actually asking to watch it right now! Very cute!

Well, I just wanted to update quickly and post a few pictures. Her wonderful family in China are reading the blog. They are wonderful people and we want them to see their YingYing. I'll update again and share stories of this past week. Gotta go now though!

A wonderful Thanksgiving Blessing

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. We had lunch at Jerry's parents house and then supper at my cousin Sheryl's house. Hanna did well. We had a nice visit with everyone. We came home and were suprised by an email from Hanna's Chinese family. Isn't she beautiful??!

Proof there is a little girl living among us!

Not that I was ever a great housekeeper, but Hanna makes it almost impossible! I'll pick it up and as soon as she notices it is moved, she drags it out again!

She loves to play in my workroom that has been off limits to the boys for a long time now. Jerry says I should just clean it and put things away!

She loves to play with her dishes and food. There is a tub big enough to hold it all, but she doesn't like to put it away when she is finished! She is using the tub to store Brooks' video games for him.

She likes her doll house, but she really doesn't play with it. She makes it play music and then stores all of her finds in it! Reese knows to look here first for something he is missing!

Pink toothbrush and princess toothpaste!

Our movies and DVDs used to be in the right cases and in alphabetical order on the shelves!

Oh well, there is more to life than a clean and organized house! Thank God for the little things in life!

Children's Museum

Our church gave us a year membership to the Children's Museum as a welcome home present! I was so excited. Last Friday - or perhaps the Friday before that - Jerry and the boys had a half day of school, so we decided to go. We had so much fun - I think Jerry would even admit that he had fun. Anyway, it didn't take Hanna long to warm up to the place and start running all over. Our first stop was the Science Water Works place. The boys loved playing in the water. Hanna did too until some other boys opened up the dam they had made and she got sprayed! She really giggled to go under the pond and see the fish! Reese and I had a great time putting together the arch - and destroying it. We made cartoons, added our voice to cartoons, drew dragons, and walked quickly through the dinosphere. Oh and we got to ride the carousel. That was fun! After the museum we got to go to our favorite restaurant, yep O'Charley's! It was Hanna's first time there. She liked it except for the lemonade, I don't think she liked it much. Brooks and Reese got way more rolls than I did (I had to share mine with Hanna). The waitress was supposed to bring us more, but she must have forgotten! We are very excited about the membership and I can't wait to go back. Hanna has a doctor's appointment in Indy in December, so I think we'll try to go then.

Thanksgiving is almost here. We are going to my cousin Sheryl's house. I'm excited for my aunts, uncles, and cousins to meet Hanna. I hope she isn't too tired or overwhelmed by the whole experience!