four years of Ni Hao Y'all: the giveaway

This is gonna be short and sweet.

It was a good day. It was a long day.

It was our maiden voyage as a family of, what felt like, 587 small children.

At church our pastor thanked us for, in one fell swoop, doubling the attendance of the Sunday School program.

We told him it was our pleasure.

After church we ventured off to, of all places, McDonald's. Where we still manage to spend big bucks, even though we eat almost exclusively off the dollar menu. And all special order items. They totally love to see us coming.

Vivi surprised us by eating french fries, something that had previously not interested her in the least. We weren't sure if she was really hungry, or just being adventurous, but it was great to see her appetite returning. A few days of antibiotics under her belt and she's feeling more like her sweet, happy, hungry and not-quite-so-clingy self.

Then, after a quick stop at WalM@rt, it was back to the house for some drawer organizing, some wii playing and some eyebrow plucking fun.

And the day pretty much goes downhill from there. So I'll just stop while you're still having fun.

Riiiight.

Onto the business of the day: the big winners!

The four winners of their choice of a Wild Olive tee...

Red Mary Janes at the Seventh Diamond
Super Mommy at Me and My Two Chickadees
Diane Chaniewski (a non blogger :))
and
Anita at He Leads Us

Congratulations, ladies!

Just email me at chrisnstefanie@gmail.com and give me the design, size and cut of the shirt you'd like, as well as your address... and I'll do the rest.

click to enlarge

P.S. Since I am crazy about you guys, I'll let you in on a little inside information. Wild Olive is about to announce a brand new tee (in stock February 5th), all proceeds will benefit Haiti. If you've won a tee and would prefer this design, just let me know.



And now, the winner of the Hip Mom Jewelry beautiful hand stamped necklace...



But, before the official announcement, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Ann, who made this lovely giveaway possible.

Thank you, Ann!

Okay.

Now, are you ready?

Are you sure?

Are you ready, Shannon?

Because you are the winner of a gorgeous necklace from Hip Mom Jewelry.



Congratulations, Shannon from Room for More!

Email me at chrisnstefanie@gmail.com for all the details.


And to all y'all, thanks for playing. You really made this bloggy celebration fun.

Sunday Snapshot: Vivienne

Ahhh, Vivienne.

It wasn't long ago I had some very real worries about this little one joining our family.

And when I said I was scared, I really meant it.



But now, well... just look at her.



Scared?

Me?

Of her?



Obviously, I had too much time on my hands.

Vivienne is truly delightful.

And I have fallen for her in the worst way.



She's beautiful.

She's engaging.

She's silly.

She's jiggly.

That might be one of my favorite things about her. After enduring the feeding issues of two *unnamed* toothpick-like children in our home, it's surprisingly wonderful to have a child with an appetite.

And some jiggle to her middle.

Plus, every ounce is absolutely pinchable.



She plays by herself, with nothing more than two kitchen spoons and an empty tupperw@re for entertainment.

She plays with the kids, right smack in the middle of a living room UFC match.



She's girly.

She plays mama to her 'baby'.

She loves to have bows in her hair.

She picks out a clip, brings it to me and then points to her hair.

Then she smiles.



She's fearless. In a really good way.

She embraces life.

Even the dogs don't intimidate her. In fact, she gets right in Seamus' face, finger pointed, and tells him off. In Chinese.

Then she pulls his ears.



She has begun to be show small signs of affection, sneaking in a hand hold here and a tiny kiss there.

And asking "bao bao" (hold me) with her arms held out wide.

So far, I'm her top choice.

That's one more thing I find particularly adorable about her. She likes me.



We're not certain of the status of her special need.

We'll start that long journey Monday afternoon with our first visit to the doctor. Who will then refer her out to many, many specialists.

Dwarfism is a possibility.

Surgery is a probability.



But being positively blessed by this precious child... that's a certainty.

************************************

To join in, just add your link into Mr. Linky below. Don't worry, he won't bite!

To use Mr. Linky, be sure to link your Sunday Snapshot post, not your main blog url.

To do this, go to your blog. Click on the title of your Sunday Snapshot post. The url in your browser window will become a direct link to your Sunday Snapshot post. Copy that url and paste it into the Mr. Linky window, along with your name, or your blog's name, whichever you prefer.

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Vivi: home one week

I know.

I've neglected to update you guys on Miss Vivi and her assimilation into family life with our crazy crew.

Honestly, she's doing great.



Sorry that the updates (and even worse, the pictures) have been negligible... but Vivienne is a sick little girl right now.

Fever. Runny nose. Cough.

She spends much of the evening and all night attached to my side. Which is really quite sweet. And a great excuse to sit around watching TV.



When she's not feeling yucky, she does really well with our ginormous crew. Everyone here is nutty about her. There isn't a moment during the day that she's not being adored.

Or catered to.

Or entertained.

Or cuddled.



Or fed.

We're hoping to convince her we're not quite as nutty as we look.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Promise more (and much better) pics soon, especially one of the entire brood together. I just need my girl to feel better first. And to find a minute in the day when we're all together and actually dirtless, boogerless and tearless...

thank you

Seriously? Since I posted about the giveaway yesterday afternoon, a whole bunch of you guys have become followers.

Da-huuude. I had no idea there were that many of y'all out there. Silently lurking.

And now the tables are turned. I get to sneak a peek into your lives. And I am diggin' it.

It's been ridiculously fun to check y'all out, read your comments, visit your blogs, see your profile pictures. Or in some cases just that strange little happy face that google uses in the place of a picture. Which is really sort of eerie.

Anyway, it's been quite the treat to get to 'know' some of you guys that have been following along, without officially 'following'. It's made this bloggy birthday quite the celebration.

Well, that, and the cookie dough I scarfed down this afternoon.

Instead of celebrating properly, as I'd hoped, my 'consumption of something decadent' turned into hastily downed sugar cookie dough I found in the condiment shelf of the fridge. And, because I highly doubt my husband will be walking through the door tonight with a Macaroni Grill Turtle Cheesecake, that'll have to do.

And my kids don't seem to comprehend fully that today is a special day, either.

For example, this conversation that occurred this morning at the breakfast table with all the littles...

Shepherd: "Mom, did you make that big nose by yourself?"

Me: "What? I have a big nose?"

Jude: "Mama didn't make her nose. God did. And God made it just the right size. BIG! Right mama?"

Me: "I have a big nose?"

Sophie, detecting my downward spiral: "It's not big, mom. It's L-A-R-G-E." ... stopping to think... "It's large AND big."

Me (to self): "Is there any cookie dough hidden in the condiment shelf of the fridge?"

But in spite of my evidently large proboscis, and really because of all y'all, today has been a true celebration. This day that marks four-years of Ni Hao Y'all.

So thank you. Wish you could have been standing here in my kitchen with me to stop me from raiding the fridge. Then my jeans would thank you, too.

the deal

The people have spoken.

Thanks for that. I was worried no one would reply to my blog-iversary quandary.

So, since you asked so nicely, I'll be giving away some Wild Olive Tees.



One tee given away for each year I've called this little spot in the blogosphere my own.

That would be four, for anyone new here.

AND, Ann from Hip Mom Jewelry has generously donated one beautiful hand-stamped necklace to my little bloggy giveaway extravaganza.

You rock, Ann.



To be honest, I've spent all morning drooling over her designs.

I can't help myself.

Seriously, how lovely is this necklace?




And how sweet is this one?




And this?

I don't even have the words.



So. There you go.

Giving away some pretty cool stuff in celebration of four years of Ni Hao Y'all.

Four years of plugging away at the ol' keyboard.

Four years of prattling on and on.

And on.

I just want to take a moment to say "thank you" for hanging in there with me.



To enter for the giveaway, all you have to do is be a 'follower'. After all, this giveaway is a chance for me to celebrate, well, the people who have endured read this blog.

If you already are a follower, you don't have to do anything.

I just love it when I don't have to do anything.

If you're not a follower yet, but have been waiting for the right time to become one, now you've got some additional motivation. Just click 'follow' on the left sidebar.

Then you'll be stuck with me.

Giveaway will run for, of course, four days. I'll randomly choose five peeps from the list of followers Sunday afternoon. Winners will be announced Sunday night!

four years minus two days

In two days, this ol' blog will turn four years old.

Four years.

Those four years have been some of the craziest, most joy filled years I can recall.

Sadly, that's not saying a whole heckuvalot since my memory is horridly faulty these days. But that's why I blog. So I don't have to remember.

So, in celebration of the big oh-four, I want to do something extraordinary.

Consume something decadent.

Give away something divine.

But as for ideas, I have none. So I thought I'd ask you, my treasured confidantes, what do you think I should do?

Celebratory ideas?

Giveaway ideas?

C'mon, you know there's something you'd like to have a shot at winning over here on Ni Hao Y'all...

No. I won't be giving away anything insanely wonderful like a Macbook Pro.

Or a Nikon D700.

Think just a tad bit smaller. Not gonna lie, ain't got a whole lot extra to spare these days.

But I do want to celebrate.

I'm ready to be dazzled by your ideas :)

love

What can I say about this girl?



She's amazing.



She's adorable.

Obviously.



And, in case you couldn't tell from the pictures, she's pretty stinkin' smart, too.



She eats.

She sleeps.

She laughs.

She plays.

What's not to love?



When I was talking to my sister this morning, she asked me what the kids thought of Miss Vivi.

So I asked Sophie, who Vivi had been shadowing all morning....



"Sophie? What do you think of your new little sister?"

Without hesitation Sophie answered, "She's awesome."



I couldn't have said it better myself.

Sunday Snapshot: coming home

We left Guangzhou with a patch behind Asher's ear. And phenergan in my backpack.

And high hopes for a vomit-free travel day.



We arrived in Shanghai with no problems. Asher felt great. I felt great. And even after a 4+ hour wait for our next flight, Vivi was doing great.

No shoes had been kicked off in frustration,

Or hair clip pulled out in aggravation,

Or cookies tossed in nauseation. I know it's not a word. But it should be.



By the time we arrived in Newark, some 15 or so very long hours later, things had changed.

One hair clip: gone

One pair shoes and one pair socks: missing in action

Three 'clean bags': filled

One shirt and one pair pants: irretrievably puke-y

One jacket: covered with melted chocolate ice cream

One mother: wo' out

It was a tough trip. With some horrific moments.

But God had some serious mercy on me. Vivi was a fantastic little traveler. And slept a good portion of the flight.



As we landed in the blessed USA, and Vivi became a US citizen, her reaction was a bit subdued.

Asher's was similar.

But I was pumped.



We made our way through the Newark airport. And my sweet friend Dita and her darlings were there to greet us.

I had warned her about the probability of sweat and stink.

And I was glad I had.



We shared some coffee and donuts. And chatted. It was so good to just sit and talk with her and her beautiful family.

She gave some lovely gifts to my kiddos.

And she gave some delicious handmade chocolate to me.

God bless her.



As we waited for our final flight, Asher continued to feel badly.

Poor dude. The good news was that no more baggies were needed.

And blessedly, the closer we got to Boston, the better he felt.



Vivi continued to be traveler extraordinaire.

I get more and more crazy about this kid every day.



We arrived in Boston, at last.

One car ride left between us and home.

The kids were all smiles.



Already, our horribly rotten travel day was becoming a distant memory.

"It wasn't that bad, ya think?"

******************************

To join in, just add your link into Mr. Linky below. Don't worry, he won't bite!

To use Mr. Linky, be sure to link your Sunday Snapshot post, not your main blog url.

To do this, go to your blog. Click on the title of your Sunday Snapshot post. The url in your browser window will become a direct link to your Sunday Snapshot post. Copy that url and paste it into the Mr. Linky window, along with your name, or your blog's name, whichever you prefer.

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home.

Home?

Yes we are.

Tired?

You bet.

Joyful?

Heck yeah.

Update?

Coming tomorrow... Sunday Snapshot :)

Hope to see you there!

Vivi in bloom

After the group shot session, Asher and I returned to the red couch for a few more shots. The lighting is so lovely in the White Swan with the ceiling high windows and I couldn't resist trying to get just a few more shots of Miss Vivi while she was in her traditional Chinese outfit.

After all, the red couch photo is the epitome of the whole China adoption trip. And I wanted to give my girl another shot at looking her loveliest. I know she'll thank me someday.

Yeah, right.

Unfortunately, Vivi really wasn't interested in having her picture taken to begin with, and even less interested after 30 minutes of our group picture session. But Asher and I did our best to get, if not a big grin, at least a content expression out of our girl.

I have to say, even without a smile, she takes my breath away.

UPDATE: They are on the airplane headed home... yippee!

Vivi: last day

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

the last day

Today was our last day in China.

*insert big sigh*

I can't wait to get home. It has been a great trip in many ways, though. I just really, really miss my kiddos. And my husband. And my big, soft bed. And my fast, bookmarked Mac. And lots of other things I don't really think about until I'm without them.

And I can't wait to see Miss Vivi added to the mix at our house. This girl is a crack up. I don't think she's even going to flinch at the size of our crew.

Okay, back to today. Our last day in China.

We took group pictures on the red couch. And we had a neat group of kiddos. One family adopted a little guy with TGA (Transposition of the Great Arteries), who is cute as a bug. Feisty too, even with an unrepaired heart. He's going to be a wildcat once his open heart surgery is completed!

The other family adopted two 12 year old boys, no SN, just older. It came as such a big surprise to me, how incredible these boys were. Not that 12 year old boys can't be incredible, but I was just surprised how sweet-natured, funny, and easy-going two 12 year old boys could be in the midst of being adopted, going to America and leaving everything familiar to them.

Vivi loves both of them, and I think secretly wants them both to be her big brothers. Asher, too. And I can't blame them. They are darling. But for now, Vivi's got enough big brothers. And I think the Woods family is pretty excited to have Liam and Levi join their crew.

After a most sweaty picture taking session (preceeded by a full out, ugly run from the Victory to the White Swan because someone completely lost track of time overindulging at the breakfast buffet), Asher and I met with another family in the White Swan playroom for some downtime. Kristen and her mom are here to bring home the cutest little three year old, Zoe, whose SN is clubfoot. She and I met through Diana (who just got her TA for Sienna Grace, YAY!!) and had a great time swapping military and mommy stories as our girls played. And my pits aired out.

Then I drug myself away, knowing I had much packing still left undone. We grabbed some noodles for Vivi's lunch and came back to the room for an afternoon of organizational h-e-double hockey sticks.... packing to leave China is even harder than packing to come to China. Thankfully, this time I hadn't added an arsenal of chops, Chinese clothes and tea sets. Just lots and lots of snacks and dirty clothes. But it still has to fit in the suitcase, and weigh less than 44 pounds. Or else.

The reward for an afternoon of hard work was dinner at La Dolce Vida with my pal Chris and her daughters Faith and Avery. Avery is 3 and she and Vivi swapped stories and snacks over the table as we noshed on some yummy brushetta and pizza. It was delicious, and lots of fun. In fact, so delicious it eclipsed the Cow and Bridge as Asher's favorite food here in China.

Tomorrow is an early wake up call, so it's off to bed for our crew. If you think of it, please lift our family up in prayer as we head out for a very long travel day. Some blessed news is that a mom in our group had some extra doses of her Rx for motion sickness and offered to share with Asher... so hopefully no 'clean bags' will be in our immediate future!

Next post... Vivi working the red couch. Or, more aptly, Stefanie and Asher making idiots out of themselves trying to get a smile out of Vivi on the red couch.

Or something like that.