Our Adoption Journey and Beyond

2010-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney World...YES!! We're HERE! Just got back from a wonderful week at WDW. There are a million and one pictures I could upload... what a week! :) This was the first time our family went to Disney World and BOY did we have fun!!! I can see why people go back year after year...there's SO much to do-we were there a week-and still didn't see everything!!
Tweedle Dum taking a liking w/ K!

The Tree of Life was simply amazing at "Animal Kingdom!" A must see for sure!!

These 2 sisters were from China...we just thought they looked SO much like K! We had to all get a picture together-they were TOO cute!!

G was not into the Princesses...he said he didn't like all the "glitter!"

Disney really is a "Magical Place" I can't tell you how much fun we had! I had been wanting to go for so long . . . yet, i'm glad we went when we did. Number 1 reason-our kids were old enough to really appreciate the Magic of Disney. I highly recommend waiting until your children are at least 5 years old to go. Then, they can go on most rides as well. K is only 4...but seriously-she probably would have had as much fun at a local carnival! :)But, my other are a tad older-and REALLY enjoyed it beyond anything!

The beautiful sunset at Epcot

Truly a sight to SEE!

Ok...so I have to talk about the fact that it's taken me SO long to update my Blog. My life has become one big rush all the time, i barely have a second to myself. Hence, the blog being put on the back burner. And, i don't see it changing much at all. I thought it was important to keep up w/ my blog as i was going thru the Adoption Process. I found comfort reading and following others journey's while i was going thru mine. I took a moment this morning and flipped thru some of those "old blogs" I used to follow...and saw that many have discontinued their updates as well. On that note...I will try to periodically update, maybe...but i most likely will be updating my FB more often. :)

Looking at these blogs that I followed so loyally a few years ago, made me reflect on our adoption w/ K. It will be 3 years ago tomorrow...3 YEARS that I had my GOTCHA day! I've attached a few pictures here to reflect that joyous moment in our lives! She's grown to be the most beautiful little girl-adventurous, goofy, smart and definitely the "wild child" of our family!

Been so long...

2010-07-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been that long! Too long! My life has gotten SO busy...but that's good-right? :) I promise to post more...more pictures as well...very soon!
But, in the meantime...the new Fall Season for
Matilda Jane
is coming out August 6th!
Contact me to get your hands on these
adorable clothes!
nicolek@matildajaneclothing.com

Matilda Jane Conference!

2010-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the Matilda Jane Conference in Ft. Wayne, IN. Had a wonderful time-everyone is SOOO nice! When I say I work for an amazing company, that's an understatement. MJ may be small, but it's Mighty! That's what I love about it-the personalization, the friendships, the love that goes into the work.

This is Denise, the Master Mind behind Matilda Jane. Isn't her son the cutest?!? :) She's the sweetest lady if you ever have the chance of meeting her...so down to earth and rich with creativity-as all you "MJ Lovers" know!

And, this is Kayla...another great employee of Matilda Jane from the beginning. She works in the home office-she's great help!

Just a few of the amazing TK's from all over...these girls are from WI and OH-my Midwest buds!

Besides missing my family...couldn't have had a better weekend-old friendships, new friendships and did i mention the new Spring Line?!? "Hammond Bay" WHOA! Gorgeous! Visit the sneak peaks on Denise's Blog: www.matildajaneblog.com
Coming February 15th!!!
If you want to know more, email me at nicolek@matildajaneclothing.com

Matilda Jane Spring Season Coming Soon!!

2010-01-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas Season 2009

2010-01-09T06:33:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy season...as you can tell, i haven't posted in a lonnnng time. My season is only going to get busier soon w/ Matilda Jane's Spring line launching February 15th!! I posted a few pics from December-the first few are when my mom and I took the kids to the city. Visited the American Girl store, windows at Marshall Fields...now Macy's. My loyalty is to M.F.'s and a trip to the Walnut Room.

Christmas morning. Can you tell what one of the favorite gifts were? :)

K loves to follow her brother around and plays what he likes to play...so you can tell she loved his new "Batman" sweatshirt a dear friend gave him-she snatched it up!

We got a Wii this year...yes, we broke down and got one like the masses. Anyhow, my dad is a HUGE hockey fan, so i rented the Hockey NHL game...it was hilarious! We had NO idea how to play-he just loved watching the actual game and the fights!

This was a great gift! These little color pieces are magnetic-and you put them on a picture that is numbered-like color by numbers-but instead magnet by numbers-O loved it!

Then, the day after Christmas...we got tons of snow-it was a winter wonderland! As you can see all the kids and dog loved the snow!

This was the picture in our backyard!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T07:05:00.001-08:00

PEACE & LOVE
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL....AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

A little video...

2009-11-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sisters

It's been a long time since i've posted any video-i found this one in the "archives" and thought i'd post it-it was from this past January... but it gives you a little live shot of K! She's obviously older now, but looks about the same! Just talks ALOT more! haha!

Been a long time...

2009-11-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

So sorry, I know it's been a lonnnnng time since i've posted...gosh, i just got caught up in life-work, kids, work, kids, activities, kids, hubby! :) You get it...I'm going to TRY and be more diligent about updating, but i can't promise. So, once again, here's a slew of pictures i've taken over the past month...these first ones were on a golf course-i took these pictures on a crisp, beautiful October day...right before all the leaves dropped from the trees and it rained and rained!

Here's a few from the Annual Pumpkin Patch visit!

My hubby and I went to an Adult Halloween Costume Party and had fun dressing up!

Halloween...a holiday where you can be a kid again! As long as you don't frighten all the neighbors! haha!

My darling daughter turned 7 the other day...and we had a FABULOUS celebration!

We had a little visit from Aerial, Little Miss Mermaid!

a
Since it was 60 degrees outside...we let the kids run off their sugar and boy did they have fun! We played games like duck-duck goose and red rover red rover!

G thought it was hilarious when one of the girls said "duck, duck, duck, TOMATO!" Oh! and no, it's not Halloween...my son just LOVES to wear his costume over and over and over...and i think he was showing off for the girls a little bit! :)

Then a little old fashioned game of "Telephone!"

And lastly...attack Uncle M!!

The Elephant Sanctuary

2009-10-12T17:42:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Heaven on Earth. Hohenwald, TN. Yes, small town USA, TN. There is a place called "The Elephant Sanctuary" that is just that...a place for these most awesome creatures to live out the rest of their lives in total peace and tranquility. 3000 acres of gorgeous, rolling hills for these elephants to roam FREEly.

I'm a HUGE advocate of elephants, as you may be able to tell. I've always loved them-known they are smart and wiser than they may appear. And, sadly, they are treated so inhumanly most of their lives-fighting to stay alive from poachers in Africa and Asia, suffering from horrific conditions and abuse in circuses...and living in inhabitable locations at zoos.
Yes, i will get on my soapbox for 2 seconds....please, i implore you all...DO NOT support circuses w/ animals-you don't even want to know what they do to these animals while training them-or even while they have them chained up hours and hours each day. And, sadly, even zoos are a horrible place for elephants-did you know elephants in Africa walk up to 30 miles a day! They are meant to roam for miles and miles...so most in zoos end up w/ horrible feet problems and health issues. Now, of course i take my children to the zoo-but i don't condone the elephant exhibits. I've written to my local zoo several times-you can do the same.
Anyhow, off my soap box...for my Christmas present this year, my dear husband surprised me w/ a VIP tour to the "Elephant Sanctuary" in Tennessee. The Sanctuary is not open to the public-they believe the elephants have lived their whole lives on display-this time, they are not for show. So, if you donate X amount of dollars, they allow you to attend a VIP tour. There are only 2 a year. So, i took my mom....and we had the time of our life-it really was like heaven.

This is Scott Blais, one of the Founders of the Sanctuary

And this AMAZING woman is Carol Buckley, the other Founder of The Elephant Sanctuary...let me tell you...an AMAZING woman-she needs to write a book of her life-she's living the dream and has nothing but TRUE love for these beautiful creatures! Thank god for people like her on this earth...

This is Dulary...she's not in a cage-she's just poking her head to say hi to us-this is right outside her barn-we were eating lunch on a veranda above-notice all the dirt on her back-the elephants love to toss grass and dirt on themselves! :)

My dear Mom, myself and Carol

This is a picture of Steve Hartman, the CBS Correspondent that aired the piece on "Tara & Bella" I will try to attach the video to my blog-it's a beautiful story of two unlikely friends! :) He just happened to be on the same tour as me-his wife and him are lovely people!

You can support "The Elephant Sanctuary" as well. Their website is:
www.elephants.com

I can attest...your money will not be wasted-this was the most well run, cleanest, and loving establishment i've ever seen-they have everything to caring and feeding these elephants down to
a science! I was SO impressed!

This is the video of "Tarra & Bella"

Lastly, I had my 20 yr. high school reunion this weekend...and saw a dear friend of mine, Jim, that i haven't seen in 10 years!! So, this last picture is of my 2 best girl friends and my dear friend Jim who now lives in La La land out in California! :) He's a drummer-stud!

Just some pics...

2009-09-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

My darling girl loves to pose-she's great taking pictures! I had to snap these two w/ her new pretty dress on-she had school pictures that day! :)

O is losing her teeth left and right-here is her front middle tooth about to fall out before going to school (above)

And, here is her tooth gone AFTER school (below) . . . she was worried the tooth fairy wouldn't come b/c she swallowed it during lunch! Thankfully, the t.f. DID come after reading the note O left her under her pillow-it was the sweetest thing ever!

Our last summer fun was going to our local Minor League Baseball Game! It is the Kane County Cougars-the kids had a great time...especially rolling down the hill!

Showing some love...

Let the FUN begin!!!

2009-09-07T17:42:00.001-07:00

This is it! Tomorrow's the day! Matilda Jane's new Gypsy Blue Fall 09 Line goes on Sale tomorrow! I'm having 2 premier parties at my home and hoping for the best! Then the real fun begins as I get to host fun, wonderful Matilda Jane shows at my "Jane's" homes!

I've cleaned, tagged, ironed, organized beyond belief and i think i'm finally ready!! It's like studying for a final exam and tomorrow is the big day! Nervous and excited all at once.
My family has been so helpful and supportive w/ my decision to work . . . I love them dearly!

I'm off to bed, read and drift to sleep . . .

School days and last summer fun!

2009-08-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

My parents, brother & I took the kids to KiddieLand today. Kiddieland has been open for YEARS and is closing forever the end of September :( Very sad since the kids love it so much! I took the shot above today-made it a little vintage and here's the original below!

Uncle Mark & K

Another vintage shot of the roller coaster! It was so much fun-G and I went first row!!

Grandma & K

G & K started Preschool this past Monday. This is G's second year, but K's first! They did great!

Couldn't get a smile for the life of me . . .

Oh wait-there's one!

I got this in the mail the other day . . . my very first TRUNK! Yes, TRUNK! It's my Matilda Jane Trunk, aka: The New Gypsy Line coming out September 8th! So excited-can you believe everything fit in that little suitcase?!? Well, it did! With a little ironing, it looks spectacular!
Now, if you could only see what's inside! heeheehee! :)

3rd Birthay and 1st day of 1st grade!

2009-08-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

It was K's 3rd birthday on Monday-we celebrated on Sunday w/ Family and Friends! She had a great time as you can tell . . . LOVED her new big girl bike! The one from the garage sale just didn't cut it-the pedals kept coming off!

1st day of 1st grade for my 6 yr. old O! She loved it and couldn't have been more excited! Of course it started to pour rain as we walked to the bus stop-but that's ok, we convinced the driver to stop in front of our house from now on-YES! No more bundling up the 2 little ones in the winter to walk O to the bus stop!!!

New job . . . new chapter!

2009-08-02T16:24:00.001-07:00

Yes! I have a new job . . . can you guess what it is?!? :) My favorite clothing line for little girls . . . Matilda Jane!

I was recently hired as a Trunk Keeper to the Western Suburbs of Chicago and attended my first Conference this weekend in Ft. Wayne, IN. Boy, was it fun! The girls are amazing and i made so many NEW GREAT friends! If anyone doesn't know what a TK is . . . basically i spread the love! :) I am your link to dressing your beautiful girls and beautiful mommies into clothing from Matilda Jane! The designer is so passionate and creative-i love this company! I have to send a "shout out" to Staci Boody for introducing me to MJ. When i first saw that knot dress on her gorgeous daughter, i had to know where she bought it . . . and the rest is history! So, thank you Staci! :)

Below are a few pics from the weekend-the first one is from the AMAZING RACE we played-our team won-whoo-hoo!!!

We attended the "Tin Caps" Ft. Wayne Minor League Baseball game-it was a blast! And the fireworks at the end were spectacular!!

Great people!

My new email address is: nicolek@matildajaneclothing.com if anyone is interested in finding out more about Matilda Jane! :) Believe me-you can't go wrong in dressing your precious girls in these clothes-they're to die for! :)

Swim Team & Dragon Boat Races

2009-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

O was on the swimteam at our club this summer-first time! She did great! Last week was the final party where they got all their trophies and medals. Good food, good music, good friends, good times!

Oh, and did i mention all the big kids LOVE K!!! Here's a pic of the boy (star swimmer!) down our street who loves playing w/ K.

O-our star swimmer!!

Dancing with the girls!

Another girl who loves to take care of K!

The Dragon Boat Races were this weekend in Chinatown, so the kids and I drove down and enjoyed a warm summer day w/ friends! Many there were others that had adopted from Taiwan-we met up as a group-it was so great to finally meet some people I've seen on blogs for so long! Lisa C.! Sarah & Kevin! I only wished i took more pictures of everyone!

We also met up with the Western Suburbs Playgroup which Kerry M. led w/ crafts and stories for the kids! Thank you Kerry-it was wonderful!

K was dancing to the music up on a rock!

Little R & R in Greenlake, Wisconsin

2009-07-18T18:31:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a week in Wisconsin. My parents and brother joined us. Boy, was it nice, relaxing and quiet. We stayed in a very small town called GreenLake. It is a very big lake, so the water was a bit chilly, but it didn't stop us from jumping in! As we were driving back to Chicago and started seeing the strip malls we thought, we're not in Green Lake anymore! The peacefulness and beauty puts life in perspective. Take time to enjoy the simplicity of nature and enjoy life to its fullest. Below are some pics of our week . . .

peaceful walks . . .

checking out the organic garden w/ Grandpa . . .

our view every morning . . .

Our friends joined us for a night with their son J . . . can you tell K likes him? :)

going boating . . .

a little Jenga

a little shucking corn . . .

a little swimming . . . even Willow!

a little fishing . . . but no luck catching anything

The beautiful sunsets

THE most amazing weekend!

2009-06-27T13:45:00.001-07:00

So I had the most amazing weekend! Many of you may know i'm a "Matilda Jane" Addict! If you don't know what MJ is-it's a line of girls clothing a woman designs and creates herself out of Ft. Wayne, IN. She sells some clothes on her website and the rest via Trunk Keepers. I've hosted 2 parties and am officially addicted! The clothes are so colorful and unique-i just love them!

Anyhow, she was hosting an Art Fair this weekend at her location where the magic happens in IN. and invited everyone and anyone to come shop! So, i made it a gals weekend and my mom and 2 daughters drove 3 1/2 hrs. to the Matilda Jane Art fair. Friday night, Denise (the owner) held a fun party (cocktails/food/face painting and raffles) for all the guests. We arrived, bought a few raffles tickets and enjoyed the night . . . but then . . . .they held the raffle . . . and ohhhh BOY!!!

Denise's husband reading out the winners to the raffle!

WE WON the GRAND PRIZE!!! Funny story, the prize was a TBA (to be announced) prize-Denise hadn't decided what it would be yet . . . so we waited and at 8PM they asked all the winners to meet at the front of the art studio. Other winners won private shopping before the sale tomorrow or 5 free items, etc. I still didn't know what i won? So, we all walk to the studio (keep in mind the actual sale wasn't until Sat. 10am!!)

We walk into her awesome studio and I'm in AWE!!!

So, they tell everyone to start their early shopping (the winners) and I say, uhh, don't know what i won yet . . and Denise, the owner (below) says, how many girls do you have? I say 2 and she says pick out 5 things for each little girl!!! WHOA!

Denise has to be the sweetest, most giving lady out there-she was so nice, down to earth and very, very cool! :)

2 hours later, we exited the store! It was so hard to pick from all the beautiful things! The girls were so good and we had soooo much fun! Thanks Denise!!!

O telling K her fortune the next morning!

The Winning Goods!!!

I'm sorry if i sound like a big bragger on this post, but believe me- i NEVER win anything! SO heck, i had to brag a little-haha!

2009-06-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, it's been a longgggg time since my last blog. Doubt i even have any followers at this point-i don't blame you for leaving-ugh! I guess that's what summer does-keep you off the computer! That's a good thing. We've been so busy this summer, and it's already almost the 4th! Since so much has happened since my last post, thought i'd just post a few pics to show!

Relay for Life Walk w/ my mom!

Ballet Recital

Memorial Day Parade

Swimteam

T-Ball

Gymnastics

and the list goes on and on . . . . but it feels good to be out of school and finally enjoying the warm weather!

I have a feeling i won't be updating my blog that much throughout the summer since every waking moment i have nothing on the calendar-we're at the POOL! :) I'll try my best. Overall though, we're doing great-kids are good, pets are good, family is good!

What a weekend!

2009-05-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend was crazy busy! It was my Birthday among other things! We had a garage sale Saturday and scored big! It was so much fun hanging outside, chatting w/ neighbors and customers-like the good 'ol days.

Then, my husband surprised me that night by taking me out to dinner and having all my best friends and family there!

These are the bestest friends a girl could ask for!

My dear family!

My sneaky husband! :)

Then, the next day . . . we were in downtown Naperville and they were celebrating "Civil War Days" at the settlement. So, we had to check it out!

O was so excited to actually meet THE President Abraham Lincoln! :)

This was the Civil War reenactment-it was VERY loud!

This is my "antique" version of this picture below

And, of course, i couldn't leave w/out a few shots of our Tweeter friends. The 3 babies are growing like crazy! Few things i've learned about the birds-the babies sleep 24/7 except when being fed . . . .and (this is gross), the mommy eats their poop! Seriously-no joke! Can you even imagine? Well, i guess it keeps their nest clean.

This was snapped right after she fed them-you can see their beaks. The mom saw me and took off fast-she's just a blur in this picture.

Spring Pictures

2009-05-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

My sons preschool had his end of year picnic.

Best Friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T17:27:00.001-07:00

And then there were 2! I looked outisde the window yesterday morning and saw 2 little wiggly birdies!

Then the mommy arrived w/ a little caterpillar in her mouth!

And fed her babies!

It's amazing how nature works!

Then she sat on them! HA!

THEN, today . . . on Mother's Day . . . there were 3!!!

And this is momma watching me from the window. I'm very careful not to disturb the little babies and her momma.

Tweeter the Bird!

2009-04-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Update 2!! They've hatched just yesterday! So exciting-i'll post pictures later-busy day. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!!

Update! No news to share yet on Mrs. Tweeter. Her 3 little eggs are still nestled in her nest-i'll be sure to post as soon as we see a crack! :) Anyone know how long it takes from when the eggs are laid to when they hatch?

It's getting harder and harder to post more regularly. I feel like I've been driving here and driving there to swim lessons, preschool, gymnastics, carpools, health club . . . the list goes on and on. Summer is coming and my goal is to not over schedule myself . . . but for some reason, i feel like the calender is filling up fast!

Anyhow, I have to share our "Tweeter" story with you. The other day I looked out my bedroom window on our 2nd floor and i saw this perfectly built nest! It amazes me what birds can build! Next, I saw a little Robin sitting so nicely in her nest.

The next day while she was out flying around, i noticed 1 little blue egg! It looked so perfect like a Cadbury Egg! :)

Later that day, there were 2 . . . . then the next day . . .3!

The kids are getting a kick out of it-it's so neat to be able to see a bird and her nest so close. Momma bird is so cute.

My oldest daughter decided to call her "Tweeter!"

I will keep you updated on Momma Tweeter's baby birds.

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:19:00.001-07:00

It was a bright and sunny day today which was nice for Easter!

We went to my mom & dad's and had a fun Easter Egg hunt-the kids had a blast!

But-oy! All this chocolate and jelly beans-sugar-sugar-sugar! No wonder they crashed in the car on the way home. :)

Oh! And I figured out what i was doing wrong before when i couldn't see my pictures on "preview" mode . . . it was on "edit Html" instead of "compose." Duh! :)

Vegas for kids!

2009-04-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

So we decided to venture up to the "Wisconsin Dells" this past week w/ our friends over spring break. Whoa-they have it all-massive water parks, arcades, mini-golf, lazer tag . . . definitely a sensory overload! But, we all had fun the kids had a blast and I took some funky pictures. It's hard to grab those action shots . . . especially when worrying about my camera getting wet! I have no idea how i snapped this picture w/ O all blurry in her action shot and her friend still-i thought it was pretty cool looking!

Lastly-i was wondering if anyone can answer this for me . . . for some reason when I am editing my blog-i don't see the pictures on the screen-but instead a bunch of computer jargon? I used to be able to see the pictures and I could move them around if I needed to-plus it was easier to type around them b/c I knew which picture i was typing about? I probably switched something on the HTML screen or something when I was playing w/ it a few weeks ago . . .but i have no idea how to get it back?
Thoughts? Thanks!

What a glorious day . . .

2009-03-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today was 60 degrees-so i thought we'd skip swim lessons and play outside! I grabbed my camera and took lots of shots. I'm so humbled by fellow bloggers who have these glorious pictures on their blogs. They're wonderful photographers that I'm trying to learn from. So, I took these pictures in Manual-adjusting the ISO and aperture. The first picture above was ISO 100-which affected the light-so i adjusted to ISO 200 with a high shutter speed to catch the action shots. My problem is a take the pictures so fast-i don't really know what i'm doing! haha!

A lot of good picture taking is what you do afterwards. I have been playing w/ iPhoto on my MAC adjusting the light, composition, exposure, etc. It really can make a bland picture very rich in color.

Fun stuff!

Now, if anyone knows how to post their pictures really large-i'd love to know! Many friends have pictures on their blogs that are double the size of these-i just don't know how to do it. Leaving me a comment would be great!

Happy Spring!

Legoland & The Great Cookie Capers!

2009-03-06T11:07:00.001-08:00

Hello! I know it's been a long time since I last "blogged." I'll admit, i've been a little lazy. I think it's the nasty, cold weather-so not motivating to do anything! But, today is nearly 70 degrees and i'm feeling upbeat-so i thought i'd catch up on some blogging while K is napping!

Recently, my girlfriend and I took our kids to "Legoland!" No, not the one in San Diego (been there-it's awesome), this one is in Schaumburg, IL-much smaller/all indoors-but fun!

I posted several pictures from that day!

Mini-legoland-this is part of "Millenium Park" in Chicago at night!

When I used my flash inside-it reflected on the legos.

This is G looking at "Darth Vader!" He was too afraid to get a picture with him-but since he's a "STAR WARS" fanatic, he thought it was pretty cool.

Where else can you go and the children play constructively-it's great!

G & W-BEST FRIENDS!

Such concentration

Quick story-this lego statue was a little odd-it would make flatulent sounds periodically-the kids thought it was a riot-the parents, not so much. From the last picture-you can tell he had just "tooted."

The great cookie snatchers! This was the crime scene the other day while i left the room for a few minutes. I came back into the kitchen and found the following . . . chairs properly placed in position to reach the cookie jar . . .

The cookie jar!

BUSTED!

They were actually hiding under the dining room table eating their treasure! Sneaky little ones i tell 'ya!

2009-02-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm hosting my first "Matilda Jane" party March 12th! YAY! Can you tell I'm so excited?!? these clothes are so fun and unique! You can only buy the clothes through a "trunk keeper," not online. The woman who designs and makes these clothes is so creative-you should check out her blog : www.matildajane.typepad.com

It's so fun to read.

Anyhow, I found out about MJ from other friends blogs and just fell in love with it!

Lunar New Years Celebration

2009-02-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my photography lately-well at least taking pictures on "manual" vs. "auto," although, i still don't completely get it. The class I was taking didn't help much either-i'm hoping to learn more by default. I took these most recent pictures yesterday before attending our playgroups Lunar New Years Celebration. It has actually been slightly warmer outside, so the kids were able to run around outside a bit.

I like this picture of G below watching the dance celebration w/ all the girls and their black hair and striking red bows

Here are some random photos I caught of the children running around in their beautiful dresses-it was very colorful!

This picture was taken right before the Dragon Parade started-all the children were lined up with their little drums.

One of the moms was helping pass out red envelopes to all the children

I kept trying to photograph this little girl-i found her to be so adorable! This was the best picture i could get as she was on the move!

This little boy, M, was also adopted from Taiwan-he has the sweetest little face-i couldn't get enough of him! I actually met him and his parents 6 months ago randomly at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. When I saw him, i just knew he was a fellow Taiwanese friend.

G made friends with a little boy. It was so cute-they were playing "who can catch the football the fastest!"

K & M were mesmerized by the Dragon-i caught this picture of them staring up at him. It was funny to see since K was originally frightened by him.

Who says we're cranky when we wake up from naps???

2009-02-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

This was K when she woke up from her nap today-having a jolly good time in her crib! Surprisingly, it was a shorter than normal nap!

Oh! And if you're wondering if we're moving her to a big bed anytime soon . . . you're sorely mistaken! After 3 kids, i'm all for staying in the crib as longggg as possible. I'm thinking Kindergarten?

just kidding . . . sort of! :)

Deep Freeze in the Midwest!!!

2009-01-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted. I have to say, I've been slightly cold! December, we had THE SNOW and January we have the DEEP FREEZE! It's been so cold, I can't even explain it. Yes, I still go out-it doesn't keep me from bundling up and braving the elements . . . you have to get out of the house when you have 3 small children or you WILL go batty! :) But, please remind me again, WHY do i live here?Why must we have to suffer for 3-4 months every year in this cold?!? One of my best friends lives in Hawaii . . . I think I may join her!

To break up the monotony of cold, wintry January, a friend and I drove down to Springfield . . .NO-not to visit Blago . . . but to visit my dear friend B and her kids. They had a great time together!

This picture was taken before going to church on Sunday-all dressed up!

Some retro videos

2009-01-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it's winter . . . it's cold . . . it's snowy. Not much to post now, so i was digging in the archives and found a few fun videos!

The birthday one was while K was still in Taiwan. She was celebrating her 1st birthday. She was wearing one of the dresses we sent her and her hair was done up so nicely by her foster mother. You could tell she was well loved. The presents in the picture were sent by us to her-everything we'd send her . . . got to her!

So, for people still waiting for the final rulings . . . may this video make you feel better that the children are loved and cared for so well!

By the way, i was in amazement of the cake-so fancy! Yummy!

The second video was not too long after she came home, probably a month. She had started walking and loved it! The other girl in the video is my cousins daughter that she had recently brought home from Guatemala. So cute!

This video was taken not long after her being home as well-she was being silly while eating and making funny faces!

Shout out!

2009-01-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give a quick "Shout out!" to my "blogging friend" Casey and her family for FINALLY getting their Final Ruling on their daughter from Taiwan, Annabella. They have been waiting for a very, very long time, so this is much deserved!

Safe travels Casey!

waitingforannabella.blogspot.com

Winter Break is soon to end . . .

2009-01-04T11:50:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is back to school day! Winter break will be officially over. We're excited to get back into "the routine" of things. New classes-gymnastics, ballet, swim lessons . . . a busy year! But, looking forward to it-hoping 2009 is better than 2008 for everyone!

We had a fun New Years Eve w/ our friends and their newly adopted son. We vowed to only wear p.j.'s-no dressing up! :) The kids got into the celebration as well.

J and his son on New Years Eve

G and his girlfriend E-they're SO cute together!

A fun trip to the city over break. Here is K at the Museum of Science & Industry

Walking down Michigan Avenue w/ all 3 of the moochers in the stroller!

We also found some time to just hang out and do artwork. The kids were painting one day-i grabbed my video camera, as G wanted me to film him, and I caught O being a GREAT big sister on tape, helping K paint. Very cute.

A VERY Busy Christmas Season!

2008-12-30T10:20:00.001-08:00

We had such a nice time this Christmas Season w/ relatives visiting from NY and cousins frolicking everywhere-the kids were so great and the food was delicious! Here are a few pics from our busy, busy day!

Cousin G & G

O loves reading to her new dolly friend

This gift from Grandma & Grandpa was the biggest hit of them all-did we have some major showdowns that day! It was so much fun!

K loves to feed her bitty babydoll

Uncle B & K-riding on the shoulders was a popular activity while the in-laws were in town! Fun-stuff!

Cousin G & G

K loves to put blankets on her head-it's so funny! She looks like a little maiden all dressed up in her new Princess costume.

A few days before Christmas, we joined our playgroup (that was started for adopted children and families) for their annual cookie exchange. There were crafts, games and the Christmas Carols that the children sang for us-they had fun!

Making new friends

Group shot!

Hope everyone had a good Holiday

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all . . .

This one is my favorite!

A few bloopers as well . . .

Hope you all have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas!

Busy, busy busy as the magician would say in "Frosty!"

2008-12-16T20:53:00.001-08:00

With Christmas right around the corner, I've been beyond busy! From Christmas parties to cookie exchange to school programs, to shopping . . .the list goes on and on! I haven't had the luxury to update the blog that often lately, but caught a few pictures yesterday from the beautiful snow. We had about 4 inches and the kids and dog loved it!

I love this picture of Willow, our dog, across the street just looking at me like, "mom, i know i'm not supposed to be over here-but i just LOVE the snow!"

All dressed up!

BEFORE: G is saying, "I don't want to take a picture!"

AFTER: G is saying, "ah, mom, i'm just putting on a show!"

I love this picture below of O. She just looks so happy playing w/ G. We were all dressed up to see "Babes in Toyland," a local Park District production. We went with some friends in the neighborhood and had a great time!

Facebook

2008-12-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

FACEBOOK! I love it! It's quite addictive though. I've reunited w/ so many past friends, mostly from H.S. The best is that i reunited w/ an old roomate/college friend that i haven't seen or talked to in 15 years! THAT'S what's so cool about FB.

But, what i wanted to say to everyone is that i'm not "friends" w/ many on FB that are in the blog/adoption community. Mostly b/c I don't know anyone's last name to look them up.

Today, a fellow JOHer just found me and added me as "her friend" which was really great!

So, what i'm asking all of you out there . . . if you'd look me up and we can meet up on Facebook. This is for all those already on FB of course.

My full name is: Nicole Hofer Korensky

Also, I added a new group on Facebook called :Taiwan Adoptions. Come look us up and join the fun. You can be in the process of adopting or already adopted from Taiwan!

See you there!

Photos, photos and more photos

2008-11-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

I visit a wonderful website/blog called "we picture this" Mamarazzi Site. You can find the link on the side of my blog. It's a great place to catch beautiful photos. They pick a new theme each month and the contributors post photos that relate to that theme.

This month is "Eyes" and since I cannot yet contribute to the actual site, I'm able to post my interpretation of "eyes" on my blog.

I took this photo of my dear daughter this summer as she was holding a caterpillar in her hand.

The camera I shot this photo with is a basic Sony Cyber-Shot (nothing fancy).

I just love this photo b/c her eyes are so big and blue and honest. She loves bugs and loved looking for caterpillars this summer.

Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa's

So, I got a new camera this weekend and am so excited to play with it! The first thing i noticed in the difference of my pictures was the color. The colors seem so much richer! I'm hoping to learn a lot from this camera and try to capture the best pictures i possibly can! These are the first pictures I took on Saturday at my niece's Birthday party.

It was amazing the difference a year makes. K has been with us a little over a year and she has opened up to everyone! As soon as we arrived at the party, she was off! She let everyone and anyone hold her-so loving, so fun and not shy at all! Very different a year ago when she wouldn't leave my side!

Aunt B & K

Cousins O & E (who turned 8!)

Cousin E was reading to K-it was sooo cute!

G w/ a blue frosting! Mmmmmmmm!

We kicked off the Christmas Season this weekend by watching "Charlie Browns Christmas" A favorite! O drew the picture below after the movie was over. I thought the similarity was striking! :) Notice Snoopy saying "woof!"

We took our annual Christmas photo today-took lots of shots w/ the new camera! I will post the official Christmas card shot on Christmas Day, so as not to spoil to those receiving a card. :) But, these below were a few fun shots as they started to get giddy. The best feature on this camera is rapid shooting-so i can hold the button down and it shoots and shoots and shoots-never missing a good shot!

I thought these two pictures were fun!

A Haircut and American Girl Doll!

2008-11-24T10:34:00.001-08:00

Yes, she finally got her hair cut. It turned out great and you can barely see the missing patch on the back of her head! She's loving her new due too! I have to say though, she looks so much older to me now. She's no longer my little baby. :(

O was invited to a birthday party in the city yesterday. We had so much fun! We took the train down and went to lunch at the "American Girl Place." I had never been to the "AGP" before and let me tell you . . . it was FUN!

O doesn't have an AG doll . . . but after this trip, Santa may be bringing her one.

At lunch, you can bring your doll with you and they have little chairs they can sit in-very cute! Anyhow, since O didn't have her own doll (yet), she was able to borrow one-she picked the American Indian girl-very pretty!

The entire city is decorated for Christmas, so it was so much fun to be down there and see all the lights! Michigan Avenue was "lit up" the night before so it was a perfect time for the party. We walked over to the John Hancock and took some great pictures in front of this massive Christmas tree.

Unfortunately my camera kept taking blurry shots (UGH!), so i apologize for the blurriness. I'm hoping to get a new camera very soon! :)

My GREAT friend B who hosted the Birthday party!

The 3 girls were having so much fun walking down Michigan Avenue w/ all the pretty lights- i couldn't help but snap some more photos of them.

6th Birthday, Haircut, potty training and some silly dancing!

2008-11-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

So, I think i can officially say K is potty trained. Well, almost! She's been doing beautifully-in fact yesterday she went to the potty all by herself without telling me! We're still working on #2's, but she's getting there! I think she could have been potty trained a long time ago, but mommy was just too lazy to do so. It's hard to find the time to stay home and do it when you have 3 children with different schedules. Luckily, she was pretty easy to train. Way to go K!!!

I snapped these 2 photos the other day before going to church. I thought they looked so cute matching together.

G and his best friend W. I just love these guys-they are the best of buds! They're even in the same class together at Preschool. Many people say they look like brothers, i tend to agree.

O on her 6th Birthday! She was so excited to go to school that day and receive her free pencil from the Principal. He announces everyone's names on the intercom in the morning announcements to wish them "Happy Birthday!" and then they get to walk to the Principals office and receive their very own pencil! :)

Yes, O wanted to celebrate her 6th Birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese's . . . not my FAVorite place, but the kids just had so much fun! I can't believe my little girl is 6 already! Such the big girl!!!

This is what I saw when i walked into our kitchen the other day as I was saying goodbye to the babysitter. Graham and Kaiya were busy playing barber! At first i thought it was Willow (our dogs) hair . . . but as soon as I saw Kaiya . . . I knew I was wrong! She has a nice bald spot on the back of her head! UGH!

When I told Graham he wasn't a barber, he replied, "But, I AM a Barber!"

So . . . she needs to get a haircut-now i know it'll take a lonnnngg time for the back of her hair to grow back-but i feel the rest is looking a little shaggy lately. I'd like to eventually grow it long, but for right now it needs a cut! So, if anyone has any suggestions . . . love to hear from you! :)

Here are a few videos of the kids goofing off after dinner. They love to run around the kitchen island while i play fun music. So, since i'm on a Katy Perry kick, we thought we'd jam a little to some Katy Perry!

The Last Days of Fall . . .

2008-11-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

It has been an absolutely gorgeous fall w/ the warm temperatures and leaves slowly changing yellow, orange and red. So, we raked a huge pile last week and had some fun! The kids loved being buried as you can tell by the pictures and video.

The Giggle Monster . . .

The GREAT Pumpkin has arrived!

2008-11-05T10:16:00.001-08:00

Willow & K

K just loves Willow as you can tell-she loves to give her hugs all the time. Willow is THE Best dog ever! She's 6 years old and the biggest lover! Bernese Mountain Dogs are very big, but as i always say-Gentle Giants!

We love you Willow!!!

My friend, Rachel from Dan & Rachel's Blog shared a GREAT idea on how to get rid of ALL that Halloween Candy. Basically, we told the children that they could each pick out 5 pieces of candy to keep . . . and the rest would be set in a bowl and left on the front doorstep for . . . . the GREAT PUMPKIN! The Great Pumpkin would take it with him and leave little presents for each child.

Well, let me tell you-it was a GREAT idea-thanks Rachel! The kids were so excited for the Great Pumpkin to come. The next morning, O was the first one up to see what the Pumpkin left her! Now, Daddy and I have to toss it all away so i don't gain another 5 lbs! :)

Each little gift.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-11-01T06:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Scary Uncle M w/ the kids on Halloween night.

Our little ladybug

This Halloween we've had 4 parties to attend. School parties, playgroup parties, club parties . . .you name it! So, we have a few pics from the parties.

G and his best friend W at their school party!

Back to Halloween night.

Our good friends daughter, L, walking w/ K door to door. So sweet!

Our 3 trick-or-treaters!

A witch!

A Jedi!

And, a Ladybug who wants to be a witch! :)

YAY-I DID IT!

2008-10-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

Well, as you can see, i FINALLY figured out how to change the background on the blog. I was trying to do the same thing the other night on the laptop and it just wasn't working. Maybe it had to be done on the main computer-who knows?!? Anyhow, hope y'all like the new look for now. :)

These next 2 pics go out to my brother, M who was having a good 'ol time playing w/ the girls! As you can see they just LOVVVVVE him!

Since I found out I have a few followers out there that i didn't know i had . . . these pics are for you! heehee!

These are my cousins sons J & T-they are wonderful children and play SOOO great w/ the kids! We love getting together with them! G just looks up at them like they're stars! And, of course they are! :)

And these are their proud parents-you guys are great!!!! Thanks for visiting the blog D!

Random Friday!

2008-10-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

These pictures were totally unsolicited! I was sitting on my computer . . . and G says, "mommy, look at us-we're sitting SO nicely!!!" So of course I grabbed my camera SO fast and took the pictures. Trust me, if i didn't take the pictures, no one would believe! HAHA! Just kidding . . . sort of.

We have ALL been so sicky around here w/ nasty colds-it's the worst!

By the way, i'm really looking to update my background for my blog and am having a hard time doing it. There are SO many pretty blogs out there, it's hard to compete! haha! If anyone knows how to do it step by step, please let me know! :) I was looking at the cutest blog on the street website.

Thanks!

Don't worry, no one got hurt here! Just a little afternoon fun!

What a GREAT Fall weekend!

2008-10-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

What a GREAT weekend we all had. My blog loads pictures backwards, so the pictures start at the end, and go backwards. :)

The weather was beautiful so we spent plenty of time outdoors. Started the weekend at the park having tons of fun. On Saturday, visited the Pumpkin Patch for our annual pumpkin picking. Then, enjoyed a delicious dinner at "KiKu" in Naperville w/ the Grandparents and brother. The kids even used chopsticks! Kaiya was eating her fried rice w/ little chopsticks-i wish i had my camera!!!

Sunday, the family went to see my best friend B run the Chicago Marathon. This is her 9th marathon-she's amazing! I'm so proud of her! She did awesome!!!

THEN, we came home and went off to a carnival. Most likely the last one of the year. I'm a carnival-junkie! Anyhow, long story short-it was a Fun filled, exciting, great, busy, busy weekend! And, did i say the kids had a great time too! :)

B & I at the Chicago Marathon 2008

Sisters!

The Pumpkin Patch

Walking w/ Grandma & Grandpa

Grandpa & K

Day at the Park

This is one of my favorite dresses! I bought it at a resale shop for about $6.00-it's a Tommy Hilfiger dress-what a great deal!

K is a bit of a rascal, as you can tell by the videos below. We were waiting for big sis O to get home from school at the bus stop. She and G were having a lot of fun chasing nasty mosquitos and looking for creatures in the sewer.

K's feeling better as you can tell by some fun videos!

2008-09-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here's some video explaining how old they are. K loves to tell people she's "2-old"

This is G's favorite tune . . . can you tell what he's obsessed with? :)

And K loves to sing-especially at night while i'm rocking her in her chair-she sings to me-it's so cute. I just wish i could figure out what she's singing? :)

So, as you can tell again . . . K is feeling much better (thank goodness) and her brother and her are actually playing nicely (miracle!). Don't worry, no one gets hurt in these videos-all fun! crazy kid fun! haha!

Part II

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

2008-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Our little one, K has HFM Disease. It's nasty, she's not happy. Hoping she gets better soon. It's a virus, so there's nothing we can really do except help her get through the pain. It came on really fast, just this weekend . . . so, we're hoping it leaves just as fast!

I won't post any pictures b/c she's not a happy camper and it wouldn't be pretty :(

I have to say though, for her being home w/ us nearly a year, this is the first time she's ever been really sick, besides colds here and there. So, we've all been lucky.

Stay healthy everyone and WASH THOSE HANDS!!!

The Funny things that Happen!

2008-09-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

This is how K looked when i put her down for her nap . . .

This is how she looked when she woke up . . . notice anything different??? She took her dress off and put it on again inside out! Wow-didn't know she could do that! Everyday is a new surprise! :)

This is what happens when it rains for 72 hours straight here in IL . . .your kids find funny places to hide! I came into my sons room and heard little voices calling, "mommy, mommy, come see us!" Well, i looked in the closet and then all of a sudden two heads popped out of my sons bed drawer! Ahhhh, to be little again!

Someone turned 2!!!

2008-09-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

K turned 2 in August-can you tell she's a little Princess!

Someone likes her cake!!!

Opening her many fun gifts!

Watching mommy try to ride Grandma & Grandpa's new scooter they won!

Happy Birthday!

Summer Pictures

2008-08-20T18:13:00.001-07:00

Summer is almost over, I can't believe it. It's been a busy summer and that's why i haven't posted in a long time. I have more pics to post which i will do later once i download them onto the computer. K is doing fabulous! Such a happy girl with a very strong personality! She keeps up w/ her 2 older siblings by copying everything they do and i'm not joking! If they have open cups of milk-she needs the top part of her sippy cup taken off so SHE can have an open cup too! She likes dolly's and dressing up. Several times I see her walking around the house with socks on her hands and undie's on her head-she loves to put things on her-i'll try to snap a picture of it sometime! :) Quite comical.

Here are a few photos of the summer . . . enjoy!

Playing in the garden-is it me or is it impossible to get ALL 3 children to look at the camera at the same time and ALL 3 children smile at the SAME time!?! :)

The best i could do!

Navy Pier

Riding the ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Fun in Austin and other summer pics!

2008-06-29T15:00:00.001-07:00

If you can believe it . . . my 3 year old son took these pictures of K while in Austin! They just love to play w/ the camera . . . and this time he got some really good pics!

K was playing outside in the cars and at the end of this blog, i attached a funny video of her pushing it! Don't worry, no one was hurt!

We took a long weekend trip to Austin, TX to visit some friends and as you can tell, had a great time!

She had a bunch of fun on the plane . . . .luckily we had nice passengers behind us! :)
And, yes she's laughing in the video-not crying! :)

SUMMERS HERE!

2008-06-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's finally warm outside and we can play, play play! Here's a few pictures of the summer thus far!

Do you love my beautiful hat!!! Friends of ours gave it to her when she came home to us-very fun!

Driving in big 'bro's fancy-dancy car! They love to drive around together-very cute!

Here's a short video of K and G hanging in the back yard-Ks got some funny moves to show off!

New Spring Photos

2008-05-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

May 17th . . . not only my Birthday, but the day we were referred K! One year ago the phone rang and my jaw dropped! What a Birthday present! Below are a few pictures of her at the time of referral. This one is a very recent picture-boy has she changed! Such a curious, outgoing, Loving girl. She has gotten so big so fast! She'll be 2 in August and she's growing so quickly. I can't believe it's been 7 months since she's been home w/ us. Although looking at her early pictures, she looks so different to me, so baby like. Whereas now she is all toddler! She has brought such joy to our hearts! Happy Referral Day K!

This is a picture of her and I just after meeting. The wall in the background is at the TWCA in Taiwan. This is the agency that worked with our agency to facilitate the adoption. Everyone can sign the wall in the background who have adopted through them. It's neat to read other peoples words especially after meeting them through my agency!

These were our referral pictures. She was 9 months old at the time of referral.

Here are some more random pictures . . . I'm terrible at blogging, it's been a long time-i've been sooooo busy that i haven't been able to update as much as I'd liked. Hope you enjoy! :)

This is a beautiful blanket my cousin T made for K! You can tell she loves it! Thanks T!!!

Our Beloved W turned 6 years old this April!!!

A day at Cosley Zoo
Grandma and K!

Before picture of O getting her hair chopped!

After pictures!

Here is a short video of K putting her head band on. I apologize for the bad focusing-the camera kept going in and out of focus for some reason. That's what you get for a novice filmmaker! :)

New pictures, Meeting other JOH'ers and Trip to LA and more!

2008-03-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

Kudos to SouthWest Airlines helping mommy fly ALONE to LA w/ 3 young kids! Yes, alone! Can you believe it-i survived! Thank goodness Daddy flew home w/ all of us!
Hanging out in Santa Monica!

LegoLand!
Kids loved the Star Wars Legos! So cooooooollll! Although, G was too frightened to get a picture w/ Darth Vader! :)

K first haircut-as you can tell, she wasn't so happy at first . . . .but, wait! Next came a lollipop, and you can see she was all smiles from then on!

Nice and neat-doesn't she look great! :)

Meeting friends from JOH that also adopted from Taiwan recently! We all met in ChinaTown. It was great seeing everyone and meeting their little ones!

JIM GILL CONCERT . K was having a good 'ol time at the Jim Gill Concert at O school one snowy winter night! As you can tell she was singing away!

Baptism for K. We were honored to have dear friends D and M as the Godparents. Thank you!!! :)

MY FIRST PIG TAILS!

2008-02-18T12:37:00.001-08:00

I just turned 18 months . . . do you like my first pig tails? :)

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

So, this is what we do on a cold wintery day! Play spin round and round!
Who needs toys?!? :)

More Christmas & New Years Pics along w/ some videos!

2008-01-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Even W had fun on Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-22T13:09:00.001-08:00

Sleeping on Grandpa-pa!

Looking at the Christmas Windows downtown!

Here's a little video of Kaiya dancing to the "NutCracker!"

Having a good 'ol time!

2007-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Life has been good! Kaiya is doing really well-bonded to Brett & I beautifully! She's gotten a little better w/ the seperation anxiety, which is a relief. She's sleeping good, takes good naps and sleeps peacefully through the night (knock on wood!).

She started walking about a month ago and practically running at this point. It's so cute to see her little legs walking through the house. She's a curious girl, would rather play w/ a piece of paper vs. a toy sometimes-but that's all about being a 15 mo. old! :) She's silly and playful and loves to giggle as you can see from some of the pictures below! Grandpa and Kaiya on Turkey Day
Olivia playing in the leaves

Like my glasses!
Mmmmm-popsicle!
Hellllooooo-anyone there?
Olivia, Kaiya and Graham!
Grandma & Graham on Turkey Day

Here's a little video of her first days of walking! She's sooo proud of herself-giggles the whole way! The other little girl in the video is my cousins daughter adopted from Guatamala, baby Noe. They were visiting from California and having a good 'ol time together! Very cute little girls!