Christmas, 2006

"Finally!"

That was Connor's greeting on Christmas morning. He was so very happy to see that Christmas had finally arrived! More importantly, Santa Claus had visited our home over night! (And yes, a PSP was left under the tree for Mr. Connor....that is the photo of him with shear joy and the package a blur as he ripped open the paper).

Spencer was inundated with Xbox games. He had originally wanted a Nintendo Wii, but once it was recalled, he decided to accessorize his Xbox. Whew!


Mikayla was a little hesitant at first, but she got on a roll. She loved her Hokey Pokey Elmo (thank you, Spencer), her Bitty Baby (thank you, Santa), her cash "Register" (thank you, Grandma) and her Ariel bicycle with training wheels (thank you, Mrs. Carrie & Mr. Charlie).

Mommy received beautiful earrings from Connor and a very cool Star Trek game for my Nintendo DS from Spencer. This year, the boys bought each of their gifts with their own money. I know they enjoyed the giving part of the holiday much more because of their efforts. I know Mommy spent much of the morning tearing up watching everyone's joy in receiving their specially chosen gifts.

We had a wonderful, wonderful holiday! How blessed we are to have one another and to be together as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. His gift was, is, and continues to be the most precious ever given. We hope your holiday was as blessed....

Grandma's Visit

Life around the Register household has been very, very, busy! Grandma Sherouse arrived on December 15th for 13 days over Christmas. We started her visit by staying 3 days at Disney World. We enjoyed EPCOT for a day, and then Huey took our 3 wonderful kiddos to MGM the next day. Grandma and I visited the Mall at Millenia in Orlando for some Christmas shopping. We had a blast! We got to peek at how the other half lives as we window shopped at Louis Vitton, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany's, Coach, and Gucci.

I saw a little 4 carat bauble that was only 275K! Hmmm, buy a house....buy a ring......tough decision. :) I also left my fingerprints on a Prada handbag on sale for only $1500. Needless to say, we did not buy anything at these places. But, it was fun to look.

Here is what the rest of the gang was doing while we were window dreaming at the mall. Funny, but I wouldn't trade these guys for any of those things in the window.

Family Portraits

Mikayla would not smile for the family picture, but fortunately, Daddy (behind the photographer) coaxed a precious smile from Missy Mikayla. It is hard to believe but Spencer & Connor are turning into such handsome young men. It was just yesterday that each of them were 2 years old. Time flies when you are having a great time! We are truly blessed to have 3 amazing, healthy, beautiful children. God has been most gracious to us!

Thanksgiving: Food, Family, & Fun!!!

Here is our favorite shot from our Thanksgiving celebration with family in Live Oak, Florida. This is almost all the kids. From L to R: Lee, Caleb, Leah, Victoria, Philllip, Spencer, Mikayla, Connor, & Andrew. What a great looking group of kiddos!




Connor having a blast on the hay bales. Mimi & Joe have a HUGE open air barn full of hay bales. The kids loved playing on, in, around, and on top of all of them. Huey & I even got in on the fun.


Mikayla wasn't too sure about Uncle Charles initially (Uncle Charles is really a third cousin, but we call him Uncle). She warmed up though and had a lot of fun entertaining Uncle Charles.

With Mikayla's long fingers and love of music, it did not take Mimi long to get her on the piano. Mimi is playing Jingle Bells and Mikayla is trying to sing with her--on key no less!

Miss Cindy & Mimi were thrilled that Mikayla would allow them to hold her! Mikayla thought bouncing on Miss Cindy's legs was lots of fun!

Celebrating Mikayla's First Family Day

Dinner tonight was Chinese, of course. This is big as those of you that know me well can attest. I do not usually eat Chinese. And yes, eating was a bit of a challenge last year in China. I made it and have even come to try some Chinese cuisine.

So, tonight we ventured to the Hot Wok restaurant for dinner. The waitress/hostess kept telling us how lucky Mikayla was to have come to America and have such a wonderful family. We explained that we were the ones truly blessed.





Teriyaki chicken, chicken & broccoli, and buffalo wings were the fare this evening. Spencer can definitely affirm that the hot wings at the Hot Wok were hot! Hee! Hee!






After dinner it was home for cake and ice cream...and a hot dog! Yes, Mikayla decided she wanted a hot dog when she got home even though she ate well at the restaurant. Silly girl....

Memories of Gotcha Day, November 14, 2005

November 14, 2005 was a day that we thought would never get here. Now, exactly one year ago, we hardly can believe it has been 365 days.

We still remember everything about that day...it was overcast and drizzling but that did not dampen our joy and nervousness. The room was filled with our travel mates. These were people we had been in email contact with for months and had met in person just 4 days earlier. And in that short time in a foreign country, they were our family. We sat anxiously in the couches and signed paperwork that would allow us to have our daughters for a 24 hour harmony period. Some sat anxious and excited, while others sat silently with tears peeking at the corners of their eyes or streaming slowly down their cheeks.

I remember the inscription both in Mandarin & English across the one wall , "Thank you for all of your love pouring on the children." It struck me sadly that they were thanking us when we were the ones thanking them with every ounce of our beings. For some in our group, this was their first child: the culmination of years of dreams, heartbreaks, and now reality. For us, it was bittersweet as we knew that this would be the last child we added to our most blessed family.

I remember hoping that I would recognize Mikayla as the photos we had were 7+ months old. Then, I remember clearly them calling Qi Jia De, handing her to me, and knowing in that instance that she was the little one in the photos and the one meant to be a part of this family.

Our journey to Mikayla was a total leap of faith as we were content with our family. But, God started speaking to my heart then Huey's heart and with persistence we finally heard and understood. He made the path straight and the destination clear. We followed and found an indescribable gift at the end of the journey.

Some people have asked me since we have a biological child, a domestically adopted child, and an internationally adopted child if we feel differently about our adopted children. I can assure you that the unconditional love we feel for each of children began long before we held them (whether that was a delivery room, a living room, or a Civil Affairs room). We feel the same about each of our children: blessed!




Our first family photo. Director Chen is to the left of us in the photo. His smile at watching us united with Mikayla is one that is indelibly etched on my heart. Mikayla must have received the photo album we sent ahead with our pictures because she seemed to know our faces.


This is a shot on the bus outside the Civil Affairs Office. This shot is one of my favorites because it reminds how much our little Mikayla has given up and how graciously she has adapted to all of us and her new country.



After a very, very long nap, Mikayla played on the bed. As the theme song from Tarzan by Phil Collins says, "For one so small you seem so strong, Let my arms protect you, Keep you safe and warm, This bond between us can't be broken, I will be here...From this day on, Now and Forever More..."



And her first, real, true smile for us....she is ticklish....

Just One Year Ago...

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As I reflect on the mountain of paperwork, the red tape (not the red thread), the hoops we skipped through, the wait for referral, then the 10 long weeks we waited to leave for China, I marvel that we actually made that journey that culminated in the adoption of our little lovebug, Mikayla.

Some days that seems like just yesterday, but then I pull out photos of Mikayla in China on her placement day and look at how she has changed in just 365 days and realize it has been a wonderful and fast first year. She has grown and changed so much. Her little giggle that at times escalates to a guffaw and a snort is such a joyous sound to these ears. This little girl that didn't know what to do in a high chair and never made a sound when she awoke in her crib now runs around the house playing hide and seek and definitely holds her own in the eating department. She embraces each new day with discovery and a zest which is infectious.

We have been blessed to be able to stay in contact with 9 of the 10 families we traveled to China with last year. To see their beautiful daughters change and grow and to be a part of their extended families has been a blessing and a gift that is precious and priceless. I so long in my heart to hug each of these amazing people today. I am sure I will feel this longing even more urgently on Tuesday, November 14th as this is the anniversary of when each of us met our daughters in person for the very first time.

I thought it would be neat to revisit how much little Mikayla has changed in her first year hanging out with this crazy clan that has totally been captivated by this little girl.

Halloween 2006

The Empress Mikayla chose to be the fairy princess Kay Kay this year for Halloween. Actually this ensemble was a birthday gift from her Chinese friends, Sarah and Grace. The additional bling was courtesy of another dress up outfit. The final effect was quite stunning.

Mikayla visited Daddy at his pharmacy during the store's Fall Festival bash so that he could see her all dressed up. She thought Daddy looked very realistic dressed up as a pharmacist :)

After her trip to Daddy's pharmacy, she was chauffeured in her little red wagon around the neighborhood doing her princess wave. She was the hit of the crowd and had a good time. By then she totally understood that if she smiled and looked adorable while trying to say "treat" that people gave her candy. Her favorite treat of the night was from Publix's deli. They made gloves stuffed with popcorn and used candy corn for the fingertips. Quite cute...and quite the hit with Mikayla. Spencer tried to hug Mikayla, but I think she was wise to his plan to snitch a little popcorn.

All in all, Mikayla's first Halloween was a great time. I want to thank my partner, Jack, who was gracious enough to switch schedules with me so I could share Mikayla's first Halloween with her.

Each year Huey and Connor select a pumpkin and a pattern to carve. This year's selection is entitled "Some Assembly Required" as this poor guy is missing his head.

Mikayla was an excellent supervisor for the cleaning out of the pumpkin's innerds. The mush and gush was really quite amusing to her, but she did not endeavor tactile exploration--
thank goodness.

Two Year Well Child

Mikayla visited the pediatrician today for her two year old well child check. She is doing great. She is 23 lbs 10 ozs and 33 inches tall. She is, by American standards, 25th percentile in height and around 10th percentile in weight. The main thing is she is on the growth chart (which she was not when we returned from China) and growing proportionally.

The best thing of all is that she had her final 3 immunizations! She is done until she is 5 years old! I know that Mikayla is thrilled about that! I know our pediatrician is thrilled also as Mikayla starts crying as soon as she sees him.

Now, you have to understand that Dr. Morse is a very kind, gentle, funny, intelligent physician that is accustomed to his patients actually liking him (mostly because he is a big kid himself). Dr. Morse does this noise when he palpates the abdomen that I have never heard before and cannot duplicate. But, that sound always invokes a chuckle--except from Mikayla. Even the Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck in the ears trick and the blow out the otoscope light do not get Mikayla to lighten up. As Dr. Morse says, "Mikayla, I know one of these days you and I are going to be friends."

Other than being a little behind still in language, she is on age level. The words are coming more and more each day (at least the first syllable of the words anyway). She continues to surprise us each day with new words. And, sometimes when she doesn't think about it, the whole sentence comes out clear as can be. She will get there. I remember worrying about Spencer's language development, and now, you can hardly keep up with everything he is saying!

We are very blessed to have three amazing kids! God has been so, so generous to us. It is our sincerest prayer that in everything we say and do and in everything our children say and do, God's love is evident and He is glorified.

May you be as blessed and happy...always.

Spencer is 15!

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It was just yesterday that Spencer was barely the size of a football and could be carried that way. Now, he is as tall as I am and is now eligible to drive. When did all this happen? I didn't even blink....

We took off after school on October 20th for a weekend of fun and celebration at Walt Disney World. Me, Huey, Spencer, Connor, Mikayla, and Spencer's buddy, Christian, loaded up the truck and headed to Orlando. This was our first stay at our vacation club resort, Saratoga Springs, so there was that added excitement, too. The two bedroom townhouse was perfect as we could play, swim, cook, and veg out at the house. Friday night we ate (and ate, and ate) at the ESPN Sports Club on the Boardwalk. We bought Disney's meal plan which gives you a HUGE allotment of food. (BTW, unless you eat like Shaquille O'Neal, you may want to skip the meal plan as not even the 3 hungry boys could eat it all).

Saturday, we were up early and headed to the Magic Kingdom. We hit Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, Stitch, the Orbitors and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority all before 10:15am. Waits were light, so we made the most of it. Then, off to Mickey's Philharmagic, Goofy's Barnstormer, and the Haunted Mansion (we ended up with the short, squatty ghost and the tall, emaciated ghost following us home). Thunder Mountain Railroad was the next plan. We all loved it, but Christian definitely looked a little pale. Now, he rode Space Mountain earlier and was fine. However, Space Mountain is dark on the inside, so if he was pale then, he was disguised. Anyway, Christian said Thunder Mountain was okay, but he didn't need to go again. (Mikayla's presence allows us to do baby swap which means the boys get 2 rides for the wait of 1). And, of course, we had to check out the revamped Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Captain Barbosa & Davy Jones appear once while Jack Sparrow appears 3 times. Very cool. (And yes, we know...no flash photography).

That afternoon we crashed for a while at the resort house before heading to Downtown Disney for some shopping and food. The Earl of Sandwich is a cool place to chow. The Lego Store is really wild. It has a huge dragon in the lake made out of Legos. There are also life sized tourists made out of legos along with Bionicles and dragons.

Sunday morning the boys took a quick dip in the pool, and then we headed for home. We had to pit stop at Toys R Us as Spencer received many generous cash presents that he felt compelled to spend. A Nintendo DS Lite and some games rounded out the weekend. Sunday night, we had the annual Sherouse Chocolate Cake and candles to punctuate the celebration.

Spencer, we love you. You, Connor, & Mikayla bring joy and focus to our lives. We cherish every moment with each of you...please remember that even when we are a little blurry eyed and exhausted. Happy Birthday, Kiddo! You are awesome!

P.S. The boys received their first report cards of the year. Spencer made A/B Honor Roll and Connor made A/B Honor Roll (all As and 1 B). Wow! Looks and brains, too! We couldn't be prouder of you both!

Final Post Placement Visit

Our little Mikayla's first 11 months with us....look how she has changed.

Today, our social worker, Cynthia, came by to complete our final post placement visit (PPV) for Mikayla. This is the 12 month PPV. While we were not worried, I do have to admit that completing this visit is another milestone in our journey. It is hard to believe that this little angel has been with us for almost 12 months already.

Being able to celebrate her birthday this last week with her was such a stark contrast to this time last year when we spent the day praying that Mikayla's birthday would somehow be recognized and acknowledged. While we were not there last year, she was in our thoughts (and, of course, in our hearts). We took some comfort in knowing we would be here for all the rest of her birthdays.

As we look back over the last 11 months, she has certainly grown both physically and emotionally. She has freely given us her trust and love, and we could not be more blessed.

We look forward to watching Mikayla grow. Each new day is one of discovery and adventure for her. Each new day is a day of joy for us because she is part of our lives.

God is good...all the time....and all the time...God is good!! We offer all praise and glory to Him for his indescribable gifts of Spencer, Connor, & Mikayla.

More Birthday for Kay Kay

Mikayla's birthday was such a fun, fun day that we just had to show some more snapshots of the party. The day was a bit chaotic, but in the end it was definitely worth it all. She certainly has come a long way.

Missy Kay Kay's Big Day

Mikayla's party.
From L to R: The cake; Daddy & Mommy had to help her with blowing out the candles; Grace & Sarah with their beautiful Mommy; Mrs. Carrie and her amazing daughter, Missy; Mikayla in her fairy wings and tiara; the bros helping with her gifts; and one more shot of the cake.

Mikayla is 2!

We celebrated Mikayla's 2nd birthday on Sunday, October 8, 2006. Even though her birthday is October 10th, we wanted to have a party for her that friends and family would be able to attend. Mikayla loves Dora the Explorer, so this was, of course, the theme. Mikaya is adorable the way she sings "Back pack, back pack." We had eleven children ranging from age 2 to age 15 present. Now, coming up with activities that kept everyone interested was a challenge, but we managed.

Mikayla totally got that this day was for her. She was so excited! She smiled, jumped, and twirled. Seeing her eyes twinkle was worth every second.

We have been so emotional these last few weeks as we remember this time last year. We were anxiously awaiting our confirmed consulate appointment so that we could leave for China. We had stared at the 3 little photos we had of her literally pixel by pixel and couldn't wait for the day when we would actually hold her in our arms. She has certainly come a long way from the little girl who had a blank stares and blank eyes but somehow knew she could trust us.

We are so very, very blessed to have this precious little girl in our lives! She hasn't been home a year yet, but it feels like she has always been here. We cannot remember our lives without her...

Happy Birthday, Missy Kay Kay! We love you more than words could ever express! Mommy, Daddy, Spencer, & Connor

Soccer Season Underway

Soccer is in full swing. That means practices, meetings, and games.

Spencer is a referee again this year. He is only wearing the hat of official though this season. Last season, he was a player and a referee. He decided this fall he would only referee and allow himself to be free to try out for the high school junior varsity team. (I am still getting use to the idea of having a child old enough to be in high school.) He does look very "official." Connor is a having a great time. His coach is allowing him to play forward and midfield, so he is trying to make the most of his opportunities.

Gator Football Season!

Yippee! We all live for Gator Football! This should be a good year for the Gators! It is Urban Meyer's second season as the head football coach, so the players and coaches should be better familiar with his spread offense.

Mikayla is looking totally adorable in her Gator cheerleading outfit. She can already do the gator chomp! That's our girl!

Just Sharing Our Joy

Mikayla is jubilant with her new Dora the Explorer Little Tikes car. We took her to Toys R Us and she tried out all the options. The boys wanted her to get the battery powered Corvette, but Mommy wanted something to help with her walking coordination.

As you can see, she is having a good laugh with Connor. Later in the even-
ing she was having a good sniff of her
blankie after her bath. She looks
sleepy (& precious).



And our future rock star is working on her percussion skills.....

Chicago, Chicago!

We had our first Hubei Reunion in Chicago! It has been 8+ months since most of us had seen one another. Our flight in was uneventful, but that was not the case with Laura & Annslee. A cancelled flight and an unexpected delay with a 21 month old was a bit trying. But, Laura as usual took it all in stride. She arrived a day later than expected on a different airline looking like it was a normal occurence. All the delays were worth it, though.

We hung out the first evening. The next morning we headed off to tour the city. We spent time in Union Station and then tackled the Navy Pier. It was hot! I thought Florida could be hot, but this was hotter! Lots and lots of sweat! The Sears Tower was our next stop. It is beautiful on the 105th floor, but there is a certain anxiety about feeling the building sway ever so slightly.

We thought we would hop on a train back to the hotel, but that turned out to be another adventure. After using the Metro in DC, the trains in Chicago were a bit disappointing. In DC if you missed a train it was no problem as another one was just minutes behind. In Chi Town, if you miss a train, it is a couple of HOURS before the next train on the weekends. But, alas, we made it back to the hotel on the last train out of downtown.

The next morning Patty & Liana had to leave and so did we. The rest of the crew (the Wares & the Maddens) headed to China Town. They said the food was great and they had a great time soaking up the culture.

We had no issues getting home, but that was not the case with the Wares. (Glad we left early...) Their flight home to Tennessee was cancelled. Flights cancelled twice in one weekend trip? That has to be a record of some kind. Anyway, after renting a car, taking on a couple of stranded fellow Tennesseeans (is that a word?), and a most unhappy Annslee, they made it home.

We are looking forward to the next time when we can get together with our extended Hubei family. The 5 year reunion is set for Disney World and the 10 year reunion is a return visit to China for the girls to reconnect with their home country.

Summer Fun

It has been hot! So, what better way to beat the heat? Yep, hit the pool. This was Mikayla's first real sojourn into the cement pond. She did great. The boys couldn't wait to play with her and paddle her around the pool.
She was initially a little hesitant but warmed up quickly. The boys did their usual horseplay. It amazes me how such silliness can be hysterical!