Welcome! We are the Register Family. Share in the joy of our family as we live, grow, and enjoy life!

Friday, November 02, 2007

Treats...No Tricks Required





Halloween was a wonderful, low key, fun day.


School was early release, so the kids were out of class by 12:35pm. Daddy was off from work as was Mommy. Connor and Dad carved the pumpkin (a wolf's head this year).


We had a great time getting all dressed up. Connor was himself...and awesome football player. Missy Kay Kay was a "butterfly". (Her costume was for a fairy, but she thought it was a butterfly, so a butterfly she was). Her costume even came with a matching outfit for her Barbie. Let me footnote that with a need for the dress manufacturers to include bloomers for the Barbie outfit. EEK!


We stopped by Grandma's house. She had a wonderful gift bag for each of us loaded with toys and candy. She had selected a Disney Princess Trick or Treat bucket for Mikayla which was an instant hit. Thanks, Mom! You still got it! :)


Our church was having a Fall Festival with hotdogs, cotton candy, booths, a bounce house, dunking tank, and super slide. The kids had a blast! Sorry, brother Kyle about both Spencer and Connor dunking you repeatedly during your time in the dunk tank. It was fun, safe, and no stress. Mikayla absolutely loved the Disney Princesses bounce house and the giant slide. Connor was a wonderful big brother and patiently took sissy on the slide. Thanks, Connor! She was laughing and squirming so much that the slide pictures are blurry, but the joy is unmistakeable!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Donuts with Daddy




Each fall at Mikayla's preschool, the teachers host Donuts with Daddy. This is a morning where Daddy and daughter spend a little time seeing what Mikayla gets to do at preschool. And, of course, there are donuts.


This morning was Daddy's date with his little princess. After donuts, they made a craft together. They made a lily pad with everyone at home listed. Daddy said no wonder he was so tired all the time. After looking at the lily pad, there were nine frogs on the pad: Mommy, Daddy, Kay Kay, Spencer, Connor, Beezer, Smuckers, Cooter, and (last but not least) Grandma.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Birthday Celebrations and Disney




As is our tradition, we trekked down to Disney to celebrate birthdays. Just a couple of years ago, we always went down to celebrate Spencer's birthday, but now, we celebrate Spencer and Mikayla's birthday. And we are thrilled to have it that way.


We enjoyed the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. We also enjoyed the Disney Marketplace and dinner at the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk.


I can hardly believe that Mikayla is 3 already....and Spencer is 16! He was just a little peanut when he was born. Now he has turned into a very handsome, kind young man. Time goes so fast....savor each moment as they do fly by.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kay Kay!

Mikayla turned 3 today! I can hardly believe how quickly the time has flown.

Mommy & Kay Kay had an all girl morning. No appointments, no school, and no errands to run. After dropping Spencer off at school, we were off to Panera for a mother/daughter breakfast. Mikayla adores Panera's egg souffle, so we had one of those and an iced coffee (also a favorite). Mikayla told the manager that it was her birthday, so the manager gave her a shortbread cookie on the house.
Next, it was off to the local Toys R Us store. She received her birthday crown and balloon. She also had to spend her little birthday coupon while we were there. Hey, Mom is a pushover, so she got a couple of more birthday goodies.
We finished off the morning with a trip to her favorite playground.


Since daddy had to work 12 hours on Wednesday, we decided to have a private birthday celebration for Mikayla on Monday. It was just the five of us and grandma. Mikayla had a great time opening her presents and really savoring her gifts rather than being pressured to open the next gift. She took her time with her presents. I must say I truly enjoyed watching her enjoy her goodies without the added pressure of hostessing a party.
Grandma gave Mikayla the most adorable Dora the Explorer Mermaid doll. Dora spins on her base and her skirt transforms into a mermaid tail. Grandma also got her the Dora the Explorer Mermaid dvd to go with it. Mikayla just played and played with Dora.





Mikayla also got her first official Barbie. I know, I know all about the self image issues, but what are you gonna do? Mikayla received the Island Princess Barbie and corresponding dvd. She has enjoyed putting her Barbie into the replica white mustang convertible that is just like Mommy's mustang. She zoom zooms all over with her Barbie.





Mrs. Carrie spoiled Mikayla with her Disney Princess portable coloring easel, an Elmo Water Baby, and the most adorable little shirt. She has just had a blast coloring and putting her pictures on the fridge with big brothers' game schedules.





And, a birthday wouldn't be complete without a dress up outfit. This year, Mikayla got a Cinderella outfit. Cinderella should have been as pretty as little Kay Kay. She has not taken off the dress up shoes yet. :)



After the presents, it was time for cake. Mikayla selected her Disney princess castle cake all by herself. The cake was beautiful and was just dream-come-true perfect for our little princess.
Mikayla blew out her candle like a pro.




I can hardly believe that she will be home from China two years in November. Mikayla just seems like she has always been here. In a way she has: She has been in our hearts much longer than two years. We are blessed to have this amazing little girl in our family! We love her dearly. I know 8000 miles away there is another Mommy that is missing this little joy. I pray that God will give Mikayla's birthmother the comfort that surpasses all understanding. May she know that her daughter is safe, loved, and cherished. I will hug Mikayla a little longer and more frequently today for her birthmother and birthfather in China. I know they would love to be hugging her in person today.



May you hug yours a little longer and frequently today as well. Our children truly are the joy of today and promise of tomorrow. How blessed and honored we are to have Mikayla, Connor, & Spencer. They certainly make the sunrises and sunsets a little more breathtaking.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Quick Catch Up

Mommy is a slacker! A massive slacker! I know that I have been EXTREMELY negligent in keeping the blog up to date. I apologize. Things around the Register house has been very, very crazed these last several months. Here is a recap:

Spencer has his learner's permit and is finding out that driving isn't as easy as it looks. He has also joined the ranks of the employed. He has his first job as a bag boy at, of course, Publix. He works at the same store as Huey. He is also finding out that it takes a very long time to earn the money and no time at all to spend it. Spencer is also playing soccer in the local recreational league and starts tryout for his high school next week.

On July 1st, Connor was baptized and is a Christian! We are so happy and thrilled for my amazing son! Connor is also playing football. He is a Defensive Tackle and kick off specialist for the Junior Cougars. The Cougars are currently undefeated and playing strong. And, as some of you can relate, the Cougars practice the same days and times as Spencer's soccer team all the way across town. What I wouldn't give for a Star Trek transporter unit these days....

Mikayla is adorable and growing well. She is a precious little girl who has started her second year at preschool. Her words are coming now so quickly that it makes my head spin. She still has a great sense of humor. She has to as the boys keep her on her toes and she does the same for them. No major progress on the potty yet. Patience is the key.....

In September, I started having some discomfort in my left foot from running. Being a true, gritty runner, I ignored it and continued to run until I work up one morning and both my left foot and right knee were badly swollen and painful. It seems that I have a neuroma (an inflamed, swollen nerve ending in my foot that affects runners) and strained my LCL in my right knee. These days I am sporting the dog ugliest boot on my left foot and brace on my right knee. Needless to say, the running days are done, and I am becoming a swimmer. It is a good thing the Fashion Police have not discovered me yet.

My mom has moved from New Mexico to Ocala as of August. Things have been busy securing her home (which is a little over 5 miles from us), painting it, remodeling her kitchen, buying new appliances, buying new furniture, getting her established with doctors and everyone else, and just getting her moved over 2000 miles. She needs to be closer to family and we will get to share more family holidays with her in person.

Hence, I am juggling 3 jobs, 3 schools, 2 sports, Mom's needs, the house, the cars, etc. No wonder I am so tired. I will try not to let so long lapse between posts, but that is no guarantee.
I know all of you are just as busy. I may not have posted in a while, but that doesn't mean each of you haven't been in my daily prayers.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Molly Update

Good news! Molly is home from the hospital. So far, so good....she seems to be responding to her meds. Praise God that Molly has wonderful, diligent, conscientious parents that will look after her carefully.

Molly appears to have the mildest form of Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) which is MCD (minimal change). Time will tell if she will be in remission or not. Reoccurence is a concern and a probability. However, Lolly & Ernie know what they are dealing with and what the signs will be. MCD does not usually result in kidney transplantation, so we will continue to pray for this to be the case for little Molly.

Father in Heaven, we offer all praise and glory to you for this little girl's response. Please continue to heal her according to your will. Please grant strength, faith, steadfastness, and clarity to Ernie & Lolly as they care for this precious little angel that you led them half way around the world to adopt into their family as you have adopted each of us into yours. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Prayers for Molly

It is a parent's worst fear, the one that shakes you to your very core and the one that you fervently hope with every ounce of strength and every mustard seed of faith that you never face. The fear: Someone or something will take your child from you.

For half of us the fear is for someone and for the other half the fear is something such as disease or malignancy. Either way, the feeling of helplessness and the witness of your child suffering is a pain too deep to illuminate and too wide to bridge. For one of our dear travelmates this fear is squarely standing at their doorstep.

Molly, the precious light that shines for Lolly and Ernie, has been hospitalized since Wednesday with what has been diagnosed as Nephrotic Syndrome. This is a disease that affects the kidney in varying degrees of severity. For now, Molly is being given protein, diuretics, and steroids in the hopes of placing the disease into remission.

After the pediatricians kept assuring Lolly that everything was fine and Molly just had allergies (not likely with third spacing), Lolly decided that she would do her own research. Mom discovered that Molly's symptoms correlated to this syndrome, and upon a return visit to the pediatrician, the diagnosis has been confirmed. Don't ever let a doctor override a mom's gut intuition...you know your baby better than anyone. And so is the case here.

Please pray for this family, Molly, and the nephrologist and medical team caring for Molly. We are in a wait and see mode. If Molly responds to meds, the prognosis is good.

And for those of us who are whispering those prayers for Molly and at the same time pausing to thank our Father that we are not in those shoes, make sure to take the time to savor those little laughs, those little words of love, those little hands that hug and hold yours, and the little eyes that look to you for comfort, security, and acceptance. And...hug your babies a little longer than usual and take not one moment they are here for granted.

Lolly & Ernie: We love you more than anything! You were brought into our lives and we share a bond that only few are blessed to understand. We are but a phone call away 24/7/365. To little Molly: we offer you to our Father for healing and trust with absolute faith that He, the great physician, will heal. You are loved and adored. Mikayla blows you a kiss and so do we.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

One More Sleep to Melina

Our friends, Shanna & Barry, are just one more sleep away from their precious little girl, Melina. Today (which is tomorrow there) they are enjoying the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Their "Gotcha" day is the 14th which is the 13th here, so technically, they get Melina on our Mother's Day! God is SO GOOD!

Anyway, sharing this joy with them via their blog has opened a flood gate of memories and emotions not just about our trip to Mikayla but the journey we traveled to receive each of our children.

I know that we are not a family that has been assembled in the traditional way. We certainly went through many highs and lows to be blessed to have the 3 amazing, fantastic, adorable children that we have been gifted to raise...and looking back, we wouldn't have had it any other way.

So, on this Mother's Day, I just want to give all my praise and offer all glory to God for the love he has given me and the glimpse of His love for us that I see each time I look into our children's eyes. May I never take for granted for even one second their love or His.

Happy Mother's Day.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Melina Watch

Our colleague and friend, Shanna (along with husband and two beautiful daughters), are finally ready to travel to bring home their newest blessing, Melina. She will be 10 months old on the 23rth of May and is currently residing in Guangdong. Shanna, her hubby, and youngest daughter are actually traveling to China. Their "Gotcha" Day is May 14th which is May 13th here...what an AWESOME Mother's Day gift! God is so GOOD!

We are so thrilled for our friends. This has been a long, long wait as they emailed us when we were in China in November, 2005 with their LID. At that time, the wait times for referral were about 7 months, so we are all so thrilled for Melina to finally come home. Please feel free to follow along on their journey and send your well wishes and prayers their way. The link to their blog is here under the friends section.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Mommy & Me Tea


Mikayla invited me to a very special tea at her preschool. We both dressed up and had a lovely spot of tea with her other classmates and moms. Tea, pretzels, muffins, apple slices, and cookies were also served. Mikayla also presented me with a precious, framed photo of my dream-come-true little girl that is proudly residing on our refrigerator.

Then, the children serenaded us from the stage. Mikayla was not in the mood to depart from Mommy's company, so I enjoyed a private serenade from Mikayla at our seats.

It was a lovely morning. I am extremely blessed to have four amazing people in my life. Days are hectic, schedules are insane, but I wouldn't have it any other way. To Huey, Spencer, Connor, & Mikayla: Thank you for making my life wonderful! I love you all so very, very much!

Friday, May 04, 2007

Happy Birthday, Connor!

This is the famous Sherouse Chocolate cake...a tradition in my family as my mom created it just for me when I was 2 or 3 years old. It is a chocolate cake with whipped topping and a melted Hershey bar (with powdered sugar added to make a pseudo-finet) over the top. NOT low fat, NOT low calorie, NOT low carb, but OH SO GOOD!

Today is Connor's 11th birthday! Wow! I can hardly believe he is already 11! It seems just such a short time ago that I was carrying him in my arms as I carry Mikayla today.

We are picking up Payton and heading to Disney World to celebrate the day! But, first, we have to catch the opening day of Spider-man 3, have a little pizza, and then head to Disney. We will spend the night and hit Animal Kingdom on Saturday. Expedition Everest is the first thing on the agenda. I know I will be going with Connor and Payton as Spencer & Huey will have nothing to do with roller coasters. No problem...Connor and I have conquered this particular roller coaster before. At least we can use Spencer & Huey's fast passes and the baby swap feature to finagle another ride without waiting out of the deal!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Happy Birthday, Linda

Yep, today is my birthday! I am 42 years old/young. Wow! When did that happen?

Huey has to work 8am to 8pm today and the kids are in school (but only for a 1/2 day), so birthday goodies were very early. And yes, early means no pictures....

I got a new pair of running shoes (that I desperately needed), a PSP, 4 games to go with my new PSP, instruction manuals, an accessory package with additional memory for my PSP, a new outfit, money from my mom (thanks, Mommy!), and a new outfit from Miss Carrie and Mr. Charlie.

I am planning on spending the afternoon allowing Connor to show me all the nuances of my new PSP (as he has one) & spending the rest of the day shooing Spencer from trying to swipe my PSP (as he does not have one, yet). It should be great fun!

Oh, and age is a number...the attitude is the deciding step in anyone's age. Fortunately for me, I am the youngest in my family (in more ways than one--tee hee), so everyone is always older than me. ;)

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Easter, 2007


Resurrection Sunday is a day like none other. A day to reflect on the indescribable gift Jesus lavished upon us. We drove down to Leesburg to visit the church there as our former youth minister, Hoss, has accepted a pulpit position in Leesburg. Hoss has never failed to prick our hearts with his tender presentation of God's love and word. This morning was no different.

After church, we were off to meet up with the Sloans, her awesome parents, the Reedy's and of course the Ridgeways for lunch. We all met at a seafood restaurant (I know..seafood on Easter Sunday?), but it was all about the fellowship.

We are blessed each and every day, but today, it is nice to take an extra long pause to really appreciate the gift.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Hubei Family


We are on VACATION!! Yippee!! No School!! No Work!!!

Our vacation is off to a great start. We were blessed to meet up with one family in our travel group, the Dudleys. Steve, Stacie, and Lil Miss Lauren met us at Cracker Barrell for breakfast while we were passing close by in Georgia.

I can't tell you what we ate because we just enjoyed soaking up every second with our friends. There has been so much to just catch up on. Time flew and what seemed like such a short time, we had to part ways.
Lauren is so adorable! She has grown and developed so much in just a few short months. This was just a wonderful morning....

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year!



Actually, Chinese New Year (CNY) begins on February 17, 2007, but our local FCC (Families with Chinese Children) chapter in Gainesville had their 2nd annual CNY Celebration on February 10, 2007 in Gainesville.




This is year 4705 by the Chinese calendar which is a calendar based on the lunar rotation whereas our calendar in the West is a solar calendar. This is the year of Ding Hai or the year of the Pig (boar).







According to legend, being born in the year of the pig means that you are chivalrous, strong, gallant, and tremendously honest. Those born under the sign of the boar do not make many friends but those they make are for life due to their loyalty. Here in the Register clan, we have a rat (Connor), a ram (Spencer), a tiger (Huey), a snake (Linda) and a monkey (Mikayla).





We had a great time at the CNY celebrations. There was food, crafts, activities, a silent auction, and a finale of a dragon parade, firecrackers, and a stage show. The stage show began with 10 adorable little Chinese ballerinas, followed by a Chinese story reading, and progressed to a Chinese folk song performed by Jen Mei (a student at the University of Florida). The night finished with a group shot of all Asian children and the receiving of a red gift bag full of goodies for all our newly aged children.


(click on the collages to enlarge).


Saturday, February 10, 2007

Chinese Moon Cookies

With the Chinese New Year officially just one week away, I decided to try out my recipe for Chinese Moon Cookies. These are a traditional favorite during the Harvest Festival and Chinese New Year (CNY). I am told that these cookies often have a filling inside as well, but I thought it best to crawl before I tried to run. Hence, I made just the basic cookie.

I purchased two traditional wooden molds to use on our cookies. I followed the recipe carefully and lovingly tapped out my batch of Chinese Moon Cookies (with Daddy's help). They were brushed with egg white and sprinkled with colored sugar and baked at the directed temperature and for the directed time.

Since I have never tasted the authentic product, I will assume that they have turned out correctly. They are a different type of cookie than we are use to but that really doesn't matter. All that matters is that Mikayla knows her culture is one to be honored and observed.

Oh, and by the way, the boys have discovered they taste great with some icing on the top!

Okay, so Chinese Moon Cookies with American Icing....we could be on to something!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Gators 41, OSU 14! Gators Win! Dual Championships Reside at UF!



January 8, 2007: Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, Glendale, AZ

After 37 days of listening to all the "experts" lament that Florida did not deserve to be in the championship game and Ohio State was going to pummel the Gators, the time had finally come to settle it on the field. No longer subject to Herbstreit's pathetic, biased opinions on Ohio State nor Kornheiser's ridiculous accusation that Urban Meyer whined the Gators into consideration, the Gators could show the nation that the SEC is the superior conference. And show the nation they did. The Ohio State romp predicted did occur, it just started 16 seconds later than everyone (else) thought--and oh yeah--Ohio State was the one taken to the woodshed for the good, ole fashioned, southern whipping.

For those of us down this way, we knew the Gators had the talent, the team, the coach, and most importantly, the heart to win the National Championship. Afterall, our basketball team (rated 37th in the country at the start of last year's season) had done the very same thing just 9 months earlier.

So, for the first time in collegiate history, the same university holds both the NCAA Basketball Championship and the National Championship in Football in the same season. That university is none other than the University of Florida, our alma mater!

Thank you to all our Gator athletes. We know the majority of you are scholar athletes, and we appreciate how you showcase our academic and athletic superiority. We are so proud of you and for you! We are proud to be part of The Gator Nation!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

New Year's Eve & New Year's Day




Happy New Year! 2007!

We went to church on Sunday, New Year's Eve. Mikayla, in particular, was dazzling in her beautiful new dress...thank you, Grandma!

New Year's Day was spent rather quietly. We just started on one of our resolutions for the year...clear out some clutter. So, Mommy & Daddy's closets and drawers look much better. Spencer & Connor's closets and drawers look better as well. After those tasks, we became couch potatoes and watched football.

We are enjoying the bowl games. However, we cannot wait until January 8th! The Gators face the Buckeyes (yucko) in the Tostitos Championship Bowl. Go Gators! It would be so GREAT for our football team and our basketball team to be National Champions in the same year!