I can't stop......

Okay I am having way to much fun with the editing tools on picnik. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I keep fooling around with it. Thanks to Kate, I figured out how to black and white and then "color" in the photo.

More Editing Fun

Fun with editing

Trying to figure out how to edit photos using flickr and picnik. I really need to have some time to sit down and play with it to figure it out.

Open Air Theater

What a great night. Well alittle hot but a great night. We went to the Open Air Theater in Washington Crossing Park to see Sleeping Beauty. We met Mimi and Leigh, Laura, Kevin, and Emma, Jennifer, Jade, and Hailey. We started the evening with a picnic dinner at the park and then went into the theater to see Sleeping Beauty. It was a good show. 50 minutes total including intermission. Perfect for the kids. We got a few cute photos. They wouldn't stay still for the camera.

Christmas in July

Katie and I spent the weekend with my Dad. My Dad and his wife have a place in North Cape May at Cape Island Resort. Actually it is Grandmom Rita's place. My Step-Mother's Mother. We had a fun weekend celebrating "Christmas in July" at the campground. We arrived Friday night and the neighbors across the street had there campsite all decorated for Christmas. Katie loved looking at the decorations and the trains. We went to get ice cream Friday night. Saturday we went the the pool. Katie loved playing in the kiddie pool. I couldn't convince her to go into the big pool. She also played on the playground with Pop-pop. Saturday night Santa Claus arrived at the Pavilion on a golf cart. Katie had me write out her list to Santa Claus. She gave her list to Santa, posed for a picture and then got a great goody bag from Santa.

Her was what was written on her list.......

Dear Santa,

I would like the following. I promise to be a good girl and listen to my Mommy and Daddy.

1. Hannah Montana Brush

2. Dollhouse

3. People for the dollhouse

4. Jasmine and Belle Dress-up

5. A NEW Ariel Bride Dress

6. A barbie plate.

Thank you and I love you, Katie Min Min Miles

After our visit with Santa we went to Wildwood's boardwalk for the rides and some ice cream. When we woke up this morning there was a present left for Katie from Santa. Belle polly pockets. Santa know everything. Katie loves princess polly pockets. Then we went to a pancake breakfast at the pavilion. Thanks to Pop-pop, Grandmom, and Grandmom Rita for a great weekend.

Friday night after we arrived at the campgroundPop-pop pushing Katie on the swingsScaling wallsSwimming

Posing with the blow up Santa in front of Ron and Bonnie's

Delivering her wish list to Santa

Pop-pop trying to win the girls a prize

Katie and Katie on the tea-cups

Ice Cream~What a way to end the night!

I have been tagged

I was tagged by Deb. Deb is a good friend from our local adoption group. Deb and her husband Kevin adopted Lotus last year. She is a beautiful little girl. Katie fondly calls her baby Lotus.



So what being "tagged" means is that I need to list 6 words to describe me. So here it goes!



Mom~I waited a long time for this title so this is the first word I am going to use to describe me. It has been an amazing experience so far being Katie Min Min's Mommy!

Friend~I consider myself to be a very good friend. I love my friends and really enjoy spending time with them.

LOUD!!!~I am loud and the more excited I get the louder I get. I am also a fast talker. I often get "in trouble" at work from one of the doctor's I work for. He is soft spoken and must have super sensitive ears. I am not that loud ;) I just love to laugh and have fun.

Compassionate~I believe I am a compassionate person. I know that I am a compassionate Nurse. I always treat my patients and their families with compassion.


Crazy Busy~We are constantly on the go. We are super busy all the time. But I love it!


Blessed~I am truly blessed. I have a wonderful husband and an amazing daughter. I have a wonderful group of friends. I have a caring family. I live in a friendly, family oriented neighborhood with an amazing group of neighbors who truly care. I live across the street from my BEST FRIEND. I have my health. I have a great job.




Well that's my words! Love to know how other people would describe me!




I am now going to tag 5 other people..........so tag your it!



Livin LaVida Lia

The Long Road to China

Alexa's World


The Trawick CLan

Enjoying Emma Everyday

"THE WHIT-NIC"

We celebrated the second annual "Whit-nic" last Sunday at our friends Paul and Kathy's house. It was a wonderful day filled with good friends, good food, great drinks, and some amazing kids! We really had a BLAST! We are truly blessed to have such an amazing group of friends that we have made through Katie's adoption. The kids just have a great time together( and of course the adults do too ;)).

Thank you Kathy and Paul for a great day. I look forward to many more "Whit-nic's"!

The Cannonball

I just think these pictures came out great. Dan took these of Jim doing a cannonball at "The Whit-nic". I think they are hilarious. Great Cannonball Jim!!!!!

Home Sweet Home

We arrived home yesterday at 6:30pm. We were sad that our vacation had come to an end but happy to be home.

We had a AWESOME vacation. The beach was great. The waves were a bit rough and the ocean was closed to swimming a few days but that didn't stop us from having a great time.

Katie at The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island

Family photo on the front deck

Katie and Kaylee running from the waves

Kaylee and Katie showing the shell necklaces they found on the beach. It was a lost treasure from the mermaids

Bumper Boat Fun

This was a ghost crab on the beach at night. We went onto the beach after it got dark with flashlights and there were so many ghost crabs running all over the beach. Katie was cling to me like a crab and I couldn't put her down. She liked looking at the crabs but she was afraid to walk on the beach.

Our beautiful girl on the beach.

What a great vacation.

We got some really great photos on our new camera. More vacation pictures to follow. Alot of the pictures need to be edited and changed to jpeg in order to upload them to the blog.

Having fun at the BEACH!

We had 2 great beach days over the weekend. Saturday we went to the beach. In the afternoon the rest of Chaz's family arrived. Chaz's Mom, Sister, and Brother, and their families are staying 4 houses down from us right on the beach(we are 5 back from the beach but still have a great ocean view from our front deck). Chaz's Aunt Jan and Aunt Judy are 3 houses down from us. Chaz's sister Kathleen's daughter Kaylee is 3 years old. Katie played with her last year when we went to the Outer Banks. Katie was so excited for Kaylee to arrive. They played great on the beach together. It is so nice that Katie has alittle playmate.


Sunday our friend Lisa arrived. She is staying in our house. She is Mimi's roomate. Then we went to the beach on Sunday. It was a great beach day. The sun was shining and the water was warm. The waves were a bit rough. We tried to get into the ocean with our tubes but the water was too rough.

We spent the evening's grilling dinner and having drinks on the deck.

Dan and I took a walk on the beach last night. The stars were out and someone a few streets over were lighting off fireworks. It was great standing on the beach watching the fireworks. So many people were on the beach with flashlights looking for ghost crabs. There were so many crabs running across the beach. I want to go this week at night with a flaslight to look at the ghost crabs.

Katie and Kaylee

Katie running on the beach

This is a picture that Dan took at Bodie Island lighthouse. He took a bike ride to the lighthouse on Sunday and got some great pictures.

The view of the beach from our deck in the evening.

Outer Banks 2008

We arrived in the Outer Banks yesterday at 8am. We decided to leave at 12mid Wednesday night. Mimi and Dan drove. Katie and I slept the whole way.

Chaz and Eric were waiting for us with pancakes when we arrived. We got settled in and then we took naps. Dan and Katie went to the beach briefly while I napped. Then we went to the food shopping at Harris Teeters. We got home and Katie went into the blow up pool with Eric.

Eric made a big pot of Chili for dinner. We had a great night.

It was raining today so we didn't go to the beach. We went out to get a few things we needed.....beach tubes...etc and then it started to clear up and the sun came out. We came home and sat around the blow up pool again. Katie loves the little pool. Katie and I went for a short walk on the beach in the evening.

We didn't really get any great pictures today. This pictures below are from yesterday.

Miss Independence

We are having a great July 4th weekend so far. Katie looks so cute all decked out for the 4th of July. I wanted to share some pictures Dan took with his new camera.

Thursday night we went the the Trenton Thunder baseball game with my work. We had a great time. It was Katie's first time at a ball game. We were in a luxury box. She is going to think this is how all baseball games are. Katie said her favorite part were the Fireworks at the end of the game.

Friday July 4th we spent at Aunt Dolores and Uncle Ed's house. We celebrated Uncle Bill's 40th Birthday. It was a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Uncle BillUncle Bill's last name is Schaefer and he is 40 get it??William great cannonballKatie and her lollipop from Aunt JudyThis is as far as Katie would go in the pool

Water gun fightSinging Happy Birthday

Having fun with sparklers