Catch me if you can.......

On St Patrick's Eve we set a Leprechaun trap. I covered a box with white paper and Katie colored shamrocks and rainbows on the box. Dan propped the box up with a stick and we put a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal under the box to lure the Leprechaun into the trap.

The next morning the trap was down and there was shamrocks and gold confetti all around the box. Katie was nervous to lift the box up so Dan helped her. We didn't catch that silly Leprechaun but he ate all the Lucky Charms. He left Katie gold chocolate coins in the cereal bowl and he left Katie new shoes. According to Katie's "St Patrick's Day Alphabet Book" Leprechaun's are shoemakers.

The Leprechaun left us a note and it said Dear M>>>> Family, You can't catch me! Thanks for the cereal. Sorry I turned your milk green when I used it on my cereal. Sorry about your toilets(he turned the water green) but I had to go potty. I left some gold chocolate coins and new shoes for Katie. You can try to catch me again next year!

What fun we had trying to catch that silly Leprechaun!


Katie decorating the box


Getting the "bait" ready


The "trap"


Katie wouldn't lift up the box. I think she was freaked out that the Leprechaun was under the box.


But there was NO leprechaun under the box.


Gold chocolate coins


Lucky Charms for breakfast!

Katie Min Min is 4!!

Katie turned 4 last Saturday March 7th. We celebrated with a party at a local Gymnastic's center. Katie and all the kids had a BLAST! I did a High School Musical theme for Katie with a Gabriella doll cake. I made music note and basketball lollipops for the favors.

Music note lollipops

Katie helping me wrap the lollipops and put the stickers on them. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the finished product!

Katie with her cake and cupcakes.

Katie ready to party

Frankie and Katie. Frankie delivered the pizza's right to the Gym for us for the party.

Katie couldn't wait to open her presents.

Katie had a blast!

Loved being the center of attention.

Happy Birthday to you!

Opening her gifts

She loved everything

She keep telling me that her Daddy was getting her a pink Buitar(Guitar) for her birthday. She was so happy when she opened her pink "Buitar".

Happy Birthday to our sweet girl!

Flashback February

Since I used the whole month of February to blog about our China trip to adopt Katie, I didn't post anything about what we did in February. We had a FUN February. It started out with the Super Bowl. Uncle Jeff's Pittsburgh Steelers were in the Super Bowl and we were all on the bandwagon (well....Katie and I were on the bandwagon, not Daddy who was still upset about the Eagles) and ready to party. Of course you all know the Steelers won. We had a great time.


Steelers Cheerleaders


Katie and Uncle Jeff

February 7th we celebrated Katie's Gotcha Day. This day is also my Mom's birthday. We went out to dinner for Mimi's birthday the night before. On Gotcha Day we made homemade fortune cookies. Bailey helped and we had fun making up our own fortunes. We had a small family gathering and we enjoyed Chinese food and celebrating Katie's special day.



Happy Birthday Mimi



Making fortune cookies



The finished product



Katie and "Cookie" Uncle Tommy. Katie loves her Cookie Uncle Tommy. He always brings her cookies.



Celebrating 3 yrs as a family





February 8th we celebrated Chinese New Year. We went for Dim Sum with our local adoption group and then we watched the Lion Parade. The fire crackers were unbelievable.


Katie enjoying Dim Sum



Girlfriends~Katie and Lia



Katie's reaction to the fircrackers


Group photo




Firecrackers


Lion Dancers




February 14th~Happy Valentine's Day! We spent our Valentine's Day celebrating Aunt Mel's 40th birthday. Mark and Diane hosted a surprise 40th birthday party for Carmela.


Roses from Daddy


Making Valentine's Day cookies for Aunt Mel's party



Katie trying out the cookies



Our cookies



My lovebug



Happy Birthday Carmela





February 21st~We celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday. Happy Birthday Pop-Pop



Katie playing with Pop-Pop trains



Happy Birthday Pop-pop

February 28th~We went to the Please Touch Museum with some of our friends from our local adoption group.


Mia, Katie, Emma

The girls eating lunch




We had a busy but fun February!

MESSY.....I Heart Faces

The theme this week is "Messy" over at I Heart Faces. Thanks to Kate for the suggestion. Dan took this picture of Lia and Katie enjoying the birthday cake at CJ's birthday party.



Head over to I Heart Faces and check out all the messy faces!

Missy......I didn't forget!!!

My bloggy buddy Missy from "Live Big and Laugh Often" gave me this award about a month ago. At the time I just started blogging about our journey to adopt Katie. I made that the focus of my blog for the last month.

Missy's blog is one of the first blogs I started to follow after I became addicted to blogging. Right from the start I could tell that I would love to meet Missy in person someday! I just KNOW we would have a blast together. She is a warm, caring, and kind-hearted person. I love reading about her sister Paige and I enjoy looking at Missy's beautiful photos! Missy~I can't wait until the day we can chat in person.

Most of the blogs that Missy gave awards to are some of my favorites. So, I will pass on the awards to some of my other favorite blogs.

The RULES~Pass on to 5 other fabulous blogs and tag the blog that sent the award to you!

KATE from Livin Lavida Lia~Missy did tag Kate but I JUST had to shout out to Kate too. Kate and I became friends before we adopted our daughters. Kate is the reason I blog. Kate has such a wonderful way with words. I am in awe of her ability to express herself with words. I started my blog after being inspired to do so from Kate. I love to read about Lia and look at all the gorgeous pictures Kate has been taken of Miss Lia. Thank you Kate for inspiring me to blog. Thank you for being a wonderful friend.

Sue from Alexa's World~ Sue and Robert traveled with Dan and I to adopt our daughters. We will forever share a bond. I love reading what's new with Alexa. We were lucky enough to have a reunion with our friends in Oct 2007. We are hoping to see Sue, Robert, and Alexa again this year.

Laura from Enjoying Emma Everyday~ Laura and I met at the supermarket on a summer day in June of 2006 just a few months after we had both adopted our daughters. Little did we know that we were both in China at the SAME time and our daughters were both from Hubei! We live 10 minutes from each other. Our families became fast friends. I enjoy reading what's new with Emma.

Tamara from Cancer Sucks even with Lilly Pulitzer on your side~ Tamara and I met at the hair salon. We have the same hair stylist. While I sat in the salon with the dye on my hair I heard Tamara telling our stylist Judy that she blogged about her that day. I started to ask Tamara about her blog and told her that I blog too. She is a stay at home Mom and a cancer survivor with a GREAT attitude. I have such a soft spot in my heart for cancer patients. I was a oncology nurse for almost 10 years. I worked with inpatients and also in an outpatient infusion room administering chemotherapy. Tamara's attitude is infectious and I really enjoy reading her blog.

Ivy from Hunan Spice~I met Ivy on the land of blog and was lucky enough to met Ivy and her family in person. We live about 30 minutes from each other. I enjoyreading about Kira. I love to look at Ivy's photos on her newest blog Shutterbug. Ivy's is also running a fundraising blog to help bring Jailynn.

Thanks for the award Missy!!! I am truly touched!

Welcome Home Sweet Katie

Aunt Karen tying the "Welcome Home" balloons on our mailbox before coming to pick us up at the airport.


We arrived at Newark, NJ airport about 6pm. We got our bags and went through immigration with no problem. We had the sweetest airport moment. Our family was waiting for us with a sign that read "Welcome Home Sweet Katie". Dan had the video camera to capture the moment and I had Katie. We didn't take many pictures at the airport or at Candela's afterwards. So most of these pictures are courtesy of my Mom who had her friend Liz come and take pictures at the airport.


Waiting for us to arrive....Aunt Nancy, AuntDolores, Aunt Karen, Mom-Mom Maureen, Mimi, Uncle Bill, Aunt Judy, Uncle Jeff. In the front row the kids....Katie's cousins.....William, Brady, Bailey, and Molly.


Katie meeting her family at the airport


We weren't the only ones having an airport moment. Karen meeting her daughter Mia. Remember Kevin and his Mom Carol traveled with us while Karen stayed home with there daughter Maddie.


Two couples who met in a social worker class a year and a half prior finally home with there babies.


We went right from the airport to Candela's for dinner. Remember this post.


When we got home there was a surprise waiting for us....a LADYBUG Christmas tree. We got Katie's referral on December 9, 2005. We bought Christmas presents for her and so did our family. My Mom and a couple of her friends from work put up this Christmas tree and decorated it with wallet size pictures of us in China glued to old Christmas cards. They topped the tree with a babydoll with ladybug wings and used a ladybug blanket for a tree skirt. So cute!


Picture of the ornaments.


After we got home, Dan walked Katie room to room showing her our home. Dan showed Katie her room and her crib. He tried to see if she would like her crib at home since she didn't like the crib in China. Well she didn't!


The next day, the tree with Katie's presents underneath.


The day after we come home we had a little welcome home party with family and friends. Karen did a great job with the cake and food for the party.


Katie opening her presents.


This picture makes me laugh. Katie checking out her new family.


We had a wonderful homecoming. Our friends and family couldn't wait to meet Katie Min Min.

I really enjoyed walking down memory lane and blogging about our trip to adopt Katie Min Min.