Hello from Utah

Wishing you all the best for 2011 !

2010-12-31T21:06:00.005-07:00

Hello !

It's the last day of 2010 and I am trying to beat the clock. I haven't had a chance to update this blog for a long time. My excuse of being so busy is becoming overused but it is unfortunately true.

I continue to take pictures to chronicle the events that have happened to us but just have not had the time to organize the pictures and post it in this blog. For those who have a Facebook account, I am more visible there than here.

Anyway, to make up for the 'long silence', I have decided to give you of a synopsis of 2010 for us.

Highlights of 2010

A. Life in Dugway

We moved to the military housing (Dugway Proving Grounds) on Jan 1, 2010. It is quite remote (nearest big store is Walmart Superstore - 55 minutes away from DPG) so most of our weekends were spent going out to the city (e.g. Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Layton). However, we also spent a lot of time inside the base doing fun stuff like practising baseball, flying Ben's remote control airplane and Angie's kite. We also participated in some of the base-hosted activities like camping and skiing trips. During our stay there, we also tried raising chickens (we're not about to do that again!) and planting veggies (this was a success so we will keep doing it !).

B. Out of State Trips

2010 was a year of several out of state trips for us. In spring, we flew to San Francisco to go whale watching in Monterey Bay and to visit Papa and participate in the Easter egg hunting party he hosted at his house. Summer, we went to Oregon and Chicago. We attended the reunion of Toukoul Adoptive Families in Portland, Oregon. Then a week after, we went to Chicago to visit with my relatives. In September, we drove to Denver, Colorado. We spent a few days in Hawaii in the fall. Lastly, we went to Toronto to spend a few days with Grandma, Aunt Gi, Uncle Jim, Lauren and Jackson.

C. Ben and Angie

It has been a busy year for the kids. We visited the different ski resorts that are within an hour away from Salt Lake City so both of them were able to do a lot of skiing Jan-Mar. They were also able to do a lot of swimming (at the different hotels we stayed at on the weekends that we were out of Dugway). They have not taken formal swimming lessons, though, so that is something to do in 2011. Angie took dance lessons at school and had a recital at end of school. I did a little experiment with Angie's hair (went to a salon and had extensions put on her hair) and I am NOT going to do that again for at least the next 10 years or so !

D. Move to Park City, Utah

We moved out of the military housing and moved to Park City in November. We are currently staying in a partly-furnished condo until we find a permanent place to live (looking for condo or house to buy). Ben and Angie attend a very good school in Park City - Ben is in Jr.-K while Angie is in Preschool and they have adjusted quite well. Matt is keeping himself busy with a full-time winter job at the Deer Valley Ski Resort as he looks for his next job. Am still with Qwest and working from home.

Now, enough of the words, HERE is 2010 in PICTURES !

So that's 2010 for us.

We wish you all continued blessings for 2011 ! Have a Happy New Year !

I Heart Faces - Focusing on Angles

2010-03-22T09:31:00.002-06:00

This is my entry in this week's I Heart Faces photo challenge. I was coaching Ben to hug his sister and he did but I guess Angie didn't want to be hugged at this particular moment. I like the different expression on their faces. Priceless !

Feb 2010 pictures

2010-02-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody !

Yes, this blog is still active even if the gaps in between entries are getting wider and wider. Time to blog is a luxury that does not come often nowadays.

I still continue to take pictures but I just don't have that much time to post it.

Anyway, I hope you are all doing good and in the best of health. Ben and Angie are doing very well as you can see in the pictures below.

Both of them are growing fast. Angie celebrated her 3rd birthday (Feb 3) at school. We have brought them 2x to-date this year to go skiing and they like it very much.

Enjoy the pictures and warm regards to all !

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T07:28:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone,

Merry, merry Christmas to all of you!

It's been a long while since I last wrote something on our blog.

Matt moved back to Utah after working on contract in California for close to 5 months. When he came back, he started working at Dugway Proving Grounds in Tooele County. He is currently doing a 2-hour trip each way Mondays to Thursdays.

That is about to change next year. We have found renters for our house in Layton and we will move to housing inside the base as we continue to look for a permanent place to live in.

Things have been quite hectic on our end as we prepare for this move. I'll try to keep you posted but in the meantime, ...

We wish you Peace and Happiness this Christmas!

We miss you all !

"We ♥ Tooshies"

2009-12-01T19:02:00.009-07:00

I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge for the week is "We ♥ Tooshies"
Here is my entry.

That's my son Ben, my daughter Angie and their cousin Lily racing towards the opening of the Bouncy Inflatable House in my aunt's yard.

Goodbye Mom/Nana. We love you!

2009-10-27T00:02:00.004-06:00

Monday, October 26, 2009 4:05 PM, PDT - Entry at the CaringBridge Site for Mom by my sister-in-law Kelly :

Our loving, caring, beautiful, wonderful mother, nana and friend passed away today at 12:38 p.m. Our grief is great, but we know she is now at peace.

Mom fought a long, hard battle and won in the end. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends in her final days and left us on her terms.

Below are some pictures of Mom. We remember her fondly and we are so grateful for all the love and care she has given us. We will miss you, Mom.

I ♥ Faces - Contemplative

2009-09-14T11:38:00.007-06:00

I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge for the week is Contemplative.

This is a picture of my daughter Angela. We were at the park and I had told her that it was time to go home. She wasn't happy about it so she cried and protested. I took this shot after she had calmed down (see dried tears and runny nose). She's a feisty and strong-willed 2 year old so I am sure she was contemplating on what to do next to delay us leaving the park.

I have been a fan of I ♥ Faces for a long time but this is the first time I am entering the weekly contest. Thanks for stopping by.

New Pictures - Angela

2009-09-04T18:49:00.000-06:00

New Pictures - Ben

2009-09-04T18:40:00.002-06:00

Visit with Nana and Papa

2009-07-26T07:14:00.002-06:00

Hello!

It's been too long. Hope all of you are doing well.

Anyway, here are some pictures from our visit with Nana and Papa. The kids and I visited Matt in Sacramento. He's working there on a contract job. We were there for 1 week and mid-week, we drove to Novato to visit with Nana and Papa.

It was a very good visit. Ben and Angela loved visiting with Nana and Papa. We were also able to see Aunt Petey. We're hoping we could do another visit before school starts.

Enjoy the pictures!

Talent Show, Mother's Day, Daddy's Birthday

2009-05-10T22:49:00.007-06:00

Still catching up on updating our blog so doing a batch update here of 3 events we've had so far in May.

Talent Show at Ben's school (May 1)

The Talent Show was a school year-end event at Ben's school. Ben's Toddler class sang the 'Continent Song' for this event. They were requested to wear the costume from any of the continents. Ben wore the Chinese shirt and pants that we bought in Taiwan in 2007.

Unlike in the Christmas show, this time Ben went up the stage with the rest of his class. We let Angie join him so she can give moral support to Ben. As you can see from the pictures, Ben did not join in the singing. He decided that it was more fun to jump and stomp his feet on the stage. Pretty soon, his other classmates joined him while a small group continued to sing the Continent song.

Mother's Day and Matt's Birthday (May 10)

It was such a nice sunny spring day so we decided to go for a walk on a trail near where we live. It was a nice way to work up an apetite before we go out for lunch. I brought my camera to take pictures of Ben and Angela.

Here are the pictures from these events. Enjoy and till the next update !

Happy 3rd Birthday Ben (April 15)

2009-05-10T22:24:00.004-06:00

I am doing catch up here, updating our blog, so excuse me if this post is out of sequence.

Anyway, we celebrated Ben's 3rd birthday last April 15. It was just a simple celebration at home. We had noodles (of course) for long life and we got an ice cream cake for him. He got to blow his candles and open his cards and gifts. Angie also got to open her gift from Nana and Papa.

A day before his birthday, he went to the potty by himself. He has since been going to the potty either to pee or poo. Way to go Ben. We are so proud of you and we love you! You're really a big boy now.

Here are some pictures of his birthday celebration.

Pictures from Chicago Trip - April 2009

2009-05-06T17:21:00.004-06:00

We were in Chicago for 4 days in April. We flew there the day after Ben's birthday. Here are the pictures. It was lots of fun spending time with my mom, sister and her family, my aunts and uncles, my cousins and their families. Wish we could do this more often!

Easter Egg Hunt 2009

2009-04-12T21:58:00.003-06:00

Happy Easter everybody!

Here are pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt that was held at our parish church. Since the Education Center is being built, the Knight of Columbus (who sponsors this event), held the hunt at the park across from the church.

It was a cloudy day but attendance was great as usual. Angie was at the 0-2 year olds while Ben was at the 3-4 year olds. Both did very well in getting their bag full of eggs. They even got special gifts.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and till the next update!

Take care always!

Angela's Baptism

2009-03-08T21:46:00.005-06:00

Hello everybody!

We had Angela's baptism last Saturday, March 7. Just like Ben's baptism, it was a very small, intimate affair. Nana and Papa were not able to come this time, but Mama flew in from Toronto for this event. Godparents were Matt's Uncle Paul and my cousin Jean. Jean was not able to join us so Mama stood in for her. Uncle Paul's friend Sue was also there to celebrate this special event with us.

Here are some pictures from this very special day.

Happy 2nd Birthday !

2009-02-08T04:02:00.005-07:00

February 3, 2009: Angela turned 2 years old today.

It's amazing how fast she has grown over the few months she's been with us. Our little girl is now officially in her 'Terrible Twos'!

She talks a lot, still has a ready smile on her face, has a love/hate relationship with Ben especially during playtime or car rides and her current fave word is 'NO'. (As an aside - Ben's current fave word now is 'WHY')

We celebrated her birthday at the daycare the Friday prior to her birthday. Ben did not have a class then and Matt and I took the afternoon off from work. We had a birthday cake and apple juice. We had the children from the Toddler class and also the 2year old class (she will be moving into this class in the next few days).

The following day - Saturday, we went to watch Disney Playhouse Live at the Energy Solutions center. We were all tired so we essentially took our afternoon nap while watching the show. We paid for 4 seats but as it turned out, Angela slept on Matt's lap and I had Ben on my lap. What an expensive way to have our afternoon nap! We keep telling ourselves that Ben and Angela are still too young for these shows but we get an email promotion with discounted tickets and we go ahead and buy.

On the day of her birthday, we got her from day care and all of us went to the open house of a school we are thinking of sending Ben and Angela next school year. Since it was getting late, we only managed to get a quick bite at Arctic Circle. We did buy her a cake. We didn't get to eat the cake and open the gifts until Wednesday, though.

Here are some pictures from her birthday party at the daycare. Enjoy!

Happy New Year !

2008-12-31T01:33:00.014-07:00

2008 has been a good year for us. Last June, we traveled to Ethiopia to bring home Angela. Both Ben and Angela are in good health and growing up fast and doing very well in school. We are very happy and blessed to have them in our lives.

From our family to yours, we wish you all the best for 2009!

Trip to San Francisco, California

2008-12-30T01:00:00.006-07:00

For Christmas, we went to San Francisco. We took the Amtrak train from Salt Lake City and got off at the Emeryville station in Oakland, CA.

Christmas day, we went to the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland and visited Nana at the hospital.

The following day, we visited Nana again and then went around the city. We took the Bay Cruise and went to the Aquarium of the Bay.

Saturday, we drove up to Sonoma County and Napa Valley. We took the TrainTown Railroad tour and had dinner at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA.

Sunday, we went to the Steinhart Aquarium and visited Nana for the last time. We took the train back home early Monday morning.

It was so nice to visit and spend some time with Nana and Papa and with the rest of Matt's family. Here are the pictures from our trip.

Visit to the Treehouse Museum

2008-12-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we brought Ben and Angela to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. This is really a cool place for kids. There are so many things to do and even if you keep coming back, there is always something new that the kids would love.

Ben and Angela had a wonderful time trying all the different things the Museum had to offer. Matt and I had lots of fun, too!

At the park

2008-12-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Pictures of Ben and Angela playing in the park. Enjoy!

Riding the Frontrunner

2008-11-03T03:50:00.008-07:00

Last Saturday, November 1, we went to the city via the Frontrunner. Just this summer, UTA started this train ride service that runs from the city up to North Ogden. We took the train at the Layton station (just a few blocks from our house). It is a double decker train and we sat at the top level to have the best view.

As you can see, Ben and Angela had a wonderful time.

Thought I'd also share with you my attempt to fix Angela's hair. It took about an hour and a half to finish it. I started by braiding the hair but changed to just making loops. Braiding the hair would have taken double the time and Angela was already getting impatient.

My work is not very polished (amateurish) but practice makes perfect and I'm sure I'll have lots of practice with my beautiful and charming model.

Tigger and Little Bee

2008-11-03T03:20:00.010-07:00

This year, Ben and Angela were Tigger and Little Bee.

The first set of pictures were from the Halloween Party at Angela's school.

The second set were taken Halloween night. Although it was drizzling a bit, Ben and Angela enjoyed the experience so much.

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

St. Rose of Lima Mother's Group Halloween Party

2008-11-01T08:07:00.012-06:00

Last Friday, Oct 31, the Mother's Group in the Church hosted a Halloween Party for the kids. Ben didn't have a class that day and I took the day off to bring both Ben and Angela to the party.

It was such a fun event with lots of food and activities for the kids. Here are some of the pictures.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2008-11-01T08:00:00.011-06:00

Latest pictures - September 08

2008-10-05T04:26:00.005-06:00

Warm hello to everybody!

Here are the latest pictures of Ben and Angela!

Watching a video

He's getting to be a big boy!

Yet another pretty smile :-)

First day at new school

Till next update. Take care.

Latest pictures of the kids

2008-08-16T07:28:00.015-06:00

I finally got a chance to catch up on our blog. Here are the more current pictures of Ben and Angela.

Infectious laughter.

At home.

Ready smile for the camera.

I don't have a lot of pictures with Ben and Angela, so I asked Matt to take this one while we were playing with the kids.

My first attempt at fixing Angela's hair. Not bad, eh?

Yoga pose: Downward facing dog. Something they are very good at.

In the bike trailer - preparing to go biking with Daddy.

Hope all of you are doing well. Till the next update!

Images of Addis Ababa

2008-08-16T06:07:00.005-06:00

Impressions/thoughts on our trip to Addis Ababa

The people are wonderful and very sweet with children - they always come up to us and kiss the children on the cheeks. Angela was used to it but Ben was wary at first.

Hot. Smog. Exhaust fumes. No or very little/narrow sidewalk.

Drought. Daily power failure. Blackouts.

Lots of coffee shops.

Very, very good coffee (even for a non-coffee drinker like me).

Outside of Addis - very beautiful. Lots of trees and flowers. No smog.

Lots of fresh locally grown fruits - mango, papaya.

Sheraton Hotel. High-end, expensive. Very nice. Sumptous Happy Father's Day brunch.

US Embassy - no cameras allowed. No photos allowed within perimeter.

Very rich history and culture.

Will visit again but will stay outside of Addis and discover the beauty of the rest of Ethiopia.

Le Toukoul Orphanage

2008-08-16T05:27:00.003-06:00

Helloooo!

I know it's been ages since the last entry. When you have 2 toddlers in the house, updating your blog is very low on the to-do list.

Anyway, just want to post the pictures we have of the orphanage. It's been more than 2 months now and images of the place are starting to fade. Thank God for these pictures which keep the memories alive.

As we look at these pictures, we remember with fondness the orphanage doctor who took care of Angela. We were told that she was malnourished when she came to the orphanage. However, when we got her (about 5 months after), she had already improved a lot health-wise.

We also remember our driver, Wendy. He was a very competent driver and guide. He has a way with children and Ben and Angela took to him at once.

Till the next update! Warm regards to all!

Ethiopia - June 10

2008-06-22T06:26:00.007-06:00

Hello everybody!

It is now 5 days after we have returned home and things are finally getting back to our 'new' normal.

We left Salt Lake very early Sunday morning (June 8). We managed to fit 4 suitcases in the trunk of the car. Inside the car were our carry-on bags and the 2 strollers we were bringing. Inside the car were also some books that Matt needed to return to the University of Utah library (because they were going to be due while we're gone). So we had to make a stop at the library which took about 40 minutes total and we arrived at the airport at 6am for our international flight at 7:30am. Matt attempted to do online checking before we left home but it did not really go thru (probably because it is an international flight?). So we arrived at the airport with my Stress Level on HIGH.

But we made it and we were off to O'hare for our first stop. We had about 3 hours before our next flight. We were able to have a quick lunch and call Mama and Mom and Dad to say that we were on our way.

Next stop Frankfurt (June 9, 6:30am). We had to go thru several security checks and then we were ready to board the flight to Addis. The flight to Addis had a stopover (for refueling) at Kartoum, Sudan.

We finally made it to the Hotel de Leopol in Addis at about 10pm (June 9). We were all set to sleep when I asked Matt where the adoption agency's Addis Ababa lawyer's phone number is. He would be our first contact the following day because we needed to sign some US Embassy documents and he will contact the orphanage of our arrival.

Guess what! The list of contact numbers is in a blue folder sitting on the front passenger seat of our car parked in the Salt Lake City International Airport. Ha-ha-ha! (we had to keep our sense of humor or lose our sanity!)

PANIC emails were immediately sent to our Adoption coordinator in Oregon. We also sent an email to Mom and Dad in California so they could a follow-up phone call on our request. Addis is about 10 hours ahead so we had time. Internet connection in the hotel was spotty and slow so we were hoping that we'll get the response on time. Whew! What a day!

JUNE 10, 2008. GOTCHA DAY!

We called the lawyer after breakfast (the Adoption coordinator replied within a couple of hours of us sending the email) at the hotel and he sent his driver to pick us up and bring us to the Dove Adoptions International Office in Addis. We signed some documents that he will be bringing to the US Embassy prior to our embassy interview. Then our driver Wendi arrived and he brought us to the orphanage.

We met the administrative assistant of the adoption agency in Addis and within a few minutes, the nanny brought Angela into the room. She is so tiny and cuddly and so much prettier in person. She did cry a bit but eventually warmed up to all of us. We were ushered to the private living room where we had a chance to relax and bond with Angela more. We checked her out of the orphanage that morning.

We were in the orphanage for maybe a couple of hours that morning. At round 10am, the orphanage kids had their school recess and Ben was able to play with them. It was quite a sight seeing him play ball with kids bigger than him. The kids were very nice to him and kept touching and kissing him on the face.

We went back to the orphanage in the afternoon to bring in the suitcase of donations that we had prepared and also to meet with the orphanage doctor. We passed by the supermarket on the way back to the hotel to get some supplies (bottled water, powdered milk for Angela). We had dinner at the hotel and went to bed early. And that was how we spent our first day with Angela.

The slideshow below has pictures of us at the airport in Frankfurt, our first meeting with Angela, Ben playing with the kids from the orphanage and Ben and Angela in the hotel room.

I will post more pictures as soon as my schedule allows.

Enjoy the pictures (you can hover the cursor on the pictures and you'll see the comments I put in)!

It's official - We Have a DAUGHTER !

2008-05-27T21:48:00.010-06:00

Last May 19, 2008, our adoption agency gave us a call at 11 am to congratulate us on our successful adoption of our daughter ANGELA CHRISTINA (born April 3, 2007).

The adoption was ratified on May 19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We started working on this adoption Fall of last year. For those interested in timelines, below are some milestone dates:

Nov 5, 2007 - Acceptance to the Ethiopia Program of Dove Adoptions
Nov 27, 2007 - Filed I600A
Jan 4, 2008 - Got I600A Approval
Jan 25, 2008 - Mailed dossier to Dove Adoptions
Jan 29, 2008 - Dove sent email confirming receipt of dossier
Feb 8, 2008 - Our dossier was sent to Ethiopia
Mar 18, 2008 - Phone call and email of referral of Tarikua
May 19, 2008 - Court date
June 12, 2008 - Embassy Appointment, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

After bringing Ben home, we felt that it would be good for our family if Ben had a younger sibling. They could be playmates and they could be each other's buddy. Since Matt had served with the Peace Corp in Zimbabwe in the early 1990s, we initially looked at adoption in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, they didn't have an established adoption program so we decided to look at Ethiopia. Since we already had a boy, we requested for a girl younger than Ben.

Below is Angela's referral picture.

We are very excited to bring her home. Matt, Ben and myself will be leaving on June 8 for Ethiopia. We hope to see her on the morning of June 10. We have our Embassy appointment on June 12 and we will stay there for a few more days before we fly home on June 16. Hopefully, we can see some sights in Addis and the surrounding areas.

We would like to thank our immediate family for all their love and support with our 2nd adoption. We would also like to thank our special friends (you know who you are) who helped us in completing our homestudy. We are very grateful for your help.

Till the next update.

Weekend Trip To Houston

2008-05-24T16:12:00.007-06:00

Last May 9-11, we flew to Houston for the weekend.

Our primary purpose of going there was to see the traveling exhibit of Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The exhibit introduces the visitor to the wonderful and culturally-rich country of Ethiopia, also known as the Cradle of Mankind. It is also the first-ever display of the 3.2 million year old hominid known as Lucy, outside of Ethiopia. We are very much interested in the culture and history of Ethiopia because somebody very special to us was born there.

Secondary purpose of the trip was to visit my cousin and her family. Last time we saw them was in Denver in July 2004 when they came for our wedding. That was close to 4 years ago so it was nice to visit with them and catch up on things.

Some highlights -

Since Ben is already 2 years old, we had to get him his own seat in the plane. He had his milk and his blanket so he was quite happy during the trip.

Matt's birthday was the 10th so my cousin surprised him with a yummy birthday cake.

During our stay at my cousin's house, Ben was able to bond with their dog, Max. Ben was not comfortable at first but by the time we left, he was petting and playing with Max.

Below are the pictures from our trip.

Enjoy!

Ben's 2nd Birthday Parties

2008-05-15T21:39:00.004-06:00

Ben celebrated his 2nd birthday last April 15. Since it was a school day, we had a little party at school. I brought cake and ice cream for the Toddler class. The 2 year olds were also invited. Nana and Papa drove from California to be with us for his birthday.

Then on April 19, we had a party at the Treehouse Museum. We invited the kids from the Church's Mothers' Group. Here are the pictures from both parties.

This time last year

2008-03-30T11:18:00.020-06:00

Friday, March 30, 2007. I remember Matt and I still went to work that day because our flight was not until late that night. Our bags were packed (almost) but being the crammer that I am, I still had a few things to put in the bags at the last minute. I remember we had a few stressful minutes as we left the house later than we had originally planned. Not a good way to start the long trip to Taiwan.

We got to the airport just in time and after checking in 4 bags and 1 stroller, we were on our way. We had a stopover at San Francisco. We met up with Mom and Dad and Patrick - they drove up to the airport just to see us. We spent a few minutes relaxing and talking and with good wishes they sent us off to our 14-hour trip to Taiwan.

April 1, 2007. 6:30am. We arrived in Taipei. Note that with the time change, we lost 1 day. We had arranged for a limousine pick-up from the airport to the hotel. The limo driver with the sign for Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Smith was a very welcome sight. We checked-in at the hotel, took a quick shower and then we were off to the domestic airport in Taipei. We were going to take a 1-hour domestic flight to Tainan where the St. Lucy Center is located. This orphanage had been Ben's home for the first 12 months of his life.

April 1, 2007. 1pm. St. Lucy Center. They had an Open House that day in preparation for their Grand Re-Opening the following day. There were a lot of people around and we were overwhelmed and very anxious to meet Ben. From the 2nd floor balcony, I looked down below and I saw Ben. I just knew it was him. This is the first picture I took of him. Several guests of the orphanage were talking to him.

In a few minutes, he was brought to us. Here are the pictures of that first meeting. Included also on the slide show are the pictures taken on April 2. That was the Grand Re-opening of the orphanage and there was a nice program prepared for the guests. There were also dignitaries from the orphanage, the community and the American Institute if Taiwan.

We flew back to Taipei on April 2. We spent a few days there - we had our AIT appointment to get Ben's US visa and then we tried to go and see some sights in the city. I remember that it was always cloudy/raining the whole time we were there. Here are some pictures we took when we were there. Someday, it would be nice to be able to go back there and visit.

We went home on Friday, April 6. We had a stopover again in San Francisco. This time, Kelly and Ben joined Mom and Dad and Patrick to welcome all of us home.

I'll end this entry with this close-up picture I took of Ben on the morning of April 2. We were having breakfast at the hotel in Tainan and I was looking (more staring, I guess) at his face. I wanted to capture that exact moment.

It has been a good year for our family. Although the first few weeks were quite challenging due to adjustment issues both on Ben and our part, we've overcome those first few hurdles. Ben is now a happy, healthy toddler and we are so blessed and grateful to have him in our lives.

Ben Goes Sledding and Skiing

2008-03-23T07:32:00.019-06:00

Hello Everybody!

It's been ages since my last post. Sorry about that. I'll try to make up for the long silence by posting more entries in the next few weeks.

Anyway, these are pictures taken this last winter. We went to Snow Basin in Ogden, Utah. Ogden is north of where we live and the ski resort is about 30 minutes drive from the house. We went there so Matt and I can go snowshoeing and we can put Ben in the sled. Then we put him on skis for the first time. Snowbasin has a little area for toddlers who are first learning how to ski. Ben loved the experience and we will definitely plan on doing more skiing next winter when he's a little bit older.

Enjoy the pictures and warm regards to everyone!

Until the next update. Take care.

May

Merry Christmas !

2007-12-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

This Christmas is very special for us. It is the first year that we are celebrating it as a family. Last year, we celebrated Christmas day as a couple and then I spent several days in Toronto, Canada while Matt nursed his flu and cold (which he got Christmas eve) here in Utah.

This year, we have Ben. Most of the gifts under the tree are his. We brought him to the mall to see Santa but he got scared and cried when it was our turn to sit with him. Oh, well ... maybe next year.

A few weeks ago, we got a big dump of snow and we brought him outside so he could experience his first taste of snow. He was a bit unsure at first but he got used to it and is now comfortable playing in the snow. He has his sled, his snow boots and his snow suit all ready for when we go to Durango after Christmas.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we specially thank God for Ben and we are grateful to you all for your prayers and support. To our parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and our old friends, thank you for welcoming Ben into your hearts. It means so much to us.

We also remember the little angels who went home with their forever families this year.

Anna Bennett
Chloe Davis Link
Liberti Hughes Link
Laney Lewis Link
Malone Peterson
LiErh Wheeler Link
Faith Workman Link

The list above is only a partial list. There are lots more. We also remember our friends in the AdoptTaiwan yahoo group - those who've been in the journey before and who've given us so much support. We also remember those still waiting to bring their angels home, we hope that 'Gotcha Day' comes very soon.

We wish you and your families a very MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Love,

Matt, May and Ben

The Three Little B's (Booboo, Bambam and Ben)

2007-11-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of Lauren (Booboo), Jackson (Bambam) and Ben. These were taken during our visit to Toronto last Nov 16-19.

There are so many we want to share with you so we put the rest in this slide show.

Ben's First Haircut

2007-11-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Ben's hair is fine and there's really not a lot, yet. However, the hair at the back is getting longer so we figured it was time for his first haircut.

We timed it so he can go to Melonhead in Toronto, Canada. His cousins Lauren and Jackson had their first haircut there so we knew they were good with toddlers.

He sat at the Thomas The Engine chair and was cool about the whole thing. He didn't like the razor, though and protested and started to cry. Overall, though, he did very well. We were so proud of him. As you can see Matt was videotaping it and I was taking the pictures.

After that, he got a sucker for a treat and was able to ride the other chairs they have. He was also given a certificate of his first haircut with a lock of his hair saved for posterity.

1st Halloween

2007-11-03T05:10:00.000-06:00

Ben survived his first Halloween! For a first-timer, he did very well. After 1-2 houses, he really got into it. He figured out that he had to get some of the candies being offered and he knew that he had to put it in his pumpkin basket.

We think he really had a nice time lining up with the rest of the neighborhood kids as they waited for their turn to get their goodies.

It was a bit chilly Halloween night and quite tiring for him so to cap the day, we went to Starbucks to chill.

Hope you all had a good Halloween. Until next year!

Fall Festival at Ben's School

2007-11-03T04:43:00.000-06:00

As part of their fundraising efforts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and in celebration of the fall season, La Petite Academy had a week-long activity at the school. Monday was Crazy Hair Day, Tuesday was Crazy Sock Day, then Crazy Hat Day for Wednesday and Crazy PJ Day on Thursday. Friday was the open house/halloween party.

Here are the pictures from the Halloween party.

Lots of Fun at the Farm

2007-11-01T12:34:00.000-06:00

There were lots of activities available to kids young and old at the Pumpkin Patch. There was the hayride and then the farm animal petting area. There was also the miniature maze and the slides. Then there was the cow ride and the corn kernel box.

Here are the pictures!

Ben Picks a Pumpkin

2007-11-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

Faces of Ben

2007-10-08T22:03:00.000-06:00

Here are some close-ups of Ben. I've been taking so many pictures of him that I think he has become comfortable with the camera. Camera-shy, he is definitely not.

The first few slides show him trying several shades that we got for him. I had a nice time taking pictures but he totally hates all of them. He doesn't want anything on his face.

The next slides show his messy face after eating pancakes. Matt made chocolate-chip with blueberry pancakes and Ben ate it with gusto.

Again, another batch of pictures taken while he was eating his breakfast. He loves the Honey-nut cheerios and can actually finish a whole banana. It took a while for him to get used to the sippy cup but once he learned how to use it, he loved it.

I'll be sure to post more close-up shots of him in the future.

Ben Goes To School

2007-10-07T07:50:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures and video of Ben taken at school.
I bring him to the daycare center everyday before I start work and Matt picks him up on the way home.

Welcome to our Blog!

2007-10-07T07:30:00.001-06:00

Hello everybody!

Wishing all of you are doing well.

Our subscription to our adoption blog is expiring soon so that is why we created this blog. We are new to this so please bear with us as we navigate thru this.

Cheers!
Matt, May and Ben