Merry Christmas . . .

Or is it Happy Halloween. Josie keeps running around saying Happy Halloween to people and then we remind her it is Merry Christmas and she says, Merry Christmas. Too Funny!

It's been a busy week and we have so much more to come-- our family gathering later today, cleaning-up and packing away all the decorations tomorrow and packing for China-- leaving bright and early New Year's Day!

Here is Josie dressed for Church Christmas Eve. She is holding her Dress Me doll that she received from Great Grandma earlier in the week. After all the Christmas Present Hoopla yesterday, it has been deemed one of her favorite toys.

We visited Great Grandma earlier in the week. It was a nice visit with her.

Yesterday was full with all the splendor and fun that Christmas always brings to the young and the young at heart. Here is our day in a few snapshots:

The night before Christmas and all through the house. . .

Wim and I were up at about 5:00 am. Xavier was the first of the kids awake at a more reasonable time.

After Josie woke-up, Xavier went and woke-up Gabrielle

Josie had already discovered her puppy and felt board that I made for her.

The kids decided to dive into their stockings first, or as Josie calls them-- the boots.

Then the frenzy of presents began!

Josie playing with the Dora Castle

Xavier most delighted with an Xbox!

Josie giving me my present from her, Chocolate!

Gabrielle giving Wim his presents from her and Xavier (Xavier was in the other room hooking-up his Xbox).

Time for Christmas Breakfast!

Everyone was feeling good and a bit silly!

Time for more presents!

Joise feeding her Baby Panda.

Gabrielle and Xavier playing a new Wii game.

Josie opening her present from Ye Ye!

She loves it and gave it a hug first thing!

Josie opeing her present from Grandpa and Grandma Shaw

It was a big hit with everyone!

"My HOUSE!"

"Where tunnel go?"

Gabrielle crawling through the tunnel.

Big enough for Josie, baby panda, Gabrielle and Phoebe!

HOURS later . . .  after nap, after bath, after dinner . . . still opeing presents!

And there are more coming today!!!!

I think we are going to have to add on to our house!

Winter Wonderland

We have purchased our airline tickets to China, leaving New Year's Day-- YIPPEEE!!

Never mind that between now and then we have Christmas on top of all the packing we need to do.

OH BOY!

If that isn't enough, we also get to have a GREAT BIG BLIZZARD!

Wim, Josie and I manage to do the last of the little bit of shopping we had to do yesterday-- not only are we done with shopping but all our presents are wrapped and ready to go.

The storm is dieing down and Wim is going to venture out to do the grocery shopping which will also include, shopping for Christmas breakfasts, dinner, and brunches plus a few goodies to pack for our trip.

HAVE FUN SWEETIE!!!

I have one of our three pieces of checked luggage packed-- clothes for Clara Rose, diapers (regular and swimming), toys etc.  I have pulled out some clothes for me, but am waiting to pack them. I pretty much know what I want to take for Josie and will wait to pack those as well. Suffice it to say, that this time, we are not AS stressed and freaked about packing as we were when we adopted Josie.

Here are a few pictures of Josie playing in her Winter Wonderland.

"Wat Happen to ard?"  "Phoebe do it?"

"Dis is SILLY!"

"Wook at me! I wimming!"

"Dis is FUN!"

Earlier in the week, Gabrielle and Xavier had their school concerts. Josie and I  didn't go. The performances were later in the evening, plus we never know what mood Josie might decide to be in-- the last few attempts at church haven't gone well.  Wim forgot the camera for Xavier's concert but remembered and got a few somewhat discernable shots from Gabrielle's concert.  In the picture below, Gabrielle is in a black shirt directly up from the male instructor's head.

Here she is front and center, but a little fuzzy.

The weekend prior we all had fun making Christmas cookies.

Josie also had a great time making crafts at the YMCA Santa's Workshop last weekend. When we went last year it took her until almost the end to relax and really enjoy herself. She is now very familair with the YMCA and jumped right in to all the different activities. I was very proud of her saying please and thank you to the folks running each of the stations.

"Merry Christmas Everybody!!!"

Consulate Appointment

Our appointment with the US Consulate in Guangzhou China is confirmed for January 12, 2010!

We will be making our travel arrangements later today and getting our itenerary.

I pirated this Santa picture of Josie and her friends and the mom's from Michelle's blog.

Travel Approval!!!!

Our agency just called a little while ago-- we got our Travel Approval!!!!


They will try to get the Consulate appointment for the 12th/13th-- we would leave on the 1st!

If they can't get these dates the next available date for the consulate appointment is the 19th.

Fingers crossed!!!!

They have 10 families who will be ready to travel at this time-- so we will be with a big group like we were when we traveled to adopt Josie-- at least for the second half of our trip.

What a way to kick off the New Year!

We are super excited!!!!!

Fast Take Picture Catch Up

We've been pretty busy at the Shaw-Chase home and in all our busy-ness we managed to lose our camera, yet again. For those not familiar, Wim and I have been unable to keep a functioning camera for much more than a year. Actually, I was getting attached to our last camera as I think we did manage to hold onto for about a year!  We have been married a little over 5-years and are now on our 4th camera.

In anticipation that we will be traveling to bring home Clara Rose shortly after Christmas, we are going light on the decorations this year. The day after Thanksgiving, we got our tree and put it up with the usual fan-fare and grumblings over the lights.

True to the Holiday Sprit was a very happy Gabrielle who is almost bigger than the tree we got, which is much smaller than we usually get.

Josie was very excited to dump out the decorations-- am I glad I didn't unpack the "Good Ones" this year!

Wim and Xavier topped off the tree later in the evening.

Of course, Josie wanted to imitate her Guh Guh.

Time for some holiday tunes courtesy of our in-house rockers.

The next day we went to visit an Alpaca Farm and all the kids had fun hanging out with these crazy looking animals that like to "blow kisses" at people from not quite far enough away.

There was a small obstacle course and the kids were able to take turns walking an alpaca through the course. Gabrielle helped Josie's friend Angeline walk and alpaca.

Josie was a little apprehensive, but after watching Angeline, she asked her Guh Guh to help her. Xavier acted like he wasn't that interested, but we all know he had a good time.

In case you can't quite see it, She is one happy little Dong Dong walking the alpaca around

What's not to smile at? Did I mention they like to "blow kisses" at the crowd?

The following weekend one of Josie's friends invited to have breakfast with her and Santa.

"MMmmmm. This good food!"

"Josie, look hind you!"

"Wat dat? Who dat?"

"HO HO Ho!"

"I'm a perfect little angle"

Josie still prefers to admire Santa from afar, although she did give him a couple of high fives.

In addition to Santa, the fire dog was also making rounds. Josie enjoyed watching her very brave friend Grace play with the fire dog.

Moving along with our Holiday Spirit and Christmas cheer-- Josie kept asking me if we could make a gingerbread house. Everytime she would see a kit in a store she would ask to make it. So, I broke down and got one of the kits. After a bit of frustration, my advice to others embarking upon such a project-- look it over and figure out how YOU would put it together and don't pay attention to the directions.

"Look at me! I make a candy-pop house!"

"Mmmm, I want to eat dis. Mommy, I eat dis?"

"This is very serious work."

"Quick! Mommy's not looking! Oooops! Did she take a picture?"

"Look at my candy-pop house!"

Even the cat was interested in the candy-pop house-- and she isn't too interested in most things.

Lastly, Josie and I are talking more and more about Clara Rose. Josie is helping me re-organize their room so Clara Rose has space for her things as well.

"Dis is Wose's cwib."

Josie still says, "No Wose." sometimes. She also tells me that "Wose" will not be sleeping in the new cwib because she is going to, "sweep next to Josie in Josie's cwib."

Super Close

This is just a quick update-- all of our adoption paperwork is now signed by nearly all the governing powers and is at the CCAA-- chinese agency in charge of adoptions. The CCAA can now issue us approval to travel to China and our appointment at the US Consulate office in China can be made.

For those not familiar-- this is the final step in the paperwork that will allow us to actually board a plane to China. Well, I guess we could still board the plane, but the getting off of it part might not happen.
:-D

Our agency believes we will be able to fly out on January 1st or 2nd.

I'll try to get some pictures of our tree trimming up in the next few days. We are swamped with holiday planning and my sewing machine is giving me a hard time. So close and yet so far away with this quilt!

Happy Holidays!

The Big Finale!

Josie's birthday week ended with a big Kid's Gym Party at the YMCA. There were lots of fun activities including a rope swing onto squichy matts, a maze of tunnels and slides, a floor to celing rope wall and more squish matts, scooter things, a bounce house and of cours yummy cake, lots of presents and many of Josie's families not to mention ALL her cousins!

First order of busines, was checking out all the fun things to do and welcoming her guests as they arrived.

"I feel Happy!"

Having a hopping good time in the bounce house with cousins Nate and Emily.

Big cousin Abbie swinging around showing off for her little brother and her Dad.

Cousin Emily tooling through the maze.

Josie's friend Angeline chatting it up with Gabrielle.

Josie's friend Kai checking out all the activities.

Big Sis Gabrielle being silly.

After everyone enjoyed some playtime, it was time for Birthday cake!

By the end of the week, this was Josie's third (yes THIRD!) birthday party and she had the routine down, but still welcomed some help from her big Cousin Abbie to blow out the candles.

Everybody was all smiles when the cake was served.

Josie's friend Grace chowing down.

Little Cousin Emily was overcome with all the fun.

Next on the agenda-- PRESENTS! Oh boy! Did Josie get a lot of presents! I don't know that there is much left for Santa to bring her for Christmas!

After eating the cake and ripping through the presents, it was time for one more last blast through all the Kid Gym activities and this crowd was wasting a second! They meant business!

Josie's friend Miles holding on for dear life in the bounce house.

Look at those pigtails fly!

Josie's friend Callie crawling through the maze.

Cousin Nate in the bounce house.

I think he only came out long enough to eat a piece of birthday cake.

Josie helping her friend Angeline's Dad roll her (Angeline) in the cushy barrel.

Josie was quick to dive into her presents as soon as we got home. The top of the list, a remote controlled My Little Pony Scooter.

Josie and Gabrielle making 'pizza' with a toy from Me-ma-- another big fave!

Josie got too many toys to get through in one night. So she was hot on them first thing the next morning. Here she is playing a fishing game with Gabrielle and Wim.

Don't let Wim tell you any big tales about his fishing-- this is as big as He got!

Time for some cool down playing with the todller laptop from Grace and her Mommy Michelle.

Thanks everybody for making Josie's Birthday Party so much fun!