Fireworks

We decided to go watch fireworks on Friday, July 3rd instead of the 4th. Don and Janine, Grant, Blaire, Elaine, Brian, Diane, Sammie and even little Jacob joined Lauren and me. It was a fun night and made more fun by celebrating it with family. The kids all loved the fireworks and it was a nice night. Not to hot with a little breeze, that is perfect for an Arizona July evening.

Happy 6th Birthday!!!

Today was Lauren's 6th birthday. We celebrated it at a local resort. We went there Friday afternoon and spent the night and then stayed all day Saturday. Janine, Blaire, Elaine (and her friend Tiffany) and Grant joined us the whole time. Brian, Diane Sammie and Jacob came today and hung out in the water park area.

This resort has a great water area with a lazy river, a wave pool, slides and etc. At night they have a movie playing while you are swimming. It was hot both days but the kids didn't seem to mind at all . They kept going and going. Lauren is getting so big that she and her cousins would go off and I could relax. We all had a lot of fun. We are all a little sunburnt and very tired from such a long two days.

Lauren loved it and when we left tonight she started to cry. She told me she was so sad that we had to go home and that she wished we could stay there forever. I am glad she had fun. It was a great way to celebrate her birthday.

Lauren did ask me tonight as we were driving home if she will be 6 1/2 tomorrow. My little girl wants to grow up so fast.

HAPPY HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY LAUREN!!

Dance Recital

Today was Lauren's dance recital. This was Lauren's second year of dance lessons. She was like an old pro at the recital this year. She really likes the dance outfits and being on stage. She was in three dances, ballet, jazz and tap. Her favorite this year was the ballet dance and outfit.

It was a fun afternoon and it was made even more fun because her aunt Janine, cousin Elaine, aunt Diane and cousin Sammie came to watch her dances.

Lauren wants to take a break from dancing so we are not going to dance next year. She will still be doing cheerleading so she will still get to be on stage and perform. It will be nice to have our Saturdays back. It will the first time since she was two that we will not have some type of lesson on Saturday.

Lauren's Ballet outfit.

Jazz outfit.

Tap outfit.

5 years ago.

Five years ago today I received word that I was the mother of a little girl named, Qing Rong. That day changed my life and I am so happy that I am Qing Rong's mother. What a wonderful 5 years it has been.

During the wait for my referral I wondered what Lauren would look like. I never thought that I would have a little girl as beautiful as Lauren. I know that I am one very lucky mother.

This is the picture that I saw 5 years ago. I still can't believe that it has been 5 years.

New Member of our Family

Introducing, Princess Crystal.

Welcome to our family, Princess Crystal.

Today we got a new little kitty. Lauren named her Princess Crystal. She seems like a very sweet little girl. Lauren is so happy to have a new kitty.

Tigger, our old cat, ran away last week. I promised Lauren we would get a new one if he did not come home. I will confess that I am not sad that Tigger ran away. He was a very mean cat and if that behavior kept up I would have had to get rid of him. My siblings all said that I should get rid of him. He would attack us all the time. He would jump on us and bite us. There were a number of times that he jumped up on my little niece's head and bit her. He would hiss at us and when people came over we had to keep him away from them because he would hiss and attack. I kept thinking he would grow out of it but it got worse and worse. I had reached the point where I was going to take him to the pound. But he ran away. It is interesting but as mean as he was and as much as he bit and attacked Lauren she was so sad that he ran away. I thought he might come back but it has been about a week and he has not come back. I felt it was safe to get a new little kitten.

Princess Crystal is about 8 weeks old and so small. She is an interesting color. Lauren picked her out and did not want to look at any of the other ones. I kept telling Lauren to look at the other ones but she had made up her mine. Princess Crystal seems nice I hope she continues to be that way.

Hair Update #5

18 weeks after the accident

13 weeks after the accident

9 weeks after the accident.

6 weeks after the accident

3 weeks after the accident.

3 days after the accident

I think that we made some huge progress this past few weeks. The bald spot is now covered. It is still pretty thin but it is covered which makes things a bit easier. Now when I part it and the hair moves a little you can't see any of the scalp below. I think we are about half way to having it nice and thick once again. We are years from having it all once length and nice and long but we will get there.

It amazes me but it does not bother Lauren at all. We do ponytails, braids, pigtails and we try other things. She knows we have to do the side part but then we try other things. She is a good sport and she has been such a trooper through this whole thing. I keep thinking that when she is in junior high or high school she won't remember this at all. I will have to reminder her by showing her pictures. At the present time we are dealing with it and we doing a great job at it.

Birthday Party for Friends

Lauren's birthday is in June and so most of her school friends are gone for the summer. For the past few years we have had her party for her friends in late May. This year it only worked out to have the party after school got out. There were a few of her friends that had already left for the summer but there was still a enough to have a good time.

Last year Lauren had her party at Pump it Up and so I was surprised that she wanted to have it there once again. They all seemed to have a good time. Lauren loved it. We will celebrate her real birthday with family in June. I am just glad it is over for the year.