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Thankful Thursday

Today I am Thankful for the photos that are in the post. No parents have been allowed to visit the Suichuan Social Welfare Institute (SWI) that Nadia was from until last month. Two fathers were able to arrange it with an in-country guide and one took photos and posted them to our yahoo group. What a blessing! I have so badly wanted to see where Nadia spent the first 8 months of her life and now we have a view into it.

The dad said that the city is cut in half by a river and that the SWI was located right in the middle of an industrial area. So with the windows open the fumes and smoke just blew right into the babies room. Mike and I think this would explain the high lead levels that so many of the Suichuan babies have upon being tested in America. He also said that the nannies obviously loved the babies and called them all by name, but it’s just overwhelming for 1 or 2 women to be responsible for 10 infants. It’s just wonderful to have these photos to be able to show Nadia.

Click the photo below to see the slide show he put up for the other parents.

Suichuan SWI
Suichuan SWI (click to see album)

Here is the floor the babies are on.

Children's floor

Here is a sample room.

crib

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I totally forgot!

I totally forgot to say in the Father’s Day post – THANK YOU to Catherinethegreat for sending the chocolate for Mike. We can’t get this certain type in our area and she sent 4 bars to us. I stashed them until Father’s Day – I can’t believe I was able to hold on to them for a month! YUMMY!!

Thanks again CTG!

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13 years today

Mike and I have been married 13 years today.

Top quotes from that day back in 1995:

  • “Oh, you needed those CDs?”
  • “Get those poodles away from my dress!”
  • “What’s that lady going to do to me?
  • “Save us a piece of the grooms cake.” (they didn’t by the way, so we didn’t get any cake. HA HA)

Some of my favorite moments included the few minutes Mike and I had in the sanctuary together before the guests arrived. Also, just before the doors opened for me to enter for the ceremony, my dad said, “Hold on!” and he proceeded to fix the train of my dress. It was a wonderful day with people attending from all over the place. We had our share of entertaining stories, but no major upsets.

I love our life and am so blessed to have the husband that I do. Here are my 2 favorite photos from our wedding day.

Wedding Day

Cutting Cake

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Happy Father’s Day!

Father's Day Weekend
Father's Day Weekend (click to see album)

Last year on Father’s Day we had Nadia’s photo, but were still waiting for travel approval. I bought Mike a Father’s Day card and wrote the following inside, “Daddy, I can’t wait to hug you. Love Nadia.” And boy does our sweet child love her Dada! When he gets home from work in the evening she stops what she is doing to run to the door screaming, “Dada!!!” Then as she gets close she usually says, “Shoulder” and once she is on his shoulders she says, “Nana.” Which means take me to the mirror. It’s their cute little daily routine and I get the biggest kick out of how excited she gets to see her Dad.

Mike you are the best dad ever just like you are the best husband ever! We love you!

Here is what Nadia got her Dada.

Present

On Saturday we took the little boy I mentor to the CATS baseball game. We had a great time and Nadia found everything interesting as always. A’Jani got a baseball which was cool. The guy in front of us was getting all the balls from the players and then handing them out to the kids. It was really cute! Here are Nadia and Mike with the CAT.

With the CAT

CATS game

Happy Father’s Day to all the new fathers we know! Now I am going to go back to eating my Frosty. *it’s for the kids*