"So when did you get her?"...and more Florida pictures....

Not long ago I was talking to someone and during the discussion they said "So I heard that you adopted a little girl from China." to which I replied "Yes, her name is Clarissa and she is a wonderful little girl." to which the person replied "So when did you get her?".

At the time the wording of the question felt a bit weird, but I didn't really say anything...I just answered it and moved on.

Thinking about it, it actually wasn't the first time I have heard the question asked that way, but for some reason it stuck in my mind this time. I have to admit it bugs me. I am sure that it was not at all meant that way, but it leaves me with the feeling of it being similar to getting a new car. "Hey, what a beauty!!! Those rims are awesome!!! Look at all the lights on the dash!!! That colour of paint is amazing! When did you get her????"

Now, I will be the first to admit that I don't know what the best..or proper..wording is to use, but I usually go with something like "We first met her...." or "She first came home with us....".

Anyhow, I guess that my point is please don't ask me when I "got" her.

In the end though, all that really matters is we are blessed with the most wonderful, smart, beautiful, special little girl.

We went to the sugar bush and Clarissa loved it!





She loooooved her first taste of maple taffy!!!!





Hey, I never got to posting more Florida pictures....and now I am going to bed....oh well take this for now and more later.....

Back from some quality time with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the gang...

We are back from 12 great days in Orlando! We rented a house that was nice a close to the Disney parks....and many golf courses! Some golf, some Mickey, and lots of sunshine made for a great vacation.

Clarissa was very quiet on the plane....


She really enjoyed visiting the parks.....


and especially seeing her friends.....







As most of you in the IA community know any significant change in routine and surroundings for our children can present some problems, but she did very well throughout the whole trip. We have seen some signs since returning home, but it is difficult to tell whether it is attachment related or just that she still isn't feeling great (more on Clarissa and Daddy's visit to the doctor while in Orlando later). Hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

Anyhow, I have more to say and more pictures to share, but I am tired....I will try to write more tomorrow.

Happy Chinese New Year (belated of course)!

Yep...as usual....I'm late!!! But Happy Chinese New Year to you!!!! We had a busy week. Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner on Thursday (well technically today is Thursday...so it was last Thursday...), on Saturday we had the annual Red Team Chinese New Year party at Will's place. He cooked up a huge, excellent feast for the boys. Clarissa had a great time. I brought the camera...errrr....but I forgot to take pictures.

Ok update....it is now Saturday....got sidetracked on Thursday and never finished the post.

So....where was I???? Oh ya, Sunday was the FOI Chinese New Year party!!




Got a great chance to chat with Adrian!!!



I had plans to get a good picture of him and the kids....but...errrr....one thing led to another and the next thing I knew we were back in the van and I realized that I never took one. Next time.

Anyhow we had a great time. Adrian sent us this great picture that he took.


We built a great snowman!


Oh wait that's not the snowman......here is the snowman....


I have some other stuff to say, but I have some things to take care of right now...so I'll have to get to it later.

Lala la la lala la la.....

Yesterday Clarissa went to see one of her best pals.....

Well a whole bunch of her pals actually (but Elmo is her favourite)


Daddy's favourite Oscar was there too!



This was Clarissa's first show. We weren't quite sure what to expect, or how she would react, but she loved it. We got the front row seats with extra passes to meet Elmo and Grover and have pictures taken with them.


The show was pretty good



She could hardly take her eyes off the stage



Other than that things have been pretty quiet around here. Well....ok....things are never quiet around here...I just can't think of anything else to add right now...I am sure that there is lots of stuff to add, I am too tired now though. Maybe tomorrow.

100 Posts!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my 100th post on Clarissa's site!!! That is a whole lot of my ramblings. Before I go on about that let me share this....


So ya...100 posts. Hard to believe considering when I started this thing I wasn't hugely big on the whole concept. When I realized that I was reaching this milestone it got me going back to the very beginning of Clarissa's site (that's right I still don't like, and refuse to use the b word) reading all my ramblings and looking at all those pictures. It was a bit of a pain until I figured out that I had to use the archive menu on the left side to select 2009, then July, then click on the bottom link (Introducing Miss Clarissa....), and then once I read the post I clicked on "Newer Post" at the bottom to get to the next one. I am writing this so that I can refer to it the next time I want to read through it but don't remember how.

Anyhow, I went back to when we had just recieved our referral and first pictures of her. Through the prep for our trip to China. Following our priceless time there. Revisiting those first moments, hours, and days with our wonderful little girl. All the things that have gone on since we have been home....and watching her grow and change so much.

It was quite an emotional rollercoaster.(well not for me...because I am man, I no feel emotions, the only thing to make me cry is cutting onions....and even then I just pretend, I am man.) It was something to read some of those posts from when we were in China that I don't remember writing or reading before. Even so, when I read them now I remember feeling exactly the way that I wrote it, so I guess I was telling the truth.

The trip is kind of a blur, yet vividly clear at the same time. Do you know what I mean? Some of the clearest blurry memories of my whole life.

The whole thing also got me to pull out all of the 1500 or so pictures that I took while we were there and go through them. Again, some that I don't even remember taking. Some really awesome shots, not bad for a sleep deprived dude halfway across the world from home going through a life changing experience.

Anyhow, it got me to thinking about that day in Nanchang when the huge group of us made the life risking trek across the street from the hotel to the office where we went to meet our children.

Now, of course I have thought about that day before, but it was mostly thinking to myself things like: "Oh ya self, I remember walking across that super busy street with a big pile-o-cash in my pockets...or wait...maybe it was my money belt....
where basically the only rule of the road was don't get hit by any of these vehicles that are not following any rules of the road" or "Self, remember the big tv in the room that we were waiting in that someone kept putting the volume up full blast??? Oh ya self, I remember that!!! Wasn't that annoying self?? Yes, yes it was self!!".

But this time it was different. My memories were not focusing on remembering the details of what happened as much as the way I was feeling throughout the whole thing. That feeling that rushed through me as we all of a sudden heard a chorus of crying babies approaching the room and then the Nannies came filing in with the babies in their arms. Pretty much all of them crying away....then there was this tiny little face that I recognized. Kind of scared, but not crying like all the others. Looking around checking out what was going on. I said to myself "Self, there is Clarissa!!!!!!" "Self, there's our little girl!!!!" "Self, she is right over there in the same room with us!!!!!!" My whole body filled with this amazing feeling that didn't compare to anything I ever felt in my life other than that moment that I slipped the ring on Carolyn's finger and said to myself "Self, there is Carolyn!!!!!" "Self, there is my beautiful wife!!!" "Self, she is right here standing beside me!!!!" It was this amazing feeling of perfectness completeness and rightness. A feeling that words just can't adequately describe (even when I make them up).

Hmmmmm I had a point that I was getting to, but I rambled, got sidetracked, and now it is late and I forget. I will read this over tomorrow, but I am sure that it is unlikely that it will read as well as I had planned. I may have to try again later, cause it was going to be GOOD!

I think that I may start mixing in some of the China pictures that I didn't post before. How about this one...it's how we left the bed in our hotel room when we headed across the street to meet Clarissa. At least I don't think that I posted it before.


Oh well, I am tired.....off to bed I go!!!! Post 101 to come soon...

Oh ya.....Happy New Year to all!!!!

I had great plans for a New Years Eve post to give an update on all the festive preps that were going on around here and to wish you all a very, very Happy New Year! But........one thing led to another and.....well...here we are on January 4th. So from the "better late than never" file....Happy New Year from our family to you and yours!!!

Hmmmmm that sounds oddly familiar.....must be my imagination....

I don't have much time get into the details of all the fun.....and fits...going on around here.....but I couldn't wait to share these....





MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM OATMEAL!!!!!!!

Oh ya.....Merry Christmas to all!!!!

I had great plans for a pre-Christmas post to give an update on all the festive preps that were going on around here and to wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas! But........one thing led to another and.....well...here we are on December 27th. So from the "better late than never" file....Merry Christmas from our family to you and yours!!!

Aren't I lucky????


Soooooo where was I now??? Oh ya.....the Christmas tree...after cutting it down we brought it home and Clarissa helped to set it up and decorate it.




That was the first version...the one before we had to take everything off the tree and start from scratch and do it all again. Why would we do that you ask??? Because...that's why ;-)

Anyhow, here is our Christmas tree version 2.0.



Something nice that we brought back from China....


Nice yes....but not even remotely as nice as...


The three of us are having a wonderful holiday so far and we're looking more family time since I am home all week.

We were happy to have Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Don, Uncle Richard, and Aunt Frankie over for Christmas dinner.


Clarissa loves her Thomas the train set....


Uncle Joey came to visit on Boxing Day.....



Oh ya....I promised Jim that I would post a picture of Clarissa's artwork that she did a while back, but I kept forgetting to do it....until now.


Isn't she good??????

Well that's it for now....more soon.

I started with my girls....I think it's only right to end with them.