Zaina's Actual 2nd birthday

it is our girls 2nd bday...we went to dimsum in chinatown, went for a walk, got starbucks, went to the park, and had ice cream.  then we went home and I made 40 cupcakes as "to go" gifts for the peeps coming to her bday bash on saturday.

her first bday she was still in china...we had sent a HUGE cake and gifts to her at her orphanage and have pics of her enjoying it there, while the 3 of us went to a chinese restaurant in Oregon and took a princess cake and celebrated as well.  

Saturday is her big party...cant wait...should be crazy.

vacation to disney

where to begin....it was great!!! we DROVE 12 hours from Portland to San Francisco, stayed in SF 2 nights, enjoyed cable cars, china town, dimsum, the Pier, Fisherman's Warf, etc, etc,. shopping.  The kids loved it.  

Then we drove 6 hours to L.A., did the whole Beverly Hills thing, went to Santa Monica Beach twice, walked to boardwalk from Venice Beach to Santa Monica Beach and back (6 to 7 miles round trip) with the kids in the stroller. FUN FUN.

We caught a L.A. Dodgers versus Anaheim Angeles baseball game. Shaun loved, Zaina not so much, she cant sit still...wiggle worm...she liked showing off how cute she is for all the peeps in the concession areas.

Then came disneyland, twice...two days...seperated by a day of recovery at LaJolla beach inbetween.  

Lots of fun, tiring, Zaina barfed 4 times due to car sickness...Shaun made himself barf once because he wanted to see what it felt like to put his finger in his throat...what?...ok, weird.

Totally priceless vacation.

1 YEAR REFERRAL ANNIVERSARY

Here is a before picture: 4-23-2008 (1st pic, before surgeries: 10 months old)

and after: 4-23-09 (dressed to impress, after 2 surgeries: 22 months old)

TODAY IS THE DAY WE FIRST SAW YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE!!! It is the day GWCA called shazia at 8:45a.m., I was on my way to work when I heard, we have a baby for you. I am never at a loss for words, and I was speechless!! Literally!!! I rushed to work, to get on the email system and check the email sent to me by Stephanie at GWCA, and there you were, GORGEOUS!!!

the kids at the parade

Here are some more pics.  go blazers!!!

Zaina loves to chant DEFENSE!!!!

portland trailblazers make the playoffs

our basketball team the portland trailblzers made the playoffs round 1 and mike and the kids went to the parade for them.  i had to work. GO BLAZERS!!!

with the family

kids growing fast. Zaina and shaun are best of buddies.  She loves to dress up prissy. plays with and is obsessed with her necklaces.  We had to get 2 jewelry boxes to accomodate all her necklace selection, she picks it out herself., honestly.

OMG!! she uses chopsticks

I don't know how she learned it, because she didn't know how to before this day, but we went to DimSum in chinatown while Shaun was at school Monday, and Zaina picked up a couple of chopsticks, and starting using them. She fed herself 5 bites using chopsticks of "rice balls" small peices of them, very well, then to show off, she switched to the other hand and at 6 more bites using chopsticks, perfectly!!!
Even the chinese waitresses were shocked!! The asked "how you teach her that" and we said "we didn't, she just figured it out". Wonder if it is an inate attribute, just kidding. It's because our little girl is SUPER SMART!!! Before you know it she'll be replicating and splicing DNA.