Friday, June 26, 2009

Norah's heart

We had an appointment with speech therapy at 8:30, then we had three hours to kill in between that and Norah's appointment with the cardiologist. We knew Norah or her om and dad didn't wasn't to hang out at the hospital for three hours so we had packed a lunch to take to the river front park so Norah could play in the water fountain. Lori had to get her started by running throw the foutain with her but after that we had a time of it to get her to come eat lunch.
The cardiologist did all sorts of test and at the end of the day at 4:30 Norah was pronounced with a healthy heart, Concider her heart normal with no precautions. The cardiologist will see us once a year for the next two years for a checkup then release her from his care.
He said the surgeon in China did a wonderful job the patch on her heart and the scare look wonderful. Thanks LWB!


Photobucket

Photobucket


Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket


Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket





Sunday, June 21, 2009

fishing derby



We took Norah to a fishing derby for a fun free activity and in just 30 minets she had her limit of three cat fish, and we were headed home to get out of the sun, why dues it have to be so hot?









They gave her this water bottle and she wouldn't let it out of her site.





Saturday, June 20, 2009

Harvest time.

We have begone to get fresh vegetables from the garden I am, I harvested the onions a couple of weeks ago and we have been able to have snap beans with dinner. My garlic experiment paid off from 4 bulbs I got a the grocery store I was able to make about 50 bulbs, no vampires around our house. I set them out to dry in the sun for a little wile don't know if that is what you are supposed to do. I will have to find out how you are supposed to cure them so they will keep for a long time, any one know?






Thursday, June 18, 2009

Dora the Explorer gets hearing aids & Norah rocks the LWB Blog.

Norah had a surprise waiting for her when she got home yesterday. My Mom sent Norah a birthday gift for her fourth birthday. When Norah and I walked into the house and Norah saw Dora standing on the table she threw up her arms and ran to it. I helped her get it out of the box and signed to her that "Your doll looks a lot like you." Norah shook her hand yes with a smile on her face, then the smile turned into the look she gets when she is questioning something, and she pointed to her ears and then to Dora's ears.

Lori came in to help me give Dora a make over. With the help of a sharpie Dora got her first set of hearing aids.
It was very nice of my mom to send Norah presents. She is a busy woman that raised 5 kids then adopted two more boys after we all left home that are now Brandon's age.
Thanks MOM


Also Norah made the Love Without Boundaries blog. Love Without Boundaries did so much for our little girl, and my family owes them a great deal of credit for Norah's transition into our family. We can see in Norah that she was well loved and cared for by her LWB foster family and the team that worked with her in China. All of that starts with donations.
I never forget that there people out there who supported LWB through the years and gave me the chance to be a father again, to a child that has a way of brightening up not just my life, but the lives of everyone she comes in contact with. If you want to see the story on the LWB Blog click on the link here
http://lwbblog.com/?p=1959#more-1959




Thanks Nancy. I printed this off it will make a wonderful keepsake for our family!






Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The funny things kids do.

Lori and I were on the couch yesterday studying sign language. Norah was back playing in her room. Lori had a view of the hall back to Norah's room from where she was sitting. Lori all of a sudden told me to peak around the corner of the bath room. There my eyes fell upon Norah's hands "helping" her doll go to the bath room. When her doll was done Norah wiped her dolls butt, then had her doll flush the toilet. I was keeping back to where I could just barely see what was happening, I sat back down on the couch, and Lori said "wait for it".
In our house that is code for keep looking something funny is about to happen.
So I look back up down the hall just in time to see
Norah pop out of the bathroom, doll in hand, butt naked except for some purple socks, and go toddling back down the hall to her room doll in tow.
Never a dull moment with her.
Glen

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Annie heads back in China for anther summer

Photobucket
OK let me just say I am up set because this is the last shot I have of Annie, I forgot my camera when we went to see her one day at UCA , she had hers so we just shot photos with it but then she lost the chip, so no photos, then the morning I took her to the airport I had to be at UCA because, we had to lode all her things in my truck and clean up her dorm before she left for the summer. So we were so busy trying to get to the airport on time and last minuet packing that by the time we got to the airport I had to hand Annie her bag to run inside to check in before the plain left with out her. So this is the only shot I got.
Photos are like smells to me in the way they can bring back the memories of good times, so i am glad to have this one because it brings back so many thoughts of how much she has grown over the last two years & memories of that day, Me loading the car as Annie gathered her things, the fact that even though I left plenty of time to pack her up we still ended up rushing to the
airport, the fact that when I was loading Annie's suit case I new it was to heavy so I parked and went inside anticipating problems, her one suit case wade 80 pounds, so we had to unzip it take a few things out wight it again and again all the time the clock was ticking for her flight to leave. We finally managed to shave in down to 70 pounds and she had to pay a fee, and I was left there with a couple of bottles of perfume, some pants, books, and lotions, as she ran for her gate. That's classic Annie and we sure do miss her but know she is having a good time in China with her family and friends.
In just two short months she will be back for anther school year.
Annie filled a deep hole I had in my heart for the love of a daughter during the years we waited for Norah. So now it is like I have a son & two daughters one almost grown and one I just met.
Glen
Photobucket

Monday, June 08, 2009

The sand box

Norah loves to play in the gravel pathways piling up the pebbles filling cups and bareing things in the rocks.
We Decided she needed a sand box so I got the old umbrella out from behind the shed that we use when we working on one spot in the yard and don't want the sun on us. I had found a sand bucket kit at a yard sale for a buck, that Norah has been dyeing to get into.
So a quick trip to the home depot and we were under construction.


Still playing in the rocks.

Always a big help.





Trip to the home depot wood, sand, pipe, and plastic $32.00
put a smile on your child's face and avoid skin cancer...priceless!
Glen







Sunday, June 07, 2009

I am working on my blog layout.

I am going to be working on my blog layout in the HTML templet to make it bigger, hopfuly I don't crash it.
Glen
Anyone know how to get rid of the line? I have to leave for a little wile but I will be working on it again, if you know where I need to look in the code please let me know.
Thanks Glen
Yes Jaime I need help, I still can't get rid of the line, I am running the rounders3 and cant find the pice if code I need to remove or change to get rid of it.
Thanks Glen

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Long hair, Hammer pants, fishing, and Heifer International

Photobucket
Why can't my dad get me out of the house just one morning with out toothpaste residue on my face. I mean sure I fight him like the world is coming to an end when it comes to brushing my teeth in the morning but still how hard could it be.

Oh and one more thing, if you are thinking about buying a sweet set of MC Hammer pants that I heard were on their way back in, please don't. "Hammer time" was fun but should not be repeated EVER.

Ha ha

The big fishing derby is next weekend so I took Norah fishing for the first time this week to give her an idea of what to expect. I had found her a fishing pole at a yard sale for $2.00, she loved it. She caught two catfish that we put in our pond in the backyard.


This weekend we also went to the grand opening of the new Heifer International compound in Little Rock to their family day. They put on a pretty good time for the kids.







This alpaca has a Tina Turner hairdo if I ever saw one.







While we were at the Heifer party I noticed quite a few families with the same make up as ours. I even had one lady come up to me and say how pretty Norah is and that we had her and her friend cracking up at the River Fest a couple of weeks ago when we were playing in the fountain. Norah and I were so into the moment playing in the fountain that we didn't even see them.
Glen

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

It's not even summer yet.




Stopping Norah from showing everyone her Girl.



Yesterday it was over 90 so I setup the sprinkler for the first time I put Norah in her water melon swim suite. took her hearing aids out and she was ready for some fun. I turned the water on and you can tell by the look on her face the wheels are turning in her head, her first thought must have been OK it's an out door shower, and her second one was you have to take your close off for a shower. These two photos were taken two seconds apart, that's all I could shoot before she had herself pantstd and was going for the top. She did the same thing at river fest but I was by her so I was able to get her to keep her shorts on.

She has a real thing about having wet close on. It worked wonders for us in China when we wanted to give her a bath that first day. She was in many layers of close and would not take any of them off, and told us in her own way hell would freeze over before she got in that tub.

Lori being the diabolical genius she is put some toys in the tub for Norah to play with, and as Norah got a lair of clouse wet she wanted them off. before she new what happened she was in the tub playing happily.

OK so she just out smarted four year old maybe that doesn't make you a diabolical genius, but it did make that first bath time easy and stress free for all of us.
Glen