Happy Holidays

This is a post that goes ON and ON....

I'm late.....I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season and had a very Merry Christmas!!!! It's so hard to believe that this time last year I hadnt even seen my daughters face yet and here she is now in my house sound asleep in her bed. It feels like I have held her in my arms forever but yet this was my first Christmas being a MOMMY and Channing's first Christmas (she says she never had Christmas in China). With all going on this Christmas she still got the feel of all of it.......sitting on Santa's knee, shopping, wrapping presents, eating all the goodies, singing Christmas carols, wearing the pretty dresses, opening presents, eating a Christmas dinner and spending time with family & friends.

The start of December wasn't great for our family as my Grandma was diagnosed with having Cancer. It was a complete shock, and has been tough on all of us. My Grandma is in the hospital and wont be going home. My mom has been with her everyday and that too is tough having her away from home (my grandma lives 2 hours away). Sooo.....with having my mom away we as a family decided that we would have our Christmas later once mom is able to be home with us.

On Dec 21st we had a mini-Christmas with my dad before he left to be with my grandma and mom... we ordered supper in and we let the kids open a few presents (took lots of pictures for my mom). They had a BLAST and Channing had no problems keeping up with Hunter. Even though she still has a load of presents under the tree she has received a load already from other family & friends.

My girl!!

So happy wearing her "pretty dress"

Brogan

Channing and her Gong Gong

Ready to open presents
(Hunter, Brogan and Channing)
The FUN begins

Then the next day we had a visit from my cousin Lori and her daughter. The girls opened gifts from eachother and played.

Channing and her new hoodie that she LOVES
(Thanks Auntie Linda & Uncle Greig)

On Christmas Eve we went and spent it with my friends...the Waldo's and Chow's. It was a wonderful time and they are all like family. After we got home I let Channing open a few presents from some of our friends we traveled with to China.

Then on Christmas Day someone got up out of bed so fast and ran to look too see if Santa came. "Mommy Santa came".......

"How did Santa know I like BUBBLE GUM???"

Once we were done with the Santa gifts we got ready and drove (on crappy, icy highways) up to my Grandma and Grandpa's. My friend Kelly is right!! She said "this will be a tough Christmas for us but will be the best". It was the BEST!!! Having my daughter with me, my family and also my Grandma got to leave the hospital and come home for a few hours to be with all of us. She looked amazing and had a wonderful time.

My Grandma, Hunter, Channing, Brogan and my Grandpa
(also my cousin Kaylee in the background)

Me and my beautiful daughter!!!

Some FUN out on the sleds
(my cousins daughter driving...NOTE: she drove into a snowbank)

Channing having a hoot!!!

Next driver....HUNTER drove into my brothers sled!!Channing and her Great Grandma
(Grandma was one of my BIGGEST fans with my adoption. I'm just soooo blessed that she has gotten to meet Channing and spend time with her)

Three generations.....missing was my mom who was lost in the kitchen!!!

Stayed tuned for our Family Christmas pictures in the New Year!!! Thanks to all of you for a wonderful year of "bloggy" friendships. I hope to get back to posting FULL TIME again real soon!! For those of you home with your children, I hope you had a magical Christmas. For those of you still waiting, dreams do come true!!! And to my family & friends.....thanks for all your LOVE & SUPPORT this past year.

Misc

Just a few pictures from a few weeks ago. I forgot to post this when I did the Christmas pictures.

All is good around here. We have had a very cold spell this past week which consisted of a lot of snow, wind and COLD temperatures (-30 below)!!! Monday I head back to work full time.....Channing seems to be OK with the idea, and hopefully she wont regress any!! I had her 1st parent teacher interviews this week and she is doing AMAZING in school. The teachers really, really enjoy her and are just amazed as everyone else at how fast she learnt English and adjusted to everything.

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Channing and her friend Quinn

Channing at my friends house

Sammy and Debbie (this is Channing's afternoon babysitter once I'm back to work)....my best friend since I was 4 years old!!!!

Bestest cousins.......Hunter & Channing

Channing helping Hunter get his shoes on!!