The dead of winter in Wisconsin

Winter in Wisconsin...what can I say...I am NOT a fan!!  Lots of snow and cold and I hope this month goes fast.  It will as we celebrate both mine and Robbie's Birthday's as well as the one year anniversary of Gotcha Day for Robbie!!

Makenna didn't have school on Jan. 18th so my Mom and I took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells for an overnight stay and 2 days enjoying their water park. It's always 80 inside!!
Makenna is now big enough to ride some the bigger slides with me, that she really enjoyed. Robbie was not so sure about the whole thing. They had the kids wear life vests and he was not a fan of that at all. He went down 1 slide and then was happier to be in the little kids area, where he didn't have to wear the life vest. All in all it was a good trip and the kids really enjoyed it. We also met another adoptive family who had twins from Guatemala and a son from Korea that was just a bit older than Robbie.

Ready to enjoy the water park!

Makenna & Violet

In the lobby after the bedtime story

Snack time in the water park

Yes I am eating a cookie

Bring on the noodles!

Derek had a Birthday last month and his Mom flew home from Texas and we had our family Christmas with her. She picked the coldest week of the year to come back to WI. She did make it back to Texas after a slight weather delay in and having to spend more than 24 hours in Minneapolis. We have had a lot more cold and snow this year than we had last year.

I love Mickey & Minnie

Robbie is doing so good! He is growing and talking more everyday. He is so funny and he knows it!
He is a very good eater and loves to have soup! I think it's so strange that a child that is not even 2 askes to have soup for lunch and eats it all up! He is in love with Mickey and Minnie, as his sister was at this age. So we are planning a Mickey themed Birthday Party for him when he turns 2 later this month.Makenna had a Mickey & Minnie party when she turned 2!

As we approach the one year mark of us traveling to China to bring him home my mind travels back to last February when we were scrambling to get things in order for us to travel. All the waiting and waiting and paperwork that we had to do were finally going to generate the addition to our family that we had waited so long for!

Funny Robbie Story:
  During the supper bowl, which we watched but because the Packers weren't in it we were just watching because it's what you do, there was a commercial for Hardee's that I am sure you all saw. With the lovely model in her bikini eating a fish sandwich.  So as I am sure Derek was watching the model, Robbie was on the couch watching the food! All of a sudden he says really loud "Cheeseburger!" Derek says laughing "Your watching that and all you can think about is the cheeseburger!" Robbie looks at him and says "French Fries too!"  We were all laughing and I thought for sure Derek was going to fall off the couch! What a difference a few years in age makes!!

Makenna started swim lessons the end of January and lost her 2nd tooth. This time the tooth fairy brought her 6 quarters "because she is six" She was so happy!

Today the sun is shining and Derek is taking me out tonight for my Birthday!  Maybe I'll survive this winter yet.