My daughter's blog .

Yes , my daughter Hannah wanted me to tell you about her blog . Her blogger address is www.webkinzdiva.blogspot.com . She hopes you enjoy it !

Our First Visit with Meredith

The kids and I headed to Jacksonville, FL on Friday to visit my sister, her husband, and my new niece, Meredith Olivia. She is delicious! We had so much fun holding her, feeding her, and playing with her...and she loved her cousins, Hannah and Zach.

What a great weekend!

Ethiopian Plans

Okay, I haven't written anything "official" about this yet because we were still considering and planning, but we are going to begin the official process of adopting our son from Ethiopia soon. Right now, we're still researching agencies. I did send in my application to one, but I am not satisfied with the medical screenings and service I have heard they provide.

Today, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant and met other families either in the process of adopting from Ethiopia or have completed the Ethiopian adoption process. Everyone was so warm and friendly. We received some wonderful advice, listened to great stories, and ate Ethiopian food for the first time....Well, most of us did; Hannah had tiramisu. I had the vegetarian platter, Tim had lamb, and Zach had shrimp. There are no utensils to eat with; you simply eat with your hands. You scoop up the food with sponge-like bread. It was good! Zach and I really enjoyed ours, but Tim did not. When the waitress saw that Tim was not eating his, she immediately took it off of the bill even though he told her he simply was not hungry.

We're looking forward to another branch of our life journey....Mind you, we're not giving up our China adoption plans....We're just branching out in another direction for the time being.

It's Been a While....

I know I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm not exactly sure why, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to be a better blogger. The following will catch you up on what's been happening these past couple of months:

1. Thanksgiving in Jacksonville - Tim, the kids, and I met my sister and her husband in Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. The kids and I left the Sunday before, my grandma and mom came that Tues., and Tim flew in on Wed. Needless to say, my sister's house was crowded for a while, but we had lots of fun! She was eight months pregnant then, so eating was definitely on the agenda. As soon as blogger lets me post some photos, I will post some of her shower. (It's not letting me post pictures tonight.)

2. Chanukah - Tim, the kids, and I had a great time celebrating Chanukah this year. We made latkas the first night, and the kids received a present each night.

3. Zach's High Blue Belt - Zach earned his high blue belt in Dec. He's now half-way to earning his black belt.

4. The Birth of Meredith Olivia Bauries - My beautiful niece, Meredith, was born on December 22 in the early morning. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. and both mom and baby were fine. Meredith is a great eater, and at 2 weeks old is already almost 9 lbs.

5. Christmas - We celebrated Christmas with the whole Watkins' clan on Sunday, Dec. 23. Mom and Dad Watkins stayed with us through Christmas. The highlight (other than just being together) was the Wii. I think Tim and I had as much fun playing the Wii as the kids did. Dance, Dance Revolution is definitely my favorite.

6. New Years - We had our traditional New Year's dinner at Blue Willow Inn with the Watkins' clan. There is just something about going there when it's decorated for the holidays; it's just beautiful. We spent time investigating each room and evaluating the decor; then, of course, we spent time in the gift shop. After, Tim, the kids, and I just came home and watched the ball/peach drop for New Years. (Hannah made it; Zach did not.) It was just nice to have a quiet evening with family.

You are now officially caught up! (I'll post more if I missed something.) Right now, Tim's in the midst of basketball season, the kids are doing karate (Zach) and art (Hannah), and I'm working away.