More Fun Pictures!

Adding a few more pictures reflecting what has been going on around our house these days! With is being so bitterly cold outside (teens!) lately, we've been stuck indoors. While I remember loving those days full of old movies, blankets and the couch, Jia doesn't love these kinds of days so much! So she loves to ride her bike around the house and create general chaos around here. We wouldn't have it any other way (the chaos, I mean)! Jia is so very wonderful but I've said that many times before. She is smart and clever and funny and beautiful. Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Holidays!

Hi all! We're fulling embracing the holiday spirit around here! We've made sugar cookies, ginger bread houses (not yet decorated but made from scratch by Jia's fabulous daddy) and have the house fully decorated! How do we find the energy? Your guess is as good as mine! Hah. But it's been a delightful several weeks leading up to Christmas. Jia is very excited for Santa to come. She is beginning to understand a bit about how cool Santa is to bring gifts each year. It's very hard for her because she feels the excitement all around but doesn't yet fully grasp it all. Everyone here is great. Cousin Duncan is visiting with his family in IL and she misses him but knows he'll be back soon! We're all ramped up and ready for the holiday! Hope you are all well and enjoying your time with family and friends.

Lazy Holiday

We had a lazy, lolly gagging, fabulous holiday at the Drum house this year. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my parents, Duncan, T's mom and brother and of course, the star, Jia. Food was fabulous and the company more than fabulous. Jia took her Papa's hand at the end of dinner in order to make him some coffee. Jia has a little toy coffee maker that she adores so she delighted in making her Grandpa some after dinner coffee and then proceeded to come get me (still at the table not having any wine (hah)) to explain that her Grandpa had "made a mess"! I'm including some pictures from around the house these days including what the guys in my house do - watch pumpkin chuckin' while I try to get a little down time! Happy Thanksgiving to all and love to all!

We're Still Here!

Each month seems to go by with increasing speed. I look up and it's November? Really? Everyone is doing really well here in Jia land. Jia is growing, both physically and developmentally, at warp speed. She is thriving at school and we can just about understand every word she says these days! And boy, does she say alot of words these days! She is kind, loving, empathetic, demanding, exasperating and everything we could possibly ask for in a beautiful, sweet 3 1/2 year old! I'm including some pictures of various events over the past months. We've had birthdays (mine and the dads), pumpkin picking, Halloween and the busy life that accompanies a 2 working parent household! Jia's cousin Duncan is living with us now as he has moved to VA to start work, school and this phase of life! We're very happy to have extended family among us and Jia loves having her "Duncan" around to play with, taunt, fuss at and adore! I hope all is well with everyone. Happy Fall!

Some More Vacation Pictures

I'm adding some more pictures over the next couple of posts depicting our adventures. These are pictures from the beach. We visited beautiful gardens (same gardens MY parents dragged us to many, many years ago and now look what has happened - I'm hooked! What seemed like torture then has turned into a life long love of gardening - go mom and dad!) Hope you enjoy.

Beach and Boat Fun

We had a great family vacation at Myrtle Beach this summer! Unfortunately Jia was sick for most of our trip and we even had a dismal trip to the ER to check for strep and stomach virus. Yuck! But the good news is that all ended up well and we had so much wonderful family bonding time. That is the thing about vacation. It's just the family, like a warm and enveloping blanket for a whole week. Jia and her Daddy were best friends and the mom got some much needed (understatement) sun and pool time. Nothing like some vitamin D to boost the spirits.

This past weekend we tried a visit to the boat again. Our visit in the Spring didn't go so well since Jia was not quite ready but this most recent visit was a vast improvement. Jia is getting braver and more inquisitive by the day. She says such delightful things these days. While on the boat we were keeping her entertained by drawing pictures. I'd give the dad some ideas (a camel in the desert with a cactus) and he'd proceed to draw. Jia kept asking, "are you done yet Daddy?". When his art work took too long at one point, she said "focus Daddy,focus!". Ahhhh, my sweet Jia.

Where Oh Where Have We Been?

Having tons of late summer fun! We've had such a great time together as a family these past 6 weeks or so! I have lots to share and many, many pictures. But just getting back from a week at the beach and I'm a bit tired. Just wanted to let any readers we may have know that all is good and sorry for lack of posts! I'll get some up over the next week or so detailing our adventures!

Jia's Sunflower

For Mother's Day this year Jia surprised me with a great big "Happy Mudder's Day Mommy" squeal, a bear hug and a sloppy kiss. I'd never had a better day. Along with her dreamy greeting she presented me a gift she made at school. It included an organic pot with a Happy Mother's Day note from Jia that promised the delight of a sunflower. We arrived at home and T promptly planted the seed (snugly inside the organic pot)into a big container. It sat and sat and sat. T lovingly watered and fertilized. These pictures show the bounty of Jia's sweet Mother's Day gift oh so many months ago. Thank you sweet daughter. I love it now just and as I loved it then. The first picture is especially poignant for the mom. While all sunflowers may present in this fashion, I will attribute the heart to a higher power!

Bug Catching and Butterfly Watching

Our intrepid explorer asks daily to venture outside to hunt for bugs with her Daddy. We have her bug catchers within easy reach and you can bet she'll grab them and ask her dad for her daily adventure. She has brought a number of interesting little creatures into the house to show her mommy on more than several occasions and I must control my urge to run wildly in the opposite direction in order to admire her catch. They are then all released, of course, back into their natural environment. T has created a wonderland of plants that attracts birds, butterflies and if you look in just the right places, bugs.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer and managing to have fun despite the wicked and miserable heat.

9th

Jia, your mommy and daddy have now been in love for 9 years. We fell in love the moment our eyes met. Seriously. We met on July 3rd 2001. Our dear friends were having a 4th of July party. My friends, his friends - who happened to live across the street from each other. I drove from Washington DC and your daddy drove from Hampton, VA. I was visiting with Carlos and JR and they said that there was a really cute guy across the street visiting Beth and Mike. I said, yes, they are ALL cute. But then I walked across the street and there was your dad! He WAS (and is)cute. But there was also some crazy magic that happened that night. I'm including some pictures of our days together. Not quite "the first" meeting but a few from early in our lives.

We never dreamed that just 7 years later you would become our daughter. How truly lucky are we!