Getting Ready for the holidays and hanging with the Grandparents!

Like most Floridians, we get ready for the holidays by going to the beach. I still can't believe that we live down here. I am so not use to putting on sunscreen to do our outdoor decorations. I burn more yankee candles with the evergreen smell just to bring the Christmas scent into the air conditioning mix.

 

 

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving visiting family in SC. Jordan and Garrett had a blast with their cousins and the change in weather was nice. You would have thought that Garrett had not felt the cool weather before. (When we got him it was 20 below.) How quickly he forgets.

Jordan is playing in a local soccer league. It is hysterical to watch ... when she actually decides to play. (Stubborn) It has been a treat for me to get back on the soccer fields too. I have never taken more aspirin for muscle aches after a half hour practice with 3-4 year olds.

Both Jordan and Garrett are loving the festivities surrounding the holidays. This was the first time Garrett saw a Christmas tree. Needless to say, I have had to replace more ornaments this year then ever. In the morning, Garrett comes down the stairs and immediately shouts, "lights, lights." It has been fun walking the neighborhood in the evenings and seeing all the decorations. We spend considerable time hugging and kissing each blow up Santa and Snowman. We have sat on Santa's lap a few times already. Garrett is not so sure of this Santa thing, but Jordan is quick to hop on his lap and run down her list of wants.

We had a few things to celebrate this month. We celebrated Jordan's birthday last weekend with a family backyard BBQ. She loved the attention and had a blast celebrating a day just for her. The next afternoon we got Garrett Christened. He was so loud during the entire service. There were three other infants and loud Garrett. Fun! Garrett turns 2 next week. Hard to believe we have only had him only 8 months.

Best Grandparents EVER!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this year.

This holiday seems to be passing by so quickly. There always seems to be something that needs to get done. We have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with our families. After spending countless hours shopping, I have come to realize the importance of this time of year.

We hope you are all enjoying the festivities surrounding the holidays. It is a time to be TRULY thankful. It is nice to have a holiday full of flashy lights, good food and the laughter of children to remind us of our blessings.

Enjoy your holiday and please keep in touch!

Coming Down off the Sugar High!

Can't believe it is already November! It is hard to keep track of the months down here. The only thing that changes is the humidity (still hot). It is hard getting use to the Halloween season in the south where you are more likely to see plastic pumpkins in the yards due to the heat. The pumpkins in all of these photos are plastic!

We had a full October. We spent a long weekend at Sea World. Jordan is now just starting to get to the age where she is so animated and excited. She loved the giant jungle gym in the center of the park and watching Shamu swim with her new baby. She loved watching the mommy and the baby swimming together. Garrett's favorite was the Clydesdale horses and the bleachers... The horses were conveniently located next to their courtesy tent where they gave away free beer. We were more then happy to spend the day looking at just the horses.

A few weeks later we spent the weekend in Disney. It was blazing hot and while we tempted to make the experience as magical as possible, it seemed as though every ride we got on... Someone was getting sick nearby. Nothing like waiting in endless lines with two young kiddos and no cooler of adult drinks. I am sure Chris will highlight his moment there waiting in line to see Ariel. I have never seen him sweat so much. As luck would have it, Ariel took a "short" break. I thought Chris would pass out, but he prevailed for the love of his daughter and her all time favorite character. It was no surprise that once they FINALLY got to the front of the line to meet her, Jordan became riddled by fear and they left without seeing her. Go Figure.

Halloween was a highlight. Chris spent hours (ok days) on our decorations. The web turned out fantastic. Bernie the bug was a bit fragile much managed to make it through the season.

We felt very safe knowing we had a protective duo living with us. Jordan took her role as Batman very seriously. Chris completed their costume by making a Bat mobile out of our wagon. We had a small party on our driveway before trick or treating and we had Deborah and Gail with us to celebrate the sugar fest. Garrett picked up on the holiday very quickly. No surprise that he thought

that you ate the candy as you went. He was foaming at the mouth by the time we got home. Putting them

both to bed that night was a treat in itself.

We are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with SC family and shortly there after we have their birthdays and Garrett is getting baptized.

On another note... We are officially on the waitlist for #3. I wish I could report that the process is smooth at the moment, but it seems to continue to have its challenges. We are hoping to be traveling

SUMMER 2007.

Hope you all enjoy the upcoming holidays... The Carey's

A September Update...

Greetings from the Keys! We spent a nice long weekend with the kids and our parents at a resort in the Keys a few weekends ago. We had a fantastic weekend relaxing. Well, at least Chris and I relaxed. We managed to get the chance do go on some solo runs together (ie. not pushing the double jogger). We even got out to do some SCUBA diving. It was so wonderful spending some quality time with our families together.

We had Jordan somewhat convinced there was a mermaid in the isolated pond the resort owned and she was certain that it was Ariel. She spent the weekend pretending that she was prince Eric and "Coach" and "Pop Pop" were gracious enough to play the role of Ariel when needed.

We have been preparing for the Halloween holiday. This is one of Jordan's favorite days. She has been trying on her costume daily. She is going to be Batman and Garrett is to be Robin. Decorations are going up all around the neighborhood and this lengthens our evening bike rides considerably. Jordan and Garrett have made friends with several creepy characters hanging in doorways and such. We have even gone as far as naming a few. "Rupert" lives across the street. It is so fun watching their faces... They believe everything is so real... Even when you remove the batteries.

Jordan is starting to play soccer this season. She is elated. She asks to play as soon as she gets home from school. She is turning 4 this December and it will be interesting watching her out on the fields. We have been working on not stopping the ball with our hands when playing. A hard concept for her. It was helpful buying her a pair of "magic" cleats and shin guards for the big season starter in a few weeks. It is amazing how much better things become to kids when you put "magic" or "special" in front of it. It still hasn't worked yet with vegetables.

We are heading north to meet Shamu. It will be nice to see their faces when they see the show and Shamu's size. Garrett is doing fantastic. He has no fear with water and is able to swim across the width of the pool. As mentioned before, he is our dare devil. He isn't afraid to jump from any height into the pool and loves the novelty of going swimming in the buff.

We made the decision to head back to Russia for a third (and last). We should be in over our heads by next summer or late next year. We are very excited to return to Russia and spend some time hopefully in a region that we have not yet visited. As you may know, Russia is a very special place to our family. We enjoy spending time in getting to experience the culture where our children came from.

On September 18th, we celebrated Jordan's third Gotcha day. I wish I could say that we celebrated the holiday with some Russian cuisine... But the fog has yet to lift for me in the kitchen and we stuck with some take out Chinese. Close enough.

Love to you all...

Gotcha Day ... 3 years!!!

I can't believe that 3 years ago today we were in Pskov, Russia finalizing the adoption of our daughter. Today is "Gotcha Day." I said to Jordan this morning, "Happy Gotcha Day!" She said, "Happy I got you day!" Do you think she has a clue?

I asked her the other day if she knew where we got her brother from. Suprisingly, she had a very quick and matter of fact response. "We got him at the McDonalds at the airport!"

Today is far more meaningful for Chris and I. We still remember the long plane and train rides, the vodka taste testing with the nice Russians on the train and our experiences being hosted by a Russian family while in region. Today around 10am, the judge smiled at us and said in Russian, "Congratulations!" We were finally parents.

As I put her on the bus this morning, I realized that wanted to just keep her home and hold her all day. When I told her this she quickly responded that she was going to miss Ms. P. The letter of the week and snack time! How can I compete with Ms. P and goldfish?
Today is a very special day for us... but it is no different then any other day that we celebrate just how lucky we truly are.

We have been home almost 6 months... Can't believe it.

Jordan is loving school! I thought it was suppose to get easier for the mother putting your child on the bus. It hasn't, but I can say that she smiles when she leaves and she is smiling when I get her off the bus so hopefully in time the process with get easier. This photo was taken as she got off the bus last week. It was a hat she made that she carefully pasted sparkles and sequence on.

The topic of conversation most mornings center around Halloween and costumes. It is only the beginning of September and this has been going on since the end of August!!! Jordan is absolutely certain that she will be Batman and she wants Garrett to be Robin. I have never seen a kid so sure of something. She has expressed an interest in decorating the house this year for the holiday. Martha Stewart, I am not. I couldn't even make playdoh. We both decided on creating a large web with a HUGE spider in it. We thought we would include Chris in our project as he seems to be the best on a ladder. He thinks we need to draw the web out to scale first... I guess that is what it is like being married to an engineer.

Garrett is doing fantastic. It has been so much fun watching his personality take shape. He wakes up happy and goes to bed each night saying, "nigh night, thank you and bye." He is very energetic and has become very focused on music and dancing. If I don't have music playing on the stereo, he waits for the commercials. He can truly light up a room.

This past week Jordan and I purchased our first item on eBay. There was some concern that I had bid too many times and for awhile there we weren't totally certain how many were going to arrive. I have had to promise Chris that I will not make the "shopping" a habit. He keeps repeating to me, "shopping and wine don't mix." I am not sure I totally agree with him. Anyway, we love our purchase and use it often. Jordan laughs the entire time we are riding and it is so nice spending some one on one time with her. She is at a fun age and shares our passion for athletics.


People often tell us how lucky Jordan and Garrett are to have had such a wonderful chance at life. I often walk away and smile to myself knowing that we are the lucky ones that were given a chance in life to love in such a way that we never thought possible.

Keeping fingers crossed for a continued quiet hurricane season!

First week of school...

I write this with a heavy heart... I just put Jordan on a big bus to ride to school. I was happy driving her, but she really wanted to take the bus. It amazes me that you can go through the full extreme of emotions when a milestone hits. The excitement when the bus turned the corner and I watched her get on... And then the deflation in my heart when I saw the bus pull away as her neck stretched high with her eyes just barely able to peer out the window. I could tell she was smiling though and gave me a thumbs up. I am already contemplating going to the school and peeking through the window. (Don't worry, I won't) Jordan is in a pre K program at our elementary school. She loves it. I was not prepared to send her full time. She is only 3 1/2, but the program has a speech and language specialist that will help her with her pronunciation.

This week, I am going in to have lunch with her and help out the teachers. I can't wait.

As much as I miss her during the day, I am able to spend some quality time with G -man and I get the best of both worlds. He keeps me busy... Always wanting to go outside or move furniture. (Not sure what is up with that, but Jordan did it too.) They both seem to have freakish strength.

A great first week of school... Hope I hold up.

We have so much activity in our house... And love it!

People will often ask us how long we have been home with Garrett and I catch myself counting on my fingers and can't believe that I am still on one hand. To most people that know us, it seems as though we have had him forever, but there are still family and friends that are meeting him and can't believe just how well he "fits" into our family.

We have had a busy summer spending some time traveling around South Florida. We spent close to a week at Hawks Cay tagging along on one of Chris's business trips. We were all told to be "inconspicuous" while there and for those of you that know us this was no easy task. We know nothing about the pulled fire alarm in the hotel nor do we have any idea who flooded the bathroom by the kids pool.


We then spent a long weekend camping in the Keys. Nothing like a scamper camper and two kids under 3 in the blazing summer sun. Good thing we brought a very full "adult" cooler. We spent an afternoon in in Key West, but truly enjoyed the simplicity of just hanging out. Jordan and Garrett get along so well, thankfully, as we were in very tight quarters. Jordan liked the novelty of having the "girls" side and the "boys" side. I definitely reaped the benefits of that one.










Jordan is starting school this year (PreK) and is
not sure why she isn't old enough to play on a soccer team. I have been working with her on not
touching the ball with her hands. As you can see, Garrett hasn't quiet mastered that skill either, but he too seems to have a flare with sports. Most mornings Jordan wakes up and asks us to get dressed and play with her out on the driveway. We feel so lucky to have her so energetic and eager to play... Just wish she could wait until after 6 am. Garrett tags along now and it has been a treat keeping him out of the road. I don't ever remember him walking... he went from crawling to running in a flash.

We had a wonderful long weekend at the beach with Nancy and Mike.
Garrett and Jordan kept them both very busy, yet entertained. We were thankful that the tropical storm "Chris" dissipated. Chris was a little bummed out that the storm finally named after him was so feeble. I can only imagine the damage those hurricanes will named after Jordan or Garrett. We are thankful that we have had a pretty easy hurricane season thus far.

Our little Garrett has become quite the swimmer like his big sister. They are true Florida babes. He loves this backpack for some reason and we walk the neighborhood following Jordan on her bike.

Hoping you all are enjoying your summer. We love hearing from you and all of your kind notes welcoming Garrett into our family or just checking in. Please keep in touch.

Love to you all!

Home 3 months... It seems like he has been with us forever...

Garrett is adjusting great to life with us in south Florida. Everyone that has had a chance to meet him would surely agree that it seems like he has been with us forever. We continue to take account of all of his "firsts" and the list goes on. We have been through first steps, first words and first molars... But we have also been through first diaper blowout (in Publix), first jammin dance moves (we dance a lot here) and he has even learned how to spit (thanks Jordan). But most significantly, he has learned that his bottle comes first thing in the morning (and he reminds us when we are late), diaper changes come pretty quickly and hugs and kisses are endless.

For fathers day this year we spent the day at the beach. It was Garrett that kept leading us back into the surf as we spent several hours yelling "OVER... UNDER" as the waves came crashing in. Jordan is always eager to join in and loves that her baby brother shares in her sense of adventure.

I spent my first weekend away from the gang at a friends wedding in Burlington, Vermont while Jordan and Garrett had the pleasure of entertaining 2 stellar babysitters at their beckon call. Aunt Gail and Uncle Kevin spent the weekend with our gang while Chris had a work function.

Jordan has experienced a "first" recently as she finally agreed to get her hair trimmed. For those of you that know Jordan personally, you will agree that Jordan has her own timeline of doing things. Of course the fast food lunch, ice cream, lollipops and merry-go-round ride may have played a small role in the bribing process. Mom even purchased a few things for herself as a little "reward." It was a long day.

We are taking a few trips this summer to Hawks Cay. One as a family and one trip with both sets of our parents. Chris and I are hoping to escape to do some diving and snorkeling with Jordan on our second trip. Garrett is already able to be independent in the pool with his floaty. He could "swim" before he could walk... Go figure. We are also crazy enough to take this gang camping (tenting) in the Keys at the end of July. It should be interesting tenting on the beach in the blazing sun in the middle of a Florida summer. Anyone care to join us?? The cooler is the first thing we pack up.

In the end though... You can find us cooling off in our pool, taking wagon rides around the neighborhood or at the beach. Makes it seem like we don't work huh!

Happy 4th of July!!! What a great day to celebrate being an American!! We sure are....

Home 2 months already...

I know it isn't difficult adjusting to the warm sun, plenty of attention and a lot of loving. Garrett is now 17 months and taking more control of his surroundings. It truly amazes me to watch him develop into this little explorative toddler. We just recently celebrated mother's day and I couldn't have gotten a better gift from him. I looked up from my book just long enough to spot Garrett walking toward me. His arms were flailing and his silly laughter resonating throughout... But he did it out of the clear blue and was so proud of himself. Where is the camera when you need it. Truly a great mother's day!!!

We have been spending our free time in the pool and heading to the beach. School gets out this week and we have been getting ready for some weekend trips we have scheduled. Garrett and Jordan have a lot of fun playing at the beach. We often pack a picnic dinner and head down late in the day so that Chris can meet us after work. The car is usually very quiet on the drive home with 2 sleeping kids in the back. Bonus!!!

Won't deny that we haven't been spending our time watching a few games. Keeping our fingers crossed for the big win in the end, but win or lose... We will always wear our "B" with pride.


Jordan spends most of her days in the pool or in any body of water. We think she is part fish and she calls herself the mermaid. Speaking of fish... Jordan caught her first fish off the beach this past weekend. Poor fish. Everyone that walked near us got an introduction to dinner. She was equally interested in catching the sand fleas for bait. We were grateful we didn't have to go through the "why" series when we couldn't bring them home as pets.


As for Garrett... Well he has has reached the 50% for height and weight... Far cry from when we brought him home and he wasn't even on the charts. His hair is growing in fast and we are amazed that it is so light in color. We thought he had black/brown hair when we first met. It didn't take too many baths to reveal the blond locks. Who would have known!

He still eats a tremendous amount of sand at the beach and keeps the diaper changes interesting. It is very difficult keeping him out of the water. He is
a true water bug. This has amazed us most because of his initial response to the tub and water in general.

The days we spend at the beach... Or hanging out by our pool... It is hard to not smile. I have so much catching up to do... I want to do it while I can!! I never take my time for granted.

In the mornings when Jordan comes into our room and we hang out and watch Clifford and have our morning sippy cup and I have my coffee... Garrett is now joining us in our morning ritual... He is a bit more active. Always trying to distract us and make us laugh... But the energy fills my heart and makes me realize NOW the road I was suppose to be on. The road that was so difficult to find so long ago... Has finally lead me to the happiness I now receive. How lucky we are!





Go Sox!!!