Erich's celebrity look-alike

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Poem

Legacy of an Adopted Child
Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.
Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.
One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.
One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.
And now you ask me, through your tears,the age-old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.
© Author Unknown

Mae turns 3 years old!

First, I thought this was a nice shot of the 3 of us. Erich actually asked me to give him the camera instead and he would take the pictures! Yea! I do exist of film.






We celebrated Maelynn's 3rd birthday at our house with family and friends. It was a lot of fun and if nothing else, I really enjoyed myself. Logan had a great time too getting to play with some of his friends. Maelynn did great! She didn't get a nap and was a real trooper. She loves all her gifts! Erich was a great help getting organized, cleaning, and entertaining. It was a beautiful day all the way around. Happy Birthday Maelynn!

Myrtle Beach 6/07

We were invited to Myrtle Beach by my parents this year. We went in mid-June to their time-share condo. Unfortunately due to some work scheduling, we were only able to spend a few days there. Erich and I took the kids to the ocean on the first morning there. Mae decided immediately that she did not like it. Sand was OK, but not the water (or the pool). Logan on the other hand love it! Talk about night and day. Maelynn did not even want to go shelling a few days later. It upset her so much that I took her back to the condo to hang out while Daddy and Logan finished up. We really enjoyed our summer vacation and the time spent with my parents. Thank you!

Dancing Mae

Here is a shot of Maelynn dancing at a friend's wedding back in June. The girl loves to dance!

Quick update

We've been home a year now. Wow! Time flies! Maelynn is doing great. Look how long her hair is!!! Her speech is finally catching up and she is growing like a weed. We are a happy family. Don't get me wrong, she still has 2 year old temper tantrums like I've never seen. Can't wait until she grows out of those! Erich is still traveling on occasion. Logan is doing well with Kindergarden and is playing spring soccer. We are looking forward to warm weather and the going to the pool this summer.

Merry Christmas song by Third Day

Here are the lyrics, have tissues ready:

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn

Crying for momma's arms

At an orphanage just outside a little China town

There the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire

And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home

Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms

And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights

I'm warmed by the fire's glow

Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,

Make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears

And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home

Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms

And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child

and we celebrate his perfect gift of love He came to earth to give his life

and prepare a place for us

so we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home

Your family is here so you will never be alone

So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms

And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll you from my heart

I wish you Merry Christmas

November 2006

The hound dogs. The black one is Obi, short for Obediah. The brown one is Val or Valley Girl, short for Valentine.






















Brother and sister getting along well.

Friends came over to help us rake leaves. It took 3 weekends and over 40 bags by the time we were done. Yikes! Thank you Brian and Julia!


Mae is getting over her 3rd set of ear infections since we've been home. I am waiting for the doc to start discussing tubes. At least she takes her medicine well. She is even getting through doctor visits without too much fuss. We still drive a 1/2 hour to the group of doctors we saw before we moved. It is a good set of doctors. None of them specialize in adoptions, but I like them a lot and they listen to me and my concerns.

Thanksgiving was nice and quiet. We had the grandfolks over and a friend who has no family in town. Oma and Opa took the kids Wednesday night so Erich and I could get stuff done around the house that night and the next morning. It was great. More family came over for dessert later in the afternoon. We played cards and had a great time. The kids did great all day.

I love watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. A co-worker went this year as an honored guest. They got quite soaked. Another co-worker went up a couple of years ago with her family and were balloon handlers. They said it was a neat experience. Eventually, I'll get to go, maybe when the kids are teenagers or something.

The Day-After is also a big day for us - and no, not shopping. My parents since Karen and I were kids would take us to the train display in downtown Cincinnati and out for lunch. As we got older and stopped going, they started taking the grandkids. They said both kids behaved very well. Erich entertains the guys at the house. Normally they play Civilization which apparently can last 7 or 8 hours. The ladies and I go scrapbooking at Archiver's. I go early and try to stay as late as possible (11 PM). This year I wasn't feeling as well so we left at 4 PM to join the guys for games.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a lot of fun with the kids. We started off together, all four of us. We knew Logan could and would want to go longer, so we split. Mae and I headed back to the house (stopping for more trick and treating along the way) and Erich and Logan went farther. They ended up walking with a neighbor and soccer buddy. We left candy outside our house for the trick or treaters. Amazingly enough, it wasn't all gone by the time we got home. (more at the bottom)


We also had our 6 month follow up home study visit with Cherub International. Everything went well. Mae showed off for a while and then we put her to bed. Logan was a little wound up too. Heather continued to ask us questions and that was about it. We also finally started occupational and speech therapy. Wow! What a process! We started this is May!!! We are working with Help Me Grow which is a program in Ohio. They matched us with Hamilton Co MRDD. Again, it is not that Mae is mentally or physically slow. It is a matter of exposure. She gets frustrated when she cannot express herself so we understand.

Soccer is now done for the season. We gave Logan the choice for the spring: soccer or baseball. He chose soccer. He and Mae continue to do well together.

Also, this month we had a Geoppinger wedding and baby shower. Welcome 2 new members to the clan! Bob and Anna are getting a new rood, windows, and siding to their home. There are talks of possibly air condition in the future. Yea! Well, that's about it for October.