Forever Family Day - Celebration

(Catching up -- a post from June....)

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since we first met our little miss. I remember the day itself and the moment I first held her in my arms so vividly and as though it were only a moment ago.

Every year, on the anniversary of becoming a family of three, we get together with Jennie and her family to celebrate.

Forever Family Day cookies to help celebrate!!

The girls were thrilled to be able to spend time together and we treasure the memories we are able to build with one another.

June's Random Cuteness



Ailee LOVES the iPad...



Big sister helping little sister out...



Ailee and Minnie -- love!



Maelyn's Father's Day gift for Paul....

Happy 5th Birthday!!

Today is Maelyn's 5th birthday -- one that she has been looking forward to since February!! :)

This year, Maelyn was well aware of the celebration-friends-cake-presents-fun that goes along with the whole birthday thing. In the past, she hasn't been as interested in any of the festivities -- but this year was a different story entirely.

Maelyn's only wish was that her party be a princess birthday party -- a Sophia the First party, more specifically. In order to make her wish come true, we invited Cinderella to join us for the special day.

Opening her Sophia the First dress...

Telling Ailee, with excitement, that Cinderella would be coming soon...

Pure joy...

So much fun to watch the girls enraptured with Cinderella....

Maelyn absolutely loved being the centre of attention and was so polite, helpful, and kind to her friends. It was such a joy to watch how happy she was to be surrounded by the people she loves. Her smile was as big as I have ever seen it and her grin stayed put for the entire party.

Ailee was determined that Cinderella would also have a tattoo....she went to the washroom to
 get the cloth to put it on her herself!

Being crowned a princess for the day...

 Maelyn said, "Cinderella, would you like to join us at the table for cupcakes?"

Singing to Maelyn -- her wish? That Cinderella would invite her to her castle!

Dancing fun, after gift opening...

Maelyn's cake, for the family portion of the party....

Her second wish? That Cinderella could come over for a sleepover!

Cousin Ian -- so cute!

 

Happy Birthday, Maelyn!! We love you so much -- more than you will ever know. This year, the year of your champagne birthday, will be full of good luck, love, and many adventures. You are a true joy, my lovely little miss. :)

Still alive??

Yes, we are still alive and kicking here. I laughed when I realized that the last time I wrote a proper post was also the last day Maelyn was in school. Having two kiddos running around the house full time and keeping me busy all summer has kept me away from the computer.

Stay tuned for a ton of blog posts -- an entire summer worth of fun, adventures, and best of all, family time. :)

Making Memories Winner!

Firstly, I must apologize for the lengthy absence from the blogging world. Summer, with the two girls home full time, has kept me very busy! The days just seem to fly by right now!

We also experienced a tragedy in our community. A ten year old student of mine drowned in a swimming pool and it really affected the kids and teachers alike. I know that it took me the entire week to even come to terms with his passing. The memorial held at our school helped to begin the healing process, but it was a tragic start to the summer.

Now that the first few weeks are behind us, it is time to catch up on blogging and announce the Making Memories give away winner.

The winner's name was pulled from a hat by Maelyn.....drum roll please....

Shecki Grtlyblesd (sorry -- only had your blogger ID for your name!)

Please email me at jan.gravelle@rogers.com to go over the details to get your video completed. :)

Thank you to everyone for participating!! :)

Making Memories Giveaway!

In honour of our third Forever Family Day with Maelyn, I am having my first giveaway!

I enjoy creating short videos that chronicle important events in our lives. For the past few years, I have focused on our own adoption journeys, as well as kid-friendly videos for the girls that helps them to understand their story.

I also enjoy sharing videos with other families who are considering adoption -- I know I loved watching them while we were waiting to become a family of three. :)

Below is a link to a brief example of one of the videos I made of our adoption journey to Maelyn...

https://vimeo.com/69052638


If you would like a video similar to the one above, then I would love to create one for you! It does not necessarily need to be about adoption -- it can chronicle any important event in your life.

The video would be up to 20 minutes in length and can contain written content, pictures, and even video.

To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is comment below by July 5th -- good luck!!

Forever Family Day

Three years ago today we left for China as a couple, anxious to hold our baby in our arms for the first time. When that magical moment happened, it literally took my breath away. This child -- this beautiful, little child -- was to be our daughter forever.

The experience forever changed our lives. We learned with absolute certainty that connection by blood is not what makes a family. We learned that we had a lot of love to give. But most importantly, we learned that when you give love, you receive even more in return.

This year, the marking of this anniversary means something a little different to me. We had the privilege of meeting Maelyn's foster parents when we were in China this past November and the experience was one hard to describe in words. Now, when I think about the day that she became a part of our family, I also think about the family that cared for her for 21 months and had to say goodbye. Maelyn's foster mother said that on that day, they all cried -- Maelyn cried the hardest of them all. The experience of leaving the only family you know and being handed to two strangers must have been scary -- something I couldn't even imagine going through.

Adoption is about losses and love gained. It is heartbreaking and it also has the ability to mend hearts. We are so very blessed by the miracle of adoption and we thank Maelyn for making us a Mommy and a Daddy -- we are hers, forever.

(Here is the link to our post on that day...  http://ourjourneytomaelynwanhao.blogspot.ca/2010/06/family-day.html )