3 moms, 8 kids and loads of fun!

We returned home on Sunday evening from our trip to Santa Maria/San Luis Obispo/Pismo Beach. Norah, Sarah and I were brave mamas...heading out on our own with all o kiddos. It was a such a fun week, but one of those trips where you could almost use a vacation from your vacation....or maybe a spa weekend...hhhmmm.

We did everything from wine tasting, to hanging at the beach, to walking through parks, feeding ducks, going on pony rides....lots and lots of fun! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. I'm going to divide the pics into two (maybe even three) different posts. ENJOY!

Qianjiang Sisters

Last weekend we traveled down to Tucson for an annual convention. While we were there, Kailahni and I had the joy of meeting up with the Tarico family. Their daughter, Avery, and Kailahni were orphanage sisters. Avery was born in July 2008 and Kailahni in September 2008...so they are very close in age. It was so awesome to see these two little girls sitting side by side, playing with toys and eating popsicles together half a world away from where their lives began. Avery and Kailahni have very similar "stories", very similar personalities, and are both tiny, little bundles of energy. I'm so glad we were able to reunite our girls...even though they are unaware of their "sisterhood" and the unique blessing of having left the small district of Qianjiang, Chongqing China almost a year ago, placed with two separate families (who knew nothing of one another), and are now living only an hour and a half away from each other. So amazing!!!





We leave Thursday for our trip to Pismo Beach! I'm sure it's going to be a wild and crazy time. Me, Norah, Sarah, and all 8 of our kids on vacation together!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness there will be vineyards nearby! I think a glass or wine or two will be in order!

Pool Pals

Dan Davenport came over to tutor Jacob today and brought along with him his sweet, Lauren for a play date with Kailahni! The girls and I threw on our swimsuits and our sunscreen and headed out to the backyard so that Jacob and Dan could work in peace and quiet.

The girls played great together! It's so nice that we live so close to the Davenports. I'm sure there will be many more play dates in our future!

Re-adoption Day

Well, Kailahni is officially ours...AGAIN! Today we appeared before a local family court judge to finalize Kailahni's Arizona adoption. Although the State of Arizona does recognize adoptions that were completed overseas as final, we chose to go through a process that is referred to as "re-adoption". What that does for us, is it allows us to register her adoption with the local family courts. We are now, and forever will be, able to request notarized copies of her Adoption Decree through the Clerk of Courts office. It's nice to have that piece of mind, because the only evidence we have of the authenticity of her adoption is on paper...and most of that is in Chinese. If those documents were ever lost, or destroyed, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to get them reproduced. Knowing that her adoption is now permanently on record with the local courts is very reassuring.

So down to court we all went, to raise our right hands and swear that all the information we had presented to the courts was true to the best of our knowledge and that we will love our little girl forever and always...."no brainer"! Then the judge announced that Doug and and I were forever the parents of Kailhani Xiugang Elizabeth Schneider. It was nice to finally have the boys get to witness some of Kailahni's formal adoption proceedings in person. Sarah, Axl and Vienna also came to show their support which made our day extra special.

The proceeding today was short and very sweet, but I'm glad it's over. We have just one post placement visit left and then we are DONE with adoption related paperwork, appointments, court proceedings, fingerprinting....bla, bla, bla. YIPPEE!!!!
Heading into the Court building.
Jacob keeping Kai distracted.
Doug, waiting and looking a little nervous.
Our happy, little adoptee.
Still waiting, but this time with our cousins.
Axl and Vienna going through security...they were so serious about it...the kids, I mean.

Inside the court room.
I jumped up so quick, I didn't have time to pull my pants out of my butt....nice.
An official Arizona family.

Kailahni giving the judge "knuckles".

Summertime, Summertime

Summer is underway. Thus far, we've been home hanging out with friends and family, having slumber parties..mostly with cousins, pool parties, BBQ's...typical summertime fun. We have made a few short trips up north (pics below), but the weather in Phoenix hasn't really been THAT bad so the itch to get out of town hasn't been real strong. That's all about to change.

Next weekend we are heading down to Tucson. I have plans for Friday night with a family who's daughter was in the the same orphanage as Kailahni, at the same time. We met through a Yahoo group for the Qianjiang SWI. I'm really looking forward to meeting them in person and seeing the girls together...again.

The week after we return home from Tucson, the kids and I are hopping in the car with Sarah and her kiddos (and hopefully Norah, as well) and heading to Pismo Beach!! I'm SO EXCITED!!! I'm hoping beyond hope that we may possibly get to visit with Stephanie and Zoey while we are there....it's a bit of drive, but we may be able to swing it!

Then, towards the end of July, the five of us are heading up to Washington to see Doug's family. His Mom, brother and sister all live there. None of them have met Kailahni, so we are all really excited about this trip. We may even get to spend a couple of days sailing through the San Juan Islands!! Those plans have yet to be ironed out, but anyway you slice it, the trip will be amazing. Jacque (Doug's sister) lives right on the water...when you look out her windows at night, you can see the lights of Victoria, Canada from across the water. Amazing beauty!