Busy BUT Blessed....Get well Nanny cause Miss Magic will be TWO in TWO months!!!!!!

MY BIG BROWN EYED GIRL!!!

We have been non-stop!!! Some of the things we've been up to lately.....we celebrated Family Day

Lulu celebrated Family Day as well! Lulu looking SO darn adorable in her WINK BABY!!!

 I traveled to Arizona to watch a great friend compete in the Mrs. America Pageant... who made it to the TOP 6!!!

SO PROUD OF YOU JULIE!!!

HG started dance/gymnastics and she loves it! The first week she was VERY interested in the lollipops!!! LOL! The video is priceless..but when Ms. Jada pulled the trampoline out, Miss Magic was READY and was excited to show off her flips!

We celebrated Mamaw Verna's birthday...she is 84 years young:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMAW!!! We love you!!!!

We went to watch Hannah cheer and Hunter *the quarterback* play football and that was a lot of fun!!!

 Hannah &Miss Magic modeled in a fashion show...

I traveled AGAIN, this time to Rhode Island for a two day business meeting....Newport/Goat Island was BEAUTIFUL!!! We are going to have to go back as a family and meet up with T, M & Lulu for dinner:)

Sunset at Newport

Nanny had surgery (she is home recovering, thanks for all the prayers), and J is cycling 2 centuries back-to-back (yes, that is 200 miles on a bicycle)! He's a machine!
As you can tell, we have been busy but we are incredibly blessed! SO many photos to come..

GET WELL NANNY, WE LOVE YOU!

Meeting my HEN face to face a year ago today!

OUR TQ BEAUTIES!!!

Exactly one year ago, I met my HEN friend M. She & T made their way to Hanoi and prepared for the long trip to TQ to adopt their beauty! I just want M to know how much I love their entire family and how much joy Lulu has brought everyone....to include Nanny! Hannah & Hunter still ask about Lulu! We love you guys and want to wish you a BLESSED FAMILY DAY!!!!

LUAU Family Day....and so much more! CLICK here to see all photos from Luau & Family Day!

Miss Magic has so much going on in her life! She is one busy and HAPPY little girl! The Luau was a HIT! We had a wonderful time. I promise to attach a link of ALL the photos I took asap....busy week. She started dance and gymnastics this week and LOVES it and she also started "parents morning out" at a local church. The program they offer is TOPS! Last spring she attended two mornings. She is now attending four days (9-1pm) She LOVES her teachers and playing with the other children. She'll be two in November and it's time for the "interaction" and to begin learning all she can. She is like a sponge and is SOOOO smart! Her vocabulary amazes me! She talks ALL the time and is a SMART cookie!!!

Miss Magic's story continues......

FUN times with Miss Magic

Tomorrow is our Family Day Celebration....A LUAU!!! Nanny has worked SO hard and our pool area looks amazing! Can't wait to post photos after the celebration!!!

Miss Magic has so much going on in the next few weeks...she has a fashion show that's she is modeling in with Miss Hannah!!! And this Tuesday will be her 1st night of DANCE/GYMNASTICS!!! She's going to love it! If she hears music...she gets to moving!!! Here are a few pics...I think she's ready!

Daddy helping to "point those toes" LOL! She is TOOOOOO much fun!!!

Swimsuit by http://www.winkbaby.net/

 Lucy is the BEST!!!

Family Day Invitations featuring "MISS MAGIC"

HAPPY FAMILY DAY! 1 year ago today, God placed Miss Magic in our arms...

Celebrating our 1st Family Day! God is GOOD!

It's really hard to believe that one year ago today, we met our daughter face to face! Words can't describe!!! A year has flown by and you will be able to tell by the photos, Miss Magic has GROWN from a baby into a beautiful little girl! She is absolutely the most amazing blessing! Thank you Lord for blessing us with our "tiny miracle"!

                     She is such a daddy's girl! She has him wrapped more than she'll ever know!

She's laughing at the baby in the photo that mama is holding...that's you MISS MAGIC!

Kissing the photo taken September 1, 2008. Daddy holding HG on the drive back to Hanoi

She loves her elephant! Aunt Krista gave me this elephant at a baby shower for HG. On one ear it has her date of birth, when we returned home, she took the elephant and had HG's adoption date placed on the other ear. HALLElujah!!!

Our DEVINE Miracle on her 1st Family Day

Maa & Papa's 50th Wedding Anniversary (click here to view photo gallery)

Maa Maa & Papa are celebrating 50 years of marriage! Congrats!!! We love them very much cause they love and care for Toosie Belle!

Miss Magic at Ragan's 2nd Birthday Party (photos by Wink Photography)

WINK BABY

YUMMY dirt cups for Ragan's "bug party"

Miss Magic

Delicious goodies by Katie's Creations...

Little Miss Magic and her friend, Ellie

HG talking..."Ellie, your mouth is a MESS child, you know the boys don't like that...hurry, my mom has some lipstick, I will fix you back up. Your curls are WAY to cute to have a mess on your face."

The pretty birthday girl, Ragan!!! HG had a lot of fun at the party!!!

To Miss Magic's Birthmother.....

You gave her birth
We’ll give her life
You gave her todays
We’ll give her tomorrows
You gave her race
We’ll give her identity
You gave her heritage
We’ll give her future
You gave her possibilities
We’ll give her potentials
You gave her up because you loved her so
We’ll have to let go
You dream of her future
We’ll work hard for your dreams to come true
You gave her hope
We will too.
(author unknown)

God Bless you, whoever you are, wherever you may be. I pray God blesses you in so many ways! Thank you for the most amazing gift...our precious daughter, Halle-Grace!

"The key to change....is to let go of fear" Rosanne Cash

Speaking of fear, last year at this time, I was SCARED to death! I had signed a form saying, "I will not re-enter the US for two years if Halle-Grace does not receive a visa"! WOW!!! I would do it again in a flash!!!!

So much has changed since this time last year. Last year at this VERY time, my bags were packed, I had checked the "CAS list" twice, all of Halle-Grace's clothes were packed and perfect, diapers, bottles, medicine, you name it...and we were headed to Vietnam!!! I cannot believe it has been a year!!! Where did the time go!!!

As we prepare to celebrate our 1st annual FAMILY DAY on Sept. 1st, a special day with so much meaning...I can't help but become emotional each time I think about that day, the trip, the long drive from Hanoi to TQ, the anticipation of meeting my daughter face to face....I was so in love with Halle-Grace before I ever laid eyes on her in person, but when God placed her in my arms outside of the TQ orphanage, he blessed me with the MOST amazing gift and responsibility ever! Even though she responded with her fish lips (silly girl) after starring at my hair for at least 4 minutes...my heart was COMPLETE! At that VERY moment, God took all of the burden off my back! I had endured a lot of heartache on my journey to Little Miss Magic. BUT, I thank GOD for everything that didn't go as planned. Somebody wrote a song about thanking God for unanswered prayers...well, if anything else would have went as I thought I wanted it to go...I wouldn't have my girl and that thought makes me want to cry! WHEW...thank you Lord for the most BEAUTIFUL baby girl with the most magical personality on earth.

Change will continue...but we will embrace it...Miss Magic has big plans in her journey!

Miss Magic is 21 months old....on the 19th

One of my new FAVORITE photos of "my loves"
At 21 months old, HG can turn a flip and this is how she comes up...she's TALENTED!!!



She's my baby girl...who is growing up, talking in phrases, loves wearing lip stick and now PONY TAILS!!!

Her Family Day Celebration is planned (thanks Nanny) and tonight we finalized her "Luau Attire" that she will wear during the party with Lucy at Wink Baby!!! It's going to be PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I also set a date for her 2nd birthday party (boo hoo), lined up Wink Photography and secured the Carnival Place...it's a surprise....so as HalleGrace would say...Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. You may think I'm a little OCD, but with my job, I have to do it all at once to make sure I don't miss any details! BUSY BEES we are!

She's MISS MAGIC for sure! We are BLESSED!

WINK...is now more than designs for Miss Magic...photos too! www.winkbaby.smugmug.com

When I win the lottery...I know exactly what I am going to do!!! I will take pictures of Little Miss Magic DAILY and post them! I am SO inspired and LOVE this blog www.vietnamlucy.blogspot.com The mom is amazing with her camera! I love her work and she has now turned it into a business...you go girl! Speaking of LUCY...I have an amazing friend, Lucy Parker Randall who is the MOST creative person I know!!! And since I will never win the lottery *ha ha* she is officially HIRED for life to capture HalleGrace's most amazing moments!

Lucy owns "WINK BABY"! I know you have seen some of her fabulous clothes/bows and designs on HalleGrace! Well, she has started a photography business & she is SUPER fabulous! Check her out!!! But don't try to book the days I already have!! LOL! I AM SOOOOO excited to get all the winks we can get! www.winkbaby.net

BLESSED to hold my baby girl...even if it means NO sleep for mama!

~Little Miss Magic~


HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY KAY!!! We are praying HG feels better so we can celebrate with you...it's not looking very promising at almost 2am...but you know she'll make it up to you!

Little Miss Magic has not been feeling 100% this week. She has a nasty ear infection and has been very clingy and just wants to be held. I can’t blame her and like the doctor said, “when little ones are sick, they cling to what makes them feel safe and secure”! That statement has made me think deeply and brings a huge SMILE to my face (even though its almost 2am and I am sitting on the couch with a snoring little one…HAHA) and warms my heart like NOTHING else! It takes me back a year…around the exact same time. WOW, I can’t believe one year ago, we were preparing all necessary paperwork *against the USCIS/DOS wishes* (if you can guess their TRUE wishes you can quit your day job -they don’t have a clue!

Last year, I remember traveling to the Atlanta Apparel with my two of my dearest friends, Jamye and Heather Shaw. Jamye makes FABULOUS swimsuits...check her out www.jamyeshaw.com AND they are coming to see Little Miss Magic this week before heading to work the apparel mart! How things ALL come together!!! Pretty COOL!

At that time, the nannies at the orphanage had been notified that we were coming to adopt HalleGrace via Vietnamese law (without a I-600 approval). I remember Heather & I checking email in a café inside the apparel mart and receiving the below photos.
HalleGrace at TQ last August.




I was SO upset because Halle-Grace seemed so wobbly and her hair was completely GONE! Little did I know the “true conditions” inside her orphanage…something the USCIS obviously could give 2 cents about! GOD bless the babies/children who are still there and the amazing nannies who provide LIFE for these angels!

Seems like yesterday….. making plans, packing, making sure we had everything we could think of (on top of having NO idea how long we would be living in HalleGrace’s birth country!) Was it scary? YES! I remember before we left, my dad hugged me in my kitchen and it was a hug of reality!!! I knew that he knew he may not see his daughter for 2 years…but he also knew I HAD to get my daughter out of the orphanage, WAY OVERDUE!! My heart was content and God was pushing me to GO! He’s Awesome and has a way of knowing when families belong together….have you been around Little Miss Magic? Looks like her daddy…acts like her mama…sad but true! HA HA

I can’t begin to imagine life without LITTLE MISS MAGIC? Oh my, how boring it would be! She has changed every person who comes into contact with her. She truly has a “magical” personality!

As we prepare to celebrate our 1st Annual Family Day (September 1, 2009) exactly ONE year since we adopted our daughter, my emotions are OVERWHELMING to be completely honest! My prayer is the US Gov. will get things straight when it comes to HELPING others…just like this crazy idea of reforming health care that makes NO sense GOSH, give me a break!!! WHY are there still babies/children in TQ without forever families? WHY? They are precious little angels….like HalleGrace, Lulu, Saige, Matthew, Samantha, Abbie, Kate, Isabella, Quinh and so many others who I had the pleasure of holding on September 1, 2008…I will NEVER forget that day! It’s etched in my heart forever!

Thank God for our tiny miracle. As I sit and type, she is sleeping on my chest…she is so little *not even a full 19 pounds at 21 months* I pray her ear infection and “yuck” will be gone soon!!! BUT, at least this year, this day…I know I can hold and comfort my baby girl…

A BIG celebration is coming up...Devines 1st Annual Family Day! We plan to celebrate Family Day for many, many, many years to come!!!

God Bless!

Turning Point.....

My loves!

Gosh, I am a horrible blogger!!! I thought I had posted a "week ago" but it has been much longer. It's summertime and the living ain't easy! LOL! It's busy!!! We are having the BEST summer ever with Little Miss Magic.
A year ago is about the time we started processing our own paperwork with our agency to "go ahead" to Vietnam and adopt Halle-Grace regardless of what the USCIS had to say. AND WE DID! If you have been a frequent reader you will remember this photo from the end of July last year. When we saw that an IV had been in her hand...that was enough! I wasn't waiting any longer for the USCIS to "figure their own mess out". They had been caught too many times in a spider web of stories. So enough about that...if you want to read more go back on the blog to mid-June/July/Aug. of 2008. Yes, we traveled to a third world country with NO I-600 for Halle-Grace and had to sign a form stating I would not return to the US for 2 years if she did not receive an approval. My heart signed on the dotted line because anyone reading who has a child would agree...YOU will go to the end of the world for her/him. Jason had promised me through it all, "Not bringing our daughter home is NOT an option". He doesn't break his promises...especially not to Little Miss Magic:)

Thank God it all worked out that Halle-Grace & I and Nanny were able to return to the US about 3 weeks after Jason had to leave VN. It was a difficult time but I wouldn't give anything for the time I was able to "live" in her birth country! I hope we can return someday soon. The time also brought a special family into our lives. M, T and Lulu! God has a way of knowing when families belong together!!! M was another mom who decided to come on to VN without an approval for her angel! We were the REBEL HENS! HA! I think/pray we will always share a special bond! We sure shared a lot of tears and a TON of laughs (cab fight & Nanny)!!!!

HERE'S LITTLE MISS MAGIC TODAY....
Our Angel!
I don't think the flowers smell so good!

Her first day of bible school at Eastside. She went with Granny to bible school at Hulls Grove earlier in the summer and LOVED every day! Both churches are using the "Boomerang Express" theme and the decorations tonight were so cute...kangaroos and choo choo trains. What happens when you throw a Boomerang? It comes back...so the message is "IT ALL COMES BACK TO JESUS". True and cute!