Our little "tomboy"

Sometimes, Francesca is such the "tomboy". Today (while we were visiting her Aunt Lisa's house) was one of those days that she got down & dirty...literally! Check out these photos! Her face, hands, and clothes are so dirty...and she had a bath before we made our visit. I guess you can say once we got home, she had to have another one.

I wasn't planning on posting anything else until we got back from our visit to the beach this coming week, but I just couldn't resist.

Bring Me Hope Video

I just visited my friend, Colleen's, web blog & I saw that she had this video posted & felt a strong need to post it to ours as well. So many have questioned myself & my husband about Francesca's adoption...and I think it just might answer a few of those questions that we most get asked. I so often wonder about Francesca's birth mother. I was actually talking about her the other day when we were on our way to Hammonton while Francesca was sleeping. Words can never express what Francesca has brought into our lives,home and how much we love her....


Click here to see the Bring Me Hope Video

A weekend away part 2...

Here is short video that Keith took of Francesca having fun just jumping around at Peddler's Village. She is just too stink'n cute!



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Francesca and I are leaving for Papa (aka Grandpa) and Grandma Carla house in Virginia Beach this coming Wednesday. We can't wait!

A weekend away...

Keith & I decided we really needed to get away for a while so me made a short trip down to Peddler's Village near New Hope, Pennsylvania and than traveled to Tomasello Winery in Hammonton, New Jersey. Even though, it was only an over-night trip, we still had a great time! We are already making plans to go there again!


Lunch at Hart's Tavern in Peddler's Village



Daddy and Francesca



Do we really have to go shopping?



(yes, I can be shy)



Mommy and Francesca dancing!



Sharing kisses with Daddy over breakfast!



I love my bagels!



Francesca at the winery



You mean to tell me this is where wine comes from?



Daddy and Francesca having some fun before we head home...

I've been tagged!

My good friend, Colleen, has blog tagged me! I need to tell you 7 things about myself that most people don't know...

OK, here it goes!

1st: That I am an artist! I have sold quiet a few paintings to individuals all over the world. The bad news is, I have only accomplished one piece of art since the start of Francesca's adoption (and that was per request from a gallery for its fund raiser's event that I couldn't refuse).

2nd: That I love hard rock music! (I know...you would never be able to tell that from the music that I have playing on here or in my LR3, but I do). I love Nickelback, Metallica, Pearl Jam, NIN, Puddle of Mudd, Linkin Park, Green Day and the list goes on & on. I even love all the 80's heavy metal as well! Keith just laughs at me!

3rd: That I never leave the house without some makeup on...NEVER!

4th: I always have to pay off my credit cards at the end of the month. When I was younger, I got into some credit card debt (it was only like a $1500 but at the time it seemed like I was drowning...and I call our CCs every other day to keep a running total of our balances). I am totally OCD when it comes to our CCs.

5th: I love to read...especially romance novels! I love Linda Howard, Anne Stewart, Nora Roberts, Debra Webb and Pamela Britton. I can read a 400 page book in 2 days! Again OCD!

6th: I always wanted a house on the lake! Keith knows this one because we have talked about it & still do!

7th: My dream job (once the girls are grown)...is to be a QVC host! I just love QVC! I can't begin to tell you how much I actually purchase from QVC on a weekly basis!


Follow up: I just tagged one of my good friends, Sue. Check out what she'll have to say on their family's web-blog address at http://www.biddlebloggers.blogspot.com/

Nothing exciting....

I am so sorry with this being late...but HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mothers out there! We had another great weekend! Here are a few photos of Francesca, enjoying a Mother's Day breakfast at Grandma's and a few of her wearing her new Minnie Mouse Statue Of Liberty nightgown, we got on one of our visits to the Disney Store in NYC!

What a weekend...We had a BLAST!

We had an amazing time this past weekend! Francesca had a blast at the Nascar race in Richmond (wait until you see the photos) and we all had a wonderful time at Tara & George's wedding!

Grandpa aka PaPa and Francesca getting ready for the race!


Who is going to get the pole?


I am loving this!


Grandma C & me!


Come on...Tony!


(cheering on her driver)


What can be better...watching a Nascar race & eating some fries...


It's getting late, but I am trying to hang in there til the end...(I made it all the way to lap 101 out of 250 and crashed on Mommy)



Now onto the wedding...Our little dancing queen!
Dancing with a friend, John Cheng (he just fell in love with Francesca)


Dancing with Daddy!

Dreaming of Francesca & Janelle...

I wasn't planning on posting anything today, since I am trying to get everything ready for our (Francesca and me) trip to Virginia this coming weekend...hoping to leave within the next two hours...but for the first time last night, I dreamed about our two girls, Francesca and Janelle! When we were going through our adoption with Francesca, I would dream about her always, but would never see her face. Last night's dream was a little different, for I was able to see Francesca's face, but I couldn't see Janie's. We were first in the car, driving some where & singing to Dan Zanes, next we were walking holding hands through a park of some-sort, and finally we were all playing & running around on a beach. I woke up this morning (very early) and wanted so badly to go back to dreaming this wonderful dream, but it did not happen. So I did the next best thing...grabbed a cup of coffee and started watching (and shopping on QVC). Now I just got to get my butt in gear & start getting ready.

Update on Francesca

Today, Francesca went to the Pediatric Gastroenteroloist (I hope I am spelling that correct) after having a years worth of bowel problems, we finally found out what is making her not go to the bathroom and/or go 3-6xs a day. She was dx with functional constipation with a megacolon. What that means is that her lining at her bottom is really stretched. We were advised not only by this Doctor, but her pediatrician as well, not to start potting training her until we get the problem under control. They said that since the muscle is stretched, it is making her go every time she has something to release. They are not sure how this happen (since she has had bowel problems since our gotcha day in 11/05) and we don't know her family history, but we are really going to work with her doctors to get this taken care of so she can start living a normal life (at least a normal potty life).

She has been on medicine to help her form soft bowels & we must keep up with the medicine...and the soft bowels...so the muscle will again relax and go back into it normal shape.

She was so good today at the doctor's office. She only cried a little when we first walked into the exam room and while she had her rectal exam (but we can't blame her on that one). I can't tell you how relieved we are to finally know what is going on & how we need to get "it" back on track. I guess I better buy some stock in diapers because it is going to be at least another year before we can really start the training.

Francesca weight is 32.1 lbs and she is 37.2" tall...now that's one tall little girl!