Our Holiday Fesitivities have begun!

 

One last trip to the beach, trimming our Christmas Tree, and our traditional visit to Macy's on State Street to view the Holiday windows and visit Daley Plaza! Olyvia was able to pick out her very first chestnuts..eggnog flavored, and both she and Emsely enjoyed their treat!

What a wonderful start to our Holiday Season!

Thanksgiving-2009

With crazy packed schedules, work, responsibilities at home and the massive amounts of attention needed by two amazing toddlers..well, it is easy to forget all of the little things. In the moment it is easy to feel overwhelmed and to hear yourself complain about even the smallest deatails. Being pregnant only magnifies emotions and has left me more sensitive to many of my daily routines. This left me sitting up at 2:00 a.m. the other night writing a list...A list on why I should be thankful...

My list.

1. My children
2. My husband
3. My family
4. My home and career which is very secure in this crazy economy.
5. My car..Crazy? No! The other day I saw a woman with an infant in an infant car seat waiting at the bus station in the cold...
6. My friends
7. Starbucks. YES, please don't tease, but I am very thankful I can start my day off with my latte..Without it, I am not so happy!
8. My education.
9. The amazing opportunities I have been given in life, and in my career.
10. My weekly massage and chiropractic appointments.
11. My families health insurance.
12. My manicures and pedicures.
13. I am thankful that my children do not have to go to daycare, and that my husband and I have the ability to work opposite schedules to care for our children.
14. I am thankful that we were able to buy a home in the neighborhood we are in.
15. My health
16. I am thankful that we can afford Christmas gifts for our children. Wierd? No. My first Christmas as a Police Officer I went into several homes on Christmas Day where their were no gifts for the children. This was heartbreaking!
17. I am thankful that my children are so polite and sweet. They are the only proof I have that I am doing something right in this lifetime.
18. I am thankful for heat and air conditioning!
19. I am thankful to have clean drinking water and toilets. Seriously..where Olyvia is from, the citizens do not have this luxury.
20. I am thankful to have such wonderful neighbors!


This Thanksgiving may you all find a moment to make your "list"...
We are blessed in so many ways, sometimes it just takes a 2:00 am wake up call to remind us..

Happy Thanksgiving,
Love, Jime, Jennifer, Olyvia, Emsley, Bailey and Baby Ryle!
xoxoxoxoxo

I'm THREE!!

 

Happy Halloween

 

Three is a charm!

Dear Olyvia,

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

How lucky can one Mommy get? It saddens me that you will not remember your personality or the type of toddler you were when you get older. This is one reason I blog just about every milestone of your life. I want you to see what those who love you had the pleasure of watching through the years. This past year you have grown into a tender, sweet loving toddler. Let me begin by telling you a little bit about your best friend. She is your sister, Emsley. One day, sooner then later, I fear you may laugh at this but it is true. Over the past year the two of you play so well together, you laugh throughout the day and you are sad when she is not around. You are consistently ensuring her safety and well being when out with friends, and the kisses and hugs you offer to her, well you can witness that for yourself in photos. Every morning you say "Good morning Emma" and you give her a kiss. I love this start of my day, it makes me see that I am doing something right..you both understand and feel "LOVE"...
Moving on to your personality...you are one of the most out going children I see on the playground. Reserved at times if I am not around, but when you feel safe...you shine. Your smile lights up a room and your excitement makes everyone around you feel your energy. You are happy, so very happy. Just today I was in the kitchen making dinner and I heard you laughing at your favorite part in "Tinker Bell"...You love to laugh, and what a sweet laugh it is. You are kind, and you are a lover.You tell me "I love you more Mommy" every day, maybe twenty five times a day and I love it..When you are in trouble you know how to make me forget what was wrong, as soon as I say "Olyvia Grace", you say, I LOVE YOU...
Your favorite thing to do this year is play games. The fishing game and Elefun is played multiple times throughout the day. You also love to play "sticky", do arts and crafts and go to gymnastics every Sunday.
When I tell you that you melt my heart every second of every day, I mean that. Not one day goes by that I do not thank God for sending me such an Angel. You and your sister are the reason I get up every morning, the reason I work every day and the reason I smile every evening before I go to bed.
You are three today my love, and I am so excited to see what wonderful and amazing things you learn and do this year!
I love you!

How easily we forget....

Here I am..only six months pregnant and lately I have found myself complaining..
I have been exhausted, so I constantly wish for more sleep...I find it difficult to find clothing that suits me, my growing body, and pieces that I like..I find myself frustrated most mornings...my legs and feet are killing me by mid-afternnon and I find myself wishing I did not have so many obligations to fulfill...I can go on and on..and yet this morning I woke up remembering where I was a year ago...

As I was brushing my teeth, I observed hanging on my mirror my Marc Jacobs "I love you" necklace. I had purchased this necklace last year in memory of my "Ten". It was at this moment I remembered where I was a year ago today..I was in the hospital grieving and wishing I could be with Olyvia on her birthday.

I find it odd how easily I have forgotten the feeling of "loss" and the sadness that broke my heart through every "disappointment". I forgot how many prayers were sent up to Heaven wishing for Emsley and praying she would be O.K.

I am embarrassed now to admit that I wish I could sleep a few more hours, or wishing I had more time for myself..I forget that for three long years I waited for my sweet "Olyvia"...

Though a tuff road I have walked, God has blessed me with more then I have prayed for. The gift of life in two amazing ways, the joy of motherhood, a "friend" for a husband and a life I never thought I would have. My complaints I am sure will never fully go away, but I hope that before I speak in any negative manner, I stop and think what I have lost and remember what I have gained.

Olyvia's 3rd Birthday Party

Click here to view these pictures larger

Getting ready for a BIG Birthday!

We prepare to celebrate the BIG "3"...

Olyvia just loved making her party invitations and both girls got a kick out of designing their own T-shirts and shoes!

Olyvia's kid party is at a local pumkpin patch and family will be over in the evening for chili and cake!!

Two girls and a BOY!

Please click below to read the news!!!

http://babyryle.blogspot.com/

Fall fun begins!

The Ballerina and the Gymnast's

The fall has arrived and so has our busy schedules....

The dancing shoes

Once upon a time there was a little girl who absolutely loved to watch Irish Dancers...
This little girl loved to put on sparkly dresses and sequenced shoes.

Daily she would put on performances for friends, neighbors or family...at the end, she would take a bow and say "Thank you, I am gorgeous"...

Whenever her parents were made aware of an event that had Irish Dancers they would dress her up and take her to see the performance....

One day this little girl was given "dancing shoes"..Not just any dancing shoes, but black "tap shoes" just like the dancers she adores...That night she could not sleep unless she had in her hands the most fabulous gift of all, her black tap shoes like the Irish Dancers...

Soundly and at ease, an inspiring dancer slept with her dancing shoes...

We will always remember

Sept. 11th, 2001

Farewell Summer.....

The last days of summer...Where did the time go? To celebrate Labor Day we went to Jim's Aunt and Uncles lake house. What a fabulous time! For the first time in close to a year everyone from Jim's side of the family were together.
Olvyia and Emma had a chance to play backgammon, play with their cousin "Baby Aubrey", bounce in a hammock and enjoy time on the lake...
I had the opportunity to sit back and watch my girls and wonder.."look how much they have grown this summer"...
Olyvia has begun to lose her baby features, this is killing me..Where is that baby I held in my arms just a few months ago? She is a toddler now Jen..I have to remind myself this..she IS going to be THREE in just a few short weeks...Again, where did the time go? This summer she is also experimenting new foods and has given up the baby toys for Princess and ballerina dress up play, playing Mommy to her babies, and enjoying hop-Scotch with her older friends on the block...She must have consumed 20-30 ears of corn and indulged in a least a dozen smores...She is also much more independent, not only is she potty trained, but she will tell you what she wants to wear every day which usually consists of a princess dress! Above all, she has taken on a new hat..She is a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, and now student...THREE...my baby is THREE.
And then there is my Emma...oh how her smile lightens up my day..Her signature smile, her big brown eyes...Emma just this summer has done something that Olyvia has yet to accomplish..she dresses herself. My little Independent baby can even put her own shoes on..Which leads me to Emmas growth..She is one half size smaller in shoes then Olyvia and she is in the same size clothing...They are only a few inches from being the same height, however their personalities cannot be any different! Emma is saying a few more words, but really relies on Olyvia to do all of the talking..(This I need to stop)...Emma is my chocolate eater..anything chocolate Emma eats! She is a nurturer..if you could just watch her for a small amount of time as she plays with her babies you would be amazed. She feeds them, gives them their bottle, changes their diaper, and sings to them...She is going to be my "motherly" girl....
In just the brief summer months of summer big steps were taken by each of my girls, and I feel like the infancy I had left in either of them is leaving as quickly as this summer has come and gone...
So I ask one more time, "Where has the time gone"...

An afternoon of dance!

After our St. Louis Reunion in July, Olyvia and Emma have become very fond of Irish Dancing...This weekend in Long Grove the annual Irish Festival was taking place so off we went...Of course, the preparation was the most fun..Daddy, Livy, Emma and Mommy went shopping at the local second hand store to find the perfect "Sparkly, shiny, dress"...Although we found mixed match pieces, the girls adored their costume and had a blast at the fest!
P.S...Olyvia has not taken off the tutu in three days!

Happy-Birthday-Daddy!

First Day of School

Nervous. Apprehensive. Frightened.
This is how I felt days leading up to sending Olyvia to Pre-School. Two days a week for an hour and a half a day, sounds easy...seems easy enough...but for weeks I was a wreck...
Thankfully, all of my anxieties were replaced by many smiles and a very good feeling on the day of.
With her backpack filled with wipes, tissue and a new tinkerbell lip gloss I had bought for the "Big Girl", we walked hand in hand up the front staircase to her school. Daddy was behind us filming her every move. There was not one moment of this big day that I wanted to forget....As we entered her classroom Olyvia's eyes widened, she twirled and smiled and said, "Look at all of this Mommy"...Agh...I instantly became at ease, and felt comfort...As she introduced herself to her classmates and teachers, her out going persoanlity shined through, and I could not have been more proud....

My little two year old Princess is now a student, another hat she wears with grace and pride....

I could not be more proud my love!!
Congratulations!

We're expecting!

I am so very happy to announce that Jim and I are expecting again!! I am in my fourth month, and for obvious reasons, we have hid this pregnancy as long as we could....My belly is now making "his/her" announcement on its own, as I am certainly beginning to look like an expecting mother...

We have been filled with so many emotions since finding out, but ultimatley we are happy. Children are a blessing and we definitely feel blessed...

I have been writing since the day I found out. This has been my way of expressing my fears, anxiety and happiness. You can keep up with "Ryle Baby 3" by clicking, here

Or you can cut and paste here, http://babyryle.blogspot.com/

Please keep this baby in your prayers!!

POTTY PARTY!!

 

".....I can do it all by myself..but sometimes I need a little help. My potty chart it shows me how, and I can go to the potty now....."

SHE DID IT!

We had the most fabulous potty party this past week, and Olyvia DID IT!!

Gotcha Day Anniversary!

It is so hard to believe. Two years ago today Olyvia was placed into my arms and my life changed forever. Emma was in my belly at the time, merely one inch long. I'll never forget this day..The smells, the humidity, the anxiety and the anticipation. After giving birth to a child I can attest that there is no difference in how you feel after giving birth or having a child placed into your arms at nine months old. For both occasions the joy, love and happiness was overwhelming. I fell in love immediately.

Today we did our annual dinner at KOW KOW Restaurant and both girls received their GOTCHA DAY gifts I had bought them in China. I have a gift for each of them until they are 18 years of age..The dress Olyvia wore was also purchased in Guangzhou, and I think she looked like a Princess!

When I look back at photos from this day, Olyvia still looks the same. That adorable face still glows with life....


Happy Gotcha Day my love!!

Jiang Cheng Reunion!!

I am still pretty speechless when it comes to this past weekend. We had our reunion with the families from Olyvia's Orphanage. We all met in St. Louis. All of the families were from different parts of the United States.... Chicago, Kansas, Texas even Ohio...Every one of us made the long haul for one reason. To reunite our daughters with their sisters from China.

I am still processing much of the weekend, but what I can say is OH MY GOD!

When I looked into the eyes of each parent I realized how lucky we all are. These girls have brought us all excitement, love, understanding and a new found sense of compassion and need to grasp life with all that we have. These children have brought us happiness. We are the lucky ones as they completed what we were missing...

There are several common denominators I found with each child. They are all stubborn, they are all full of life and their intelligence is mind blowing. Looking back and reflecting on their abandonment, their orphanage and how they spent their first few months of life...I am amazed at the resilience of children. Love..it really is a cure for all things...

The first photos in the above video are of Olyvia's referral picture, Olyvia on the red couch and all of the girls for a group photo on the red couch. These fragile tiny babies have turned into the beautiful toddler girls which you will witness in the pictures that follow...

Adoption. Motherhood. Commitment...I need a few days to sort my feelings, but I would like to touch back on these issues in the coming days...These girls have brought Olyvia and myself so much more then I can explain this evening...My life changed that humid day in August of 2007, and today I feel like I can finally share what I have learned on those topics...

Part II to follow.....

A weekend for Baby Lily!

"Flowers Bloom Like Lily Rose"....

I hosted a baby shower for one of my dearest friends this past weekend, another girl!!