Photo Shoot!

Tracie took pics of Maya today in her traditional Ethiopian gear! I have been wanting to have her pics taken for a while, especially in her dress from Ethiopia...which of course was way too big! But here are some amazing pics that Tracie took. There are about 100 of them and I love about literally 80 of them. Tracie posted them on her photo blog but here they are! I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Thanks TRACE! The girl is TALENTED!

Here Maya is wearing True Religion Jeans! How cute are they! My rep sent them to Maya. Amy I know u want these for Silas. U can borrow them at the UNION! :)

Maya at Hannah's Hope in FEB 08

Tracie and Ted took this picture of Maya when they were in Ethiopia to pick up their little boy... Can u just die! Look at her hair! She has SO much more now!

so, is this not the most amazing picture! Ted with Maya in ETHIOPIA...I just can't!

I feel so sad when I see these pics of Maya because I remember the feelings of wanting to be with her sooooooo bad. What a deep feeling of longing.

P.S. I just showed Josh this post and he thought he was TED! So funny!

AGCI Knoxville Picnic!!!

All God's Children is pleased to announce the return of AGCI picnics

Knoxville, Tennessee
Saturday, July 12th
11am-3pm

Picnic Host
Tracie Ancelet: t.ancelet@knology.net

Park Name and Website
Victor Ashe Park: 4901 Bradshaw Road. Knoxville, TN 37912
http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/parks/victor.asp

Park Amenities
• Covered picnic tables
• Grassy area
• Unpaved trail
• Paved Loop
• Playground
• Disc Golf area
• Restrooms

Food
Bring your own picnic.

Also, please bring a tray of goodies to share for dessert.

Activities
• Balloon Clown
• Frisbee
• Ring Toss

Nearby Hotels
• Clarion Inn (865) 687-8989
• Super 8 Motel North (865) 689-7666
• Econo Lodge North (865) 687-5680
• Best Value Inn (865) 689-2200

Nearby Attractions
• Knoxville Zoological Gardens
• Sunsphere Tower
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Dollywood
• Knoxville Zoo
• Forbidden Caverns
• The Lost Sea

You just have to come! You can't say no to these faces can you?

Click Here to read more about the picnic details on Tracie's Blog

Standing...almost

So, I get home from market today to see a new Maya. Her hair is longer, she is laughing more (if that is possible) crawling forward but mostly STANDING. Whether in her crib, play area or leaning on the couch the girl stands constantly. You would think she would be exhausted from standing...no not Maya...she is always on the go.

Crawling

Almost up

Balance on one foot

Ahhhhhh right where she belongs...

In other news... I am concerned about...my Ollie. He is depressed. He is gaining weight. YES i said gaining weight. We have had the boy for 6 years and for all 6 years I had to attempt to hand feed him while he only ate the red pieces of the Ben-i-ful. So frustrating. Then we had to put gravy on it, chicken broth, anything to get the dog to eat. His ribs constantly showed. NOW ever since we brought Maya home he has been eating non stop. Its actually shocking. All of a sudden the dog can eat all day. Eat in a hysterical manner. Its BIZZARE. Does anyone know why? He also lifted his leg in Maya's room last night on her curtain.......hmmmmmmmmm jealous someone? Its sad for him. Here is is at his new weight...

poor guy. He still sleeps in my bed under the covers. Hopefully he will be able to rise up out of this depression. In the mean time look at my other girl who is still happy and fat...

Congrats on all the other referrals this week! Yeah!

Happy One Year Anniversary Tracie

So this is a very funny thing. It all started by me posting about Suzi and Natalie's one year anniversary of their referral and Tracie left a comment about today being our one year anniversary of our meeting, then sending in application to AGCI etc.....so i decided to make Tracie a little poster type thing on Microsoft word...it came out very cute pics and all. Then I realized Tracie didn't make me anything so i did what any normal person would do and told/asked her to make me an anniversary gift...proceeded with an email that says "who does that"...ME, okay I do. I wanted an anniversary gift from her...so here is the end result...I got three here is one of them...

Is that the cutest thing...see if we all just say how we really feel like I did by insisting on a gift you can get what u want. Shouldn't we try that with our husbands! :)

Eliana is OKAY

What great News! Check out Lindsey's blog for updates!

Please Pray for The WHEELERS!

Lindsey found out last night that Eliana is very sick. They are in Guatalmala now to be with her. To read more about this her sister Lauren is updating everyone on Lindsey's blog which is http://www.thewheelerjourney.blogspot.com/.

Love

Julie

One Year Ago...

I was doing my usual blog stalking/checking up on everyone and went to Suzi, Natalie Teabo and Stacie's blogs to see video montages and stories about how one year ago this week they received their referrals of their children. How amazing to see and look back at their stories. Makes me think how all the people waiting, struggling, agonizing...for their turn...the wait is so worth it. Check out their stories...What BEATUTIFUL STORIES they are about how God unites us with our children across the world in Africa.

We're Comin Home (Ollie and Zoe)...

So we leave the beach tomorrow morning. Arrive home to TN then I am off to the Atlanta Mart on Sunday for the store...I do NOT know how I am going to leave my little Maya. I can't even bear the thought of leaving my little girlie. Today we were at dinner and Maya must have gotten her finger clipped in the highchair or had a tummy ache and she made this total hyperventilating noise/cry again...I have to get to the bottom of it...it BREAKS my heart.

Side Note: AMY Bottomly...amazing pics from your photo shoot...check them out

Tracie, I am a good blogger now that I have my laptop. Ready for our session. CHECK!

Maya has been eating these Gerber Biter Biscuits...Its a total mess but I love watching her eat or GUM them. Still no teeth for Maya but she is majorly teething :) Also, look at Maya's hair! Its totally growing in and there are individual little curly q's all over her head. I LOVE it! Josh said to me the other day that he never thought he would have a child that has curly hair...EITHER DID I!

A Day at the BEACH

This is how the day used to start pre Maya. I would lay my new book down on my beach chair jump in the water, condition my hair, get all ready to dive into a new book and read...

This is how it is now POST Maya...u can imagine how long this lasted a total of 5 minutes...(LIZ didn't u write something about this in one of your books)

We ended up having a wonderful day...Josh let me read my book while Maya had her nap. It was very nice. Here is Maya in the ocean...

Then a bath with Aunt Sammi and her friend Emily...

We are in CHARLESTON SC

So, Here we are in Charleston South Carolina at the Beach. Ahhhhh love the beach and SO does Maya! She went in the pool today and Josh would literally dunk her under the water and she loved it. Here are some pics from the first day...more to come. Hope everyone is doing well! :)

8 MONTHS OLD!

Today Maya is eight months old! She is certainly a different baby then the itty bitty little girl we brought home three months ago to the day. We left on March eighth to bring Maya home! Tomorrow it will be three months since we left to go to Ethiopia...

Tonite Josh and I were walking ollie and pushing Maya in the stroller and she reached out for my hand and then laughed when she looked at me. What a amazing girl. She is such a funny girl with TONS of personality...We are loving this girl so.........eight things about My Maya.

1. She smiles with her eyes

2. Her eyes glisten

3. She crinkles her nose and sticks her tongue out when she laughs
4. She is almost crawling...pulling herself forward
5. She LOVES apple with vanilla grain DHA baby food

6. She LOVES the water! (thanks Tracie for the pool days)
7. She LOVES her daddy, grandma and grandpa
8. When she wakes up from a nap or in the morning her whole body does a dance in excitement to see me! LOVE it!

Maya today having her bottle

I realized that I never posted ANY of Maya's referral pics.

So now that we are allowed to b/c we are home, here are the first pics we ever saw of our daughter. What a amazing moment! Can u BELIEVE that was Maya when she was 1 1/2 months!

Can you believe...

that this little crazy girl that I am so beyond in love with actually lived in AFRICA/ETHIOPIA! Its just too much to comprehend. Almost like I don't "feel" like I went to Africa. Like it was all a dream and Maya came from my belly. Then I stop and look at her in the eyes and see her birth mother in her face and expression and just get this feeling thru my body. Oh i am LONGING to be back in AFRICA. Speaking of going to Ethiopia.........LIZ GOT HER REFERRAL! YEAH LIZ! Can you pack little me in your suitcase please. It would make your trip much less anxious to have such a calming force as myself with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) TRACIE I know u are hysterical at the thought of what it would actually be like for ME to be a calming force...anyway Yea LIZ...I am overjoyed for you!!

Sleeping on Daddy! See Daddy made it to the blog!

OLIVER & Maya

My mom, Ollie and Maya (Noonie too) were in the backyard one day playing with

a bowl of water. Maya LOVED it! Here are some pics...My poor Ollie. He was my number one baby in my life...now he is number two (well three because of Josh, and noonie is four...) anyway, he is very depressed. He is getting better but Maya is making him whiter from stress. He is very sad that he is not my main baby anymore. Yesterday Maya was taking a nap. I heard her cry and Ollie scratched open the door and sat in her room. Thats much better then the day before when he made a big poopie in her room! :) He is still my love and always will be.

My Quest is OVER!

So, when we were at HH Ethiopia Almaz played this cd for the babies (while they were sunning mind u) and I was obsessesd with finding the cd. Emailed Julie, asked the families that were going to open the cd player at HH and write the name down for me etc...anyway let's just say that I never found out the name of the cd. Today Maya and I were driving to the airport to pick Josh up and one of the songs came on the radio! I was back at HH, It was amazing. With a little more research (obsessive research) today is the day I conquered! The cd is shout praises kids and the song is called let the praises ring. Download that on itunes and tell me that doesn't bring some of u who adopted babies back to Hannah's Hope. Whew what a relief. I think Maya knew the song too! I mean she did listen to the cd for 3 months! Okay I can rest now.