Zoe's Birthday Weekend

Cake I made for the combined party
for Zoe and Chessa. It's white velvet
butter cake with vanilla icing and a
frozen buttercream transfer.

Saturday was a combined birthday party for Zoe and her friend Chessa. One other adoptive family joined in the festivities.


Zoe, 6, and Chessa, 5. We did a
combined party with another
adoptive family.



Chessa's mom, Lael, serves up the cake.

Chessa's dad, Kevin, and Mark.

Esther and Kayla

Birthday girl Zoe

Charis (and her cracked lips)

Zoe shows off her new earrings.

Puppets for Zoe.

Of course we had to play "Kiss the Frog"



Lael's oldest daughter, Katie, and Susan's oldest, Megan



Zoe is ready for her turn.

After the party, we joined the Harrelsons at the Festival of Lights Parade downtown.

Chessa and Zoe

Katie and Charis



Lael, Katie, Esther, Chessa, Charis, Jodie, Zoe, Mark and Michael (sitting back)

 

Esther all bundled up

Grand Marshal 2010 U.S. Champion and Olympian Rachael Flatt

One of the dogs from the Greyhound Rescue

Chick-fil-A's Santa Cows

The float from Charis' and Zoe's school won "Best Use of Lights."

And of course, it has to end with Santa

On Sunday, the girls decorated our Christmas tree.

On Monday, Zoe's actual birthday, Mark and I took her to Toys R Us to get her birthday balloon and crown, and to spend the gift card the store sent her. She was amazed with all the toys in the store.

Thanksgiving Weekend at Grandma's

The girls spent the week leading up to Thanksgiving with Mark's family in New Mexico. We met at the border on Saturday, the grandparents took the girls, and I came back to clean house (it's easier to clean carpets when the kids are away! I also decorated the inside of the house for Christmas to surprise the girls).

Auntie Kim, who is a K teacher at a Christian school, took Charis and Zoe to school with her one day, then Esther the next. Mark and I went down Tuesday.

Charis sets the table for Thanksgiving.

Zoe sets the table.

Esther sets the table.

The girls.
Zoe, nearly 6, Charis, 6, Esther, 10
(or as a friend says: the supermodel, the teacher and the lawyer)

Jodie and Mark with the girls

The Eybergs

Mark and Jodie

The girls with Auntie Kim.
I don't know why I don't have one of those sweaters ...

Grandma painted ornaments with the girls Friday
after she, Kim and Jodie hit the stores.

Then it was time to put up the tree.



The girls were big helpers.



The lights of my life

Charis hangs her ornament.h

Zoe shows her ornament.
This was the first time she's decorated a Christmas tree.

Esther shows the ornament she painted.
This was the first Christmas tree
she has decorated.

Auntie Kim with the girls.

Zoe received her birthday present
from Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Kim.
We also saw "Tangled" earlier in the day.

Missing Teeth, Honors, and The Nutcracker

Zoe lost her first teeth --
#1 on Nov. 10 and #2 after school on Nov. 11.
She's nearly 5 years, 11 months

Zoe also made the honor roll!
And to think I was so worried about how she was going
to do at a school with an advanced curriculum!
I'm so proud!

Charis was named Student of the Month
(two children chosen from each class) for GRATITUDE,
the character trait of focus for November. I'm so proud of her, too!



The first grade did a variation of "The Nutcracker" on Nov. 16.
Charis is with her friend Bronwyn.




Charis' class performed the movements/songs/dances. Another class read the narration. The others sang. It was a 20-minute version with words to the songs.



Samantha, Charis, Grace and Carrie perform motions for the "Arabian Dance" song.

Charis and Becky. We have known Becky for a few years from our old church.