Long Time No Blog

With the ease of Facebook etc, the blog has been so neglected. Yep, we still stink at this, but it is a resolution of ours to update once per month in 2012 so those not of FB etc can see Sophie before she turns 30!

What have we done since Memorial day? Too much to list but will post some pictures to recap. Wishing you and your family a VERY happy and healthy 2012.

 Went to Chicago with the Walkers to visit the American Girl store on a girls weekend.

 Did a photo shoot at Faust Park

 Spent time with my Mommy and Poppa

 Enjoyed the St. Louis summertime

 Went to the cottage in Ludington, MI and saw the Badger

 Went to the annual international pumpkin party at the Dorris house.

 Was Minnie Mouse for Halloween.

 Spent the weekend in Oklahoma City with the Kellers and caught the OSU game.

Yeah, I even went to Disney World!

 I had a princess makeover day while I was there, ate dinner with all my favorite princesses too!

 Rode my FIRST big girl ride!!! Yep my bow was tall-enough to ride the Star Wars ride and I loved it! 

 Celebrated my 3rd Gotcha' Day!

 Celebrated Christmas with my family and friends.

Remembering The Fallen. One, A Family Friend.

This weekend is not about BBQs and having people over to celebrate. It is day to remember all those brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in defense of this wonderful nation, and fighting for those freedoms that we all so often take for granted. Fly your flag outside your home. So few houses do this anymore. After 9/11 it was hard NOT to see the Stars and Stripes at a house or office. Now it is a challenge! This Memorial Day, as I do each year I pay tribute and honor Lt. William Thomas "Tom" Costen, United States Navy and his partner Lt. Charlie Turner. Tom grew up in the house behind us in St. Louis. I remember playingwiffle ball with him and running behind the "bug man" smog truck on summer evenings after dinner. Not the smartest of ideas since it was a mosquito killing fog, but hey you were a kid and everyone else did it. Tom's father was also a great friend to the family as well as an Orthopedic Surgeon to a few of of us.

Tom and Charlie Turner were assigned to Attack Squadron 155 at Whidby Island, Washington. Their unit shipped out to the Middle East on board the USS RANGER when U.S. military buildup began there in January 1991. Tom and Charlie had been in the region only ten days when hostilities began and they were asked to fly combat missions on Iraqi military targets in the first wave of offensive strikes of the war the opening night of the Gulf War. Tom was the pilot of an FA6 Intruder, and Charlie his BN (bomdadier/navigator). Both failed to return from missions on the morning of Friday, January 18, 1991.

Later reports revealed that two emergency radio beeper signals were picked up indicating that both Tom and Charlie ejected safely from their aircraft. Both were returning to the USS Ranger after a bombing mission over Baghdad.

On January 20, both Tom and Charlie were officially listed as MIA by the Pentagon. It was not until almost two months after the end of Operation Desert Storm that the Iraqis handed over the remains of 14 United States soldiers. One of those was Tom

Lt. William Costen

Lt. Charlie Turner

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Another Child of God.....

Actually wrote this on 5/11, just did not publish it.... Sorry!


Not only did we celebrate Mother's Day, but we also celebrated Sophie's baptism. Family and friends abound we had a great gathering Saturday night and the baptism after mass on Sunday. We missed those who were not able to join us. It was a special moment for us as parents and not a day goes by that we do not thank God for Sophie and the joy that she has brought to us in such a short amount of time.

Her baptism candle

I baptize you...... She was a little freaked but no crying!

Bible from Belle

Godmothers.

Mommy's annual Mother's Day book.

Good times with friends on Saturday before the baptism.

Swinging with cousins Jack and Mason.

Playing Catch Up!

We're back!! First of all we are so very sorry that we have went an entire 3 months without any posts!! We have had a busy 3 months. Sophie is growing up fast. She is now 31lbs and 38 inches high! She loves to sing, dance, gymnastics and be extremely girly. We are gearing up for summer and lots of summer vacations.

We spent Easter with Belle and Bear this year. Belle managed to deck her out with the beautiful Easter dress! Thank you Belle. And of course the Easter Bunny came to MS as well as STL and TUL, busy bunny. Sophie came up with 5 lip glosses, a pound of jelly beans 1/2 pound of M&M's and lots of stickers (that are now all over everything).

Sophie on Easter Sunday.

Growing up so fast!

Bear and Belle

Us!

The Easter Bunny hooked a sister up!

Sophie's egg hunt in MS.

Mommy and Sophie

Coloring eggs with Poppa.

Sophie has truly developed into a sweet little girl, but she is defiantly putting us to the test! She is very smart and tries to get away with a lot! It's very clever the way she will ask me for something and if I say no she will go to Poppa, ask the same thing, hoping he will say yes--It has yet to work for her! Sophie now just assumes she can't "have it" for example, "Momma/Poppa I can't have 2 cookies right?" hoping we will say "no, not right Sophie you can have 2". It's very funny.

Sophie with her cousins Jack and Mason

Sophie is a BIG helper. She has become very independent. "I can do it" is a common phrase of Sophie's. She loves to do her own hair, dress herself and tries to cook for herself. I tell her she needs to be 6 before she starts using the oven and boiling water :).

Sophie and Poppa working in "Sophie's Garden"

Celebrating my birthday at our favorite place Pho Grand

Mommy's birthday present from Uncle Bub- CARDS tickets!

Sophie gets her wildlife on with Poppa at Wetland's for Kids day!

STL zoo, "look Momma a snake--is it real?" "yes Sophie it's real and it's o.k. to stand and balance on it's body..it likes it"

Punkie do's (Sophie and her Mema)

Sophie and her BFF Olivia Walker are very silly together...here they decided to do make overs.

Here they stuff their face with marshmallows..

yes...i am a piece of work

DONKEYS

What? You lookin'at me? I'm having a bad hair day.

Sophie loved the Alpaca farm.

Since the last posting, Sophie had major dental work done, which many other children that have been adopted from overseas have experienced. A total of 11 cavities and 9 crowns in one procedure, she looks great. It is the lack of so many things that most American children get such as pre-natal vitamins etc. that caused this. Her mouth is free of pain and her follow ups have been good.

We are looking forward to Mother's Day weekend, which also will be even more special as she will be baptized at St. Joseph Parish. Looking forward to having the family in town for the event. It will be amazing.

Winter Marches On..

It has been a long....cold....snowy winter in St. Louis. Old man winter is about to get a beating from the Belz! Keeping busy is never a problem for us, but finding warm things to do OUTSIDE is a challenge.....Snow play has been fun. Sophie was up to her waist last week in it. Today was amazing though and a nice change of pace. It made it to 51 so a zoo trip was in order. There was a black rhino born last week, but not on viewing yet, but there was also a baby Amur Leopard and Tree Kangaroo which was fun to see.

Sophie is getting ready to undergo major dental work in two weeks. One of the challenges with many internationally adopted children is oral health and Sophie ranks up there at the top. She will be having 14 fillings and 9 crowns....all necessary work. We knew it would need to happen as we could see the issues on our Gotcha day. Lack of all the vitamins, flouride etc we all take for granted was not available to her, thus.....4 hours of dental work :-(
So below are some photos of the past few weeks for us. Hey Spring? WE ARE REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEADY! Oh, wait......old man winter is gonna throw snow and ice at us...Monday through Wednesday!

JUST...COLD!!!!!!

Silly times with Poppa

I AM a total ham though.....

Are you talkin to ME?

Petting the goats at the zoo is always a favorite for her.

My resident gray squirrel in the back yard....He's ready for warm too.

GUINEA PIGS!!!

I....think....the....snow....was...YELLOW :-)

Fun in the snow.....

Snow "Angel in the Moon"

ITS UP TO MY WAIST!!!!

Driving home from school. :-)