Spring 2011

Hi, Everyone! How are you all? We're doing great. Just adjusting to having the two little girls instead of just one...it's amazing how much busier you get each time you 'add' a child! :) But, we're having a great time with them both and love them so much. More than words can express.

Stella is doing very well. She is growing up way too fast and is way too smart! Her preschool teacher told me last week that Stella is definitely the most advanced one in her class - although I already knew that for myself! Ha, ha. She can spell her name and count to almost twenty. (Sometimes the 'teens' throw her off...!) She knows her birthday and her age as well as the birthdays of Cameron and I. She knows that we live in Gilbert, Arizona and that the president is Obama! She has the most amazing memory - I don't spend all day drilling these things into her head. I just have to tell her things a couple times and she never forgets. That can also work against us too, though. We have to be very careful not to use any swear words around her or say anything that we don't want her to repeat. Even if she hears it once, she will start using it in context! Ha, ha. She's just an amazing little girl. (I know you all probably don't mind if I brag about her! So, I always take my opportunity here - hope that's okay!).

She is now 37 inches tall and 26 pounds. She had a root canal done on her front tooth (the one that she fell on and it went dead. She did great. The meds they gave her to relax her completely knocked her out. So, she never even knew we went to the dentist. Now her tooth is bright white again and will hopefully be around for a while now! The other option was just to pull it. But, I couldn't bear the thought of her being without a front tooth for the next five years or so. So, we went ahead with the root canal and it worked out fine.

She is obsessed with the new Tangled show - Rapunzel. So, we took her back to Disneyland last month (in March) and she got to meet her. (There's a picture of it below). She thought it was the best thing ever! :) She was sick on the first day of our trip. So, she wasn't up for a whole lot other than riding in the stroller. But, the second day, she had a great time.

She has a dance recital coming up in May. That should be interesting to say the least! The dance itself is adorable - but we'll see if they can get eight two-year-olds to actually perform in front of an audience! I'll be sure to take pictures and post them. The costumes are adorable.

As you know, her birthday is coming up in June. She's having an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party for it. It should be cute!

Anyway, I just also wanted to say thank you to you all for being so great to us. I think you know this, but my mom is an attorney here in AZ. She recently helped out with an adoption representing some adoptive parents. As she told me about the sad situation with all the people involved (the baby was born addicted to meth, the families were all fighting and unsupportive of the adoption, the birth mom had had several abortions previous to this adoption, etc, etc), I couldn't help but just feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all of you. We feel so lucky and blessed to have you in our lives. We always say that you feel like an extension of our own family and that we love you all very much. Words can never express the magnitude of love that we have for our little Stella and never a day goes by that we don't remember what a miracle it is that we have her.

Love, Jenny and Cameron
Dancing in the back yard, with Mom and Dad.

She loves to twirl and watch her skirts fly!



Making cookies with dad one Saturday morning.

"Working" in the back yard!


On It's a Small World in Disney.



It was very sunny in Disneyland! That is her kitty that she calls 'Dyler'. She names all her dolls and stuffed animals the funniest names!

Stella meeting Rapunzel with her cousins.

Running to California Adventure!


Look at that face! How cute is that?!