First Morning at Home

I forgot to add that I let Tori and Tessa go out on the swing set last night and swing for 20 mins before bed... I did not care if we woke the neighbors if they heard them... Tori was so thrilled with the backyard, Jezzy our dog and the kitty's. I think she was in ahh of the whole thing of being able to walk out back and play outside and do what ever.

After the kids had already been out on the swing set around 9:30 I wrestled them back in for breakfast and then real clothes and not their pajamas.... Tori loves her nightgowns. She is such a girly, girl.... Bob calls her my other new toy.... The kiddos had a blast on the playscape today and we had an awesome day.....

Welcome Home Tori! 6-14-2011

 C'mon Mom... no more pictures!

 2nd plane of the day and 1 more hour and we are home to complete craziness....
Can she handle it???????

 Tessa came runnining and screaming for me and then it was oh my gosh Tori, she said your home.... Feeling her just to make sure she is real....

 Instant love....

 Trey standing back from the gigglers for a moment to love on his Momma... He is such a Momma's boy and would not let go of me.. and telling me he missed me sooo much.

 My Best Bud Sandra and her hubby Dennis, enjoying seeing the kids take all of it in together.

 My wonderful hubby made sure Tori had the American Welcome....

Welcome Home Tori! We can hardly believe we survived our 3rd adoption from Taiwan and still love every moment of it.... Tori has been such a trooper through all of the hussle and bussle in Taiwan and Disneyland before making it home to a new life. When Tori got home she ran around checking every room out and pulling her little brother and sister right with her. We arrived home around 10:30 pm and she was ready to go to bed by midnight.... She crawled up into her top bunk, grabbed all her stuffed animals and lined them up against her guard rail on top as if to see all of them. It was so adorable. She just kept saying,"beautiful"! There was only one day in California in which she cried, and it was because she did not want to get up... She had slept 12hrs already and I really feel the jet lagg hit her on the 3rd night there.... So everything else has been so perfect once again. No issues.. We are just so very proud of our beautiful, funny big girl. So proud of her at 9 to leave everything she knew, everyone she knew and open her heart and be willing to come home to our fun, crazy, family....
We love you Tori! Can't wait to share so many firsts with you in America.
May you always find love, happiness and peace in trusting your decision to choose us to be your Forever Family!

Celebrating at Disneyland!

 Welcome to America Tori.... To start her off with a bang. My bff Sandra flew out to enjoy the celebration at Disneyland with Tori and Tatumn. Dumbo was first on the list...

 Tori having a whale painted on her face.. She loves ocean life and mermaids so much.

 Sandra and Tori behind us on a ride....

 Just had to take this picture of this group of young adults.... WOWSA!!!!
You know me I had to ask what all the plastic jewelry and trinkets wrapped up and down their arms and all over their body signified... New age Hippies they told me... Young adults still wanting to be kids and not wanting to grow up... I told them don't let Tatumn know all about this... they chuckled...They trade their jewelry with others and I even scored a bracelet they made from the group.... If you all could have seen this parading around Disneyland you would have died...

 Fantastmic Parade.

 My beautiful girls!In their ears of course!

 Lookout the girls are driving.....EEEk

I was trying so hard to get a good picture of Tori but she was giving me whiplash so bad while she was driving... We both laughed so hard during her driving...

 Both girls thoroughly enjoyed trading pins with the cast members of Disney. I let both girls buy a new pin everyday to enjoy...

 In the hotel pool.

Mickey in California Adventure Park. So hard to get a picture with any of them these days... Long lines...

 Ariel and Eric in the Little Mermaid Ride. Tori loved this ride...

We had the best time. Even though we were suffering a 12hr time change and some serious jet lagg... I really felt this would start Tori off right. Enjoying life in America. Both girls did great and loved it sooooo much. So happy I got to share these memorable days with my dear friend Sandra who flew out to LA to be with us.... She was a trooper too!

Yamingshan Ntl. Park and Our Flight to the US

Yamingshan Ntl. Park. It is so beautiful. We stopped here to see the gorgeous park on our way to the airport.

Mr. Yeh may be the fish god... But Tori is the squirrel god. She was able to hand feed the squirrels with peanuts. AMAZING!

Taoyuan Airport. Taipei Taiwan.

Tori was sooo excited to catch her first airplane to America.

Made it to our gate after having the paperwork frisk at the immigration counter in Taiwan. They stopped us and asked us why we had a Taiwanese girl. Then they kept asking me why Tori did not have a US passport... I kept saying we just adopted her in Taiwan and they did not seem to get it... Finally another man came over and pulled us to the side and wanted to see all our documents on her court process... Good thing they weren't in our real luggage... I handed them to him and after her read them in Mandarin he looked at my passport to compare parents I guess and said sorry.... and let us go... UGGHHH! Tori was sooo excited I could hardly settle her down once we were on the airplane.... she loved the t.v. and movies and the virtual compass.

America, here I come....

Our arrival at 4:00pm June, 9, 2011 at LAX. Piece of cake through immigration....

Tori is an official American Citizen on a IR-3. Since we saw her prior to her adoption being completed..... YIPEE!!!!

Video of Tori with the squirrels.