365 days ago we were....

...packing and re-packing and packing some more. Checking our lists, wiping our tears, calming our fears and thinking we were the luckiest people in the whole free world! Little did we know that our luck was just beginning.
Yes, it's already been a year. One year since we boarded our plane to China. I can't believe. Lauryn is all tucked in, far away in dream land as Kyle and I talk about our trip to China... What a year it's been!
We love you Lauryn, it's impossible to tell you how much, simply because there isn't a word big enough, a sentiment sweet enough, or an equation long enough that would equal the love we have or the joy you have added to our lives.

seriously it's 9:00 already?

So the laundry isn't done, I didn't sweep this weekend, I didn't dust and I didn't put winter clothes away. All things that were on the LIST this weekend.
But, you know what I did do... I spent my first Mother's day weekend with a great little girl who makes me smile and laugh, gets more of my heart everyday. Who frustrates me the way that a confident, independent two year old can, and who calls me mama!
It was a great weekend. Thanks to my wonderful family. As I am sure you know by now, that my Mom and I are very close. She is my inspiration. I don't know how she continues to be super woman. My Mom has taught me how to live my life without regrets and has talked me through each regret I have ever had, and made them all lessons instead of let downs. She has loved me unconditionally and taught me not to be judgemental. She is a firm believer in that everyone has a story, and there is always a solution. Lauryn also adores her, and it's a yet another dream Lauryn has allowed us to realize! Nana is the greatest word to my Mom, and I love watching them together. She is silly, and fun, and covers Lauryn with kisses. My Mom and our relationship means everything to me. It's reached a whole new level now that we have Lauryn to watch. My Mom has guided me to this point and then let me trust my instincts. She has never said I told you so (even though I am sure she'd like too!!) This year we were able to celebrate being Mom's together. Thank you for the perfume and the beautiful card. It meant so much, and as usual was exactly what I needed!
Kyle has outdone himself! Lauryn and Kyle let me sleep in, made breakfast, had lunch ready when Lauryn and I came home from gymnastics! He then got dinner all prepared and we went for an amazing afternoon of KITE FLYING. IT was AWESOME! So awesome, that I forgot my camera...
On our way to the park, I asked Kyle to get my sunglasses out of the car, he grabbed the garage door opener too, and put everything in his pocket. Well, Lauryn didn't always hold on to the kite, so part of the afternoon was spent chasing our get away kite. Then the three of us lay in the grass with Johnson and watched the kite WAY UP HIGH! Came home, and Kyle didn't have the garage door opener. Lauryn, Johnson and I went into the house. I finished dinner and Kyle went searching... I still can't believe he found it! Then we had a great dinner and Kyle did the dishes, put Lauryn to bed and I am super relaxed and left with a basket full of dirty clothes and memories that have made this weekend worth the last 5 years of waiting for a sweet little angel face that calls me Mama!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's who are waiting, for all the Mom's who can kiss their babies faces tonight, and for all the Mom's who are not with us anymore, you will always be a part of who we are.
Keep Happy
xo

And the winner is.....

...Krista!
Congratulations! Used a random number generator and you my dear have won!
Please email, or facebook me your mailing address... I will put your loot in the mail!

10,000 and counting! Blog giveaway!

Our blog has reached 10,000 views! Kinda neat! To celebrate, I would like to have a blog giveaway! 10 little trinkets! 10,000 trinkets might be a bit overwhelming! If you are interested, please leave a comment, with your email address so I can contact you! Good luck! Today is April 17... 10 days from now, (April 27th) a winner (randomly!) will be chosen!

10 things about our Lauryn (again, I could write 10,000, but that's crazy!)
1. Lauryn loves her "kitty" she sometimes ignores Kitty, and sometimes she is crazy obsessed. Adults can touch and play with kitty, other children or animals can't even look at Kitty!
2. Lauryn has started babbling none stop. A LOT of this chatter is only understood by us! However, even though she is a work in progress, she definetly has no trouble being understood!
3. Lauryn is almost potty trained... she isn't consistent, but she is somewhat reliable. Pull-ups are our life now. Diapers at nap and bedtime, and she has been known to remove her diaper before we can get to her in the morning... Wet diapers are a lot easier to deal with than the other option... yuck
4. Lauryn loves to get dressed up! She is a girly girl who will spin in a dress for hours and shoes are very important to her. If she has her mind made up that she wants to wear a certain pair of shoes, you might as well just give in!
5. Lauryn is a natural at gymnastics. From what we can tell, future olympian for sure! She has started gymnastics and adores it!
6. Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Special Agent Oso is her tv of choice. She watches these everyday and loves them. She tries to sing along, again in a language all her own, but she gets her point across. Not much of a movie fan yet!
7. She LOVES to talk on the phone. Lauryn even has an old cell phone of ours that she "calls" people on when she is in her car seat!
8. Lauryn has a boyfriend. His name is Bobby! Ahhh, young love!
9. Lauryn adores daycare. She loves her teacher and her classmates and pretty much rules the roost! If Lauryn doesn't feel like napping she won't... simple as that, and if Lauryn doesn't nap, according to her teachers, no one naps! Well, not that bad, but she enjoys climbing over the other kids and stealing blankets and pillows... What a girl!
10. I (although bias) have never met a little angel face that has the ability to steal more of our hearts each and everyday. Lauryn you are a crazy kid that we are so blessed to call ours. You've changed our lives. Thank you for being the most wonderful two year old ever created. We are so proud of you! So looking forward to our future.

So, there you have it! If your interested in another Life with Lauryn give away, leave a comment! Don't forget to include your email address, I will email you, to get your address to mail the lucky winner their prize! Good luck!

And I think to myself... what a wonderful WORLD!

I know, I know, I know... it's been a looooooonnnnggg time. However, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in each day. I am back at work...ugh. I do love it, don't get me wrong. The people and the place are simply fantastic. I do miss the comforts and the friends who are the best of the best from my old place of employment, but I never EVER thought I would miss Lauryn like I do. Luckily, Kyle has entered his slow time and gets to spend 3 out of 5 days a week with Lauryn. I get home by 7, and I get the bath/bed time routine. So it is working out. Really it is... it's just I miss my girl more than words can say. I miss those sleepy afternoons, or our shopping trips and so much more. I know that she is not the only child with a working mom. I know that I am not the world's first (and won't be the last) working mom with a toddler at home. I just didn't think it would be this hard. Lauryn is changing so quickly she is loosing her toddlerness and becoming a kid... it's crazy! So, the only thing I can think to do is continue to play the lottery! Come on baby!
On a happier note... we had our 12 month post placement meeting with our social worker. Although Lauryn was ours from day one, we are done with our social worker. Bittersweet again! Sal is a wonderful, helpful, patient man. He helped us realize our dream of bringing home Lauryn. I am thrilled that the struggle to get her home is complete and it was kinda of sad to think how close we became with our social worker and to think that our time with him is done. On the other hand, we have LAURYN at her forever home FOREVER. Pretty great!
We are still the house of sick. Lauryn is thankfully feeling better. Kyle and I on the other hand have continued our "shift" work! One of us will nap, the other one will watch Lauryn! We both have no appetite, so one of us will feed Lauryn and sit with her while she eats, and the other one will fold laundry or make a bed. It's been crazy! I think we see the light at the end of the tunnel... come on sunshine! We need to open the windows and air out the winter germs of this house!
Hope everyone is well!
Keep Happy!
xo

Blog by the wayside...

It has happened again. Life with Lauryn gets busy and there is just no time to fit everything in. I am a bad blogger... But, I am back to update all that care on what's been going down.
Kyle is doing great. This is a very busy time of year for him. The busiest, and it's showing. I think I saw him a total of 8 waking hours last week. I am a total single mom this time of year. Although I hate it, I know that it's necessary. All part of the business and blah blah blah... I try my best to be supportive. Truthfully I do! However, I do find some days are much harder than others and believe you me, Kyle knows! LOL! Oh well!
Today was a great day! It was Lauryn's one year referral day. She is where she belongs. HOME. What a difference a year can make. My, how she has changed our lives. First, I can't get my head around the social commitments of a two year old. I can't imagine what it will be like when she is a teenager... goodness!
She has added so much joy to our lives it's just so hard to imagine our lives without her. It's like she has always been with us. In our hearts forever, home for just 8 short months. I really do believe in miracles and it's all her doing. Each day that smile lights my life. She is our dream come true and I am so looking forward to our new journey. She's a doll! Don't get me wrong there are days that life isn't all sunshine and lollipops. However, those days do come to an end. At the end of the day I am left with my best friend, my wonderful husband and we are holding the hands of a little girl who has our hearts. One lucky girl I am.
Me on the other hand have been looking for work. Booo... but the time has come to find something. I have a couple of very interesting leads, and look forward to what they might have to offer. Fingers crossed!
So, I am counting down the last couple of weeks of my parental leave. Kyle is counting down the days to his slow time where he will be finally able to spend most days with Lauryn. Thankfully Lauryn is signed up part time in the world's best nursery school. She loves it there and adores her teacher. She won't have to go all the way full time until September. They are very flexible with our schedule and have been a huge help. She will continue part time with some full time days. This will allow Kyle to meet his work commitments. Allowing me to concentrate on my new job where ever that may be. All the while Lauryn is blissfully unaware that anything has really changed.
Lauryn has a 6 week block of speech therapy coming up. Looking forward to that. She has made huge progress and I am sure that we will see lots more! She is one smart cookie!
We met with some of our FOI families for Chinese New Year. It was really great. 4 families and their children met at the CCC in Toronto. They had a lion dance, drummers, and dancers. They had some crafts for the kids to do. It was a really nice afternoon. After the CCC we went for a late lunch and had time to catch up and see what was going on with everyone. You don't realize what a connection you have until you see these families that you shared the most special time of your lives with. We are so lucky to have these families as part of our support. They are a true blessing. Hopefully we will get together again soon.
I think that's a wrap.
Happy one year referral day Lauryn! You are our dream come true. It just keeps getting better!
Keep Happy :)

Merry Christmas, with love from the Thomson's xo

I will post more later... but we are all in our pj's watching Christmas shows... we are so loving today and I don't want to miss a minute of it!
Lauryn is where she belongs and our family is complete. xo
Merry Christmas everyone. With love from our house to yours xo

Happy Birthday NANA!!!

The love of a Nana is like nothing no other.
It's fun all the time, it's special and totally unconditional.
I can't tell you the joy that I get seeing you and Lauryn together.
You have your own rhythm with her. Her face lights up when you walk in the room. She gets so excited that she can barely keep her feet on the ground. Nana was Lauryn's second word! The joy that you get from her makes your face light up too. It's magic! Something that I am looking forward to seeing develop into the kind of relationship that you and I share. Now that I am all grown up, I turn to you for different things. What should I do with Lauryn... or you wouldn't believe what Lauryn did today! You always have the time to listen to me and have gone through all the hoops to help bring Lauryn home. Today and always I hope you know just how special you are to me. Thank you for everything and especially for showing the kind of Nana love that I grew up with.
Happy birthday Mom. We love you xo

6 months a family TODAY!

6 months ago today the most beautiful baby girl was placed in our arms. She is all ours now. Life has certainly changed and each day we get to watch Lauryn grow, and learn something new. She is an amazing little girl who has captured our hearts from the moment we met.
Lauryn, Mommy and Daddy love you so much! You're our biggest achievement. You have completed our family and you're our dream come true! xo

In peace may they rest, may we never forget

I think this is just beautiful!

A Pittance of Time
Written by Terry Kelly
Published by Jefter Publishing
They fought and some died for their homeland
They fought and some died now it’s our land
Look at his little child, there’s no fear in her eyes
Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?
Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time
God forgive me for wanting to strike him
Give me strength so as not to be like him
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips
My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists
But two minutes I will bide
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time
Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own
There’s a price to be paid if you go, if you stay
Freedom is fought for and won in numerous ways
Take two minutes would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls all over
May we never forget our young become vets
At the end of the line it’s a pittance of time
It takes courage to fight in your own war
It takes courage to fight someone else’s war
Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell
They bring hope to foreign lands that the hatemongers can’t kill.
Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who go over
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It’s a pittance of time
In Peace may they rest, lest we forget why they died.
Take a pittance of time

Our little ladybug!

Seriously... could Lauryn be any cuter! This is Lauryn in her Halloween costume. Lovingly made by Grandma T! xo

Trial run - nursery school!

What a day. First day in a long time that I had to set my alarm.
Lauryn had her trial run at nursery school today! Our day started at 7:00, she was awake when I went into her room, all snugly and warm and still playing with her hair and sucking her lip (the most adorable thing EVER)! She looked so small! So little! We had breakfast and got ready for school! Took some pictures outside with her new Tinkerbell bag. awww.
The drive to school was far to quick and I wasn't ready! It was only going to be an hour... but still!
Got her coat off and inside shoes on. Went over our paperwork and said a very short goodbye. She cried for a bit, no tears, just whined... I left quickly and she was easily distracted!
I went to a near by grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner. I was hurrying through the cash register got back to the car and I had been gone 18 mins... okay... now what. Got a tea, drove around for what seemed like FOREVER and arrived back at school (5 mins. early) to pick up Lauryn.
The toddler group was playing outside. Lauryn was happy to see me...she gave me a quick hug and then wanted down to play some more. I told her it was time to go home and she LOST her mind... she wanted to stay and play! What a kid.
She absolutely, without a doubt loved every minute of her trial run. 1/2 days on Tuesday and Thursday will be wonderful for Lauryn.
What a kid!

School Daze!

I can't believe it! We toured a nursery school yesterday and Lauryn loved every minute of it! So, we are in the process of another huge step for our little Lauryn. Lauryn will start school next week! OMG! She will go Tuesdays from 8:30-12:00 and Thursdays from 8:30-11:30.
The school is really awesome. Its a happy, warm, fun place! There was music playing when we got there. About 8 kids in the toddler room. They were playing and signing. There are a couple of other children with speech trouble in the class. This is going to be so good for Lauryn!
Lauryn hit it off right away with another little girl. Kyle sat down and Lauryn's new friend brought over a book for Kyle to read. This little girl was obsessed with Kyles shirt and kept touching the sleeves and rubbing his arm! Everytime she did, Lauryn would very calmly remove her hand from Daddy and give her a look. You know the look! LOL! I was busy filling out paperwork. Kyle said it was so funny.
We were there for about 45 mins. I actually got all teary eyed explaining our journey to Lauryn with the ladies who took me on the tour! LOL!
We left just as lunch was being served. They have a cook on staff who makes wonderful meals for the kids. It smelled so good!
We then went to Tim Hortons to celebrate this milestone!
Lauryn will go for an hour again on Friday and then Tuesday will start officially!
I am so excited for her. I know that this is an important part of her growing and can't wait to see her thrive with her/our new schedule!
First day of school! WOW!

Before I know it... Lauryn will be in college!

I simply can't believe how fast Lauryn is growing up. She is a little girl who grows in leaps and bounds daily. I left her with my Mom and Dad OVERNIGHT for the first time. I can't believe I actually made it through the night. It was funny! I was looking forward to the break and being able to hang out without Mickey Mouse clubhouse in the background. Had dinner with my cousin and then it hit me. I missed her. I mean REALLY missed her. I called home to get the update from Nana and Grampa and all was well. Truth is, she doesn't miss mommy at all when she is there. I was the same with my nana! Well at Nana's she drank from a straw, got her bangs trimmed and learned a new song! OMG! I was totally impressed!
Thanks Nana and Grampa!
Kyle, Lauryn and I are looking at a nursery school tomorrow! The speach therapist recommended that Lauryn be socialized with other children. What we are thinking is two half days a week. 8:30 - 11:30 one day and then again another day a week, but the second day she will stay for lunch. I am so excited about this. I really believe that this will open up a whole new world for Lauryn and she will continue to thrive.
Awww, my little girl... our little angel going off to school. I know it's only 6.5 hours a week... but still it's huge! Kyle and I are so excited, but at the same time... I often wonder where I can buy a bubble to keep her in!
I started her Christmas stocking. I found a kit on ebay and it's ballerina bears! Super cute! I hope my version looks as nice as the one on the front of the package.
lol!
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Wish us luck on the school tour tomorrow!
Keep Happy!
xo

Such a proud mommy!

That's me! Today Lauryn did all her flashcards. She recognized all the animals (all but the pig!) and made the right animal sound! Amazing!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.
xo

What are you Thankful for?

Wow, just read my post from last year's thanksgiving...
This year I am most thankful for the love and support of my wonderful family. Kyle and I have always been surrounded by support. Through our entire adoption journey, we have been so fortunate for the support of our families.
I hope everyone finds the one thing that they are most thankful for this year, and that you are lucky enough to surround yourself with whatever makes you happiest.
I can't wait to see a highchair at our thanksgiving table.
Hang on Baby Lauryn...not long now.
I am also thankful for my dreams... each night, I see my sweet daughters face. I picture her snuggled down, in footie pj's after a bath between Kyle and I in our bed. Johnson and Peanut at the foot of our bed (clearly, we will need a bigger bed when this becomes reality!) and we all get cozy and tickle her tummy, tell her how much we love her, and how we've waited for these nights!
I truly wonder what the next year might bring.
I can't believe it! Everything that we were hoping for has come true. There are so many nights that Lauryn is running around in her footie pj's and Kyle and I watch in aww at our daughter. Our dream come true!
There will be a highchair at our thanksgiving table this year. This chair will hold the world's most precious little angel. This little angel will be surrounded with love and people who care so much for her. She is fitting right into everything that I have grown up with.
This year I am most thankful for the health of our daughter. I am thankful that she is home. She is happy and healthy and has completed our family. I am thankful for my family and friends who have been there and continue to be there.
Again, my hope for all of you is that this holiday weekend finds you surrounded with the love of your family and friends and your children. If your children aren't home yet. Hang in there. There will be. I can promise you that.
We are blessed beyond measure to have our Baby Lauryn home with us.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
xo

Life in the fast lane!

To say that we've been busy in an understatement. Our lives are filled with so much that the blog has taken a total back seat. I am not happy about this. I think it's important for Lauryn to have something to read that's all about her, and how she came to be and what her firsts were and what, as a family we have to look forward to! So, I promise to be more diligent.

August in review:
My uncle passed away on August 10. He was far to young and it was a very sad time. His death was sudden, and it made me realize many worries that mothers face with a young child. Not only did I have to coordinate a sitter for Johnson, but we had a child to worry about. Kyle was on a business trip, and there was a bunch of things that all needed to fall into place!
I felt it much to early for Lauryn to attend a funeral. Thankfully, a very good friend of the family was able to watch her with her cousin Reid and I don't even think she realized that Mommy was gone!
At the end of August, Lauryn had her cleft palate repaired. She came through with flying colours. We stayed in the hospital two nights. Since then, every day is a little better. That was the big news in August! Lauryn had arm splints for three weeks. She was a trooper. She figured out how to play, eat and totally didn't let the arm splints get in her way. She is a pretty amazing kid! She was also restricted to a diet of pureed food. We are counting the days until she can have a unrestricted diet!

September in review:
September was spent helping Lauryn recover. She is a determined little girl. We spent some time at the park and Lauryn loves to climb and swing! Her aggression is coming to an end. She sometimes (very rarely) will bite. She sometimes hits, but is quick to follow with a kiss better. Her sleeping habits have improved, but still are not consistant. I took Lauryn to my office to meet the friends who are more like family. We had a great time. She loved the Go train and everybody was so happy to meet her. It is amazing the reaction that Lauryn gets. She's a beauty who loves an audience! We went to my Aunts house and she had a ton of fun playing with Sierrah who is three. They kind of played together, but kind of played around each other. Lauryn is a total copy cat and loves to imitate! She was pretty jealous of the time that I spent with Sierrah and didn't like to share her mommy. We worked through it and I now realize the importance of Lauryn spending time with other kids. It's crucial for her! She learns so quickly from other children. With Lauryn in arm splints for most of September, we really established our home time routine. It was nice to be with her at home and get a regular schedule!

Lauryn had her first speech therapy session yesterday! The Therapist, Melissa was impressed with Lauryns understanding. The way that she can follow direction. We can speak to Lauryn in sentences. Things like - Sit on your bum, take your shoes off and put them away. Lauryn will happily do the tasks. What we need to work on is her communication. She will readily immitate anything, we now need for her to vocalize this. We have been teaching Lauryn sign language. Very basic. Kyle and I are by no means fluent! However, the words that Lauryn can sign, help her communicate her needs. Now we need to introduce the words to make sure that Lauryn is also verbalizing these things. Its an important step in her development and one that I am trying my best to find overwhelming! Kyle and I both want so badly to give Lauryn everything. What parents don't! However, Lauryn will learn at her own pace with us providing a consistant routine that will allow her to reach her own potential! Right? lol!
So... there you have it. This is what we've been up to!
I still find it hard to believe that she is ours. The love that we feel in watching her grow and how our family dynamics have changed is pretty incredible.
A blogging friend of mine and her husband leave tomorrow for China! Wishing them all the love and luck in the world. It's an incredible journey! Safe travels.

Keep Happy!
xo

Life with Lauryn is

L - Loving every hug and kiss!
A - Always keeps me on my toes!
U - Unbelievable that shes all ours!
R - Really? I'm a mom to a beautiful two year old?
Y - Yawn... yep, ready for bed before she is...again!
N - Nothing beats waking up to hear her giggle!

Our little lady is two today!

What a great day we all had today. It was non stop celebration today. Today Lauryn turned two. It was just us, Daddy, Johnson and Peanut, and it was a great day.
We had a family party for Lauryn on Saturday. It was simple, fun and the perfect afternoon. We had ice cream, cake and lemonade and Lauryn had a ball! We were at a playground by the lake for a good portion of the afternoon and I don't think I saw Lauryn more than 5 mins. Our families and friends have taken so strongly to Lauryn that every chance they get the are just lovin her! It's awesome! We can't remember what life was like without her. I can't imagine what we did with all our time!
Thanks to everyone who was able to come and join us in the park! We had a great day.

To our little lady,
Words can't describe how you've changed our lives! Mommy and Daddy are so pleased that you are home safe and sound and are thriving. We love to watch you play and laugh and learn each day.
Don't know who is responsible for us meeting, but we both feel blessed beyond measure to finally call you our daughter. You are everything that we've hoped for. Our dream come true. Each day gets better and everyday we love you more. You have completed our world and have added so much love to our lives.
Happy 2nd birthday to our little lady! We love you so much!
xo

The cake...

So far so good. 4.5 hours of intense cake making and I am exhausted!