Here is one of my favorite shots from Cabo. Hai went to sleep on the sunset booze cruise... mommy didn't get very much booze... :-)

Let him eat cake!

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Originally uploaded by michelebertolone

A photo from last weekend's reunion. Hai loves cake, but he loves frosting and the chocolate candy ON the cake more. :-)

The spider at the door

This spider has been building and re-building her web right outside our sliding glass door to our deck for a couple of weeks. She's about the size of a silver dollar, and I'm sure she's harmless. But boy, is she interesting looking.

I guess Hai and I have a pet after all!

Melissa

You let her do WHAT to me?

The joys of your best friend being a 5 year old girl that is very into princesses. He's going to kill me for having these pictures some day... :-)

A shot from a couple of weekends ago when we were at Grandma and GrandDad's house. They got Hai this great ride-on fire truck that he loved. It will be interesting to see how much more he loves it at Christmas time when he's a bit bigger and can push it better. He's fascinated by anything he can ride on right now - anytime he sees a bicycle he wants to examine it very carefully. I suspect I'll have to worry about motorcycles when he's a teenager...

Love all,

Melissa & Hai

Tuyen Quang Reunion!

On Saturday we got together with several families that have adopted from Tuyen Quang in Vietnam. This is a shot of all our kids! Yes, Christina is on the right, and of course I count her and Maria as part of our family (besides, the only way we could really get a good picture with Hai was to have Christina hold him).

It was great to get together with everyone and see how much the kids have all grown. It's interesting to me that all our kids seem to be good eaters! Hai pretty much ate his way through the reunion, particularly the dark chocolate pieces on the cake (he takes after Grandma on that one).

And Saturday night we had our own reunion with Jaap, Josie, Maria and Christina. We went to Fiesta Del Mar (as usual) - our home away from home. Josie flew down for a 24hr trip from Seattle - it was great to see her and Hai was very happy.

All together a great weekend!

Love all,

Melissa & Hai

Happy Anniversary!!

One year ago today Maria and I nervously walked out to the lobby of the Somerset Grand Hotel in Hanoi, boarded an incredibly crowded van full of other nervous parents, rode 4 hours through the mountains of Vietnam, avoiding water buffalo and water hazards (3 ft of water covering the road), walked up the road to the "Tuyen Quang Social Sponsorship Center", drank a huge bottle of water, and then entered a room full of children and was handed my son. I remember the feeling of driving up the orphanage and how quiet everyone got in the van. I think we were all completely unaware of how our lives were going to change in the next 15min.

If Hai remembers anything of that day it will probably be that his new mom put him in a sweater that his Grandma had sent us. It was adorable, and had his name embroidered in a star on the front. Only problem was it was 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity in Tuyen Quang that day... I've been over dressing Hai ever since.

The past year has gone by so quickly and yet so much has changed in my life. I honestly don't remember much of what my life was like before Hai. He's become so much of my world, and I suppose I've become most of his.

So, happy anniversary of the day I officially "got Hai". You are the best decision I ever made, and likely will ever make. I love you!!

Mommy

Vote!

Just a little political statement from Hai...