Wednesday, December 26, 2007

More Christmas fun.....

TAYLOR WITH HUNTER AND TREY


KOREAN CULTURE QUILT WE MADE FOR JAMES' MOTHER


TAYLOR WAS NOT INTERESTED IN STOPPING LONG ENOUGH FOR A PICTURE


DADDY, GINGER, PATRICK, AND NEILL
BROTHERS AND SISTERS (YOUNGEST TO OLDEST OR TALLEST TO SHORTEST.....EITHER WAY TRACI DOESN'T LIKE IT DESCRIBED THAT WAY!! HEHE)

THE BEST THINGS ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS GIVING AND FAMILY!!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Santa came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SANTA CAME....HE REALLY CAME!



THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS



WAKING UP CHRISTMAS (EVE) MORNING
AND FINDING OUT SANTA HAD COME.....SO EXCITED!!
SANTA ATE THE COOKIES AND MADE A BIG MESS!!



Sunday, December 23, 2007

A Christmas visit from Lee





As Katie, Randy and Lee (Taylor's foster brother) were headed to Mississippi they came through Tennessee to see us. So Taylor not only knew Lee the first 2.5 years of his life but since coming to the US he has gotten 2 visits from Lee. How awesome is that!! I had to work so I missed getting to see them. In the last year they say that Lee has grown 8 inches, and 6 lbs. Taylor, on the other hand, has grown about 3 inches and maybe 3lbs.


Taylor always likes to imitate and help daddy tie his shoes and I finally caught him doing it this morning as we were getting ready for church....tooooo cute!


We will be making cookies this afternoon in preparation for Santa. Santa is coming to our house one day early since I have to work on Christmas day. So we are excited and can't wait for Santa to come to the Hewgley house!! All Taylor asks for is a 'big truck' and boy is he going to be surprised to find lots of toys!! I can't wait to see his reaction. This is sooooo much fun!!!!!!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Seaweed and Reindeer



Showing off his artwork

Fa la la la la.....


With James being half Korean of course he grew up eating alot of Asian food, so anytime Taylor stays with James' parents he eats rice, sometimes kimche and also seaweed. James' mom sent us home some seaweed until we can get to an Asian market and Taylor likes taking some sticky rice with a little soy sauce mixed in and putting it inside a little piece of seaweed and then he makes all sorts of yummy noises while eating it. We cut one piece of seaweed into 9 pieces and at a meal he can eat all 9 pieces with rice!!


Taylor has fully recovered, but the bad news I didn't mention before is he will have to have another urological surgery in about 6 months. Not the news we were expecting or wanted to here, but after that, hopefully Taylor will be finished with surgeries...he's had his fair share. The last picture of Taylor he is holding a Christmas ornament that looks like a little hymnal, so he gets it off the tree and then sings...... too cute!




Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Forever Family Day

The first picture we saw of Taylor




Taylor in China 12/2006


Taylor at home 12/2007

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

One year today and recovery!


It's hard to believe but we got to meet our precious Taylor one year ago today!! His official 'forever family' day is the 5th but today marks one year that we have had Taylor with us!! We just feel like we are the luckiest parents in the world to have this little guy be our son. He is the sweetest, kindest, funniest and not to mention cutest little guy! I am not sure how much we will be celebrating as Taylor had surgery yesterday. It was definately a rough day for Taylor. His surgery was for a urological issue and the poor thing has 4 incisions. Today he is much improved over yesterday but very sore and very slow moving. We were at the hospital for 9.5 hours and then drove 1.5 hours home. Then last night Taylor didn't sleep well and so me and him stayed in the living room and I think we were awake every 20-30 minutes trying to get him more comfortable. Today he is definately showing improvements. He's our tough little man!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....



choo choo!






I saw this little foamie train at Wal-mart last night. I waited til Taylor went to bed before going. He's had a little cold and with his surgery being on Monday I have tried to keep him in. He's having a outpt urological surgery by the way. So he loves trains and I knew this would be a good diversion for the day.

Through the eyes of a child...


James and I had been married for 14 years before becoming parents and when it came to holidays we had really become fuddy duddy's. Birthdays weren't that big of a deal any more, we had even not put up a tree for a couple years at Christmas and as far as shopping for Christmas, it was a chore and sometimes we waited til the weekend or day before Christmas before shopping...which kind of made it fun! Anyway my point is when you have kids all of those things become fun again!! All of our birthdays were fun this year. I never used to make sure we had a cake with candles, but Taylor loves blowing out candles, not only his own, and he loves cake and presents. Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween and now Christmas all have been special this year. They are all fun and cherished and we are so thankful to feel this way. It's like being a kid again when you get to see things through the eyes of your child!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Strike



The tiniest bowling shoes.

He wasn't too sure about this Santa guy, but luckily
Santa's helper was able to snap a quick picture of
just Santa and Taylor.


Don't you just love having productive days!! This morning we gave Taylor a haircut then got him all dressed up and went out in the yard to try to catch some cute pics for a Christmas card (with success). I then got some housework done and while Taylor was napping got the pics downloaded and ordered our Christmas postcards, with the new adorable pictures. I also got in 30 minutes of cardio (newly committed to fitting that in), and then we went bowling and out to eat. This was Taylor's first bowling trip and he had fun. After eating we went by the mall and it was Santa's first day at the mall and there was no one there (small mall in a small town) so we walked right up and had Taylor's first picture with Santa. Last year we didn't get home from China until December 15th and we didn't venture out much before Christmas, so no Santa pic from last year.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

It's all perspective...


The other day at work a nurse wanted to see a picture of Taylor, so I go get some pics and as I am showing them to her another nurse peaks over my shoulder and says 'is he yours' and I don't know her that well but she is very nice and so I said 'yes he is, we actually adopted Taylor from China almost a year ago'. So then she kind of whispers to me, (with pity) 'oh, are you not able to have your own' and instead of giving the great response of 'he is our own', I said well we weren't able to have biological children so we adopted. Then she says that it could still happen for us, and she would pray for us. It was a weird moment because she felt sorry for me and I realized that my response did not make her realize she shouldn't. I don't fell cheated or like I've missed out AT ALL. I feel so blessed and I feel this is the path James and I are suppose to be on. I also feel that God put adoption in my heart a long time ago and whether or not we had biological children we would've still adopted at some point. The whole adoption process for us was beautiful and awesome and I can't wait to do it again! So hopefully I'll be prepared next time with a better response. After you've adopted you get so many comments and you aren't always prepared for what comes out of peoples mouths, so as time goes I am sure I will perfect my responses.

Monday, November 5, 2007

A precious gift.....

We lived in Nashville until I was in 3rd grade at which time my parents got divorced and we moved south. I had a best friend that lived down the street. We were the same age and had so much fun playing and catching the bus together. We spent soooo much time together. My dad stayed in Nashville, in the same house, after the divorce. So when I would visit my dad of course I would get to see my friend. As we got older her parents would even let her come to our home about 80 miles away and visit and spend weekends. It was only in high-school when we both got serious boyfriends did the visits stop. My sister got married the summer I graduated from high-school and my friend came to the wedding. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her. We both started college and life changed. She called me about 10 years ago to tell me that she was married with 1 child and living in Georgia. I have looked for her number and address for 10 years with no success. I looked for her parents, and nothing. My sister was shopping this past Sunday close to Nashville and was in the Gap store with her back to the entrance when my friend happened to be walking by that store and thought she recognized Traci and came in. Wow!! I mean it's amazing that they connected. She is now living only about 50 miles from me with her husband and 3 kids! I am sooooo thankful that I will be able to at least know whats going on in her life and know what her kiddos look like and who knows maybe we can rekindle such a precious friendship. I haven't seen her for 17 years and that is so hard to believe. I still want to believe I was just 18 like a couple of years ago.......not!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Happy Halloween

Cousin Emma-Pea pod



Taylor and cousin Trey

Cousin Olivia "witch" and the hunter
Taylor with cousin Gracie "chicken"


Taylor has been scared of masks and even bicycle helmets, he also didn't really understand picking out a costume and the whole concept of Halloween. Every time we went to Wal-mart he was scared of the Halloween isle. So for Halloween we just dressed him up like a hunter. I told him he was dressed like a hunter and he would just look at me confused because the only hunter he knows is his cousin Hunter who is a girl and 13. But none the less he looked cute and once he figured out he could say trick or treat and get candy it was on. He was soooooo excited and wanted more and more candy. His cousin Trey walked around the neighborhood with him and it seemed they would always give candy to Taylor first and then he would proceed to tell them "Trey in there" and point to Trey's bag. He wanted to make sure Trey got candy too, so sweet.


Wink Wink




Sunday, October 14, 2007

Mini-vacation

Loving the pony ride or as Taylor says the 'who who' ??? (I wanna wide the who who)



Two grown men wrapped around one little finger (Daddy pushing and Uncle Bill hand holding at Dollywood)


Believe it or not, Taylor had never golfed before and got two hole-in-ones and scored 2 on another hole, all this with no assistance from a adult. He placed his ball and hit it! We thought it would be a little chaotic taking him but he tried so hard and did so good....I was impressed!

My first swim with my very patient and awesome daddy!


'cheesing it' once again with my mommy


At Dollywood with cousins Trey and Hunter and friend Zach or as Taylor likes to say 'thhhhack'

Taylor was so funny with the deer licking his hand he just kept saying "oh man" in total disgust! It was so funny.


My master piece

Just getting home from 3 nights in Pigeon Forge, just minutes away from Gatlinburg TN. On the way there poor Taylor got car sick very early in the trip and unfortunately it continued all the way til we pulled up to our hotel. He was such a trooper though! We had a great time. We went to Dollywood, mini-golf, swimming, and a petting zoo. These things were all firsts for Taylor and it was so much fun for me and James to get to see Taylor experience things. We are the typical goofy parents watching their child and gooing and gawing over the littlest things he did. Yes we are big corn balls....but you know...we just can't help ourselves. The first night there after playing and swimming and eating we were driving back to the hotel and he says 'I want home'. After I explained that if he wanted to ride more rides then he would have to spend the night here he said 'no home'. I rode the 'Mystery Mine' ride with my niece, nephew and Zach and it was awesome!! It was so much fun and it's a must do if you ever get the chance. Traci, Bill and James were going to skip it but once we came out they decided to do it and agreed, IT WAS AWESOME!