Bai Jia Bei

Just click on the picture below to see it bigger and see if you can find the square you sent.

In the northern part of China families traditionally make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt to welcome and celebrate a new life. It is customary to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth and a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth is sewn into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth goes into a scrapbook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the blessings from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. I absolutely love the sentiment behind this tradition and thought it was such a great way to have our friends and family be part of welcoming a new child into our family. So now 1 year later the quilt is finished and it is such a treasure. As you can see Taylor loves it!!

Thanks to everyone who sent squares, they were all contributed by family, church family, friends and online friends. Also check out the 4 corners, they are all TN themed.

Cutting a rug...

Taylor found a old VHS tape of the Olsen twins that is about 30 minutes long and it is them singing in different little skits. The Olsen twins couldn't have been 7 or 8 years old. Taylor loves it and he acts out and dances along with them. There is one skit where they where little caps side ways along with sunglasses. It is too cute to watch.

Taylor is doing great. We had his follow up with the urologist this week and we have his next and hopefully last surgery scheduled for June 11th. I think 4 surgeries in a year and half is enough for our little guy. But really we are so lucky!! Taylor is a healthy little guy and he bounces back so quickly from surgery and takes it all in stride. When we go up to Vanderbilt Children's and see children with chronic illnesses you realize how lucky you are.

We have started talking and might I repeat TALKING about #2 (kid #2). We are hoping to start looking in about 7 or 8 months and by October be matched with our new son or daughter and then travel by next summer. I know it sounds so far away, but it does take a lot of planning financially and otherwise, and my sister and her entire family will be going this time so traveling in the summer will be great for all of us. Taylor will be almost 5 at that time and I think he will travel better at that age than he would right now. Anyway, I know it's early, but we are excited to even know that it is in sight and we are excited to have a plan to make it happen. You know me, I'm a planner!!!!!

A Healthy Beginning

So it's not a New Years Resolution just a decision to try to eat better. I, personally, have been pretty disgusted with myself for quite awhile. Before going to China last year I had gained probably 10lbs and then lost 5 in China but my metabolism and body has definitely changed. I have always had a very large mouth full of sweet 'tooth's', not just one sweet tooth if you know what I mean. I love potatoes, and corn and carbs carbs carbs!!!!!! I feel like my diet is not good for me and I don't want to be a bad example for Taylor. As you know if you are married and try to change and your spouse is not on board then it's doubly hard but James and I are finally on the same page. A few months ago we got off of Sun-drops, that in itself was a huge accomplishment. I swapped to one coke a day and James to Dr. Pepper. So yesterday I got on the Jenny Craig website and they had sample menu's and a sample grocery list and I thought, "I can do this!!" It really inspired me because anyone that knows me knows I am a grazer and the Jenny Craig recommended diet let's you eat breakfast at 7am, snack 10am, lunch 12, snack 3, supper 6 and snack 8pm. Now for me that is realistic.

So today for lunch, I had turkey and one slice of swiss on a whole wheat soft tortilla shell with water. For snack I had a protein bar and a cup of 1% milk (weaning myself down to fat free). Then for supper we had baked chicken marinara, with steamed asparagus, steamed zucchini and a side salad with feta cheese. Then my dessert which I am about to go eat is fat free vanilla pudding with 1/3 of banana sliced on top and 1 vanilla wafer crumbled on top. I also had water with my supper, which is a big change from my usual sweet tea and you know us southerners really like sweet sweet tea!

Happy New Year!

Having a blast with the new bath toys!!
Taking aim....with the wrong eye (don't forget you can click on any picture to see it bigger)

So hard to believe it's 2008!! Time and life go by so quickly. What a year 2007 was for the Hewgley's. Here's a couple more pics that were so cute from Christmas.

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!

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!!

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!!!!!!