All good things must come to an end... or do they?

The final day of the reunion started with a great brunch prepared by Fran and Bob. The food was incredible and so was the weather. The kids spent the morning blowing bubbles, playing hairdresser, and playing in the basement.

After a brief architectural tour, all of the families were on the road and back to their homes. Hopefully we'll be doing this again next year as everyone seemed to have a great time.

It's for the kids....

It's for the kids, right? Anyone that thinks that these types of get-togethers are just for the kids are crazy. This weekend has been a great opportunity for the parents to catch up with the people that were with them on that great journey 2 years ago. It reinforced what we all thought back then: we were incredibly fortunate and shared this experience with some great families. It's too bad they all couldn't be here. For those of you that couldn't make it, we're thinking of you. The weekend gave Eric his excuse to test the weight limit of his grill - and all the other dads were on hand to give him pointers on how to do it.The weekend would not have been complete without the typical photo op and parents jockeying for position for the best photo.Finally, any parent that says they are renting a huge inflatable thing for their CHILDREN to have fun is full of it - we know what happens after the kids leave...

Chinapalooza - Day 2

As if Day One wasn't fun or cute enough. We started Day Two in Chinatown with Dim Sum. Except for some late-arriving food, everything was great. The girls ran around and enjoyed each other and the boys... ...well, the boys did their thing. We capped off the day with a stunning (as usual) party at the Tolman's house. The food was outstanding and the carousel bounce house was a big hit with both kids and their parents (I'll do a separate "parents" blog later so please stay tuned).
Today is the final day and it's sad that all of this fun much come to an end.

Chinapalooza Begins!!!

Don't say I didn't warn you. Last night we hosted a barbecue for several of the families we traveled with to China. It was just over 2 years ago when we all shared this life-changing experience. We now know how many children we can fit in our back yard and the limits of the big plastic thing. A good time was had by all.

For the next three days, we'll be enjoying Chicago's Chinatown, seeing the sights, and spending more time eating, chatting and enjoying watching the children play. Tonight we descend on Kristi and Eric's place - I hope they have cleaned up the cicadas!!!

WARNING!!!!

Just a word of caution. Chicagoland is hosting a reunion of the families we traveled with in China. The next three days will be filled with so much cuteness you might get ill.

Warning: If you have a heart condition, are pregnant, on heavy medication, or just susceptible to "oohing" and "aahing" every time you see an adorable child, we recommend you limit your time on Paynesinchina for at least a couple of days until the cuteness subsides.

Happy Family Day!

It was 2 years ago today that we became a family of 3! The past two years have really flown by, it's hard to believe it was that long ago that we sat in that hot Civil Affairs office, waiting for our name to be called and change our lives forever! Words really can't describe what it's like when they finally hand that little baby to you and say she's yours. We are patiently? waiting on a sister for Sophie to join our family and we can't wait to be a family of 4, but today, it's all about being this great family of 3. We love you baby!

We recently received this photo of us, minutes after meeting Sophie for the first time and thought we would share it as well.

More Fourth of July

A few perks come with living in the OP. It is a nice walkable community with a great farmer's market, nice parks, beautiful architecture, and a lot of great community events. One of the nice perks about living on the street we do is that the 4th of July parade passes right in front of our house. Sophie got out her favorite chair (check out those socks!) and staked out a spot in front of the house nice and early. She was very excited about all the flag-waving, the old cars, and especially the candy. One of the things that all of the participants in the parade do is to throw candy at everyone. Judging by the photo below, I am not sure Sophie new what was in store. We had a few friends join us for brunch and "Happy Birthday America" mimosas. It ended up being a very nice day and perhaps the start of a new tradition.
Since the weather has been sweltering hot since the fourth, Sophie and Ileana decided to go to the pool this week. Sophie loves the pool and is quickly on her way to becoming a little water sprite.

Happy Fourth of July

More to come.....stay tuned.