A blog for the new year

well, it's 2008 and since it is important for me to blog at least 1 time every 6 months so Lori has asked me to blog a little about the kids, Christmas and such. Pictures will follow.

Ryan is continuing his pre-school education in the new year. i am not sure why I send him since he is quick to tell everyone he is the smartest person in our family. I am beginning to think he may be right. He speaks more eloquently then me, his vocabulary is amazing (interestingly filled with words that sound like they came from TV shows and commercials), and he is very polite. Like all kids, he is ornery at home but I'm very proud of his performance and attitude at school.

Alex continues to learn how to be a big brother. He seems to be enjoying his new role as leader and role model for Katie. While they are great, the two of them together are dangerous. He continues to be shy at times and loud at others. He has the sweetest smile and loves to cuddle when he is tired (which is rarely naptime or sleep time). He is going through some sleep issues these days, but otherwise he is doing really well.

Katie's surgery on her thumb (we removed her extra thumb from birth) went well. Our surgeon was amazing. Everything seems to be going well and we are very excited. Katie took a while to get used to no cast or splint, but now it is an afterthought. Her speech and language are progressing very well. She loves her big brothers and spends a lot of time mimicking them.

The kids loved Christmas and got tons of great gifts. It was interesting seeing Katie's first chance to celebrate Christmas. She wasn't sure what to make of it all, but when books and toys start getting opened, it is easy to get into it. Lori got a chance to take the kids out in Katie's first snow, we went to Silver Dollar City (more on this with pictures later), and we enjoyed time with our families this holiday season. It was awesome.

it's been a trip of nostalgia for Lori and I as well. Lori got a chance to see an old High School friend and his mother. I have heard about Jon for years now and we finally got to meet. It was a wonderful evening and we enjoyed catching up/meeting each other. We hope to make it to New York City to visit with him sometime.

As for me, I have been in contact with a few old friends this past year. Marco and Jay from my high school years (I owe you both phone calls if you are reading this) and now Grant from my college years. It was awesome catching up with him today. I hope to catch back up with a few other friends this year.

Anyway, our family would like to thank you for reading our blog and comments you have made in the past year. It is awesome to be able to share our lives with you all and we hope to get a chance to share more great moments this year.

God Bless you all.

Ride 'Em Cowboy

A few photos from the Boston Children's Museum back in November.

Snow Day!

It snowed! It is really beautiful outside and we all went out to play today.
Katie's first snow as she has always lived in a sub-tropical climate.
Maybe we will have a White Christmas.

Lessons Learned from Decorating the Christmas Tree

ALWAYS put all of the candy canes very high up in the tree. (Or better yet, skip them altogether.)

We keep finding sticky, semi-eaten pieces of candy cane all over the house. This occurs even though we tell Alex he can't have a candy cane about every 3 and a half minutes. Katie loves the tree and had a great time putting the ornaments on. All three of them think it is the best Christmas tree they've ever seen. Ryan got a bit freaked out by the Abominable Snowman on the Rudolf show this year but they all loved the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. I haven't made them watch "It's a Wonderful Life" yet...but I make Eric watch that one every year.

Mostly good news from the doctor about Katie today. He took off her nasty little cast and the incision site looks great. The ligament in her thumb is still more loose than he would like and therefore he is keeping her in a teeny little splint for another month. At least this is removable for bath time and washable!!!

Ryan and I are ringing the bell for the Salvation Army for awhile tonight.

I love the holidays!

Blessings,

The Cohen Clan

PS - Okay, all the rock fans out there should go and vote for the Greatest Rock Band of All time. (http://www.votenumber1.com/)

Right now, Queen and Brian May (Greatest Guitarist of All Time) are winning...largely due to the fact that I vote for them, like, every day. They are THE CHAMPIONS! (I love Queen.) LJC

Holiday Happenings

We had a great time visiting in New England for the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids had a fun playing with their cousins and the Cohen family has really grown! Now there are seven grandchildren running around and that makes for lots of fun and chaos. We went to the Boston Children's Museum with six kids between the ages of one and seven. It was a great time and we spent over five hours there I believe. It sits right on the Boston Harbor - on a pier. The day we went was the first snowfall of the year (at least for me). It was beautiful looking out the huge glass windows- watching the snow fall over the water. I love Boston! It will forever remind me of the romantic and adventurous days when Eric and I were first dating. Very "Sleepless in Seattle"....

We were able to see many many wonderful friends and relatives while we were there. It is astounding how fast time flies. Friends who we remember when all of us were single and dating now have two and three kids - several in kindergarten and older!!

It is amazing to have friends so close that when you see each other, though it has been 18 months or so almost since we last spoke, it seems that no time has passed.

We will miss Massachusetts very much and will count the days until we can go back again.

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November was National Adoption Month. Our local newspaper ran a nice story about our family and the link is here:

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19062919&BRD=2841&PAG=461&dept_id=611093&rfi=8

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We are now in the full swing of the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays. It is Katie's first Christmas home and there is so much for her to see and experience. We plan to decorate the house and tree soon. The Christmas parade is this Saturday. We will head down to the Silver Dollar City Christmas Celebration later in the month and I've reserved a fun "lunch with Santa" for the kids. Christmas is my favorite time of year. It always brings back so many wonderful memories for me and reminds me of all that is good and wondrous in the world. There is so much hope that this time of year brings. I love the focus on giving. Ryan and I have volunteered for an hour to be bell-ringers for the Salvation Army at a local store. That should be interesting.

A great quote I found that I want to remember:

"Tradition and closeness aren't based on what you do … it's based on what you've already done. It's the memories of giggles and knowing glances. It's the feeling of Christmas that only comes when you can sit in quiet reverie at the end of the day, speaking with your family in hushed tones after the kids are finally asleep, a cup of something warm in your hands—the comfort of something inexpressibly warm in your heart. A moment that will sit in your mind among the thousand memories of comfort and quiet joy that mingle together to form family, love and Christmas."
Whitney Scott

Carthage, Missouri

Six Months Ago Today....

I was sitting in a hot, little room in China with my heart pounding out of my chest so that it was hard to catch my breath. First we saw little Dylan with her crazy hair extensions and amazing dimples. Then more tears of joy as the next family became complete when sweet Sara was placed in their arms forever. Then at the door, holding her ayi's hand...the face I had waited to see for so long. In her fluorescent green and white shirt with a bright blue and purple plaid jumper, she stared at me with very big, somber eyes. (Though she went to me right away and cried very little, it is hard to imagine that that child is the wild kid bouncing on my bed this morning, wielding a cast on her left arm bigger than she is, almost.) Moments after, we all met angel Jenny for the first time - frightened and trying so hard to be brave. My heart broke that they had to suffer the trauma of leaving everything they had ever known to go with strangers that looked, smelled, acted so new and different. Yet what joy in being present at the formation of four new families that will offer these children the one thing in life that will mean the most - love forever.

CONGRATULATIONS to the three families we traveled with - we love you and you will be in our hearts always.

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Now, a special...

WELCOME to Zachary Michael Cohen (not sure of the spelling exactly) who has just become the newest member of the Cohen family!!! Congratulations Jon and Elyse, Ben, Josh, and Samantha!!

We love you very much and can't wait to see you.

Lori, Eric, Ryan, Alex and Katie Huihui

Post-Surgery

Katie did very well with her surgery on Nov. 2nd. The hospital let me go with her all the way into the OR and they used an inhaled gas to sedate her before they put in an IV and did the formal anesthesia. The surgeon and staff were wonderful. I was called into the recovery room almost immediately and I got to sit and hold and rock her right away. She was grumpy and sleepy at first but after the anesthesia really wore off - she has done wonderfully! She doesn't even act like her huge, bulky cast is there. She takes it all in stride and is playing and almost back to her normal self. She was a bit more clingy than usual yesterday but that was all. We have a follow up visit Nov. 12 and they will take the cast off then. We can expect some sort of cast or splint for 4 - 6 weeks. The surgeon said there is a slight possibility she will need another surgery again in the future but hopefully, this is it.

The kids had lots of fun on Halloween. We took them to Spooktacular at the Zoo with Aunt Christy on the 26th. Then out trick-or-treating at our church party then in our neighborhood on the 31st. We all really enjoyed it and Katie never batted an eyelash. She had no fear at all of ghosts or ghouls or anything. She was really digging the candy thing - hold out the pumpkin and people put stuff in there! She looked at me a few times and just grinned. Alex initially picked out a Pablo (Backyardigans) costume this year. He wore it to Spooktacular but on Halloween night decided he wanted to be James the Red Engine - Ryan's costume. After some fast-talking, I talked him into wearing the Thomas the Tank Engine costume that was Ryan's last year. He was thrilled. Katie was a ladybug. She liked her little costume but the wings were a little cumbersome.

Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers!

Love,
the Cohens