The Resort Rocked!

Two weeks ago, we went back up to Muskoka to the Delta Rocky Crest Resort. The resort is on Lake Joseph and had lots of activities. Aidan (and the rest of us ) had a blast! Here are some photos from the trip...

Aidan playing in the sand

Enjoying all the water toys, including the trampoline

And the slide

and this contraption!

Mike and I enjoyed the hot tub but i think Aidan used it the most!

Aidan and Maya near the beach

Aidan learning to kayak with Mike

The lovely view from our suite

Maya at the playground. They also had a toy room for the little kids.

Aidan painting a souvenir paddle in the toy room

Roasting marshmallows at night

A rare family photo

Me and Aidan kayaking. I really enjoyed the scenery!

Me and my two special kids!

We had a great time at the resort and hope to go back next year for a few days.

Chompers and Chatter

Over the last six weeks or so Maya has been teething. All four of her canine teeth have erupted and 3 of her 4 first molars.

In the last few weeks, Maya's vocabulary has greatly expanded. She now can say 45-50 words. Very good for a child almost 18 months old! She has not yet started to combine words.

Back to Work for Mike

Mike's back to work tomorrow. It's been very helpful having him home. He did a million errands. He also got to spend some quality time with Maya. She now regularly showers him in kisses and calls for him ("Dad!" not "Dada"!).

Mike's return to work reminds me that I have only 2.5 more months left of my leave. The time has flown by!

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today we received the news that Maya would become our daughter!

We had just returned from a short holiday and our agency director had left us a message on the answering machine to call her. It took another 24 hours to connect, which seemed like an eternity! Finally on the evening of August 24, 2009, we received Maya's medical (healthy!) and several photos of our new daughter via email. She was absolutely precious and we loved her smile! And, it was clear she was a very alert little girl (nothing has changed!!)

I remember spending many hours just staring at her photos in disbelief. It had been a long, emotionally draining 3.5 years to that point and many times it seemed like the adoption might not happen. It took a while for the news to really sink in. It was very, very surreal.

We rushed to settle on a name (Maya Bao Thanh) and sent out a notice to our closest friends and relatives to let them know the fantastic news!

The next seven months of waiting to travel were very hard. The worst was when we had plans to travel in mid January. Then our flight got postponed suddenly and was not rescheduled for another 2 months, while the DIA reviewed and questioned the orphanage about Maya's file.

Then at the beginning of March, we suddenly got the go ahead to fly over and meet our new daughter! On March 15, 2010 we arrived in Vietnam and adopted Maya the next day! She has been with us now for over 5 months and continues to light up our lives. She is such a delight! And we love her smile! What a difference a year makes!

Mama's Helper

Maya has become quite a little helper. Here she is using the carpet sweeper at the cottage we rented a few weeks ago. She also will help me with the laundry - no joke - she will hand me clothes from the dryer to fold and from the washer to hang so I don't have to bend down - very helpful!

She's Got the Music in Her

This photo says it all, doesn't it?! Maya loves music and loves to "play" the piano whenever one is around. She also loves it when we sing songs with hand actions, like Eenzy Weenzy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, and You're Happy When You Know It. She has a little hand sign for when she wants us to sing. She literally wakes up and one second later gives the sign!

First Follow-up Report

I can't believe 5 months have flown by already!

We just finished our first follow-up report, due five months following the adoption. More information on these reports can be found here on last page of the July 2009 newsletter. The report includes information on developmental milestones, how your child is adapting to their new family and four photos. These reports are initially sent to TDH who send them on to Vietnam for translation. They allow the Vietnamese DIA and orphanage to see how the kids are doing, and they provide a nice developmental summary for the parents as well!

Cottage Life

Two weeks ago, we rented a cottage on Diamond Lake near Parry Sound. I like to go to a cottage (with a lake view) every year to decompress and the kids love to play in the sand and water. Here are a few photos from our trip...

Maya playing on the beach

The view of the lake

Aidan having fun in the water

Maya stayed on the shore

More fun in the sand

Maya stopped for a "joo" break

My mom watching on

It was very windy but Mike and Aidan ventured out in the canoe

The highlight of the trip was a boat cruise on Georgian Bay to see some of the 30,000 Islands

Typical view of the islands. We had a gorgeous day for the cruise.

My mom with Maya and Mike

The seagull that followed the ship part of the way

A rare photo of Aidan out on the deck enjoying the view

He'd rather be inside checking out the GPS on the computer screen

or studying the maps

All in all we had a relaxing trip. We're looking forward to heading up to Muskoka again this month.

Skyping Catherine and Molly

Today, Maya and I skyped Catherine and Molly. Maya and Molly were both at Vung Tau 3 at the same time. Catherine received her referral at the same time as us last August and had attended our G&R ceremony. I also follow her blog regularly. So it was great to chat and see how Molly was doing. Molly is about 4-6 weeks younger than Maya but she is already using the potty! Catherine mentioned that she may be coming to the Toronto area later this year to visit with other families who have adopted from VT3. We hope to see her and Molly then and keep in touch!

Dole Duo

That's me and Mike!

He is taking 3 weeks of my parental leave in August, staring this past Monday. Although this will cut short my leave by 3 weeks, it gives us time to enjoy the children together in the summer. It allows Mike to have more than 1 week of vacation (as he used up his vacation going to Vietnam and only gets 2 weeks a year). This arrangement also allows me to get some personal things done, which is rather difficult when you are chasing a toddler around!

We have two short trips planned - one to a resort in Muskoka and one to Niagara Falls. It should be fun!

Cutie Pie

Two cute photos from our trip to a cottage last week. More to follow.

Fun with the Cousins

Two weeks ago, Mike's sister, Sarah, and our two nieces, Amanda and Katy, came to visit us and meet Maya for the first time. It had been over 2.5 years since we had seen them and the kids had sure grown a lot. Even though Aidan is 7.5, Katy is almost 9 and Amanda is 10.5, they are almost the same size. Here are some photos from our trip to Ontario Place. The three older kids had a blast and Maya was patient (as always) in the stroller.

Aidan, Katy, and Amanda at Ontario Place

Hand in Hand (you can see how similar in size the three are)

Riding the Free Fall Ride - Whee!

I love this one of Katy (even if it is a bit fuzzy!)

Sarah, Aidan, Amanda, and Katy after experiencing 4D Ontario (a 3D movie/ride + special effects like mist). This one is my favorite photo from the day!

Another shot of the kids. They look so cute here! They are clearly having a great time!

Aidan thought the log ride was the most fun.

Anticipation!

Even Maya got to have some fun at the MicroKids indoor playground

It was a long day but a fun one!

We also took the cousins to the Science Centre. I hadn't been there for decades. It's really a wonderful place for kids and adults who enjoy science. We were there for the day but only scratched the surface - the place is so big. Here are a few photos from the day.

Katy getting her photo taken in the aging machine to see what she will look like in 50 years

The kids all thought they wouldn't look so good then

Aidan marvels at a simulated tornado

Is that cool or what?!

The kids had fun making their hair stand on end at this exhibit with a strong flow of air

Here it's Aidan's hair AND shirt floating up!

Katy with her hair flying up but this time it's due to static electricity!

Maya waiting patiently in her stroller


I love the Science Centre and will be sure to go back there soon.

We had a great time with Sarah, Katy, and Amanda and look forward to seeing them at Christmas!