Ella Sarah Tuan Lazar

September and October 2011

2011-12-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

During our fall break from school, Evan and Paul stayed home while Ella and I traveled to South Dakota to visit my sister Lisa and her new baby Jaden. Ella and I stayed with Lisa for a few days so we could catch up and love on Jaden. While in South Dakota, we (Lisa and I) took a boat ride with our Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Elmer, Cousins Rhonda and Sean to spread our dad's ashes into the Big Stone Lake. It has been eight years since dad passed away and it was time to follow through on what he had asked us to do. It was the closure that was necessary.....we miss you dad!! Prior to flying back to Atlanta, we spent an evening with Dawn, Larry and kids....so fun!!

On September 29th, I surprised Paul by renewing our vows at the church on our 20th wedding anniversary. It was very simple renewal with kids and Pastor Paul. Happy 20th honey!!

See you in November.....

Little Jaden

Cousin Rhonda, me, Cousin Sean and my sister, Lisa

Ella feeding her Cousin Jaden

Whitney, Ella and Preston

Renewal of our vows

Halloween 2011
Ella is Ariel and Addison is Little Red Riding Hood

July and August 2011

2011-11-01T17:52:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

We began the first weekend of July going to the Woodstock 4th of July parade with Ritchie family then driving up to Ellijay, Georgia to barbeque and tube down the river with Veith's, Ritchie's and Stricklin's.....always such a great time!! For a little over two weeks, Evan, Ella and myself flew up to New York to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. The kids enjoyed their pool and beaches as well as Grandma's cooking/grilling....yummy!!! Once we got back home, it was time to get ready for another year of school.....August 1st, Ella entered kindergarten and Evan entered his last year of high school........

My sweet children relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa's!!!!!

Ella ready to jump into grandma's pool.....soooo fun!!!

Enjoying the beach on Long Island, NY

Evan enjoying grandma's BMW.....sweet!!!

Celebrating Laura's 42nd bday in St. James, NY with grandma and grandpa

Addison and Ella playing at Kidstock playground

Ella's getting a ride in Nona's walker!!

Addison and Ella on first day of kindergarten!!!

Our elementary school bus stop..... 20 kids

May and June 2011

2011-10-13T18:13:00.000-04:00

In May, the kids finished another year of school on May 27th. Evan completed 11th grade and Ella graduated from preschool. June was a busy start of our summer. Ella had two weeks of vacation bible school (week and our church and another week at Hillside Methodist Church). Evan spent a week in Boonville, Arkansas with his youth group from church serving the community in Boonville. The last week of June, Ella participated in Safety Town Program (program designed for upcoming kindergarteners teaching them all about swim, bus, bike, etc. safety). Evan also participated in Safety Town again this year as a volunteer. June was so busy....I'm exhausted just recalling and typing it. See you all in July !

Ell and Quinn walking down to get their preschool diplomas...cute!!

Ella and Olivia dressed as the statue of liberty at preschool graduation...happy girls!

Addison and Ella posing before their dance recital......beautiful girls!!

Ella at Sascha Mackey's 3rd birthday pty!!

Ella reading a book to all her friends.....super cute!!!

Ella about to jump into Lake Allatoona. Thank you to the Dance family for inviting us out onto their pontoon boat. We always have such a fun time!!

March and April 2011

2011-07-15T09:52:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

So March brought us slightly warmer weather and believe me we were ready after a cold winter for us in the deep south!! April consisted of spring break, Paul's 46th birthday, Easter and Ella's 5th birthday. Below are some highlights.....

During spring break, we visited the Altanta Zoo with your friends Reese and Rowan...so fun!!

Got a quick picture of Evan and Ella after Easter Sunday services before Evan went to work at Pikes.

Picture taken with Olivia and Brooke Myers on Ella's birthday after our Chinese Language Class.

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Below are photos of Ella's 5th birthday party.

She and her friends painted flower pots, ate pizza/cake and planted flowers in the pots. It was a great party!!!

January and February 2011

2011-05-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

Wow.....2010 completed and 2011 here we come!! We began January with plenty of cold weather. The kids had no school for the entire week of January 10th due to ice and snow that would not melt because the temps stayed in the 20's. Paul was asked to participate in the Live Help Desk at 11Alive News. He volunteered representing Wells Fargo Insurance Services. He ended up staying at a hotel in Buckhead for four nights since it was too icey to get home.

February brought us a very big milestone. Evan passed his driving test and received his drivers license!!!! So of course, Paul and Evan went car shopping a couple of days later. Evan got a white Ford Sportrac. He looks so grown up driving it.....where did my baby boy go?????

The end of February, we celebrated "5" year gotcha day reunion with Maya and Molly. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Cinncinnati, Ohio. The girls were so excited to spend the weekend together. It is such a special bond that they have with each other. Its so sweet to see them laugh, sing and just be girls. Thank you Mike, Jill and Teresa for continuing to celebrate our girls blessing our lives!!

Evan and Ella sledding

Ella making snow angel.....cute!

Molly, Ella and Maya

Evan's New Car

Ella celebrating Chinese New Year at Georgia Tech

with Olivia and Brooke Myers

December 2010

2011-02-27T12:58:00.059-05:00

Of course December was busy with Ella's Christmas program at her preschool, traveling to New Jersey to celebrate Brianna's Bat Mitzvah(Jewish celebration on your 13th birthday - Brianna is daughter to Mike and Melissa Shapiro, Melissa is Paul's cousin) and Christmas/Hanukah. See you all in 2011!!

Ella and Evan at Brianna's Bat Mitzvah

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Below is videos of opening Christmas/Hanukah presents.

Ella and her Corelle Doll "Lu Lu" - Hanukah gift from her Nona!!!!

Ella singing at her Christmas program!

November 2010

2011-02-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

Below are various photos and videos from our Thanksgiving family vacation. The Lazar's (Paul's parents - Lynn and Marty, Paul's brother and his kids - David, Alex, Sydney and Ethan) and Havas's (Jamey, Susy, Justin, Jiselle and Jayson) went on a 7- day cruise to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Coco Cay Bahamas. The weather was a little chilly in the beginning but as soon as we headed south, it was beautiful and warm. We all had such a wonderful time with our family and great friends!!!

Ethan, Ella and Sydney

Grandpa, Ethan and Ella

Freedom of the Seas - Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship


Ella and Jayson - Beautiful!!!

August, September & October 2010

2011-01-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

Ella's ready for her first day of preschool at Childs Play on August 11th

We spent a Saturday afternoon in August picnicing at Brasstown Bald (a mountain in North Georgia).

Evan got a "seasonal" job at Pikes Nursery!! Below is a photo of his 1st work day!!

Addison, Ella and Alli enjoying the pumpkin patch!

"Halloween" - Addison (pirate) and Ella (cinderella)

July 2010

2010-09-30T10:35:00.039-04:00

Hi all, Because July was such a busy month, I have to devote one update for it....we began the month celebrating July 4th with the neighbors in north Georgia (Ellijay) at the Veith's cabin. We all went tubing in river and then enjoyed a barbeque. On July 8th, Ella and I flew to MN to visit the Morton family for five days. As always, we had the best time. Ella really enjoyed playing with Sydney, Whitney and Preston!! We also took one day and drove back to SD to visit Dawn's family, my sister and my Aunt Dolly & Uncle Roger. While I was gone to MN, Evan was going on his first mission trip with the youth group at our church. They spent the week in Jackson, Mississippi. While in Jackson, the youth worked together with other youth from other churches to help the less fortunate. They mowed lawns, painted, facilitated Vacation Bible School for younger children etc. Evan was very moved by his experience and is looking forward to another mission trip next summer. Below are various photos taken within the month:

July 4th in Ellijay, GA

Veith's, Kaminski's, Ritchie's & Lazar's families ready to go tubing down the Coosawattee River!

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Minnesota trip with Ella

Ella and Whitney at Como Zoo in MN

Preston, Ella and Whitney in pool

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Day trip to Desoto Falls with friends

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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Youth Group

Mission trip to Jackson photo

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Addison's 4th Birthday Party Ella and Addison celebrating Caliou birthday pty for their babies...so cute!!

May and June 2010

2010-09-29T14:31:00.028-04:00

Below are some photos that highlight May and June. May consisted of Evan celebrating his 16th birthday....OMGosh - cant believe by little boy is 16!!!!!! He completed 10th grade May 28th. Ella celebrated with her friends at preschool with a end of year party. Summer break started with a drive to Delaware to visit family and celebrate Samara's (Paul's cousin, David's daughter) high school graduation party (photos below). It is always a good time when we are with family :-). Evan and I volunteered at our church with Vacation Bible School again this year. We each had a group of pre-schoolers....such fun!! Ella invited her friend Morgan to attend VBS too so they alot of fun with music, crafts etc.

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Enjoying the lake with Dance family below.....thx for inviting us!!

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Ella's 4th Birthday

2010-09-29T11:27:00.043-04:00

Ella turned four years old on April 25th and below are some photos of her special day and weekend. Her Godmother, Dawn and her daughter, Whitney came to Woodstock to celebrate Ella's birthday. We had a busy weekend planned ...........Friday night dinner at American Girl Resturant where Ella and Whitney got to bring their dolls; Saturday lunch at mexican restaurant; Saturday afternoon tea at Tea Leaves and Thyme and Sunday her party at Earth, Paint and Fire where they painted icecream bowls and ate icecream cake! She had such a wonderful birthday and was especially appreciative to spend quality time with Whitney and Dawn which made her 4th birthday so special!!!!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Ella!!!!

Ella and her friends painted the birthday plate above....Ellas handprint and thumbprints from her friends (Reese, Brooke Anna, Katie, Lydia, Alli, Morgan Addison, Whitney, Morgan, Cooper and Rylan) whom came to her birthday party

Having dinner at American Girl Restuarant with their AG baby/doll

Modeling her Dora pjs that Ms. Jill made for her b-day....thank you!!

Evan got Ella princess scooter - she's so excited!

Ella opening presents and mommy reading cards

Ella's favorite birthday gift - Dora bike (thx Dawn)

Ella giving Dawn hugs

Having tea at Tea Leaves & Thyme - girls loved dressing up in hats, jewelry and dresses!

Spring Break - April 2010

2010-09-29T10:19:00.019-04:00

Hi all, Below are some photos from our trip to Hilton Head North Carolina for spring break in April. We shared a three bedroom house with our dear friends Mike, Jill and Maya McFee. Evan brought his friend Jake Spencer and of course Ella and Maya spend unlimited time together. We spent our week biking, walking, shopping, hanging at pool and on the beach and just relaxing!!

Mom, Ella, Jake and Evan going for a bike ride

Maya and Ella finger painting on deck

Ella and Maya's photo shoot

February and March 2010

2010-04-28T09:39:00.035-04:00

February and March were fairly easy going for us. Ella continued her Chinese Language and Culture classes (China Tree) on Saturday mornings as well as dance class on Mondays and school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Evan got his driving permit on February 9th.....he was relieved to have passed the test. Since Paul is such a good driver himself (?!?!), he is teaching Evan how to drive....that is so scary (ha! ha!). Please keep us in your prayers as we move into this phase with him.

Evan behind wheel of Paul's car.....

Snacking with Addison

Ella with Jordan's box turtle "squirtle"

Painting with Reese

Beautiful!!

The last weekend of February we celebrated Ella, Maya and Molly's Gotcha Day (2/25/2007) in Sevierville, Tennessee. Last year, we celebrated gotcha day in Nashville, TN and this year at the Wilderness at the Smokies. The girls enjoyed swimming in the waterpark, painting pottery and playing in the room. These girls have a very special bond that we will celebrate every year!! See you all in April.....

January 2010.........let it snow in Georgia......

2010-02-17T08:50:00.030-05:00

Happy January, We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2010. We started the year with snow - yes I did say snow....... and we have photos to prove it. Actually it was snow and mostly ice but the kiddos loved it. Schools closed for two days. A majority of the ice didn't melt because the temps were too low. Along with pre-school and dance class, Ella is now attending a Chinese Culture and Language School (China Tree). She attends a 1 1/2 hour class on Saturday mornings. I (mom) participate in the class with her. The class is set up on a pre-school level (songs, class time, crafts etc.). It is alot to learn..... Chinese language is really hard especially with the four different tones. It is nice to see her with other children from China. See you in February......

Ella and Addison playing in snow

Evan and Wesley sledding on road

Ella writing on her easel - very proud that she wrote her friend Addison's name

Ella and her friend Reese playing dress-up

Ella and Justin Havas going down one of the slides at Monkey Joes

Ella with Jayson and Jiselle Havas at Monkey Joes

Lazar Family Holidays of 2009

2010-01-26T08:49:00.073-05:00

As we enter the last month of 2009, the holiday shopping and parties begin. Evan spent a good amount of time studying for his semester finals and Ella enjoyed her holiday parties at pre-school and dance. Once the parties and finals were completed, we headed to New York for our annual trip. This year was especially exciting because it snowed and snowed and snowed -approximately 20 inches! As shown in the photos, the kids enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately, the snow made for a change in plans. The boys did not get to attend the Jets vs. Falcons game since the roads were not cleared enough for them to get to the stadium. Since we were snowed in at home, we celebrated Hanukah by lighting the candles and eating a delicious dinner. Once the roads were cleared, we traveled to Delaware and New Jersey to visit Paul's extended family. We really enjoyed a family dinner at Lotsa Pasta (local Italian restaurant near Nona's apartment) with Nona, Aunt Ray, Uncle Morris and cousins David, Robin, Samara and Jared - lots of fun!!! After Delaware, we head back to Long Island with a stop over in New Jersey to visit cousins Michael, Melissa, Brianna and Elyse for dinner (thanks for the yummy pizza and meatball subs!) In continuing our tradition, we enjoyed Christmas Eve with mom and dad at Arthur and Millie's (thanks to you both for your hospitality) house. Santa came to mom and dad's Christmas morning and brought socks, candy, books, stickers etc. in Evan and Ella's stockings - they were so excited!!! Once we finally got back to Atlanta, we were able to open presents at home. Evan was happy with his gift cards & money - Ella was excited for her easel, itty bitty baby, baby stroller and baby crib. Both Evan and Ella are very grateful for their many gifts from family and friends - hugs and kisses to you all!! To complete our month, we spent New Years Eve at the Ritchie's with our neighborhood friends. We enjoyed the evening catching up with everyone from the holidays, drinking a cocktail and playing cards. Another year is completed.....we have been immensely blessed with good health and much happiness!! Wishing you all a safe and fun-filled 2010!!!! Hugs to all, Paul, Laura, Evan & Ella

Enjoying snow in NY!!

Watching Jets vs. Falcons while snowed in!!! (in photo - Paul, Evan, Grandpa, Paul's brother David & his son Alex)

Ella and Nona

Paul, Evan & Nona

Paul and Uncle Arthur on Christmas Eve

Ella loves taking pictures with the camera. She took this one of us before heading to airport - good job Ella!!

Evan and Ella opening presents at home

Ella and Addison exchanged Christmas presents - they each got items for their kitchens!

Ella with Santa at preschool concert

Trick or Treat and Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-21T08:30:00.032-05:00

Hello Everyone, I apologize for my lack of updates..... but here goes. October and November were fairly uneventful months other than the usual (work, school, church). Halloween was rainy but we did trick or treat to a few houses. Ella dressed up as Lilo from the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. Our dear friend Susy Havas gave Ella the Lilo outfit. Susy's daughter, Jiselle, wore it when she was little. Ella had Halloween parties at preschool and at her dance class (photos below). Since the kids didn't have school on Election Day, we all tagged along with Paul on a business trip to Huntsville, Alabama (3 hr. drive from Atlanta) for the day. While Paul was in a meeting, Evan and his friend Wes went to the US Space & Rocket Center and Ella and I visited the Children's Museum. It was a really fun day for all!! Thanksgiving was spent with the Veith family at their beautiful cabin in north Georgia. We are very grateful and appreciative for our wonderful friends!!

Ella enjoying her cupcake at the party

Halloween Party at Preschool

Trick or Treating at Dance Imagination

Ella in her pilgrim outfit at Thanksgiving

September 2009 Update: Disney World

2009-11-01T14:42:00.076-05:00

Time flies when your having fun..... almost two months since I've posted. In the month of September, the Atlanta area has been overrun with an enormous amount of rain. Many of the nearby lakes, rivers and creeks have flooded and caused schools, restaurants, shops etc. to close due to the destruction. Thankfully, we did not endure any damage. Since Evan had a fall break from school the end of September, we planned a trip to Disney World. On Monday, September 21st, we left the rain and headed to Orlando to visit Mickey Mouse!! We stayed on Disney property at the Kidani Village in Animal Kindgdom. We spent our week at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. Thanks to Paul's scheduling in advance, we had our week pretty much organized: dinner with Mickey and friends, dinner with Cinderella in the castle and celebrated Halloween festivities. While we were at Disney, we were able to plan a few outings with our friends (Ritchie Family, Stricklin Family and Veith Family) since they were all vacationing their too. Prior to leaving Orlando, we spent the last day with the Havas family. In summary, we had a fabulous but exhausting week. Oh, I almost forget.... the "bad news" is that half way through the trip we lost our camera(somewhere in chinatown at Epcot)but the "good news" is we filed a report and by the end of our trip someone found it and turned it into lost and found - YES - there are honest/kind people in this world!!! Below are some photos to highlight our vacation:

Enjoying the pool at hotel

Halloween at Disney with Ritchie's & Stricklin's

Ella in Minnie's house at her kitchen table - she just loved the kitchen....

Heading to dinner with Cinderella

Dinner with Cinderella in her castle

Dinner with Mickey and Friends

August 2009 Update: School has Started for Evan & Ella......

2009-09-12T12:45:00.073-04:00

Hello all - I (Laura) have taken the reigns on updating the blog (Paul says - finally!!) so be patient with me as I learn/experiment with this.... The updates going forward will be focused on the "family" not specific to just Ella but didn't want to change the site name. So, here we go.... Evan entered 10th grade on Monday, August 3rd. I still can't believe that we have a 10th grader. This year will be a considerable challenge for him verses last year as he has six core classes and the most difficult for him so far is chemistry. Ella started three year old preschool on Thursday, August 13th at Child's Play which is located at our church. She attends preschool on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. and just loves it. She told me that her favorite part about school is the crafts - I'm so glad since I am NOT creative. Actually, I'm really glad to have my refrigerator filled with her work because it makes her so proud!! On Sunday, August 23rd, Ella and I went to see "Dora Live" at the Fox Theatre. She really liked it but did say that she was a little afraid of swiper - too cute. We also endured a family loss of Norma Schwartz-Kapit (Paul's deceased grandfather's wife) passed away at the age of 91 due to heart failure. We will miss her lively spirit and selfless love!! As we finish with August and begin September, we planned a last minute trip to visit the McFee family over the Labor Day weekend. They were visiting family in Knoxville, TN so we jumped at the opportunity to visit them. Maya and Ella made an instant connection even though they hadn't seen each other since the beginning of April. The swam in the hotel pool together and tried to play "babies & mommies" (Ella plays this with Addison ALL the time) with Maya..... she wasn't really interested?!?! Jill and I were laughing at how different the girls are. The next day we all went to the Knoxville Zoo. It was a gorgeous day for the zoo. Ella's favorite part was the butterfly greenhouse and the zebras (which is her favorite animal). We were so thankful to enjoy a wonderful day with our "forever friends" the McFee's. So, now that I am in charge of the blog, you all need to comment and let me know what you think and I will accept criticism if necessary. See you in September!!

Ella's First Day of Preschool - Big Girl!

Addison & Ella having lunch and tea (water) with Ella's play tea set happy girls!!

Addison & Ella dressing up - look at these princesses!

Maya & Ella brushing the goats

Merry-go-round on zebra

Maya & Ella in front of the turtle - yes it is real!!!

Girls on red panda

Pretty girl with her favorite animal.... zebra

Look at the butterfly on Ella's hand

All done at the zoo - sweet little girls!

Maya & Ella playing with pom poms in hotel - silly girls....

A Busy July 2009

2009-07-25T19:44:00.005-04:00

As I write this on July 25, its already been a full month for Ella. Beginning on July 4th, we see her attending the annual Woodstock parade; only the start of an extended weekend featuring her Grandma and Grandpa visiting from NY and including a picnic at the Ritchie's and a trip to Savannah and Tybee Island, Ga - two places we'll be back to soon. In Savannah the 3 generations of boys took a ghost tour and all of us a trolley tour of a very historical city. We also ventured out to Tybee and loved the closest beach to Atlanta (4+ hours). Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for making the trip. Then pause 10 days or so and Ella's mom turned 40. So another long week started with a surprise visit from Laura's best friend, Dawn, followed by a return trip to Minnesota with Dawn to visit the Morton's and friends back home for Laura. (author''s note: Ella - do not let mom brainwash you about moving back to Minnesota!). Ella really enjoyed playing with Preston and Whitney (who also turned 7 on this trip). We're not even finished with July yet, but its been a wonderful month. Here are some pictures....

Summer Starts - June 2009

2009-06-28T17:27:00.006-04:00

Ella enjoyed her June of 2009 with a stay at home month that included her first camp experiences (VBS at Good Shepherd and Dance Camp at Dance Imagination). She also attended Sascha Mackey's first birthday party and mom keeps her busy at Fox Tales story time hours. The blog wouldnt be complete if we also didnt show all of Ella's (imaginary) friends at a picnic and her baby that she sleeps with every night getting her tooth pulled (just like Ella recently did - both front teeth missing due to a fall in our house).

Ella - I'm Three!

2009-05-17T17:03:00.006-04:00

Ella turned 3 years old this past month, on April 25th, and celebrated with her friends and family - her friends at her birthday party at the Lazar's followed up with a family picnic the following day. Also during the month, she played with Addison at the park and got "just a little" dirty (that outfit, Ella, didn't make it), learned how to play horseshoes, attended her first baseball game and last but not least, performed onstage for 2 "oh so cute" dance numbers with her Dance Imagination class! Pictures below, of course.

Ella's last 2 year old post

2009-04-19T17:19:00.004-04:00

This will be Ella's last 2 year old post...Time flies when you are having fun. I am writing this as we just took down Ella's crib and tonight she sleeps in her big girls bed for the first time. Potty training is going well - Ella has it about mastered...except when she reverts to her stubborn side (yes, our sweet girl isn't always an angel!). Highlights of this past month included Jared Freschman's Bar Mitzvah in Delaware, where Ella danced with her family and had a great time at the party. We then followed that up by driving to West Virginia to spend a few nights with the McFee's at a cabin at the New River Gorge. While the weather wasn't great, the girls had a wonderful time celebrating their birthdays early by making cupcakes (and licking the icing, roasting marshmallows, going in the hot tub with Evan and having an Easter Egg hunt) and we all enjoyed the natural beauty of West Virginia. Below are some pictures from Delaware and West Virginia.

2 Year Gotcha Day Reunion in Nashville

2009-03-21T19:06:00.006-04:00

February 09 ended up with a fun filled 2 year gotcha day reunion in Nashville, TN where we met the (Maya) McFee's and the (Molly) Mulligan's. The girls got along fabulously and had fun playing at a playplace, painting pottery and just jumping on the bed and playing ring around the rosey at the Embassy Suites (our home base). Ella actually needed to leave early Sunday morning to beat a Southeastern snow storm. We had about an inch in Nashville and while it snowed in Woodstock, it didn't stick, much to the dismay of Evan. Other highlights of the past month included a trip (sans Dad) to Orlando to see the Havas' and go to a Magic basketball game and Ella just being the happiest little girl around (pictured below painting). Plus, Ella, this post gets a picture of your mom and dad (pictured out at dinner with some of Dad's work friends).

Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox

2009-02-15T09:18:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been a mostly chilly Jan/Feb 09 in Atlanta, but that hasn't stopped Ella from enjoying her usual full compliment of activities, mostly centered around Chinese New Year where she enjoyed 2 celebrations - one the FCCA celebration where she is pictured with Mom enjoying the Lion Dance (well OK enjoying it may be a stretch!). Also, we made it to the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown (Atlanta) the following weekend and met my friend Judy and her family. Other activities included seeing Miss Dawn (pictured with Mom) for her 40th birthday and taking in her first live sporting event - a thrilling UGA upset win over Florida, where Ella is pictured in the crowd with family. By the way, she behaved perfectly - enjoying the game and cheering along.

December in New York...

2009-01-11T17:33:00.007-05:00

We closed out 2008 with our annual holiday trip to NY, which always includes a visit to Arthur and Millie's to celebrate Christmas (on Christmas Eve). Christmas day was spent opening presents and then at the movies (Ella sat that one out with her mom) and following another boys night out at the Islanders game, Ella visited Delaware to see her Nona and then New Jersey to see her cousins Briana and Elyse. We also lit Hanukkah candles with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle David and cousins Alex, Sydney and Ethan in a crammed fun filled week in NY (thanks so much Grandma and Grandpa!). To top off our December, we flew home on New Years Eve for a New Year's party at the Ritchie's where Ella stayed up to 1am.

Nov/Dec 2008 B4 Christmas

2008-12-20T15:32:00.007-05:00

Hi all, Well no excuses Ella in that Dad is a few weeks late posting this update - we're already almost to Christmas, 2008 and our upcoming annual trip to NY to celebrate but first lets review the last month and a half or so...Ella went on another trip solo with her mom - this one to Minnesota in November to visit Preston. One of the highlights was visiting the Mall of America with Preston where they went on many rides (and mom didnt quite feel so well afterwards!) Most importantly it was Preston's 3rd birthday that weekend. Also Ella continues to enjoy dance class with Addison and I believe her first performance is slated for May of 2009 - that ought to be fun! Thanksgiving saw a return to Featherstones to celebrate with several neighborhood families. And Ella, I even snuck in a picture of Mom and Dad at an adults dinner with the neighbors...

Oct 2008 - Brother's Confirmation and Halloween

2008-11-08T11:03:00.002-05:00

Hi all, Ella had a wonderful October with the highlights, a celebration of her brother Evan's confirmation (with her grandma and grandpa in attendance) along with a princess costume for Halloween (she doesn't even need the costume!). She continues to improve her speech and is preparing for her first dance class in November along with a trip to Minnesota to visit Preston for his 3rd birthday before ending the month at home for Thanksgiving. Here are some pictures for October.

Another September to Remember 2008

2008-10-04T16:20:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone, Well Ella had a wonderful September, 2008 which was highlighted by a visit to the Lazar household by Ella's lifelong friend Maya and her parents (now our rest of life friends, luckily!) Jill and Mike McFee. We had a wonderful weekend with the McFee's starting out at a Friday night dinner at Rod and Wendy's house, followed up with an all day visit to Stone Mountain Park. The girls got along famously and the we are already planning a winter trip - maybe to Snowshoe in West Virginia next February. Ella also continues to grow, continuously improve her speech and most importantly have fun. Her best friend, Addison Ritchie, is also featured in some of these pictures - all of the girls are just so CUTE....

August with Some "Ella" Attitude in Atlanta

2008-09-01T12:51:00.003-04:00

Well it was a fairly typical August - hot, hazy and lazy in Atlanta and Ella watched her brother get on the bus to start high school this August. Dad had some sinus surgery and mom just enjoyed spending as much time as possible with you including watching you play with your "play" friends Dora, Mickey and Baby, taching you to pedal and dressing up as well. September arrives today and Ella is eagerly anticipating the arrival of her lifelong friend Maya (all the way from Yangchun, PRC)who is visiting in 2 weeks from her new home in West Virginia. Light Month on Pictures but we'll make up for this in September.

June/July 2008 Including Ella's 3rd Country Visit!

2008-07-27T13:05:00.003-04:00

As July, 2008 winds to a close, we wanted to remember the special month we had beginning with a great trip to Tampa (Innisbrook Resort) with our friends Jamie and Susie over July 4th weekend and culminating with a trip July 19-26 to Turks and Caicos with Ellas grandma and grandpa as well as cousins Mike, Melissa and their daughters, Brianna and Elyse. Below are some pictures from Turks and Caicos, including swimming up to the pool bar (cool), enjoying the night life with her mom, kissing Elmo, swimming in the ocean with mom and laughing with Brianna and Elyse watching Blues Clues! Ella especially thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the memorable trip - She is also pictured with Grandpa on stage at Beaches and with the Entire Family after dinner at her favorite Beaches restaurant, Schooners.

Fathers Day 2008

2008-06-15T13:24:00.008-04:00

Always a special day and even moreso today, celebrating Fathers Day with Evan, who is growing up into a handsome and good boy and Ella, who is just an beautiful little girl with an incredible spirit. Thanks God for the blessings bestowed on me with my two little ones and a wonderful wife, Laura, who we often refer to as the glue of the family. The month started out slowly with Evan graduating to High School (no formal ceremony, hence no pictures, but we are so proud of Evan). We did get a chance to go to an end of year party with his community where Ella tried a hot dog (she liked the ketchup - we just have to work on that eating style). Moving on into the month, Ella took quite a fall and was badly bruised around her eye, she has now healed nicely from that spill which occured while watching her brother skateboard (perhaps trying to imitate him!). Memorial Day came around and we had a BBQ here in our driveway with our new grill and it was a success (my definition being noone got sick!). A cute pic of Ella and Addison below, followed by Ella, au naturale, helping in the clean up effort. Evan, soon afterward, left for Lutheridge Sleep Away Camp and had a wonderful time. Pictured with Mom, Dad and Ella right before leaving, Evan came home wiser and a lot more proficient at using the Text Message feature of his cell phone (yes Dad upgraded to the unlimited plan - ugh!!!) Then finally Mom accompanied Ella to Minnesota in the beginning of June where Ella had a wonderful time watching the Morton girls dance and kissing, yes kissing, Preston - I have the proof below. Anyhow, the trip was a blast I am told. I, for one, am glad to have everyone home and enjoying the summer - though right now Evan is up in NY with Jordan on an incredible Trip to experience the Big Apple (thanks Grandma and Grandpa!) - I'll have some of that next month. Turks & Caicos, Destin and NY trips planned later in the year - Bye everyone.

Ella Turns 2 - April 2008 (Into May)

2008-05-18T15:17:00.009-04:00

Hi Ella, Daddy is a bit late in getting this update done, which would be less explainable had it not been for your refusal to smile for so many pictures!!!! But we'll give it our best shot and remember a special April that saw your 2nd birthday (and how you can now hold out two fingers - one on each hand) to tell everyone just how old you are. In addition to your birthday, we took a trip to the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta, held this year at Lenox Mall. You also took your first bicycle ride with Addison's dad Jay, and finished up with your early gymnastics training. Plus you always have fun with your brother. Here are some pictures.

Ella 2 Year Old Pictures

2008-04-10T18:01:00.009-04:00

Bonus Post.....Ella's 2 year old pictures are just adorable (OK - she is not quite 2 but she is certainly our beautiful little girl). We hope you enjoy these - and thanks to Brother Evan for Assisting with the Smile Procurements for the shots - he has a real talent to get a BIG smile out of his little sister!

March 08 in Woodstock

2008-04-05T15:30:00.006-04:00

After a pretty hectic and fun February, we experienced a rainy March in Atlanta, complete with the first tornadoes in recorded history to hit downtown Atlanta and a Saturday spent partially in our basement, waiting out another tornado threat. Thankfully, we had no damage. The month started (actually end of February) with a visit from Laura's best friend Dawn and her son (our godson) Preston - we had a great time including a visit to the park, shown below and Laura and Dawn went out a few evenings (for dinner and a movie). The rest of the month included Easter Sunday and just Ella being Ella - a very mischievous girl, always looking to get in trouble - our favorite was finding her in the laundry basket - pictured below. Also shown are Ella eating Chips with Addison, her best buddy and Ella's new bedding set purchased from Pottery Barn Kids. And a picture of Laura and Dawn for good measure - what great looking Moms! April sees Ella's 2nd birthday so we'll try to capture a few good shots of Ella turning two. See you next month.

Feb #3- Gotcha Day All Over with McFee's

2008-03-02T14:09:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that we've now had Ella for 1 full year and one of the most special things about that year ago trip is that not only did we get Ella for life, we made some terrific new friends in Mike and Jill McFee, with whom, along with their beautiful daughter Maya (Ella and Maya grew up in the same orphanage), we share a connection that will last a lifetime. Here are some pictures of our fun (albeit too short) reunion in Charlotte, North Carolina from Feb 23rd to Feb 25th (our Gotcha day anniversary 2/25). Trip consisted of a visit to a cool public library called Imaginon and Charlotte's Discovery Place Kids museum and a lot of catching up with the kids, who I think had the most fun in the pool (Evan too!) I love the first picture where Maya's reflects onto Ella as the two were playing at Discovery Place. I almost thought the two were wearing the same cute shirt (and it was Ella) but it signifies there togetherness for certain...

February Post 2 - Orlando Trip

2008-03-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

February's second post brings us on Ella's mid month trip to Orlando with mom and brother (rah rah!). Here are some nice shots with Justin, Jisele and Jayson Havas; not to overlook Ella's first pose in some cool shades! Watch out....

February Post Part 1

2008-03-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

Wow - what a month of February it was for Ella and all of the Lazar's. I'm going to change things up a bit with more and bigger pictures with no comments next to the pics. Instead, I'll explain our month here...it all started quietly with Ella enjoying a rare storytime with Daddy....you see this is out of her nightly routine where she gets tucked under Mommy's covers for a half an hour right before bedtime and the two Lazar girls cuddle up and have fun teaching and reading ; listening and learning. I'll snap a picture of that moment for March's post as its soooo Cute. That's all for quiet as February 9th came around with a quick visit to Atlanta's Chinese New Year celebration where we saw my friend Judy and her family; here we get to experience some real Chinese culture and, well I'll just say it, some authentic food that reminded me of Southern China (and it wasn't McDonalds)! The highlight was the Dragon Dance, of course, expertly performed by Chinese students from Atlanta. Following the New Year celebration, we headed down to the Airport to meet Mom and Millie who came in for a weekend. We had a blast, going to Mary Mac's an original Southern Tea room for lunch (I am still stuffed!), followed by a visit to the World of Coke. The next day we shopped and saw Millie's old boss and our friends the Baum's, who recently moved from Long Island and before the Monday send off, went to the Cherokee County courtroom to finalize or re-adoption (in Georgia) of Ella - so it's official again! Some pictures of these events are below and I'll pick up from here in part 2.

January 08 Atlanta Snow

2008-02-09T18:44:00.000-05:00

Bracing for a pretty hectic February, January 2008's highlight was snow in Atlanta and Ella was able to enjoy it with her brother. We also participated in Atlanta's FCCA Chinese New Year celebration, where we were able to see some friends we started the adoption process with, Jason and Denise Ellis along with son Bruce and daughter Lana. Oh and Ella continues to be curious and mischievous (sp?). One of her favorite words is MESS and she is sure good at making them as evidenced by the picture below. We promise a longer update with more pictures in Feburary!

More Pictures to Complete our Double Issue (See below)

2008-01-07T19:25:00.000-05:00

Ella loved her new friend Reece Pratt (John's daughter!) It was great to see John and meet his new family.

Ella got to see Sydney and Ethan for lunch (Alex was with Evan at a 1 day camp when we took this!)

Ella saying Hush! Another bonus throw in! With her Nona, Ella, Mom and Evan - Nona at almost 91 years young! With her Aunt Ray and Uncle Morris (it's a miracle Uncle Morris is still with us and we took advantage!

A Holiday Double Issue!! 2007 Year End

2008-01-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Our first Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years with Ella was spectacular. For most of the month of December, we worked with Evan to study for his 8th grade midterms (which he did really well on, thankfully!) and then we got set for a year end trip (12/24 to 1/1) to New York; attending a Christmas Eve celebration at Arthur and Millie's home. Christmas Day was spent with Jodi and Larry's (Lee Pratt's daughter and husband)family. And then we travelled to Delaware later in the week to see Nona, Aunt Ray and Uncle Morris, then New Jersey to see Aunt Melissa and Uncle Mike (and Brianna and Elyse), before celebrating the New Year at home with Mom, Dad and friends. Oh, I almost forgot about Uncle David, Aunt Angela, Sydney, Alex and Ethan - we got to see them too! It was a fantastic trip that also included a trip (sans Ella) to see the Islanders win a thrilling overtime game and somewhere in there - I managed to have some pretty major dental work done. Now, it's time to rest! Well, here are the pictures - a Double Helping of Ella to close out the year.

J-E-T-S

Ella at home before Christmas with her presents!

Ella at Arthur & Millies for our Traditional Christmas Eve Celebration. Ella gets sad too! I just had to throw this one in....Her Brother is sooo Good!!!

A November to Remember

2007-12-09T12:10:00.001-05:00

We remember November 2007 as it was our first Thanksgiving with Ella! Following up Halloween, we participated in Georgia's first ever International Adoption Day by heading to the State Capitol on November 17th. We made the CCAI Georgia Newsletter and were proud to be only one of a few families present to recognize the wonder of International Adoption. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Ritchie's at Featherstone's (Towne Lake Hills) and Ella enjoyed her Turkey quite well! Also, in November, we took a trip to see Laura's friend Kristin (awaiting adoption from China) at their new house in Forsyth County Ga (beautiful subdivision!) and we took our family pictures (which Ella was not too crazy about!). December started off with a trip to First Friday's - China Adoption Journey an event held the first Friday of each month in Marietta. We'll be sure to attend this group of families who have adopted and waiting to adopt as we are ecstatic to be in the midst of our own China Adoption journey. Now for some pictures:

Ella at GA Int'l Adoption Day

Sometimes Mommy lets me be messy! Addison and I love my new wagon! At Thanksgiving Dinner with the Ritchie's Also at Thanksgiving - can't forget about Evan with Ethan and Sydney Ritchie

October 07 - Florida Trip and Happy Halloween!

2007-11-04T18:18:00.000-05:00

Well the month of October has come and gone and what began as a slow month; we actually stayed home for most of it with a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and Apple Festival, ended with a weekend trip to South Florida to see Mom, Dad (Grandma and Grandpa)and Norma (to pretty much complete Ella's travel around the country to meet her new family). In Florida, we ate at some nice restaurants (the brunch on the beach with Norma, Fran, Bert and Stephi was spectacular!). Norma is turning 90 in November so we were able to celebrate this milestone, as well. Ella, Laura and Evan at the Pumpkin Patch in Woodstock After looking for Pumpkins, Ella really enjoyed Taco Mac with the Lazar's and Ritchie's. At the Apple Festival in the middle of October, Ella enjoyed watching Evan ride the bull. Pretty Minnie at the Gymboree Halloween party. Ella and Addison for Halloween (after trick or treating!)

Ella hits Disney World September 07

2007-09-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

As September, 2007 winds to a close, we wanted to remember Ella's first trip to Disney World documented in the pictures below and at the same time visiting her great friend Jayson Havas (this is one trip Laura made alone with Evan and Ella, while I stayed back at work). Here is Ella in front of the Magic Kingdom with Evan, Jisele, Justin and Jayson. You really can't tell but it was a hot day - around 90 degrees. Ella playing in the pre-school section at Disney. She had a blast here and became more familiar with the Disney Charachters! Looks like Ella and Jayson thoroughly enjoyed their day! And when they got home, they enjoyed a fun bath! How CUTE! On the learning front, Ella continues to speak more words and understand brilliantly. Laura started her with reading time at the library in August and Gymboree classess. She is a really active girl and smiles each time she knows she is going! She also has learned the word No...and does not hesitate to use it - especially when anyone tries to take her from her mommy (whom she is so attached to!). We are having a great time with Ella Sarah and look forward to a quiet month of October, before we head down to Miami to see Norma, Mom and Dad at month end.

Parent's Note:::Happy 6 Months!

2007-08-25T15:51:00.000-04:00

Ella - well today - August 25th - we've had you in our arms officially for 6 months, though you've been in our hearts for so much longer and forever will be. We are so proud of our little girl, who is growing and learning so much. In just 6 short months, you have learned some words, can walk, cut lots of teeth and definitely understand. You are crazy about chicken nuggets and fruit (not Chinese food, though!) and you continue to have the best personality we, as parents, could ask for. Plus you are so darn CUTE!!! We love you Ella and that comes from the bottom of our hearts. We already can't envision life without you and your wonderful brother, Evan, too. We feel truly blessed!

Summer 2007 - Ella Travels the US

2007-08-14T21:23:00.000-04:00

Well What a summer it was in 2007 - Not forgetting Evan's trip of a lifetime to California with his grandparents, Ella also took more flights than some people take in their lifetime, travelling to Minnesota, New York, South Dakota and the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee (all on separate trips). This, before she gears up to travel to Florida twice in September and October, with an Xmas/New Years trip back to NY later this year. Lets start off with Ella's trip to Minnesota - solo with her incredible mom and visiting her "great" godparents - the Mortons - Ella had a wonderful middle of July, enjoying weather mostly in the 70s and playing with her buddy Prston. 3 pictures with at the Morton's including a merry go round. In New York having a blast at Grandma and Grandpa's pool A little time at home reading with Dad. In South Dakota, with Aunt Lisa, Roger and Dolly and of course Mom Lots of Pictures from Tennessee - the Mountains - where we rented a cabin with the Patron's (I mean McFee's, but we drank a lot of Patron so I got confused for a second!) First - what a view from our 3 BR and 3 BA cabin with pool table, air hockey and hot tub and more. Various pictures with Ella's oldest friend MayaMcFee = truly we are sure they'll be friends forever as they have a connection that can never be broken Finally, all of us - the McFees and Lazar's (we're not really happy in these pictures - taken Sunday morning just before we parted ways - Lazar's to Georgia and McFee's to West Virginia) Well that's all for now - it's real fun to narrate Ella's growing up blog online - I really thank all of our friends and family who make it possible for us to have so many memories to share.

Happy 4th of July - Independence Day

2007-07-04T17:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone - It's Independence Day - Happy 4th of July and as much as we take freedom for granted, this is Ella's first truly free Independence Day (and by one newspaper account, this may be Ella's first Independence Day ever!). So we are enjoying the moment and thought we would take some time to share our little bundle of energy and joy! OK first for some pictures since my Mothers Day post. Let's start with Ella's appearance at David Burton's wedding in Pelham, Georgia in June. David is such a special friend to Laura and I and we are so happy to see him happy and now remarried after the tragic, unexpected death of his 1st wife and our dear friend, Candy, 2 years ago. Best of Luck David and new wife Julia! Onto a lighter note, here's Ella in the pool - it was one of her first trips to the pool in May, and may even have been her first visit. As usual with Ella, there was no adjustment period - she is having a blast! Oh yes, Ella loves books - just look at that face and the excitement when her brother opens a book in June. Now if only we could get Evan to be that excited about reading! Finally, here is Ella today, the 4th of July, climbing our house stairs with her great friend, Addison (Ritchie). We are headed out to Addison's parents (Jay and De De) house tonight for a neighborhood cookout / fireworks show with about half of our street attending (7 families). So we've been having fun. In addition to the above, we hoped to be able to show pictures of a nice Memorial Day trip to Orlando where our family enjoyed a weekend at the Ginn Reuntion resort. But yours truly dropped the camera in the pool, temporarily causing it to malfunction. Oh well - we had a great time Jamie and Susie and always look forward to our trips with the Havas' June followed with the Burton's wedding and then a few weeks to prepare for a busy summer. Ella used those weeks to LEARN TO WALK - yes our little girl is now walking and climbing stairs. And, like her brother, she is fearless and active. Evan was off to Lutheridge (Confirmation Camp for a week) in June and leaves tomorrow for a 3 week trip to NY and California with his grandparents. They'll be visiting Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, and down the coast to Los Angeles, before Laura, Ella and I travel to New York at the end of July to pick him up. Then, just before Evan starts school, on August 5, we are travelling to South Dakota for Laura's 20th high school reunion weekend and two weeks later onto the mountains of Tennessee for a weekend with Jill, Mike and Maya McFee, whom we cannot wait to see. I'm sure many of you remember that Maya and Ella grew up as friends in the same orphanage. Well, this is long enough and more pictures from the summer will definitely follow - we miss everyone and hope you are having a great summer.

Happy 1st Birthday Ella written on a Very Special Mothers Day

2007-05-13T11:41:00.000-04:00

Well it's been about a month and a half since I've updated Ella's blog and what a special time it has been. It's now Mothers Day (May 13) 2007 and since we've updated the blog, Ella has been to Florida, had a terrific 1st Birthday Party, been Baptized and been a passenger on a long weekend drive to Delaware to celebrate her Nona's 90th birthday party. In between, she has grown a full 2 inches and gained another (almost) 2 pounds - in short, she appears to be thriving and so are we! Here's some evidence! A quick trip to the Beach in Citrus County Florida With her Family at 1st Birthday Party After Baptism with Pastors Paul and Justin Last But Not Least, Ella's Awesome Godparents

Back from China // 2nd Shower For Ella

2007-04-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

It's now April 1st, 2007 and we're officially back from China, having landed 3 weeks ago yesterday. Its been a great three weeks, culminating with yesterday's shower, thrown by our great Sycamore Trail neighbors (Jennifer, DeDe, Meg, Wendy, Chris etc...) and made extra special with a visit this weekend from Laura's best friend from Minnesota (Dawn along with our godson Preston) and another great friend Krista, who is responsible for Laura and I ever having the chance to meet in the first place. Here are some pictures of yesterday's shower and from our fun weekend with Dawn, Preston and Krista. Coming up soon, this month in April, we will have some minor surgery for Ella to remove her ear tag - minor in everything but cost (its self pay due to cosmetic nature - how many kids have plastic surgery at 11 mos - Ella I sure hope I get out of braces for this one - though I doubt that!). We're also having Ella's first birthday party and baptism at month end. Laura and her crafty friends (especially Krista) put together some slick invitations to the party on April 28th - I'll get those on here when I post later this month - thanks!

So Long from China - Please Leave A Comment for Ella!!

2007-03-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

So long everyone - we leave China in exactly 24 hours from now, at 9pm on Friday, March 9th and I will not have time to post tomorrow as our internet access expires in the morning. Evan and I went to the Guangzhou Electronics market today and Evan got a bunch of DS games (Jordan, take note of this). 20 games and a Revolution memory card/adapter for $$$, well lets just say we got a good sale. The big event today was that we took the oath (just affirming that all of the information we have given is true etc)! This was our final step which allows us to bring Ella home (we received her Chinese passport and Visa to enter the US). When she lands in the US and we pass her through customs (Non US Citizens Line), she will then officially become a US citizen (she'll also retain her dual Chinese citizenship). Then there is the matter of just some ongoing paperwork back home (Social Security #, official birth certificate etc). We also had dinner and shopping with our friends Mike and Jill, parents of Maya, who are just terrific people that we love hanging out with even though the jokes are usually at my expense - there is a salesperson here named Dong - I'll try to snap a picture of him tomorrow but suffice it to say he could sell cars in the US real well. Well Dong got the best of me on a few purchases early on in the trip and we've all had a lot of fun with this. But in closing, and speaking for Ella, we know that she wants to thank everyone who has followed our journey to bring her home. We will be absolutely certain to save these memories forever, including all of the wonderful comments we have received from all of you. It means so much to Laura and I that you all could be part of our adventure and more than that, will be a big part of Ella's childhood. She is so lucky. So if you could leave a comment for Ella, we would really appreciate it. We're definitely not done - all of you should look into starting a blog on blogspot -we'll keep this going after special events (like Ella's baptism and first birthday weekend- we've learned that its such a great way to communicate and create/share memories, plus I will help with some of the technical aspects). Thanks again everyone - So long from China, but we can't wait to get HOME!

Red Couch Day Today - 9 Pictures Below

2007-03-07T06:07:00.000-05:00

It's freezing here everyone. Todays high was 58 or something with a low of 50, but that is cold for Guangzhou (we are on the same latitude as Key West, FL). So, we have been enjoying the White Swan for the better part of the day, with only a quick excursion out to Lucy's - a neighborhood bar/grille that is both decent and cheap ($20 on average for a meal for the three of us and you dont leave hungry)! And tonight, we are waiting on Danny's Pizza and Bagel (quite a combination!) The highlight of the day was the traditional Red Couch pictures. I am attaching pictures below showing Ella with us, our local representatives from CCAI (adoption agency) and the other babies from our travel group. Oh and they are dressed in traditional Chinese outfits and Ella looked adorable. Tomorrow morning Laura gets a massage (she is thrilled) and then we head to an electronics market to buy Evan some DS games if we can find and then come back to be sworn in at the US Consulate - its the final piece of paperwork needed before we start our trip home Friday (morning USA time). So tomorrow's update will probably be the last until we get home. Well take care everyone - a short note today but not too much going on - Enjoy the pictures of the babies.

Todays Blog -Guest Starring Maya McFee - Read On...

2007-03-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

They told us we would have some down days in Guangzhou and we definitely attest that there has been much free time. So today was a completely appointment/paperwork free, 60 degree (cool for here) day. So what did we do - more shopping of course! Here are some pictures of our excursion today. First we have a picture of the main square with McDonalds and KFC having large billings. Then we have a picture of the Pearl Market - we went again today - the place (and the prices) are addicting. Next Up are Ella and her friend Maya all bundled up for the cold weather outside the Carrefour (like a Target) that we visited today. It was the first time we really got to bundle the kids up - CUTE! Maya becomes more prominent as the next two pics are pictures we weren't sure we would get. You see, over the course of the 2 weeks here, because they are just exceptional people and we have a common thread in that Ella and Maya were from the same orphanage, we have become great friends with Mike and Jill McFee, who live outside Charleston, West Virginia (close to Ohio border)and Maya, who is incredibly precious and beautiful, was not allowing Daddy to hold her until today. So you can see a beaming Mike holding his new daughter and the happiness shows. It was a powerful moment for us - you can hardly imagine what Mike and Jill are feeling right now! Ella gets back into the pictures with me (for all of you who say Ella seems to be bonding so well with Laura and Evan, here's proof that she takes to me too...OK Mom's in the background prompting that smile...but we are bonding just fine!) Oh and Ella made progress today too. She took a bath without screaming! So good news all around - these open days arent too bad after all! Tomorrow, we stick areound hotel as our guides get Ella's Visa approved for travel to the US, where she becomes a citizen! The next day, we go to the US Consulate to be sworn in and the day after we head home. Oh speaking of home, we got our travel arrangements confirmed today after some confusion, but hopefully that wil be our last scare of the trip, one which despite the uncertainty, has exceeded all of our expectations --- thanks to ELLA. OK another quiet day tomorrow - I will continue to post.

Shopping Trip/Zoo Visit/Trip Home Problems??

2007-03-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, was a fairly quiet day, with paperwork in the morning to arrange for Ella's Visa to travel home to the US (and application for her Social Security Card and Citizenship to the US as our daughter - yeah!!!). We did, however, venture out to the Pearl market and shopping area (the pictures do not do it justice) and were successful in purchasing a pink pearl necklace for mom as well as a mikimodo (sp?) pearl necklace for Ella's wedding day (hmm...talk about planning ahead)- We also had dinner at McDonalds! The pearl market was in the middle of a shopping area in downtown Guangzhou that was absolutely huge - I will post some pictures of this tomorrow along with pictures from our trip to the zoo today. I will say the adventure of the day had to be catching a cab home. There are no lines in China and lets just say there werent enough cabs and the ones that were there werent particularly fond of picking up non Chinese. We were turned down by several and outhustled by many aggressive Chinese to the point where we didnt know how we were going to get home - it was just me, Laura, Evan and Ella in the middle of the city where noone could understand us. Scary for a while (about 30 minutes), but finally managed to get on a cab and make it back to our hotel. Oh yeah, in addition to the pearls, Evan got a really cool pair of Pepsi shoes - yes that is right - Pepsi Sports is a brand of tennis shoes/sneakers in China. They are real cool and not cheap ($50 regular price). Ella is doing wonderfully and had an OK time at the zoo today (I say OK in relative terms - compare Ella's expressions to the Camels and you'll understand what I mean!). In terms of zoo's the Guangzhou Zoo was OK, they did have a panda and lots of animals though it could have been more clean and some of the animals/buildings looked as if they weren't in the best of shape. Fight Home - We tried to confirm China Southern flight back home today and were told that our paper ticket numbers did not match the numbers in China Southerns system. If this is not fixed by tomorrow, we will not have a flight home. We have had trouble with this itinerary before (on way here) and are extremely disappointed with our travel agency - JC Travel and have left them messages in additon to leaving our adoption agency in Colorado messages (they were the ones who recommended JC) - I think this will work out tomorrow, but I was extremely mad that the agency has made numerous mistakes with our travel. And until this is resolved, we cant be sure we'll be on the plane. I will have an update tomorrow. With the taxi delay and the continuing flight saga, coupled with our other misadventures, we wonder what is next. The only thing that has gone like clockwork is ELLA - She is so CUTE and getting more attached to mom every day. Thanks Everyone - see you soon - leaving you with a pair of pictures - Ella close up and schoolkids in China - imagine these uniforms at home! Oh heck, imagine the kids all lined up in order like this (haha).

Trip to Yangchun, Ella's Hometown

2007-03-03T06:14:00.000-05:00

Today was a fantastic day as we journeyed away from Guangzhou, China (pop 10 million) to the city of Yangchun (pop 1 million) about 3.5 hours away to visit Ella's orphanage. I think the first thing that surprised us is a modern freeway system that brought us to Yangchun without really travelling any "back" roads that I think we imagined. No doubt, there were farmers and families working the fields and buildings, some pretty and some run down, but aside from the plethora of buses, mopeds, bicycles and motorcycles, the scene wasnt that much different from home. Especially the billboards and exit ramps - I guess you could say it was a surprising mix of modern conveniences with old world customs - China is really coming of age with perhaps the best analogy for our Woodstock friends being the continuing transformation of Bells Ferry Road. OK enough of that. The highlight of the day was definitely seeing Sandra King, Ella's caretaker from New Zealand - Sandra doesn't do it singlehandly - she employs a staff of 18 that cooks, cleans and watches the kids - keeping it at a 4 to 1 ratio. We were so impressed with Sandra's operation beforehand, but I have to tell you after meeting her, I was absolutely awed. She had heard through her US secretary, Cindra, about Ella's escapade in the Buddhist temple and when we were sitting down for lunch, Sandra was astonished at the gratitude of the Chinese people and mentioned that is why she loves the Chinese people - It was absolutely touching. We also got to meet again the director of the orphanage (Mrs. Wu - pronounced Yu), who has raised countless kids at the Yangchun orphanage over 13 years. She comes to the states every 4 years for a reunion and I think the results speak for themselves - she does a fantastic job overseeing the entire orphanage operation - the babies usually end up being very well adjusted from everything that I have read on the Yangchun kids Yahoo Group - and some couples on this trip that previously adopted from Yangchun. Oh, they called Ella, Ting Ting at the orphanage - I have some footage that I will share - but the nurses and one of the older girls exclaimed - "Ting Ting" when they saw Ella. It was so cute. And the whole while, people looked at us the entire visit - you see Sandra is the only foreigner in Yangchun. It's just not a place for westerners, but it was great. I am attaching some pictures to this post. Aside from going to the orphanage, we went to the hotel where Ella was found (for lunch at that - yes it was a respectable establishment!) and to the bus station where Maya was found. So another day down, the countdown to return home begins - we will be home in a week from now, barring any delays. We can't wait to come home - Dawn - also Laura told me to tell you she will call when we land in LA at about 8:00 or 9:00 your time Friday night. She is down at the playroom of the hotel (sponsored by Mattel as this hotel caters to adoption families) with Ella and Evan now. (Late breaking news - Laura came back and said that Ella just wanted her to stay with her while playing the whole time - she is so excited!) Tomorrow's itinerary includes Visa Travel paperwork in the am and then a trip to the Pearl Market in the afternoon. Laura and Ella already each got beautiful Jade pendants (life saver shape) and now I need to research Pearls for them - Mom is getting a pink pearl but I heard there were nice black pearls and more. Any suggestions as comments would be appreciated.

Another Scare Today - Finding Ad Pitcture...

2007-03-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

Not Ella. Let me explain. Today, we received a copy of Ella's finding ad (the ad placed to attempt to find the girls parents. The translation stated lots of hair (yes), long face (no way) and bigger mouth (not really). It wasnt until I got back to the room that Laura realized the girl advertised as Ella in the ad (her Chinese name is Hua Tuan) wasnt Ella - Ella's picture was above another girls description (found July 06). Everything will turn out OK - if Ella's parents wanted to find her, they would have done so, however we'll let the orphanage know tomorrow - its still quite a scare - we have been told that a correction will publish, but that Ella will not be taken from us (Still scary - Another scare). Well, we had a great day today - the pictures below show some of Ella's activities - playing with her friend Maya and with Mommy. She had her medical exam and it turned out normal - 17 lbs and 67 cm height. We need to put her on amoxicillin for the rest of the trip (upper respiratory infection). We bought her a stroller and also developed some pictures from the orphanage taken before we got her. Tomorrow is a big day - we take a 3.5 hour bus trip to YangChun, Ella's hometown to visit the orphanage and her place of abandonment. We are excited to learn more about Ella's heritage so we can share it with her and have some time to spend with her caretakers. Even the pictures we received from the orphanage show Ella laughing and having fun. We think we are really lucky with the match - definitely made in heaven (for us and well worth the wait). I'll report some more tomorrow late as it'll be a long day in YangChun. Sunday is Pearl Market and Dim Sum dinner. Mom, what kind of pearl did you want (pink?). OK - enough for today - we went to dinner with some other travel families tonight and continue to share in a great experience - we are ready to come home, though (after this bad weather passes we hope). Stay well everyone - we miss you all and keep posting - you have no idea how it keeps us connected! Thanks and we'll let you know what turns up in regard to the ad with the wrong picture.

We Almost Lost Her

2007-03-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

Well today was an interesting day - Thursday, the first of March will go down as the day we almost lost Ella (well not really) but it was scary. We took a tour of Guangzhou today and stopped at the city's largest Buddhist temple/pagoda. It was truly beautiful and while we were touring around, a lady came up to Ella, only Ella, and seemingly wanted to hold her. Instead, she literally took off with Ella directly to pray and explained (in Chinese) to our tour guides that Ella was destined to be blessed by Buddha (I guess). It was weird and I have some on video - I guess a compliment. One thing for certain, our Ella has a ton of personality and it shows. She is never shy and always smiling and laughing - she is so comfortable with all of us and has been since day 1, really. Amazing - some of the other families are having a more dificult time transitioning - Not us (so far - knock on wood). She is truly an angel (as are the other babies, in time...). We also did some shopping today - bought two Jade pendants for Laura and Ella. Got another stroller and a Rolex watch for me (OK a nice fake Rolex - guaranteed for 5 years or until we leave China, whichever comes first). Food is getting a little better and really I have never seen Laura this at ease. She isnt rushing to organize or clean or anything - I'm worried home is going to turn to shambles (maybe not - but you get the idea!). Tomorrow more paperwork and then Saturday the orphanage trip are on the horizon. Tomorrow is one week too and one more to go - yeah!!! Until then....here are some more pictures from today

4 New Pictures Added

2007-02-28T02:44:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone - sorry we have had limited time to post. I put 4 new pictures on the blog, this time to the right so please look at them. We really can't even tell you how much we are bonding as a family with Ella. Laura just can't help staring at her and she adores Evan. She comes to all of us with a great personality (not afraid at all, though she is learning to cry if she doesnt get her way or if mommy leaves the picture - thats OK!). She is an outstanding little baby - what more can we say (we could not be any happier). And we are happy for the emails and comments as its our connection to home - and we cant wait to get home either. Things we've done - and I wont post every day, cause I can only tell you so many times that we went to McDonalds for dinner last night (yummy!) and there is a new Starbucks 1 block away that we frequent every day. McDonalds much cheaper / Starbucks not. Both nice to have around. Enough about Food - more about Ella - - She loves to suck her thumb (DeDe). That is her source of comfort. - She has 4 teeth (Dad, can you delay retirement till braces?) - She has two big Mongolian birthmarks (these fade as Asian children get older and are completeley normal) - She has a skin tag by her ear that we need to have removed - it doesnt bother her, though (just her mom who wants to style that hair diffently). - She has a cute laugh (not what we are used to, but she laughs/smiles a lot). - She is somewhat restless, but still calm (loves to move around, so we'll continue to sit in back row at church, Donna). - She's strong and solid. - I said it before but cant stress enough, she LOVES her big brother - he is such the help on this trip and cant get enough of his little sister. - I'm sure I am missing things too - Laura needs to do some of the writing. OK everyone - I will try to post tomorrow - tonite is Thai dinner with group (travel group) and I really dont know about tomorrow yet but there are scattered meetings and plenty of free time ahead. We visit the orphanage next week (3 hours away in same province - Guangdong). We miss everyone. Bye.

Its Official

2007-02-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

We went to the adoption agency again today to make the adoption official and it's official - we passed the interviews (OK it wasn't a hard test!). So now we are an official family of 4 (the certificate arrives tomorrow). The day got off to a rocky start, and it was't due to Ella at all. I misread the time and got the entire family up an hour early, including Ella (not a great start). But we overcame that obstacle along with Ella throwing up twice today (it seems as if the formula isn't agreeing with her totally) and Ella is very congested/coughing while Laura has a sore throat (and we hope that is the extent of it). Other than that, Evan and I are feeling fine. Even finding some spots for ice cream and American food. The rest of the day is free time. We plan to do laundry and walk around the island we are staying on today with the McFees and their beautiful daughter Maya. I am also attaching an 2 email pictures that we received from Ella's caretaker today showing her and Maya preparing to leave Yangchun for Gotcha day yesterday. More pictures to follow. Evan and Ella especially are really getting along terrifically. Evan is going to be such a good big brother. Until later on....

1st Pics of Ella - She's Here and Adorable!!!

2007-02-25T04:51:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, well we are getting set for the evening after a wonderful first afternoon with Ella. I have to tell you she is so cute and has a great disposition. She immediately took to us and hasn't cried or been scared once. And she is so playful - it won't be long before she is crawling around. It's now 8:30 and based on Ella's schedule, we thought she would be going down for sleep around now, but she doesnt appear quite ready to go down to bed in her crib quite yet (sorry Laura!) Let's see what else. We got her about 3pm China time today (have this on video). She has 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom) and lots of hair - she has a cold but the medicine we gave her seems to be controlling the symptoms welll. We also got a wonderful note and book about Ellas stay from her caretaker Sandra. OK well I am going to go get ready for bed when Ella falls asleep - I am exhausted! See you later everyone and will post more pictures.

Saturday in China

2007-02-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

Well we made it to China yesterday and have spent a good part of the last two days recovering from jet lag. It's almost 10pm now so that puts me on a good schedule. Laura conked out an hour ago (no surprise there - she definitely realizes it may be her last full nights sleep for quite a while). Highlights of today included a great breakfast buffet at the hotel downstairs. I'm afraid our food experience goes down from there. Though many in our travel party like the local Chinese food, I'm afraid I side with Laura and Evan and already crave for Wendys. The hamburgers here are awful too in addition to the Chinese (OK, who are we to criticize!!!) We went shopping and picked up some chocolates to be given as gifts as well as a card reader from the local department store (Guangzhou Grand Buy). The store reminded me of Macy's Herald Square - 9 stories high in the middle of an area that resembled Times Sq. We're going back during the week and will take some pictures at that point. Suffice it to say, we were the only non-Chinese in the entire store, but we certainly learned the shopping routine (pick an item, get a receipt, take it to the cashier and return for your item - shopping is the universal language after all). Then tonight we went to a local Chinese place and dare I say we are really not looking forward to two more weeks of this cuisine. Even the smells and all the assortment of fresh selections in the front of the store are much to handle. OK well that all doesnt matter really as tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for. We leave for Ella (for a city council center) at around 2pm, which is 3am Atlanta time. I will be sure to post some pictures by morning time or no later than lunch). At this point, I plan to video the Gotcha moment with Laura I am sure receiving Ella. Until tomorrow and we thank everyone who is following our trip. More pictures tomorrow I promise!! Paul

Day One with Nothing to Show for It

2007-02-23T04:08:00.000-05:00

Well we made it to China today, Friday 2-23 but you'll have to take my word for it. Let me explain: After an initial scare, where the travel agency and Delta didn't communicate clearly on our tickets, causing our itinerary to be canceled the day of our trip, the rest of the trip couldn't have gone more smoothly. We left Atlanta at about 5:30 Wednesday evening and arrived in Guangzhou, China at Bayun International Airport at 6:50 am Friday. Included in that time difference are a 13 hour time difference and a 5 hour layover in LA, so the net flying time was about 19 (almost 20) hours...but it didnt feel that long. After arrival this morning, we checked into our hotel, The White Swan in Guangzhou (actually located on an island right alongside the city). The view outside our window is beautiful as is our room. I wanted to post it right here....BUT....didn't realize our new camera takes a special USB adapter that I did not bring along. Laura does not know this yet, but I am sure when I tell her tomorrow, a shopping excursion will be mandated. The rest of the day was spent shopping and wandering around the Shamian Island (home of the White Swan). It's 5:15pm now and I am exhausted (Laura is sleeping and Evan on the way) so we are still adjusting to the time change. Less than two days till we get Ella in our arms (and I know I better have pics to prove it). Thanks everyone for sharing in our incredible experience. Laura or I will post tomorrow. We met some really great new friends in Jill and Mike McFee from West Virginia whose new daughter Maya and Ella were born just days apart (and found 1 day apart). Maya is absolutely adorable. Their blog, if you want to browse, is mcfeesgirl.blogspot.com. OK until tomorrow, thanks - Paul, Laura and Evan Lazar

2/11/07 - Almost on our way to China............

2007-02-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

Hello to all - I apologize for not updating Ella's blog sooner but we have been so very busy...... Last Wednesday (1/31), a group of my wonderful friends gave me a surprise baby shower. First, they decorated my car with balloons and ping crepe paper while I was attending my Wednesday Bible Study class and then I was escorted to the restaurant where everyone was awaiting my arrival. I received such wonderful gifts (stuffed animals, blankets, travel items for her and lots of gift cards). Thank you all so much for thinking of me and Ella!!!! This Wednesday (2/7), we finally received our consulate appointment with China which means we could make our travel plans. We are leaving for Atlanta on Wednesday, February 21st and will be returning back to Atlanta on Saturday, March 10th. We fly from ATL to LAX and then on to Guangzhou, China on Saturday, February 23rd. We will have a couple of days to adjust our sleep schedules to China time (they are 13 hours ahead of us) before we get Ella which will be on Sunday, February 25th - FINALLY!!!!!! This weekend, we purchased/installed the car seat, put together the booster seat for the kitchen and the stroller. I compliment Paul because I kept him really busy this weekend - thanks honey!! At this point, we have to begin the task of packing.

Update as of January 29, 2007

2007-01-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Well, we have heard last week that we will not be traveling to China before their Chinese New Year (the week of 2/18).............. Hopefully, we will be able to go the end of February/early March. At this point, the clock is slowly ticking away. Now that we have a photo of her, we just can't wait to get her already. Our patience through this entire process has been tested time and time again but we are staying strong and positive because it is soooo close now. We have added a few additional pictures below of Ella's crib, items in the care package that we sent her, her dresser with some special items she has received and some new outfits that she received from the Havas family!!!! We are so grateful to have such wonderful, generous and caring friends!! Sandra (Ella's caregiver) has left the orphanage for a few weeks to travel back to New Zealand. She awaits the arrival of her grandchild so we haven't had any contact with her since she left. Please continue to keep Ella in your prayers as we wait to hold her in our arms.

Tuesday, January 16th

2007-01-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

It has been about ten days since we updated the blog but we have been really busy consuming ourselves in the next round of paperwork (Travel Packet II). We all had to get another batch of passport photos to apply for our visa entrance into China. So now we sit and wait............. Today, I just set a date for her 1st birthday party - April 28th!!!!! A couple of my closest friends were telling me to get the ball rolling because once we come back from China it will be very crazy around here. OK - so now I want to recap the past few days as so much has developed regarding our precious little one. Last Saturday (1/6), Paul put the post about Ella out on the Yang Chun Yahoo group introducing her to any/all other children adopted from this orphanage. Immediately, we get these emails that the orphanage is looking for the parents of Yang Chun Hua Tuan (Ella) because they have additional information and a new photograph. Well, I was blown away by this request. After we emailed back and forth, they did have Ella in their care. I was so excited that I could hardly type fast enough. I/we had a direct link (in English) with the orphanage and the caregiver - what a miracle. Her caregiver is "Sandra" as shown in the photo. Sandra has a contract with the orphanage and the local goverment to provide extra care for the children. She is a wonderful woman from New Zealand whom has devoted the last twelve years to improving the lives of orphans in her care. She is a Christian and said that doing this work is a call on her life - to me she is an angel............ So now we are lucky enough to have all of this coorespondence/emails to share with Ella one day - what a special gift that will be to her. Over the last weekend, I put together a care package to send to Ella. The package cannot be bigger than a shoe box so I filled it up with some teething toys, disposable camera for the nannies to take photos of her, pink blanket that Evan picked out at the Gap, and a baby safe photo album with pictures of us, Evan, herself, our house where she will live and Grandma and Grandpa. I informed Sandra that the package was on its way meanwhile she wanted us to email her a family photo of us so she could show Ella. I emailed Sandra a photo and she taped it to Ella' crib - so sweet!!! Also, Sandra names the babies American names while in the orphanage and Ella's name is/was Debra. Since Sandra is speaking to her in English, the transition will not be so difficult - we hope anyway. She also said that Ella is very funny and has a cute sense of humor. Ella is in the "sheep" room with three other babies. Sandra emailed me that when she told Ella about us and she said that Ella just smiled as if she really understood.......... Sandra gives her hugs and kisses from us every day!!!!!!!!!!!

1-5-07 More Pictures Received

2007-01-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

On January 5th, though I planned to come home from work early to open some additional pictures of Ella, the Fedex package came too early and, well Laura could not resist opening up the package and getting to know Ella better before me. Oh, that's OK - as you can see from the additional pictures, she is sooo cute and Laura was elated, as was I when I returned home to see more pictures of Ella for myself. We scanned these and sent them out as well this morning. Believe it or not, these were our first scans at home and this is our first blog! We really hope you enjoy sharing our journey to Ella with us as we plan to update this site often.

Match Day 1-4-07

2007-01-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, Well the wait is over! Today is Saturday, January 6th 2007 and two days ago we received our match; the referral from the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) of Ella Sarah Lazar. In this post, I am going to recount the events as they unfolded that day. As we had been notified the day before that Thursday would be our match day, Laura and Evan drove down to Buckhead (Atlanta) to meet me at work so that we all could receive the match together. At 12:30, CCAI (our adoption agency) called with the news and we found out all about Yang Chun, Hua Tuan (soon to be known as Ella Sarah). They also sent over (via email) Ella's referral picture (posted on this blog). I think it's safe to say that Laura and my first reaction was "look at that hair!", but soon we were just relieved to know the beginning was near! Our wait is almost over and soon we'll be on our way to China to pick up our precious Ella!. Here is what I wrote to many of you, announcing the referral just after we received it: We finally received our first picture of Ella Lazar, Chinese name is Yang Chun Hua Tuan. She was born April 25th, 2006 and resides in Guangdong Province. She's got lots of hair (Laura wants to work on that) and chubby cheeks and is described as an active baby. She keeps a normal schedule (very regimented - like us!) and is able to hold her head up while lying on her stomach, recognize her name, locate direction, follow conversations etc... Oh and her personality is listed as active and restless (translation, the orphanage is probably relieved to be giving her away and she will fit right in with the Lazar family!) Please feel free to forward this along to anyone we may have missed. Well I guess that about sums it up. Ella, we can't wait to visit China and bring you home!