Happy Vietnamese Birthday, Jasmine!

I hope you have a beautiful day today! Love, Mom

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Jasmine on this October 1st, 2024, your true birthday. I have and always will love you from the bottom of my heart. I’m sorry for the trauma you had prior to your adoption, and how I was not able to help you overcome that, despite my best efforts for 12 years. My hope is that some day we can maturely communicate. Love you always.

Halloween!

Trick or treating. Jasmine is a bit old for trick or treating, but she had fun with Myah:)

At Myah's house. Jasmine never ever smiles for me like this...not for a photo and not ever:(

14th Birthday Party at Skate City!

Eating garbage at Skate City! pizza, Slurpee, cotton candy!!

Partying with Grandma!

Playing on the front porch!

Sleeping in today!

Home for Christmas and New Year's Day

Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving dinner at the Holiday Inn again. Thousands of people. It's the only place that's open in the entire city. Literally everyone goes there!

Happy Birthday Jazzy!

Sept 29th, Sunday, party at Holiday Inn- which seems to be the only place around here to have a birthday party. Jasmine invited her best friend Emma, Emma's sister Ava, Sam, Johannah, and Myah. They had a great time swimming for hours, then eating pizza and cupcakes. Sam in the black suit, Emma, Ava, Myah and Jasmine. Johannah was grumpy and didn't want to be in the picture. Johannah, an unknown participant who joined in the fun, Jasmine, Myah:) .

First day of 8th grade....

Jasmine on our front porch, leaving for school with a forced smile:

End of summer....

Flying a kite at Rendezvous Park. Summer movie: Goofing around in the messy kitchen with Grandma: Shopping for outdoor plants with Grandma: Stefani's 3rd birthday. Looks like Jasmine has a choke hold on her:) .

Summer happenings....

After Camp Cormorant, Jasmine took some classes at Minnesota State University College for Kids. She took Clay Class, Yoga, Flower Arranging and Yoga. Here is one of the flower arrangements she made for Grandma: Besides flower arrangements, they also made lanterns decorated with flowers, and paper flowers. . Here are just a couple of the little felt objects Jasmine made- which are now toys for Stephani:) . . Jasmine tending to her flowers outside as Stephani watches from inside the living room window. . For the month of August, Jazz was a "Jr. Zookeeper" at the Red River Zoo. A forced unhappy photo here:

New house!

Here is our house in April! We had 8 ft of snow this year and a couple of minus 50 degree days. It really delayed our moving day. There was so much snow that we couldn't get to our house for several weeks. I hope West Fargo is more efficient next year. This was the worst winter since the mid-90's, and the city was definitely not prepared. Since then, we have done a lot on the inside of the house, but not much on the outside. We are "in line" for sod, irrigation and a fence. It might not get done until the end of summer. We did get our back porch done. It was matched to the inside floor. We still have to stain the back steps after the "green treatment" is done "curing". Yuk- ugly!! Here is our back porch with the unstained steps! Hard to imagine that it's concrete. Looks just like wood! Our lovely back yard- no sod, no grass, nothing...they haven't even buried the internet cable yet!

My "vacation"

On my "vacation", I did quite a few things, most of which were not fun. I did decorate Jasmine's bedroom. First, I purchased a pink twin bed from Wayfair. It's cute, but such a pain in the rear to put together. The directions were obviously written by a Chinese person, and none of the letters matched the diagrams. I was just winging it, and couldn't figure out one part on putting the sides together. I called a handyman- total stranger- to come over to help me:) . I told him about the Chinese directions, and he said "Welcome to my world". He finished the bed in about 15 minutes, then he put new pulls on Jasmine's drawers. He did some other things such as putting a desk together since my other one was smashed by the movers. I put up new curtains, new lamps and "twinkie lights". The bedspread and pillows have cats on them. I am just missing something for one wall. Jasmine was really happy with it!New curtains, lamps and twinkie lights!Panoramic view of Jazz's room. Not a very good photo!

Horse Camp- Cabin 1

Second week at Camp Cormorant. Jasmine's horse was Romeo:). Romeo doesn't look too happy here! . At a campfire with Peyton- Cabin 1's counselor. The "counselors" are 15-16 yr old girls. Cabin 1 Dropping Jazz off at camp- with counselors Sarah and Payton Chillin with friends!Cabin 1 at the Campfire- Cabin 1 getting ready to do a "skit" on the last night of camp! Bye Camp Cormorant- until next year!

More camp photos.

I'm not sure who takes these photos..... Dancing- . All in black today- Not sure what is happening here:) . Going back next week to "horse camp".