tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27755402813929808852024-03-04T23:59:02.146-06:00The Nguyen’s + 1tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-9054590842325439412021-01-04T14:28:00.004-06:002021-01-04T14:29:42.910-06:004 years later, a little late on the update<p>Oh where do I begin? It's been over 4 years with our little bug and we've survived a lot together so far. </p><p>First, our first year together. It was learning about each other and what makes us a family. Our second year together was filled with lots of rain due to Hurricane Harvey, but we survived and rebuilt. During our third year, I went through major surgery, a total knee replacement of my left knee. And now our fourth year as a family, we're surviving through a pandemic. We've been quarantined since March and have rarely seen family and friends. Fortunately, we had a small family vacation before we were ordered to stay home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6UUpU9VWlBjTvv_07oANT5IwYX-9OLnTiDyW9APQr5jzkWargE2cfBYNAfWAnJDvT1af32X7G8_AVTNMppuWTzi0n-3PigNeUT1rIPN9er8gFHxpINuTaXxIXjmhyphenhyphenqnb9j2fE-cReng/s1066/Screenshot_20201224-212259_Amazon+Shopping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="770" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6UUpU9VWlBjTvv_07oANT5IwYX-9OLnTiDyW9APQr5jzkWargE2cfBYNAfWAnJDvT1af32X7G8_AVTNMppuWTzi0n-3PigNeUT1rIPN9er8gFHxpINuTaXxIXjmhyphenhyphenqnb9j2fE-cReng/w289-h400/Screenshot_20201224-212259_Amazon+Shopping.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87XcQiFCNyCz7zIw73EbAaBNHgTssdJkN4Eq0uaxS6fLdMJeQaDWRkE9nj6POSMsCGU2dCq8DtEJtzIrlrj5dLBRx5koi9cIDV6cguz0_Dywj1ks1ziiDvAQT-mkbIafn0wEtMa_qpag/s1083/Screenshot_20201224-212212_Amazon+Shopping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="775" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87XcQiFCNyCz7zIw73EbAaBNHgTssdJkN4Eq0uaxS6fLdMJeQaDWRkE9nj6POSMsCGU2dCq8DtEJtzIrlrj5dLBRx5koi9cIDV6cguz0_Dywj1ks1ziiDvAQT-mkbIafn0wEtMa_qpag/w286-h400/Screenshot_20201224-212212_Amazon+Shopping.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><p>2020 was not what anyone had planned or intended but we've done our best and gotten stronger as a family. I started doing full-time homeschooling for our little bug while the hubby has been working from home full time. After the hubby is done, he takes over so I can get work done. We're finding a rhythm in our little quarantine bubble. </p><p>Here's hoping 2021 offers more face-to-face time, more hugs and more memories!</p>tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-88721535644136034822018-05-07T14:49:00.000-05:002018-05-07T14:49:24.700-05:00Two years later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We can't believe it's already two years! It just feels like yesterday that we brought our little June-bug home! So much has happened in the past year that everything just blurs together. Here are some highlights of the year! </div>
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We had our first family vacation in August to Colorado Springs! She loved being on the airplane and playing with her cousins!</div>
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Soon after, we were flooded by Hurricane Harvey. While we were not be able to be in our house for several months, we had lots of playdates with our cousins and she didn't even notice that our house was not ready for us to live in.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUKTBf7GmNCmxFJS89J5MAtYQ_fbWaWNFN_sy3_jjGkwYCdkXkckHbPb5tBJVWP7RPt47af4YqfKuRku-GDGLHGoYqRUcXrPdgwQYYsS5PsF3q_WL0otV_rJniGutDttALUCLF67T9-g/s1600/20170827_211621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUKTBf7GmNCmxFJS89J5MAtYQ_fbWaWNFN_sy3_jjGkwYCdkXkckHbPb5tBJVWP7RPt47af4YqfKuRku-GDGLHGoYqRUcXrPdgwQYYsS5PsF3q_WL0otV_rJniGutDttALUCLF67T9-g/s200/20170827_211621.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAOvWtdhcII9Sld38zlIz_t99VsMRty9Y7xb0OzVsKKMfVuY5gZxnn_avU2q7lXwL5JRL-azJFf_OkQri_U3How1JUzzEqSMepND-asIjZ1abaXHymtGTizcP3lWkTE2Ig8up8gfKcqY/s1600/20171003_172859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAOvWtdhcII9Sld38zlIz_t99VsMRty9Y7xb0OzVsKKMfVuY5gZxnn_avU2q7lXwL5JRL-azJFf_OkQri_U3How1JUzzEqSMepND-asIjZ1abaXHymtGTizcP3lWkTE2Ig8up8gfKcqY/s200/20171003_172859.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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In October, she turned 4 and had a magical Mickey & Minnie themed birthday party. She was a happy little camper!</div>
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At the beginning of the year, we tackled potty training and she did great this time around. She's still having anxiety with #2 in the potty but we've got #1 down!</div>
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She's just such a sweetie pie! If one of us coughs or says ouch, she'll stop what she's doing to ask us if we're okay. She'll say excuse me if she burps or passes gas. She knows her ABC's and can count in English, Vietnamese, Spanish and a little bit in Mandarin. She knows lots of colors and shapes and talks non-stop! We have been blessed to be parents to our little June-bug!</div>
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<b>Favorite Books:</b> Peanut Butter & Cupcake, Moon is a Roundcake, The Biggest Kiss, Giraffe's Don't Dance, Where's Bear?<br />
<b>Favorite Foods:</b> Cereal, French Fries, Cha, Cheese, Almonds, Cashews, Chicken, Coconut Rolls, Chocolate, Quesadillas, Tortillas, Ham, Bacon, Peanut Butter Chips<br />
<b>Non-Favorite Foods: </b>Sour Foods, Mushrooms, Tomatoes<br />
<b>Favorite toys: </b>Moana Toys, Stickers, Reading Books, Chicks, Toy house, Tsum Tsums<br />
<b>Favorite activity: </b>Eating, splashing in the tub, Playing with Mommy & Daddy, Reading, Running/Chasing, Watching Moana, Playing pretend<br />
<b>Non-favorite activity:</b> As of now, I can't think of anything!<br />
<b>What we're not a fan of:</b> Screaming and Throwing Foodtnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-11828866606124086982018-01-02T16:08:00.000-06:002018-01-02T16:08:25.450-06:00Year in Review 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTou8x9u3DmRgtSQxeJibZ7gSfU3i_xoqwxIcZe8v5CzuOHiHzLxM_Zu3t3gvqbDn_GICJBrrCgd1HkphOCAHMlHGnzSy7BZsutIW2hRfW6C38PhVNN22bawdFd6RPdGNRniHnavcrxc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-02+at+2.55.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1261" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTou8x9u3DmRgtSQxeJibZ7gSfU3i_xoqwxIcZe8v5CzuOHiHzLxM_Zu3t3gvqbDn_GICJBrrCgd1HkphOCAHMlHGnzSy7BZsutIW2hRfW6C38PhVNN22bawdFd6RPdGNRniHnavcrxc/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-01-02+at+2.55.56+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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We ended 2017 with smiles on our faces. Our house is almost complete from Hurricane Harvey, round 2 of potty training is going great and we're blessed to be surrounded by family and friends.<br />
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Here are some highlights from this year!<br />
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<b>JANUARY</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ4l-yJh5oyJlU9BQ8-uaqpzO5cRfjcBy0hKfbLXX4I1f9hLujSqhnAsVFcTDyZl2GPbomqyAi5E8quuTx6KlsH1ObcxrMRbG32KYeVUDfU9d_VHU8T-zAZCqAKLDW_LTqfCnKs18pCM/s1600/IMG_20170115_130459_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ4l-yJh5oyJlU9BQ8-uaqpzO5cRfjcBy0hKfbLXX4I1f9hLujSqhnAsVFcTDyZl2GPbomqyAi5E8quuTx6KlsH1ObcxrMRbG32KYeVUDfU9d_VHU8T-zAZCqAKLDW_LTqfCnKs18pCM/s400/IMG_20170115_130459_025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We watched Daddy finish his 10th Chevron Houston Marathon!</td></tr>
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<b>FEBRUARY</b></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa8GAili24-FJYDgwTr_MZhftALpjLPAY-EWaL4OD6jF4s5kf2y8QiaHvTw6NusMkfS4JIOhNYqBtaw2bPCWSHy2UP9h34djhk6CQSMhQ3F8C7JdAAJ7foBmbZRk3dCOsUW6NH9Dsbzs/s1600/IMG_20170218_212219_399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa8GAili24-FJYDgwTr_MZhftALpjLPAY-EWaL4OD6jF4s5kf2y8QiaHvTw6NusMkfS4JIOhNYqBtaw2bPCWSHy2UP9h34djhk6CQSMhQ3F8C7JdAAJ7foBmbZRk3dCOsUW6NH9Dsbzs/s400/IMG_20170218_212219_399.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Survived my first weekend without Daddy!</td></tr>
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<b>MARCH</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlk16y5EJ6X2DcJclzueumJ4yjvMRYGkzT8P-dYekLxcivQf4bnCaiLw_n4ySpAFRkZZARd8XVdWFnxIK_6czBQ1BfpEi0bmIJezUGkj_NBN77hjfr3IYe1anuk7FozHTziqIee17i4Q/s1600/IMG_20170317_203327_170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlk16y5EJ6X2DcJclzueumJ4yjvMRYGkzT8P-dYekLxcivQf4bnCaiLw_n4ySpAFRkZZARd8XVdWFnxIK_6czBQ1BfpEi0bmIJezUGkj_NBN77hjfr3IYe1anuk7FozHTziqIee17i4Q/s320/IMG_20170317_203327_170.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started cooking together!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhzVodi8oqxMtxFX_ENSlVsc7s0g0ID8XSLwbu2C7_5wowCtVrrdNCcGQFDkq4x0XDysN8BFEvTnMjsWkvH3Le8gXyg2Nlk1RKgHOQ0FPz1HcxYNT9BMzywBKedxo-810CoCbJBiQV6o/s1600/IMG_20170318_221822_496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhzVodi8oqxMtxFX_ENSlVsc7s0g0ID8XSLwbu2C7_5wowCtVrrdNCcGQFDkq4x0XDysN8BFEvTnMjsWkvH3Le8gXyg2Nlk1RKgHOQ0FPz1HcxYNT9BMzywBKedxo-810CoCbJBiQV6o/s320/IMG_20170318_221822_496.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watched great friends get married!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5dfnOle3qxriAela_QO7utrWU81JRliT98-BQWzZWFghuJ70gaF1bUX-9YiQ_lN7xehuTbhIqXO0XN5hdJeXbgkhF6142mez0onysrnc4MGmgcHjOAlcAe7-itiOySmrnRHMaYu2GNE/s1600/IMG_20170325_230332_078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5dfnOle3qxriAela_QO7utrWU81JRliT98-BQWzZWFghuJ70gaF1bUX-9YiQ_lN7xehuTbhIqXO0XN5hdJeXbgkhF6142mez0onysrnc4MGmgcHjOAlcAe7-itiOySmrnRHMaYu2GNE/s320/IMG_20170325_230332_078.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveled to Dallas for a family wedding!</td></tr>
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<b>APRIL</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL2xz247BURM2QSF2p4GNwalmzl2rJIzNfMNl-gugSjRsLymvAHv0yapW5M6Of5nkNkJ2RMZH-oDXJdYtGHAShnlo45Yj1sW20zajsY0kg8hnEkbIxHmBxBr4zOf65XwWkuB0zEyGHg4/s1600/20170408_195435%25280%2529-5x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL2xz247BURM2QSF2p4GNwalmzl2rJIzNfMNl-gugSjRsLymvAHv0yapW5M6Of5nkNkJ2RMZH-oDXJdYtGHAShnlo45Yj1sW20zajsY0kg8hnEkbIxHmBxBr4zOf65XwWkuB0zEyGHg4/s320/20170408_195435%25280%2529-5x3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went on a girl's trip to Austin!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyU9tGsCdue-9nQbE0Gsi-kaptd9fK1jPjqFHTHkrAm05pIY8JxbevgnksMaRwlWfAPzSqvL5JRKOLgr7KYrT6RZjs_sn1HRTvRmfPTx8gn8geTfNxW67_awb2Ddc2rFZKwlhDhhF5yso/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-02+at+3.16.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyU9tGsCdue-9nQbE0Gsi-kaptd9fK1jPjqFHTHkrAm05pIY8JxbevgnksMaRwlWfAPzSqvL5JRKOLgr7KYrT6RZjs_sn1HRTvRmfPTx8gn8geTfNxW67_awb2Ddc2rFZKwlhDhhF5yso/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-02+at+3.16.53+PM.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Won an apple pie from Proud Pie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>MAY</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz9KyeITPHiLfthQd0o-Eg8owYKBtuZ9_trAxKfLghTmCWOZC7TGUp56YE4RB_24QYm8KCYfCrhHcVRtDbgI97nclEnZGHMrqU3XIym8P775eUIU25JpVm2kXUJTey0dvXKj6LgvzHU8/s1600/IMG_20170513_215449_567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz9KyeITPHiLfthQd0o-Eg8owYKBtuZ9_trAxKfLghTmCWOZC7TGUp56YE4RB_24QYm8KCYfCrhHcVRtDbgI97nclEnZGHMrqU3XIym8P775eUIU25JpVm2kXUJTey0dvXKj6LgvzHU8/s320/IMG_20170513_215449_567.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated Mother's Day! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vog5fKvHT1xR78npqRpFBIOpFLkQNzy29eEpuYmZl4wASKJnhtETWHAayCB1Cn9fwmSylRzPL_TN5u72aucQGUzREvI7tUphlWOpn-sclAwKmEQW4sXDzjVePUxPoQn2H6ow0TwAQ9c/s1600/IMG_20170506_234006_648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vog5fKvHT1xR78npqRpFBIOpFLkQNzy29eEpuYmZl4wASKJnhtETWHAayCB1Cn9fwmSylRzPL_TN5u72aucQGUzREvI7tUphlWOpn-sclAwKmEQW4sXDzjVePUxPoQn2H6ow0TwAQ9c/s320/IMG_20170506_234006_648.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated one full year with June!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>JUNE</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXxnvEZN1refufzTHORLF7y-ouvUc73X5T9xkQL8A_yhnQ8JBPg1SCuyjsCLEMODmjs93i4s_iduOV-KNNa53BHQI1xLHaj6cRK0MsvMumX1xyah8XKHrkZE_YEwe7mcldB_nt0SmC2U/s1600/IMG_20170617_220311_789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXxnvEZN1refufzTHORLF7y-ouvUc73X5T9xkQL8A_yhnQ8JBPg1SCuyjsCLEMODmjs93i4s_iduOV-KNNa53BHQI1xLHaj6cRK0MsvMumX1xyah8XKHrkZE_YEwe7mcldB_nt0SmC2U/s320/IMG_20170617_220311_789.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated Father's Day with my dad! </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglmyEalrUW37hRipXU4rl64voXh_N0LhpemocfGbKM8c1N5J0I5eU4-9aAo6j3uOL0y0nemsGzqmPHTkxJk7_VVapokW2wKKuW3e81sQhcR6RVk-xDqHQmrQCTLCM1ynrRmecjhzUsXI/s1600/IMG_20170618_210147_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglmyEalrUW37hRipXU4rl64voXh_N0LhpemocfGbKM8c1N5J0I5eU4-9aAo6j3uOL0y0nemsGzqmPHTkxJk7_VVapokW2wKKuW3e81sQhcR6RVk-xDqHQmrQCTLCM1ynrRmecjhzUsXI/s320/IMG_20170618_210147_720.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated Father's Day with daddy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6dM4Y4NLUXSvTkDx0KcK5cf6u6NtK4oPDLntFbI9ACDl1OX09jeIny6fzYQTJqnIYUyTYPS-NxI4W8buy7dwWxs4VWvHIqLS0C0VQtuDRb45uwiRhbxOE3h7x2-AFsjmhWOjqsdr4LU/s1600/20170627_095156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6dM4Y4NLUXSvTkDx0KcK5cf6u6NtK4oPDLntFbI9ACDl1OX09jeIny6fzYQTJqnIYUyTYPS-NxI4W8buy7dwWxs4VWvHIqLS0C0VQtuDRb45uwiRhbxOE3h7x2-AFsjmhWOjqsdr4LU/s320/20170627_095156.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June wen to the movies for the first time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>JULY</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-64qi88qtY9qlFacyK3oeDipQqMQQ2BnS1OVC03X9vgGyoxXgVZv8RJKGFwxL7UJiq8APashoQ4RiTx6ZrFz_Es704l1CjLK1Of0iaVSYCT_qhF48fH13I-N_aRaYRlfqqc-by0aX4I/s1600/IMG_20170801_225353_816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-64qi88qtY9qlFacyK3oeDipQqMQQ2BnS1OVC03X9vgGyoxXgVZv8RJKGFwxL7UJiq8APashoQ4RiTx6ZrFz_Es704l1CjLK1Of0iaVSYCT_qhF48fH13I-N_aRaYRlfqqc-by0aX4I/s320/IMG_20170801_225353_816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went on our first family vacation to Colorado!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>AUGUST</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tR8pHQwhRiVZlqsaW9MS-kjstwnJneqZ1GCyJSzX4d26gttAkWG_31zYN9CS-tGTkzdqmt7m0P6CdXcRgXiaFPX74DTr0bVlCr-p3yzJxLEGz8FHQ_J5KIaIE3GBOd2num7nE_voUAg/s1600/20170826_170312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tR8pHQwhRiVZlqsaW9MS-kjstwnJneqZ1GCyJSzX4d26gttAkWG_31zYN9CS-tGTkzdqmt7m0P6CdXcRgXiaFPX74DTr0bVlCr-p3yzJxLEGz8FHQ_J5KIaIE3GBOd2num7nE_voUAg/s320/20170826_170312.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempted potty training</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNE0xmR5tSCAzJjOYUW03lYqNmFN5NCW2zWw80JCW-zwlyS4CjUCTKVuT1fILieSgZsPS4WbWbe2Q7Wd2xyw_ilCF_WA0Qqcueeo7uqo-0zBICmchdXX4f7Ov0_cILALr6szltUKDm58/s1600/20170827_214725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNE0xmR5tSCAzJjOYUW03lYqNmFN5NCW2zWw80JCW-zwlyS4CjUCTKVuT1fILieSgZsPS4WbWbe2Q7Wd2xyw_ilCF_WA0Qqcueeo7uqo-0zBICmchdXX4f7Ov0_cILALr6szltUKDm58/s320/20170827_214725.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooded by Hurricane Harvey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>SEPTEMBER</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LZGSlseprJq4DPN0v2PagNwPsHvsaWuv0EhvTa-FqQAnB1gWi68kY6-RuXKiqwKnpLbXiqJZzh83B_P3Faz3lTO2EebL6jQPBdqP_QIrLDDg5P0bfn84ChkBharUpjwZDvp-O60Yzhk/s1600/20170922_113155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LZGSlseprJq4DPN0v2PagNwPsHvsaWuv0EhvTa-FqQAnB1gWi68kY6-RuXKiqwKnpLbXiqJZzh83B_P3Faz3lTO2EebL6jQPBdqP_QIrLDDg5P0bfn84ChkBharUpjwZDvp-O60Yzhk/s320/20170922_113155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June grew closer with her family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>OCTOBER</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUAxnsTzVIfdDnByqMeQ_W9tFNwZXbVsujqyEiz5dgmVjHMgXofciU2fQyjzsQSGHFfl8xsnN5hSRFFYNEUf8XlZhsWQy5Zh4fXZ0gHF787urVTeTxfQ34myPJtV2Ddmj1WEHfEesk-I/s1600/IMG_20171007_212245_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUAxnsTzVIfdDnByqMeQ_W9tFNwZXbVsujqyEiz5dgmVjHMgXofciU2fQyjzsQSGHFfl8xsnN5hSRFFYNEUf8XlZhsWQy5Zh4fXZ0gHF787urVTeTxfQ34myPJtV2Ddmj1WEHfEesk-I/s320/IMG_20171007_212245_750.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June turned 4!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>NOVEMBER</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6mNoP-2cuYJXfmb18ylwohynQZ8IJITSCxpIALmgwf4Q6pg4w6mSI5cyPlZ541TNvh9iCvjkYLU3873zKzOliQBGYJDuvVc1SX3PZ_GR0C0-24HdEjYFv8RWExWHYOM7KVZC-iBxb04/s1600/20171105_181009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6mNoP-2cuYJXfmb18ylwohynQZ8IJITSCxpIALmgwf4Q6pg4w6mSI5cyPlZ541TNvh9iCvjkYLU3873zKzOliQBGYJDuvVc1SX3PZ_GR0C0-24HdEjYFv8RWExWHYOM7KVZC-iBxb04/s320/20171105_181009.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy turned 37!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCayuDRGwE0ah3tG5uon6Ib87mcYnTj2lpWp0cVIHFZj1X0iTyj6picqJeG7kDS61xFHHONVD6OP1oQ4XXhp5eh8iLWNvA2xpjUSip6bVXp-OW88xJN4Os2kU8wIWF9_23MZB9vcqujg/s1600/image-20171103_160052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCayuDRGwE0ah3tG5uon6Ib87mcYnTj2lpWp0cVIHFZj1X0iTyj6picqJeG7kDS61xFHHONVD6OP1oQ4XXhp5eh8iLWNvA2xpjUSip6bVXp-OW88xJN4Os2kU8wIWF9_23MZB9vcqujg/s320/image-20171103_160052.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Said goodbye to baby Ellis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>DECEMBER</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysdYNvYTaNlZOMvXoIkIVCIknkj_NzhUj2mux_EI6KTEay8uqQwIMumTe_Zt0j1PWbWi8QKt8WvtjZASxr-NB3CgtUnDHdpZm8sfm5ouWlJcr5LPFY5WxfRJiBgQRN27TB42xVyX6D5w/s1600/IMG_20171226_230507_976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1508" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysdYNvYTaNlZOMvXoIkIVCIknkj_NzhUj2mux_EI6KTEay8uqQwIMumTe_Zt0j1PWbWi8QKt8WvtjZASxr-NB3CgtUnDHdpZm8sfm5ouWlJcr5LPFY5WxfRJiBgQRN27TB42xVyX6D5w/s320/IMG_20171226_230507_976.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated Christmas with family at our mostly finished home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUgeQ1ckb9WD0zo2QBWVslRIsysdLjc21rTy_YEOllATdGAyxKqD6qP2Oiu_0VzbqebBChDHFujCilKyCxgAfe8ryeIS1fLbUyXlk9DsLhTdm5S5-VRgLuvWbROP_pWGgeTYFNifqecI/s1600/DSC06546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUgeQ1ckb9WD0zo2QBWVslRIsysdLjc21rTy_YEOllATdGAyxKqD6qP2Oiu_0VzbqebBChDHFujCilKyCxgAfe8ryeIS1fLbUyXlk9DsLhTdm5S5-VRgLuvWbROP_pWGgeTYFNifqecI/s320/DSC06546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated Christmas with family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-7MEUEbbpCCnK2GGJM4XVhEjF54BdtJh9nRWZOHGjP8u_4otLbVjv5eF3XhN3ewnFedKdp_6em8kgQH7Um4zfHNVe648TQ5wFHQkAKS8DKHGRoMXtCea4smXhGqsY_QknkBh-CuqUUw/s1600/IMG_20171229_201856_309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-7MEUEbbpCCnK2GGJM4XVhEjF54BdtJh9nRWZOHGjP8u_4otLbVjv5eF3XhN3ewnFedKdp_6em8kgQH7Um4zfHNVe648TQ5wFHQkAKS8DKHGRoMXtCea4smXhGqsY_QknkBh-CuqUUw/s320/IMG_20171229_201856_309.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ended with smiles and potty training success!</td></tr>
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tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-58227634380287219902017-09-08T14:53:00.000-05:002017-09-08T16:01:19.175-05:00Potty Training & Hurricane HarveyIt's been a whirlwind of a week. We went into the weekend with potty training in mind. We've been prepping June for two weeks and were ready to tackle this. Underwear-check! Pee Pads-check! Chocolate-check! Stickers-check! Potty ring-check! We got this! And what do you know, it was the perfect weekend to start since it would be raining all weekend. If we were going to be stuck at home, might as well be on a rainy weekend, right?<br />
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Day 1 was full of accidents but day 2, we were getting it down. Then Day 3, Harvey made landfall and the potty training was not going so well. We were trying to keep an eye on the water level outside and the news, that waiting for June to do her potty dance wasn't going so well. All day, Phi was slowly moving important things upstairs just in case anything were to happen. We were trying to protect the furniture downstairs by putting the legs of the dining table in cups. We lifted our bed and pulled out the drawers to our dresser. We were preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.<br />
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We've lived here for over 11 years and it's never flooded, ever! We purchased flood insurance after Hurricane Ike in 2008 as a precaution. This year, we decided to let it lapse after August 29th. It's been almost nine years and it's never flooded and we've never filed a claim. However, as the day continued and the rain would not let up, we were getting nervous. I decided to give the company a call to renew the insurance, just in case. Fortunately, we were able to renew it over the phone.<br />
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We continued to watch the water levels creep up the driveway with no end in sight. The radar continued to show bands of red. When would the rain let up?<br />
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We decided to put June to bed early so I could help Phi move things upstairs. As we were transporting our valuable items upstairs, I noticed water seeping through the walls. It didn't even come through the doors first, it went through the walls! We grabbed all the towels we had and tried to stop the water. It started coming in so fast that there was nothing we could do but watch our home slowly fill with water. We moved as much as we could upstairs before it would be destroyed.<br />
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Then I broke down in tears in the middle of our bedroom as we watched the water slowly come into our house. I felt helpless. There was nothing we could do to protect our home. We were forced to hunker down upstairs while it continued to rain and water continued to fill our home.<br />
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We tried to sleep but I couldn't. My mind was racing, "what if we lose power?", "what if one of us gets electrocuted?", "what if the house catches on fire?", "what if...?". I couldn't shut off my brain. But I turn and hear Phi snoring. How could he be sleeping right now? I woke him up to share my concerns and started crying again. How could this have happened? I was so worried about us getting electrocuted that every time the AC kicked on, I would jump. I was finally able to sleep a little but jerked awake thinking I heard Phi say the roof was leaking. Fortunately, it was just a nightmare.<br />
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It was eerie sitting in our game room and the only sounds we were hearing was from the helicopters flying above or the boats going down the streets. There weren't the usual sounds of the cars driving by or airplanes flying over.<br />
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I did not get much sleep that night. I woke up earlier then usual, concerned that the water had risen more. I grabbed the flashlight to check the water level and it was above the baseboard, all the while, it continued to rain. My poor Sadie didn't go out to potty since the evening before and refused to go on the pee pads I laid out for her. Every time one of us would stand up to check outside or downstairs, she was anxious to go outside but we were afraid to open the doors because more water would come into the house.<br />
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Fortunately, June slept in later today, so we were able to grab more items downstairs, come up with a game plan for the day and check in with family and friends. We lost internet the night before so cellphone reception was spotty for me. However, Phi was able to use his phone to get weather updates. Having limited information was frustrating. We couldn't get on the tv to check, we were relying on family members and friends to update us on what was going on outside.<br />
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Phi would check the water levels inside the house every hour while I kept June entertained upstairs. Poor thing kept wanting to go downstairs to eat or play. Her routine was turned upside down and she didn't quite grasp what was going on. I tried to show her the water downstairs and in the retention are in the back, but she just wanted to play in it. I tried to keep her day as casual as possible but just ended up snacking her all day and letting her watch Mickey Mouse on the iPad. The whole time I was concerned with what I was going to feed her. We had cereal without milk for breakfast and sliced bread, peanut butter and canned fruit. Not the most nutritious of meals but she seemed happy. She kept saying, "we're eating upstairs." It was a new, fun adventure for her.<br />
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As the day went on and the rain continued, I was getting nervous. The winds were howling outside and the rain kept pouring down. We were informed that there were more red bands of rain coming down. We kept seeing boats down our street with our neighbors evacuating. I was trying to reach out to as many neighbors I could via Nextdoor. Some were waiting to evacuate while others decided to stay put.<br />
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Phi was talking to his brother and they were thinking about having him come to our house via float and take us back to his house. He was not sharing his plans with me, which made me nervous. I was just reading the exchange through group chat and not sure if this was really his plan. Were we really trying to evacuate by float through this torrential rain and winds with a 3 year old and a dog who was scared of water?<br />
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Our neighbor a few doors saw that there was a good Samaritan who had a kayak, going down the street, asking if anyone would want to be evacuated. She sent them our way since she knew we had a little girl. He was able to help us evacuate but he would have to make two separate trips. I did not want to be separated, in case something were to happen to one of us. When Phi opened the front door to talk to the kayaker, he saw that the water wasn't as high and finally convinced Sadie to go outside to try to use the restroom. After some coaxing and reassuring, she finally found a "dry" spot on my juniper bushes.<br />
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Our plan was to have our bags packed and ready to go, if needed. I packed 3-4 days of clothes, diapers and all the medicine we needed. We were told more red bands of rain was on it's way and would last a couple of hours. Then we heard people yelling. We didn't know where it was coming from but we heard it. Phi decided to open the window to see if he could pinpoint the location to see what they were saying. We couldn't find where the yelling was coming from but we did see our next door neighbor outside trying to move the floating fire ant piles away from his truck. Not only did we have to deal with flood waters and strong winds, now we were dealing with floating fire ant piles!<br />
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Now I was getting really nervous. It was about 1 pm and getting darker outside. I told Phi I was ready to evacuate. I wanted to be out of the house before it got dark in case we lost power. Who knew what was in store for us for the rest of the night. Phi thought we were able to last another day but I didn't want to risk it. We heard a boat go by the house and I was able to flag them down. They happen to be Channel 13 and said they'd be back for us. We had a new plan, we were going to leave.<br />
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We had our bags ready to go and I was trying to feed June lunch as she watched Mickey Mouse. All the while, I was telling June that we would need to get on a boat and that it would be wet and windy. I told her that she didn't need to be scared because mommy and daddy would always protect her and keep her safe.<br />
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The time continued to tick away but we did not see the boat come by. An hour later, we still didn't see them. We heard the boats go by down the main street but nothing down our way. Phi wanted to see if we could stay another night and evacuate the next day. I wanted to leave.<br />
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We decided to put June down for her nap. When I was singing her to sleep, tears came rolling down my cheek because I knew this would be the last time in a while that I would be able to put her to sleep in her crib at our house.<br />
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We came up with another plan. I tried to contact the Coast Guard, but only got a busy signal. I asked family and friends to call for me while I put out a white sheet and spelled "HELP" with painter's tape on the window. As I was finishing up, we saw a boat slowly come down our street. I asked them if they would be able to help us evacuate and they said they could!<br />
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I scooped June up from her crib, put her on my back using our carrier and grabbed her puddle jumper. Phi grabbed Sadie and our bags and we climbed into the boat. It's a strange feeling to leave your house in a boat instead of a car. As we were pulling away, I looked up at our house one last time, saw the "HELP" sign and white fabric on the upstairs window and wondered when we would be able to go back home.<br />
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As we were riding on the boat, we were surprised at how high the water levels were. We were seeing tops of cars that were abandoned on the road and trucks that tried to get to higher ground but got stuck. We were shivering and wet from the rain. I held on tightly to June's hand and kept looking back to make sure Sadie was safe. June and Sadie did so well on the boat and we were so proud of them. June just kept saying "we're on a boat". She didn't cry or scream once during it all. She didn't get upset that her hoodie kept coming off or that she was all wet and cold. She was a brave little girl and we are so thankful for that.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxukSOELiHzqz_yggeql2uS6N5-YsY5tLtfKeJHKcH_3xlwC9d82CJFydIFYkHlDxfdxKbwBSgB84lUptxHhA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We were taken to Phi's brother's house, who lives in the same neighborhood as us, about a mile south of where we live. As we were headed that way, other boats were telling us that evacuation was the other way. The streets leading up to his house didn't look promising either. As we got closer, I told Phi that we had to come up with a Plan B, in case his house took on water. Fortunately, his house was still dry and we hunkered down for the night. It continued to rain throughout the night and we were nervous that we would need to evacuate again but, luckily for us, that never happened. A special thank you to the good samaritan, Scott, who came down from Austin to help with the rescue efforts. He will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.<br />
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We are safe, we are dry and we are together.<br />
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The flood waters receded enough for us to get to the house on Wednesday, August 30th, to start the clean up process. We are temporarily staying with family until we're able to rebuild.<br />
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We have been blessed with loving family and friends who've helped us during this whole process. Thank you to all who came to clear the flooring, demo the walls and pack up our entire downstairs. We cannot thank you enough. And thank you to The Busch's for watching our Sadie for us during this process of rebuilding! We love you all!tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-24077785788384979032017-05-04T12:55:00.001-05:002017-05-04T14:13:28.664-05:00One Year LaterLet me start off by apologizing for not updating this sooner. I had grand plans of posting while we were in China and throughout our journey home, but life with a toddler got in the way and here we are. I cannot believe it will be a year in a few days. As I reflect on our year together, I've come to realize I am much more capable then I could imagine. This year came with a lot of challenges and obstacles. Many times I felt defeated and at a loss. I asked myself many times, "How could I care for this child? I know nothing about being a mom." I could not thank the many moms in my life enough and of course, my hubby. I have become a stronger mom because of them. Here are <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/fnjX14YJfoTkeByAA" target="_blank">some photos</a> from our trip to China.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWabMIU9bMroU78E29yKRUlEDXHyOYYXeaCBTCJy5otW29Do7Ch2mMGdiG5eZjBUqoIacXr1y-NSynVwIxtwtoAD_LHa6dQvfa6OqZrkuCJTwMU3LxxCIu-UGRxI1lB_wytF9CzN6DtE/s1600/DSC04914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWabMIU9bMroU78E29yKRUlEDXHyOYYXeaCBTCJy5otW29Do7Ch2mMGdiG5eZjBUqoIacXr1y-NSynVwIxtwtoAD_LHa6dQvfa6OqZrkuCJTwMU3LxxCIu-UGRxI1lB_wytF9CzN6DtE/s320/DSC04914.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Family photo in China</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPmu0pDawRv8ol7im5GHPNoT-f_tpbj4uNfLjFy0ebUjh8V8iq5tyQtz7d9KtHmTq0qp4b0zzESCXKiwz4n4j1_bhBmrzt3fRFvflEl9iFu1U_3xieziTBqJFlcxR8XW-dkOU_cJ-9V8/s1600/20160611_184303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPmu0pDawRv8ol7im5GHPNoT-f_tpbj4uNfLjFy0ebUjh8V8iq5tyQtz7d9KtHmTq0qp4b0zzESCXKiwz4n4j1_bhBmrzt3fRFvflEl9iFu1U_3xieziTBqJFlcxR8XW-dkOU_cJ-9V8/s320/20160611_184303.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First month home</td></tr>
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The first few months were difficult. I was struggling with <a href="https://adoption.com/post-adoption-depression" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">post adoption depression</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and how to take care of a two year old. Our worlds were turned upside down. We were trying to teach her how to communicate with us and let her know that she would be safe and loved. I remember thinking, "What did we get ourselves into?" But those few months are a blur now. She knows so many words, making sentences and recognizes all her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. </span></div>
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She loves Sadie. She loves watching her eat her food and treats, drink water and run in the backyard. They are two peas in a pod.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">First time meeting</td></tr>
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We've learned that she has a lot of personality. She loves to sing & dance, run, eat, make you laugh and give hugs & kisses. Here are a list of her favorite things so far:<br />
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<b>Color: </b>Orange<br />
<b>Toy: </b>Varies by day but usually her LeapFrog Remote, LeapFrog Laptop, "Sadie" dogs from Lego Duplo, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse stuffed toys, Water Table and Little Tykes Car<br />
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<b>Food</b>: Coconut Rolls, Cashews, Peanuts, Almonds, Cha (Vietnamese Ham),Cereal, French Fries, Hamburgers, Egg rolls, Ham, Chicken<br />
<b>Favorite Books:</b> Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Octopus, Goose on the Loose, Alphabet Books/Rhymes, Little Gorilla, Always<br />
<b>Favorite activity:</b> Eating, Bath time, Playing with Mommy & Daddy, Reading, Running/Chasing, Watching Mickey Mouse, Playground, Swimming, Playdates with Cousins & Friends<br />
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I could go on and on about our little June-bug. She is a ball of energy and full of smiles. She continues to learn everyday and teaches us something new about ourselves constantly. Everyday is a new adventure with her. I can't wait to see what the next year brings us.<br />
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tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-26886731697643183992016-04-13T12:48:00.001-05:002016-04-13T12:48:22.897-05:00We have travel dates!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have travel dates! I cannot believe this last part of everything has gone by so fast. All this waiting and finally we have a date to pick up our little girl. </div>
tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-14221783507953518842016-01-27T16:11:00.000-06:002016-01-27T16:39:55.578-06:00We're officially approved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLgHn49vk9y8YQGz66toECdBQLGS5mY5Kjq5uEry18dS782lSLeVxV7_NPNWNKXrkSbZ6pn8br5MJLPmOkc6sM4352BxC0Lf0wO_ppEaaxsyPTpBdCWR5Wz5czYuLAJgCdqWz4jdOlsU/s1600/approved.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLgHn49vk9y8YQGz66toECdBQLGS5mY5Kjq5uEry18dS782lSLeVxV7_NPNWNKXrkSbZ6pn8br5MJLPmOkc6sM4352BxC0Lf0wO_ppEaaxsyPTpBdCWR5Wz5czYuLAJgCdqWz4jdOlsU/s1600/approved.png" /></a></div>
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We just received word from our agency that we're officially approved from China. There are a few more steps to take before we can bring our little girl home. Here's a handy <a href="http://www.houseofhoffmans.com/">little chart a friend</a> of mine made for reference.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Waiting Child China Adoption Paperchasing Acronyms</span></div>
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<table border="1" bordercolor="#94b16e" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%px;"><caption></caption><tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #9ccc5f; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;"><th><span style="font-size: x-small;">ACRONYM</span></th> <th><span style="font-size: x-small;">STANDS FOR</span></th> <th><span style="font-size: x-small;">WHAT IT MEANS (BASIC)</span></th> <th><span style="font-size: x-small;">LEVEL OF CELEBRATION</span></th> </tr>
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<img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi3wND-YE33htTgWtjVnc_j0UlQ-4IWquWjhTNABSjyQhH58HxnXEPCQC9ifohOxMpeZTDfzpOqEXrJ-7cRPYdPZr7c96YHo5MaYbVwgRA-5W3_jW8GB9fBqQsR9HrDpdagkx5442B8k/s1600/adoption-acronym-DTC.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Dossier To China</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your agency has sent your dossier to China, or, the CCCWA, where it will be translated into Chinese and logged into the system.</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcECM5cUiM2yC1HwrNdQKn38AUY0GbHNa2gRWb52MLTmF-hlJsfioxYYQTq8EMMtUhv34VarvtvwXNoAxvdT0SNWFAPRJyl7GQ0a3pHPABLwEiW8GLOayWy8PzMCDPMZVaqTXgVkiI1M/s1600/adoption-emoticons-smiley-72-01.png" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJCCoR0kq-qGEWZvujae_WyMpWsjibfxq1cErdXqx_q5pf3N5ISuyVh4r03g7fMUqgDopieMg6opzpf74qJyaGm4eWrlvF_IZxXDg0-oFgKLdxlLU-S6jtBlePhMg-B-yO059KAr1fL0/s1600/adoption-acronym-OOT.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Out Of Translation</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your dossier is out of translation.</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxx0YdMncU2qQk7oatzQIpDkTiU8pQwmMZKASKFvI3FUh89mG_-MLO7ITrOzHwLAhHoKJRSj2W-U9Qr4VaaRAtx3la5EfsXPJqABYUx6xjwO0-MhM13yPnX3iO-3hNd1mBvrXlP2pvlA/s1600/adoption-emoticons-smiley-72-01.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Log-In-Date</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">The date your dossier is officially received by the CCCWA.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hpYAdrKnu0VCr8S54XxyXKIrUTL2o0GkALoM7TpMySYS8CRiopiUMt6fo-FEwR5CxF865vlmTr_3pNYKI44QXalMMWXglM96biUUH9Zgj-R7pLA5_O9Nc218k8JC39ukncqczhQBVB0/s1600/adoption-emoticons-hearteyes2-72-03.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55up4-qmW-Lj3D9kh8uvr5np7g1SBx2ebTFlIWersaFF2Ctlh9_uA0c-TWkeEuwEPtNubOMEyVeQpgKpgftskZNrOqxGOufm6BNv9lmur-wYdWAzIV4fHhEjQQAyYe-e3abrM7Ct0GF0/s1600/adoption-acronym-LOI.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Letter Of Intent</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your agency submits this letter to China after you have accepted a referral.</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTZSFe9Ztysps4CMS_E1o4ysf5h5RvECMEtHPiJCZpl9h-AGFHtBsQdikCIWf4l-sSNBUoAU87RxeEh-oZWP4t2NN-JqxhrD1U4Zwxm4Bl6dbkUPHkEe6RQnP2R5aXJ6-7AtPXd5a8Eg/s1600/adoption-emoticons-heartthoughts-72-04.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0X6UD_2JAqGqN-Hp3q8NFIJbBKXt-Y7iVvWVJv-0rTuPIotFyp73EAP39LgseOtjP5DTq4F34X9bu8w2ewzM3rYLNlrWtldmgMnUv999q7bXSbPWce6baOd78uBQbjx6FQbwpVbZM8c/s1600/adoption-acronym-PA.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Pre-Approval</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Pre-approval from China (effective June 2013, PA is not required for LID-already families).</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8UDLdly8fWYCHdLpJJfJ9g-9sk8-cNOIA9NHTzdiSLVGtkMuOJnkMXSpNfFoXmNd36F74fAJfsYlgwWRZ7Ziv436kpVqdBAyYwcorxMkiEMJn-YW9wx-JS6CmKPOUzfmikbHReE9SE4/s1600/adoption-emoticons-drinkcake1-72-05.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Letter Of Acceptance, or, Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC)</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Official approval from China (effective June 2013, your agency will receive an electronic “soft LOA” prior to the hard copy of LOA).</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDcwnXKRBOPp8D38Cem3oEWqGux9D_Fi7bOUdn_6W79UvIEmVo_zyW1v8KWiZUAOSDLu5oltIxmz2HA0F4nJj7JwO_BJiEayj36RFVz_45uw8CqHs8GZQ3iRkQlJzjBRNXA_7otjMCHw/s1600/adoption-emoticons-drinkcake2-72-06.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NrnpKyi3r-QrylqWrfAMlGjPa1CzmvYkt99aF-sEvUpXefWL8ChF-Fc4XNOJOHTcAm5fO2D4x0hOHzmfMBoQAda7cNyBYaFJZw12L2kW6S5PtjFcinu2hJ25KsFqCXsedb9Uy7MY1d4/s1600/adoption-acronym-NVC.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">National Visa Center</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">NVC sends you an email with a PDF indicating your file has been forwarded, or, “cabled” to the US Consulate in Guangzhou (printed copy arrives later).</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hpYAdrKnu0VCr8S54XxyXKIrUTL2o0GkALoM7TpMySYS8CRiopiUMt6fo-FEwR5CxF865vlmTr_3pNYKI44QXalMMWXglM96biUUH9Zgj-R7pLA5_O9Nc218k8JC39ukncqczhQBVB0/s1600/adoption-emoticons-hearteyes2-72-03.png" style="border: none;" /></td> </tr>
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<br /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Article 5 <br />
(drop-off and pick-up)</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your immigration information and child’s visa application <br />
are <i>dropped off</i> at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, and then <i>picked up</i> 2 weeks later.</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hpYAdrKnu0VCr8S54XxyXKIrUTL2o0GkALoM7TpMySYS8CRiopiUMt6fo-FEwR5CxF865vlmTr_3pNYKI44QXalMMWXglM96biUUH9Zgj-R7pLA5_O9Nc218k8JC39ukncqczhQBVB0/s1600/adoption-emoticons-hearteyes2-72-03.png" style="border: none;" /></td> </tr>
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<img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasuZtVVN2MGKKI1pkUXMHTExGw-GXT4DbpcTqFZvdxp8yvOFLhCqExDIJC_9ZLiE6L9VqbXJujg95f85q2n5Uhb_2clxPHWwdXNlp7CpK36l3nRhN_gcX22sAUH8y4tKkyYshNVZeqLw/s1600/adoption-acronym-TA.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Travel Approval</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your agency has received TA from CCCWA, which means you are one step closer from traveling to China. Start packing!</span></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbAN0LbjkI1iCSVqEr56p7QNPKG3_orzEDrYQJkmfg6G93FxTgT2w3023qt3ndTUFJWNj7bnF4UO2D1xlGExYAyL2UE6jKBNXkMICM2jCBygR2p1_BkzoaK-y9wp__CuvJZf1_GFfNvY/s1600/adoption-emoticons-drinkcake2whoops-72-07.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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<img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48OTawUPMaxDPkCGKRKYAZdb19PG2FWYT1ZO_Iaim9NUEmfXzaqbMfTezcWKXycktbRYBYG2_aW5g7md_NjqdDIfD4L_00yqixMZO83ffPDISz4Joq-w6TIbLBM56DrqVGoFwnAGPN6g/s1600/adoption-acronym-CA.png" style="border: none;" width="60" /></div>
</td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Consulate Appointment</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Your agency will request a CA with the US Consulate in Guangzhou in order for you to obtain your child’s US visa when you are in China.</span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_78cdimumfTbVTK-ggKM-R18C_guMlWwdpsbq_jRb7U3XaLK5Jh89R7WwAgjf932joJM-qB2cBSEvKx7_Gee5dJ0ZD-puMTShXQ8pyodu6gBMWX-CQ4J5TVkktAFxZ05M1rxd2_iJnlk/s1600/adoption-emoticons-CA-72-09.png" style="border: none;" /></div>
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tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-48365102286883356902015-09-21T10:57:00.005-05:002015-09-22T13:07:54.199-05:00Pre-Approval!***UPDATE***<br />
We received our i800A approval in the mail! Now our dossier is ready to send to China!<br />
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We received our pre-approval (PA) today! Now, we're just waiting for our i800A to be approved so we can send our dossier to China for official approval. We're one step closer to getting our baby girl!tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-57349637070836054472015-09-09T16:56:00.000-05:002015-09-09T16:57:34.039-05:00It's been awhileSince our last update, things have been steadily progressing in our adoption. We had to redo our dossier since China could not accept documents over 6 months old. We also had to update our i800A form and submit updated bio-metrics/fingerprints information. One other item to update was our home study. With everything completed, we were able to mail our dossier to our agency in June.<br />
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The agency had enough information from our dossier to start the matching process without the actual dossier being in China. There were a couple of forms for us to complete, including a medical checklist of special needs that we would be willing to accept. With that form turned in on July 31st, the agency started to look for our little girl.<br />
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On August 18th, we received our first referral! I was in total shock. I was actually at my doctor's office receiving my infusion so I had no idea what was going on. The hubby found out first and tried to contact me but I was sound asleep. Once I woke up, I was in a state of disbelief. Was I still dreaming? I couldn't believe any of this was happening. We've been in this process for so long, its been hard to stay hopeful. But it was real! All I could think was, "could this be our baby girl?"<br />
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We received a packet that included some pictures, medical history and a video of her. We weren't sure how old the pictures and video were but we had a rough idea. I immediately contacted a friend who had adopted from China to get her advice on what we should do next. Luckily, a friend of ours is a pediatrician and she offered to review the records. We also contacted <a href="http://www.texaschildrens.org/Locate/Departments-and-Services/International-Adoption/" target="_blank">Texas Children's Health Center for International Adoption</a> to review the information. We thought the more eyes on the medical information, the better.<br />
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We had our first pre-consultation meeting with TCH on Monday, August 25th. I was full of nerves all day. We had some idea of what her medical situation was but we didn't know what to expect from the meeting. After our pre-consultation, we had a few concerns about her health. We sent some followup questions that our agency forwarded on to China. A week later, we received answers; answers that calmed our concerns.<br />
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On September 4th, we accepted the referral and now we wait for Baby Nguyen to come home!<br />
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<br />tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-75644925105061879442015-03-31T13:19:00.000-05:002015-03-31T14:26:17.000-05:00There's been a changeIt's been a while since we posted an update, so here goes. Back in January, we had a conference call with our agency to discuss the progress of our adoption. It's a phone call that we've been waiting a while for since it has been over two years since we started this process. We were given some good news and bad.<br />
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Here's the bad news. The agency has decided it's time for them to pull out of the Moldovan program. It was heartbreaking to hear but we knew it was coming. I'm part of a FB group for families adopting from Moldova and one by one, each person was posting that their agency was leaving the Moldovan program. Simply put, the government adoption officials are not moving forward as they stated they would. It breaks our hearts that there are children in need but cannot be in a loving home; it's just out of our hands. Even though we cannot bring a child home from Moldova, we would still like to help them. If you would like to purchase one of our Simply Love shirts, all proceeds will go towards a <a href="http://www.stellasvoice.org/" target="_blank">Stella's Voice</a>. Just click on the button to the right to purchase.<br />
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Now, here is the good news. We have options and all is not lost. We have decided to move forward with their Minor Special Needs Program in China. We do not have to start over with our dossier but it will need to be reevaluated to see what documents can be used and what documents we need to provide. But at least we know what to expect with that. The agency has given us a rough time line, believing that we should have our child sometime later this year. We'll continue to keep you all posted as much as we possibly can. Thank for your continued prayers and support for our family.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-76613592212390267812014-10-13T10:48:00.002-05:002014-10-13T10:48:23.459-05:00ReapprovedWe've been reapproved for adoption from the US. Hopefully, we'll have our baby girl before we have to renew again in 18 months. Crossing our fingers and praying that we get a match soon.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-15762674412900496182014-09-26T21:47:00.000-05:002014-09-26T21:47:52.012-05:00A big update!We have big news to share! We just received word that Moldova is processing our paperwork. Yes, you heard that right, our paperwork is finally being reviewed. Though we were hoping we'd have a match when we heard back but unfortunately Moldova is asking for one more additional documentation. It'll be easy enough to get, I hope but at least we're being reviewed and that's a huge step. Thank you all for continuing to support and pray for us through this long journey. This brings us one step closer to bringing our baby girl home.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-45001006552043379372014-09-12T14:16:00.003-05:002014-09-12T14:16:29.403-05:00Home Study UpdateIt's been 18 months since our last home study and things "expire", including our approval to adopt in Moldova, fingerprints and background checks. It's kind of weird that your fingerprints expire but it makes sense. They just want to make sure your criminal background has not changed in the past 18 months. As far as our approval to adopt, we had to fill out an I-800A Supplement 3 form and send it over to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) before our expiration date. For those adopting, just keep a close eye on that so you're not rushing around last minute trying to send it to USCIS in time. We also had to get our home study updated by our Social Worker. This time around it was far less invasive. She just wanted to check in on how we were doing and if any big life changes happened since the last time she visited. Easy peasy. So now we continue to wait and pray.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-26662739573926373582014-08-22T15:14:00.003-05:002014-08-22T15:32:47.310-05:00Two years and countingIt's been a little over two years since we first hit print for the adoption application. We are a little closer to bringing our baby girl home. Here is what we do know. Our paperwork translation is complete and is at the Ministry in Moldova being processed. This is where the timeline can get foggy. The agency does not know how long the process can take. One of two things can happen. We'll either need to correct a document or documents and send it back or have a match to consider. We're hoping for the match. If the process goes through September 3rd, we would need to get our USCIS I-800a approval renewed. Fortunately, there is not a filing fee for the first extension. We're hoping that there's not a need for a second extension.<br />
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What I have learned in the past two years is patience. It's a tough trait to learn but I've gotten better over time. I was not expecting my strength and perseverance to be tested as much as it has been. I am thankful for my loving hubby and sweet Sadie. They have definitely helped me through the roughest of days. I continue to pray for patience and a safe journey for our daughter. Please help me pray for a speedy processing time so we can bring our daughter home.<br />
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During this time, I did happen to find another family adopting from Moldova that's using the same agency as we are. They are a little behind in the process as we are and is as excited as we are to bring their baby girl home. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they begin the waiting process. <a href="http://bethanyramsey.wordpress.com/adoption-blog-2/" target="_blank">Read more about them here.</a>tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-81150738682592811452014-03-19T17:16:00.000-05:002014-03-19T17:16:32.864-05:00Finally an update!Let's flashback to August 2013. We sent our completed dossier with the first payment to our agency back in August 2013. We were excited and thrilled that we were taking steps to bringing our baby girl home. After the agency sent our dossier to Austin to be apostilled, we received a call from the agency director with concerns on the wait time for Moldova. Her concern was that Moldova was moving slow in processing the children in the orphanage due to their lack of staff. She gave us a couple options: 1) An agency coordinator would be visiting Moldova and the orphanages for a month and we can wait to hear back from the coordinator for the condition of things 2) Look into their China Special Needs program, where there isn't a long wait but the children have minor to major special needs. After much discussion, research and prayer, we decided to wait to hear back from the coordinator but in the mean time, look into their other program in Bulgaria and Domestic Adoption. As much as we want to help a child with special needs, we don't feel like it's a responsibility we can take on, especially for our first child.<br />
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After a month had passed, we heard back from the director again and she let us know that the agency coordinator was going to speak to the ministry again after the 27th of October to get more feedback and hopefully we'll know more then. It seems like they are moving children, just a slower pace than anticipated. While I had the director on the phone, I was able to ask her about the other programs they offer and to give us a better idea of choices we need to make after the 27th.<br />
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Yet another month had passed and we had more time to think and pray. We decided that we didn't want to wait to hear back any longer, we were ready with our decision to move forward with Moldova, no matter the wait. It was right before the holidays that we told our agency our decision and we thought we were ready to move forward. Boy, was I wrong. We were informed that the Ministry now required two sets of original dossiers instead of one. No sweat! When we had our first set done, I made sure I had a second original done in case our paperwork got lost or they required another set. Roadblock #1 was taken care of. Then, right before Christmas, our agency emailed us saying we need originals of our employment verification, medical information and marriage license. Roadblock #2! It took us a little time to gather all that information; I even hired a mobile notary to go to my doctor's office with me.<br />
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We finally mailed off the rest of the paperwork in February. The agency then sent dossier #2 and the new documents to Austin to be apostilled.<br />
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Now, I'm happy to say our completed dossier is en route to Moldova. They should receive it on March 28. It will first be translated then sent to the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family to be processed. Translating our documents takes about 2-3 weeks, but the timeline once it goes to the Ministry is a bit fuzzy. During processing, one of two things can happen; 1) Correct this document and send it back or 2) Consider this match. We're hoping for the latter of the two.<br />
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We're hoping time flies during this process!<br />
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<br />tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-86433315051137126012014-01-03T14:24:00.001-06:002014-01-03T14:24:11.450-06:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-35706218230265377522013-08-26T15:31:00.002-05:002013-08-26T15:31:50.997-05:00Dossier moving forwardI can't believe we're on our final steps of getting our dossier to Moldova. After we turn in our dossier to the agency, they will have a few more documents apostilled then we can send it to Moldova to be processed. It'll take 4-6 weeks to process and if we're approved, we wait in line to be matched up to our baby. There's such excitement that bubbles up and I just can't wait.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-34618731616695374232013-08-14T13:03:00.001-05:002013-08-14T13:03:17.702-05:00Dossier sent to SOSWe've sent our dossier to the Secretary of State to be apostilled. Finally, the next big step before we send it to Moldova to be processed and, hopefully, approved.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-82973998110772875572013-07-23T11:47:00.001-05:002013-07-23T11:48:57.825-05:00Dossier status<p dir=ltr>We have our dossier notarized and ready to go to Austin to be apostilled but just waiting on our agency for last minute answers on some questions we have. This process has definitely taught me to be patient. A lot of things are out of my hands and I just need not fret about it. </p>
tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-35934703253068212013-06-27T22:42:00.001-05:002013-06-27T22:42:15.522-05:00We've been approved…by homeland security to proceed with our adoption! It feels like a game of who has the most patience. This is just one large step in the process to completing our dossier. During this waiting process, we've gathered all the paperwork needed to submit our dossier to Moldova to approve. Our next step is to get the dossier notarized then apostilled. It's just a fancy word for the government notarizing our paperwork. Here is a <a href="http://glossary.adoption.com/apostille.html" target="_blank">link</a> to the proper definition. <a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1048292_10151509680055794_3804028_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1048292_10151509680055794_3804028_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-65936387621414827592013-04-03T16:02:00.002-05:002013-04-03T16:04:47.409-05:00Home Study Interview CompletedIt had been a whirlwind of a weekend before our Monday appointment. We had our annual relay race, where we use our house as headquarters, with a total of 17 people coming in and out during the entire weekend. I was totally nervous about the house being clean but I had nothing to fear. We have an amazing team and they were sweet enough to clean the house from top to bottom without a fuss. They wanted the interview to go well for us and we appreciate their support.<br />
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We had no idea what to expect for the interview. I wasn't sure of what to wear much less the questions that were going to be asked. The social worker arrived promptly at 9:30 am, and luckily for us, she made the experience as comfortable as possible. She's had over 25 years of experience, helping in over 1,000 adoptions. We were in good hands.<br />
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The interview started with both of us being asked a series of questions. How did we meet? What are our strengths and weaknesses? How do we plan on discipling our child? Questions that weren't too difficult to answer since we've already discussed most of these things before.<br />
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The second part of the process was to interview us separately. This was the part I was most nervous about. I'm glad the hubby let me go first because I would have definitely had my ear pressed to the door, anxious to know what was going on. These questions consisted of my upbringing. Did my parents love each other? What I would like to teach our child? Who was most influential in my life? This was the question that made me tear up. Growing up, my mother and I didn't have the closest relationship. You could say we had the typical mother-daughter relationship. It wasn't until I graduated high school that I realized how great my mom really was. It was devastating when we lost her in 2005 but I know she is always with me. From the food that I make and the bags that I create, her spirit lives in me.<br />
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The last part was the home tour. Like I said earlier, we had 17 people in the house less than 24 hours before the interview but by the looks of the house, you couldn't even tell. The social worker gave the house a thumbs up.<br />
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And now we wait. We wait for her to write-up the interview, send it to the agency then send it to Moldova for approval. We wait.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-33175883284244345552013-03-09T15:09:00.001-06:002013-03-09T15:09:35.659-06:00Baby Nguyen Fun Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;">When my husband and I decided to organize a fundraising fun run six months ago, we thought we'd be lucky to have 30 people show up. Today, we had over 100. It was because of you that this event exceeded our expectations. Thank you for your generous support and love.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1875px;">Thuy & Phi</span>tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-60308751036210761352013-02-21T20:47:00.001-06:002013-06-11T16:06:20.533-05:00Home study package<div dir="ltr">
Oh my gosh! I've triple checked the checklist, made copies of everything and made sure all pages are signed. All we need to do now is enclose the check and off it goes. One step closer to getting our baby girl!</div>
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tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-83032184169903077662013-02-14T11:51:00.002-06:002013-02-14T11:51:46.066-06:00Training completeFinally, we've completed our training. The next step in the process is to turn in our paperwork for our home study. One step closer to bringing our daughter home.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775540281392980885.post-14546890380816879802012-10-31T10:24:00.000-05:002012-10-31T10:25:50.356-05:00Adoption Photoshoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yay! I finally get to share some of our favorite pictures from the shoot, taken by Sara. She did a superb job and you can tell by the pictures. Be sure to check out her <a href="http://saracatherinephoto.com/" target="_blank">site</a> and hire her, she is super awesome!<br />
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We are anxiously waiting for our baby to come home and I know that she will be loved 100 times over.<br />
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Progress report: we are almost done with the training, only two more videos to watch. Then we can turn in our paperwork and schedule the homestudy. Getting one step closer to bringing Baby Nguyen home.tnguyen308http://www.blogger.com/profile/01556141725798180802noreply@blogger.com0