Thanksgiving

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We had a wonderful day playing around on Mt. Rainier, including a tailgate Thanksgiving picnic, with the Schantz/Madeleine and Pearson clans. Emma loved it all- the powdery snow, the beauty of the mountain, and being with all her favorite people.

Visit back East

Emma and I traveled back to Massachusetts to visit family- Mom made Emma another birthday cake (Emma grinning from ear to ear when seeing the cake coming.. she gets the birthday thing now). We had fun kicking around in the leaves with my folks, and visiting Heather and her adorable son Meyer. Also Emma met, for the first time, her namesake, visiting her great-grandmother.

Third Birthday, Gotcha Day Anniversary, Halloween

October 30th marked one year since I met Emma ("Gotcha Day" in adoption circles). This year I gave her some things I had bought for her in China one year ago- a traditional Chinese comb, a coin purse, a painted fan, and a Chinese drum (which works splendidly). Emma has been learning about her personal history, and understood that I had brought these things back from China, when I adopted her.

We celebrated her birthday, with a cake and friends. Emma loves any kind of party, she had a great time.

Emma looked so cute in her Halloween costume- she is just now getting into "dress up"; the day before she had insisted on wearing the costume, wings and all, on a trip to the grocery store.

Pumpkins and such