The things a mother will do...

So, this is a photo of me at the Vet clinic this morning. On my shoulder is "Niko", resident bird of the clinic. Once a month Chipper has to go the the clinic for a minor procedure and any time the bird is out of his cage he lands on me for a visit. Normally, I freak out a bit and immediately shoo it away. Today was different. Lily came along. This is proof positive that I am trying to be a good role model and not pass on any of my anxieties, phobias or bad habits. So, I smiled pleasantly and told Lily the pretty birds name, she is enchanted with the bird, all the while I am thinking "Don't you dare poop on me bird, on my new Land's End jacket, you will be in big trouble."

Dale, bless his heart was so amused that he took this photo with his Blackberry then proceeds to say: "I wonder why he always lands on you when we are here, must be your hair, must remind him of a nest."

Hat weather

I cannot believe it is early October and it is hat and mitt weather already.

Fall colours in the backyard.

"Clearly this hat is too big."

The hat that Heather B. made, note the chubby cheeks have returned.

Have wheels will travel.

Lily and Dale today at the Shady Forest in the National Park.

Noella and Lily at Beach Grove trails.

We are somewhat settled. Lily is having a smoother transition than Mom and Dad. I cannot seem to find the time to clean the house and get organized. She has gained a pound since she has been in our care. She is teething, drooling lots she has a lower tooth coming in...We make a point of going for at least one walk a day if not two walks.

She is so funny, one moment all sweet and gentle the next moment not so delicate. The cat pretty much ignores her, the dog gives her a wide berth. We are still working on getting her to gently pet Chipper. He is enjoying the way she throws food on the floor occasionally. Take care, N

Home - safe and sound

Thank you for the warm welcome. Lily is doing fine. Dale and I and Chipper are going to take awhile to get into a routine. Hopefully we can all reset the internal clocks sometime soon. Dale was so sick on the flight from Toronto to home, I felt bad for him. He was able to eat a bit today.

Goodbye to Beijing

This pic is from last Sunday, after her first bath with us, still very scared. She is definitely not so timid or scared these days.

Above is our Gotcha moment. I tried not to cry...

We are packing up and heading to the airport shortly. The missing documents finally arrived around 1pm yesterday afternoon just before we were heading out for a shopping trip. Needless to say I was in a much better mood and had tons of fun shopping/bartering at the Pearl Market. Got some squeaky shoes for Lily and a few other keepsakes.

Lily is having a nap at the moment and I was able to switch seats online so now we are all sitting together on the flight from Beijing in Toronto. We are overnighting in Toronto and will be home around 12:30(noonish) on Friday!

I missed saying goodbye to CAM this morning, Lily fell asleep and I was waiting to Dale to return from grocery shopping - sorry CAM. I cannot tell you how grateful we are for your assistance and support during this trip.

We enjoyed China more than we anticipated. It is bittersweet knowing we are taking Lily from her birth country but she has such wonderful friends and family waiting to meet and welcome her to Canada. We hope to be able to take her back for a visit when she is older. Thanks for following along and all your encouraging comments. Love, Noella, Dale and Lily.

Photo shoot with CAM

These photos are so beautiful, I will let them speak for themselves. CAM has a natural talent for photography, she did not use any special lighting, they were taken using her duvet and simply in her hotel room - amazing. Lily had fun.

More random pics

Some random pics. This is the night we were locked in the hotel, while the military practiced, we were in awe by the number of military vehicles and military personnel.

Lily watching the parade practice from CAM's room.

Chowing down on her snackies, we have to fatten up this gal.