LIFE with LEXIE

Just a quick post to share a couple of events we attended during Lexie's days as an elephant performer or was she a performer as an elephant? I wanted to make sure everyone knows that I wasn't a stage mom forcing Lexie to dance and not giving her any rewards for her amazing performances as the second to last elephant on parade! After her first fantastic performance (watch for her name during Oscar nomination time) we celebrated by going down to the local festival and riding a pony - see the happy cowgirl above, going in the bouncy thing and listening to a local band while Lexie played at her favorite ocean side playground.



*No child was forced to dance during the taking of these pictures & video*

Just a quick post to say Happy 2nd Freedom Day my sweet Lexie Lou! Two years ago on July 4th at 4:04pm I carried Alexis Falen Quast out of the baby house for the first and the last time. What a wonderful feeling to know that I was her mother and no one could change that.

And here she is today getting ready to go see the fireworks on July 4th with her cousins (accept Casey whom we missed a lot) Aunts, Uncles (except Uncle Kyle whom we also missed,) Grandma & Mommy.....who ordered those fireworks just for her you know (hey - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Happy to be goofing around with them...

And here she is earlier as princess for the day. My wonderful family didn't forget in all the celebration of the nations freedom that it was Lexie's Freedom Day too! We are so blessed with an amazing family that loves us!!!


Thanks so much everyone - we love you too!!!

So here it is - the much awaited video of Lexie's recital on THE BIG STAGE as she calls it. I think they are all pretty darn cute. Thanks Sara for getting it to me. All the girls are between 3 & 4 except the leader of the pack, Amber, who is 8 and was brought in by the teacher to help the girls during the performance. She was wonderful with them even when they had trouble with the circle. They were certainly not perfect but I was surprised they remember the dance at all. Lexie and I didn't practice at home or anything. I think they did great and I'm so very proud of my baby elephant Lexie Lou!!

It's been a long couple of weeks to get a smile out of her while she is wearing that costume but it finally happened tonight. As you will recall a few weeks ago when Lexie was coaxed into first putting on the costume the results were not the best. But tonight she had her final dress rehearsal for her dance recital that is this weekend. I will be glad when it's over but am happy to report I have a very happy elephant on my hands - finally! For the last two weeks of practices Lexie was her usual happy little dancer self. Until they invited the moms into the room to watch them dance. Lexie would run to sit on my lap and refuse to dance with the other girls. She has been very clingy lately and I think that was a big part of it.

Here she is with her practice tail in class happy as can be.


Then we had a dance class with them wearing the costumes minus tights just so they could get used to wearing them (especially since Lexie was not the only child in the class not happy about them.) As you can see she wasn't happy about wearing it at first but once we got outside she decided to do a little dance in the drive way and off we went.







Waiting to go on backstage.


Such a BIG stage for such little girls.


She was ALWAYS out front.



Taking their bows!!



She was so darn proud of herself (and Mommy was too!!)

Okay, I know last year I said I wouldn't do it again but I can't help it. Two years ago Mom & I landed in Aktau to meet the baby that would become my "Lexie." I've been trying to remember what I thought she'd look like or be like or feel like.....and I can't. I didn't really "see" her in that way. I knew whoever GOD had chosen would be the perfect child for me. I also remember being stressed out, anxious, frustrated and disappointed BEFORE getting on the plane, what with all my delays and issues along the way. But what person going through international adoption hasn't felt the same thing at some point during the incredibly long agonizing process? Then once we actually took off it was almost surreal. Surround by people from so many different nations, speaking in languages I couldn't even name let alone understand made even the flight feel like I was already in a foreign country. Then getting off that plane, not being able to read or understand a word being said just added to the experience of being totally out of control of the situation. When one of the bags and the baby stroller didn't make the flight and I was asked by the customer service person where I was staying so they could have it delivered and I didn't know....WOW - talk about having faith that GOD was traveling with us and would make sure we were taken care of. Looking back I really never questioned if someone we could trust would be there to pick us up and take us to a safe place to sleep. I mean, we are talking about COMPLETE strangers half way around the world in a country I can't even speak the language in. And these same strangers are going to guide me to the most important person in my life - my child!! That is the trust and faith and total belief in the power of GOD that International Adoption is based on. Especially in Kazakhstan where you are required to travel BLIND. Most other countries you have pictures and maybe a video or at least information on the child's age and health. And you are assured that that child will be waiting for you when you get there. That certainly seems to give parents a little more feeling of control. In Kaz you are assigned a city where they say there SHOULD be a child that is close to what you where hoping for and then you get on a plane and go....BLIND...blind faith, blind trust and complete belief that GOD is walking beside you every step of the way. You are where he wants you to be and HE will take you to the child HE has chosen for you. Amazing, really. I agonized over what to pack and organized for months who would take care of the dogs, the house and my business and joyously set up a bedroom for this child to come home to. But looking back now I never really questioned if I'd bring the RIGHT child home to that nursery. After all, GOD was with us on that plane and walking down that long hall at the baby house so how could I question who they put in my arms. I mean, I could have chosen any one of the 4 babies brought into that cramped little visitors room two years ago but I knew even as anxious and emotional as I was, that somehow everything would finally turn out as it was meant to be. That the child I had dreamed about since I was not much more than a child myself was in that room on Friday, May 25th in Aktau Kazakhstan because GOD had chosen her for me and me for her. I was her mother and this was just GOD's creative way for us to become a family. Anyone that knows me, knows that I don't do things like other people do so why should I go the normal route for creating a family? The worst moments I had in Kazakhstan were when I went to the apartment that night after our first visit and questioned it - the whole thing. I talked to Mom and said this child didn't feel like my daughter and what was I doing half way around the world agreeing to raise this child. Mom being Mom just said wait. Give it a few more days and then see how it feels. Even on the ride over to the baby house the next morning, I was thinking I'd give her through the weekend but if it still wasn't right then I was calling my agency. Once we got to the baby house we found the entire population of babies outside because they were fumigating the building. And there, through this sea of little faces, I saw this angel smile at me. That was it. She was my Lexie. It must be how a woman who gives birth to a child feels when they lay that child on her chest to hold the baby for the first time....MINE. That's what I thought. She's mine and GOD brought us together in this special way. So I must give thanks to GOD for my baby and say Happy Two Year "Born to Me Day" Lexie!

PS - I did NOT set this shot up. She grabbed her "Kaza" flag as she calls it off her bookshelf in her room and was running around with it. She must have felt the connection to Kazakhstan today just like I did!

Better late than never - I guess. (I've had this written up it just never got posted?)

Yes you can have it all when you turn three. Of course you'd think that Lexie would want to wear a fabulous Princess costume or the adorable tutu Mommy wanted to make especially for her birthday. But noooooo! After a lot of talking and trying outfits on, my little Lexie Lou decided she wanted to wear her "new Ballet clothes" because we were going to dance with Ms Tanya. That is why Lexie is probably the ONLY three year old birthday girl to wear BLACK to her party. Don't get me wrong, I love this simple black practice leotard I got for her as a present but I visualized her in a princess outfit or lovely party dress or cute pink tutu at the very least. But once she tried it on, she kept telling me she LAWFT it and HAD to wear it to her party. I then tried to add a cute tutu and then some "jewels" to it but NOOOOOOOO she wasn't having any of it. So I took a deep breath and decided it's her birthday so she should wear what she wants. So here she is my sweet simple three year old princess ballerina!
Enough about her clothes already! Here are a lot of the kids even though we are missing 5 or 6 from this picture. It was hard to get them all together and standing still at once but you can see that Snow White, Cinderella, Bell and several other ballerinas made it to the party.

First I have to thank Julie, Lisa & Jordon for their help with the party. We only had about 45 minutes to get set up and they were all just wonderful. Jordon, Lisa's 15 year old daughter was also our video-aughrapher so they are thanks to her. She did a terrific job with all the kids running everywhere plus parents trying to get shots of the kids. Once most of the kids where there Tanya started a class and the fun was on. All of the kids where such a hoot. Well take a look - the pictures tell it all.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Here are the Thank You notes I sent out after the party. Each one was personalized for each child with all their pictures in it but you get the idea. They were all so cute and I think everyone had fun. Thanks everyone for sharing this special day with Lexie and I!